Page 10 University Daily Kansan, September 2, 1980
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KU's 'Paper Jayhawk' hits the turf
Jim Small, sportswriter-turned-football player, grimaced under his helmet during yesterday's football practice. Small worked out with the Jayhawks for one day, earning the title "Paper Jayhawk."
By JIM SMALI Sports Writer
By JIM SMALL
Sports Writer
I read George Plimpton's "Paper Lion" five times. I spent hours upon hours learning and re-learning the intricacies of my assignment.
I went to church and prayed.
For one day, I, Jim Small, University Daily
writer, wrote, became Jim Small,
"Paper Jayhawk."
THERE WAS one difference, however. All but one of the practitioners practiced wore street shoes and had shoulder pads.
Thanks to Don Fambrough, his football coaching staff and 103 extremely large football players, I was allowed to spend Labor Day with the KU football team.
The saga of the "Paper Jayhawk" began early last week. Faced with another week of boring preseason stories, the Kansan's sports editors asked me to come up with a different story, a story that had originality and style. Most of it, they wanted a故事 that wouldn't be so boring that it made the readers feel as if they were being held hostage.
LO and behold, after hours of soul-searching, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Football," I whispered to myself. "A Paper Jawhawk."
The next day I contacted Fambrough and Athletic Director Bob Marcum and told them my advice.
"Just remember," Marcum said, "that these boys have been at this for a long time and for them to run 15 sprints is the same as you running five."
SO THE STAGE was set. I was to meet Fambrough in his office at Parrott Athletic Center at 8 a.m. yesterday—Labor Day—to pick up my equipment. Labor Day—how approprite?
Surprisingly enough, I slept well the night
before my gregorian bed, the next morning,
the beginning of my nursing begins.
"Why can't I be a normal KU student?" I thought as the water pelted my face in the shower. "The kind that goes to class, studies a little at night and drinks some beer on the weekends. Why can't I keep my big mouth shut?"
My confidence didn't runneth over, but when I entered Fambrough's office I was met with good
"It a little muddy on the practice field today," he said in his hispy, father-like voice, "so we are going to work out in shoulder pads and helmets only. There will be no hitting."
MY PRAYERS had been answered.
"So why don't you come back at about 2 or 1:5 to check out your gear?" he asked.
I went back to my room feeling somewhat better about the situation.
My confidence kept building until 2 p.m. rolled around. I was the epitome of self-confidence. The Sylvester Stallone raced through my head as I leaned to the theme from "Rocky." I was ready.
I ran to the field house feeling my confidence grow with each step. Nothing could stop me now.
Nothing, that is, until I reached the field house,
opened the locker room door and discovered three of the biggest men I had ever seen in my life staring down at me.
"Hi guys, I'm in a aby, but semi-formalice
voice," Wanna play some football?
IDIDN'T WAIT for an answer.
I found a secluded spot in the corner of the dressing room and donned my gear. Things were looking pretty good until I introduced myself to Dane Anderson, a freshman fullback.
"You should have come on a day when we were laughing. You're missing the fun part," he said, laughing.
I found it hard to muster a smile.
Finally the time I had waited for so $10^{14}$ had come. I got on a bus that would take me from Allen Field House to Memorial Stadium.
During the ride I had a chance to talk with the players. John Lesakil, junior wide receiver, said, "I was very nervous."
"IT GETS discouraging being a walk-on," he said.
"Sometimes you want to quit. And a lot of guys do. But you gotta stay with it and wait your turn."
"And when your turn comes," interrupted Rilee, "rewood, good light and right. You damn well know what you're going to spill! vampires!"
The buses pulled into the parking lot in front of the stadium and we filled out.
"Well, here goes nothing," I said to Greenwood.
We took the field, and after a few minutes of speciality drills, we lined up for calisthenics. I had forgotten out of shape a man could be. The jumping jacks were a breeze and the leg uncomfortable but it too bad, but things got a little uncomfortable when the coach screamed. Hit it for push-ups!"
After the callisthenics, my was turn to hit the big time. I was assigned to work out with the receivers, so I hoped in line behind the likes of All-Big Eight split end David Verser and Lester Lightening. 'Mickens. Much to my delight and to spurriose of everyone else, I didn't drop the first pass.
"Nothing to it." I thought.
BUT AFTER 10 minutes of pattern drills I found myself out of breath and looked for relief. I hobbled over to Dean Nesmith's training table for a long, cold gold bit of water.
"You're hardly sweating," an assistant trainer told me. "You wait until it gets really hard."
The rest of practice I spent talking to coaches, players, trainers or anybody that happened to be walking by the stadium at the time. I would do anything to stay off that field.
After what seemed like three days of Chinese water torture instead of two hours on a football field, it was over.
I boarded the bus, confident and proud, but mostly thankful.
THANKFUL TO COACH Fambrough and the rest of his staff for allowing me to become the "Paper Jayhawk."
Now that my football career is over, I can burn my copy of "Paper Lion" and start worrying about my next assignment. Maybe a midget mud-wrestling tournament in Wichita.
Thankful to Mike Hill for being so cooperative in helping me find a uniform that fit.
I'm leaning more toward a non-contact sport like tennis. I hear Jimmy Connors makes pretty good money.
But mostly thankful to the players who had the kindness, the thoughtfulness and the charity not to break every bone in my body.
Brewers nip Kansas City
By MATT SEELEY Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. --It took three years and more than 200 relief appearances, but the chance of a starting role was worth the wait for Bob McClure.
McClure, making his major-league starting debut, went the distance and scattered six hits to pace the Milwaukee Brewers past the Chicago Cubs—not-most-turning Kansas City Royals 6-1 last night.
Called upon to replace Paul Mitchell after Mitchell pulled a leg muscle, McClure made the most of his debut in upping his season's record to 2-6.
McCLURE ALLOWED only one extra-base hit, a second-inning triple to U.L. Washington, in quieting the bats of the major league's top-hitting team.
The Brewers, second to the Royals in team hitting, got all the runs they needed in the first inning off Kansas City starter and loser Rich Gale, 13-8.
With one out, Robin Yount doubled down the left-field line and scored on Cecil Cooper's single. Cooper stole second and went to third on Kansas City catcher Jamie Quirk's errant throw. Ben Ogilvie then singled Cooper home for the second run of the inning.
Kansas City, which missed an opportunity to score in the second after Washington's triple with one out, picked up its lone run in the third. After Wille Wilson reached first on three and then on four straight pitches. Wilson then stole third and came home on George Brutel's single.
AFTER THAT, the Royals shouldn't have bothered to bring bats with them to the plate. The Royals handcuffed them the next five innings, underwriting only a pair of walks and a bloop single.
Criswell axed
The grim reaper of football appeared yesterday in the 28 NFL training camps. One KU athlete was a member.
The player, linebacker Kirby Criswell, was cut on the final day for teams to meet their 48-player limit. Criswell was a second-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Three KU rookies, however, survived final cuts. Safety Leroy Irwin is still with the Los Angeles Rams, punter Mike Hibach is with the New England Patriots and running back Mike Higgins is on the injured reserve with the Atlanta Falcons.
Two players were cut earlier. They were tight
Lloyd, Sobert, or the Buffalo Bills and
lumbermen. It was too risky to do that.