Wednesday, September 25, 1974
University Daily Kansan
SPORTS
Coach survives till last Chiefs' cut
Mike McDaniel won't expecting Hank
sarres phone call on Monday morning,
sir.
McDaniel, the center on the KU football team last year and now a graduate assistant coach with the junior varsity, had lasted the entire pre-season schedule with the Kansas City Chiefs and had played well. He had to officially roster out roster cut to officially become a Chief
On Friday, St. Sept. 6, McDaniel played well against the St. Louis Cardinals in the last pre-season game. He played on the specialty team and made six tackles.
That was a good sign for McDaniel. A pro football team doesn't play someone on a specialty team only one week before the season begins unless it plans to keep him.
So when Stram, the Kansas City coach, called just three days later, McDaniel was surprised. When Stram told him to come to the Stadium, McDaniel knew what he wanted.
McDaniel walked into Stram's office at the stadium.
"Michael," Stram said, shaking his head slowly.
"Close but no cigar?" McDaniel said.
"So close it isn't pitiful." Stram said.
Just like that, McDaniel barely missed being a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
MEDANIEL FIRST reported to the Chiefs training camp in June on the recommendation of a Washington Redskins coach who was impressed with McDaniel's performance in a Redskins game and played for the Chiefs because he was the only center in camp.
The pro football strike was in on earnest and the Chiefs' two regular centers, Jack
Rudnay and Mike Oriard, boycoting camp with other veterans.
McDaniel quickly learned, however, that he had a good chance to make the team.
"There wasn't any point in going if I didn't think I could," he said recently. "This was my chance. This was what I was waiting for."
The odds shouldn't have been in his favor.
Although he was a good center in the Big
He knew his limitations, however, and lifted weights his senior year to gain weight.
By Mark Zeligman Sports Editor
Eight at 640-1/2 and 230 pounds, he didn't have the size typical of a pro center.
He found a lot of good players at the training camp. One was his friend and former KU-trainmate, Dave Jaynes, who had no worry about gaining a spot on the
When the strike came along, McDaniel was ready. There would be no veterans in camp for more than four weeks. McDaniel was back at the 50 other free agents and rookies there.
"It gets to the point where you feel you're completely shut off from the world," he said.
FOR TWO MONTHS, McDaniel saw
the Chiefs训练 camp in
Liberty, Mo.
McDaniel knew he was caught in the middle between the players and management, but he never considered striking.
"It it hadn't been for the strike. I wouldn't have given a chance," he said. "The strike
"A at team meeting one day, one guy said, 'What if we did strike?' McDaniel said. "Hank said, 'Well, we'll just have to find somebody else.'"
"In a lot of cases, they were just filling the numbers," he said. "There were a lot of free agents. In some cases, you wonder why in hell they were there."
team. But he also found many that didn't belong.
In the first exhibition game, against Detroit, Stir pickied McDaniel to be one of the Chiefs' co-captains. But Stir didn't tell McDaniel. McDaniel was leading pre-game calisthenics when one of the referees anroached him.
tails and it came up heads. I said, "We'll
shoot them in shoots and started to
leave when it was done."
"Listen Mike, you're captain," he said.
"I said, Yeah, I know. We got the ball."
M-DANEL PLAYED well in his first pro game, he first preached this refection that it is a lot of fun.
"I knew what he wanted—for me to call the coin flip—but I couldn't find Hank."
The fun lasted until that Monday morning in early September. McDaniel has no bitterness toward the Chiefs or Strom, but knew that players better than he were cut.
"It was just a question of numbers," he said.
So McDaniel came back to KU and is now classified as a special student. He graduated with a degree in education last spring, but returned too late to enroll in graduate school. He said he hoped to get a master's degree in business.
"At first, I thought if I don't make it, I can really get football out of my system," he said. "No way it's worse. I'm going back to work." But he still gains "I'll gain more weight and get stronger."
MDANIEL INST 'the only one who thinks MDaniel can play pro ball.
KU backfield leads conference
"The first day I was coaching back here," McDaniel said. "Steve Towe came up to me and said, 'You don't belong here. You live in Las Vegas City.' That really made me feel good."
Robert Miller, Laverne Smith and Scott McMichael all figured prominently in the Big Eight statistics announced yesterday by the conference service bureau.
If he gains some weight and maintains his older attitude, maybe next year. Mike has a new job at the bank.
Overland Park has completed 18 of 40 passes in two games for 244 yards.
In somewhat of a surprise because of the KU switch to a ground game using the VeerT this season, McMichael leads the Big Eight in passing. The sophomore from
Joe. Washington, Oklahoma's All-America team. He scored 162 yards a game. Washington's average was also good enough to lead the conference in rushing. Miller and Smith were right behind him.
The KU starting backfield all ranked up for four total offenses in the conference play, which were tied for second place with 135 yards a game, a game with 120 yards, a bowl ranked fourth with 124 yards a game.
In team statistics, KU leads in passing offense with 122 yards a game and is fourth in rushing offense with 295 yards a game. Oklahoma leads the conference in rushing yards at 384 per game against Baylor. KU is third in total offense with 107 yards a game. Oklahoma has at 554.
KU is fifth in total defense, giving up 24.7 yards a game. Ohio State leads with a 139.5 average. It also leads in passing and rushing for the game. KU is third with 63 yards a game.
KU is a distant sixth to K-State's league-leading 39.0 average in rushing defense. The 'Hawks are giving up 180.5 yards a game on the ground. The Wildcats' total is also the best in the nation, according to NCAA statistics.
SUA Presents
NIGHTS OF CABIRIA
Classical Series 75'
Sept. 25, Wednesday
Woodruff 7:30
Director: Frederica Fallini
XXXXXXXXXX
HUD Film Society Series
Sept. 26, Thurs. $ 75^{\circ} $
Paul Newman, Patricia Neal
Woodruff 7:30
Sept. 27, Fri. 7:00 9:30
Sept. 28, Sat. 1:30 3:30
SAVE THE TIGER Popular Series
Popular Series
7:00 9:30
Woodruff 75°
Jack Lemmon, Laurie Heineman
September 29, Sun.
BRIGADOON
Woodruff 50° 1:30
Admission 75°—Woodruff Auditorium
xxxxxxxxxx
Plans for: Backpacking Workshop October 4, 5 Trips October 12 and November 2
Choose a basket or a pot and fill it up with houseplants from our complete new stock
TREAT YOURSELF You Deserve It
Convenience Plus Excellent Service at
Gardenland
941 W.23
842-1596
For Further Information Call SUA-864-3477
Mon.-Sat. 8-6
Thurs. 8-8 Sunday 10-5
September 25
7:30 p.m.
KU Mountaineering/Back-pack Club: Organizational Meeting FORUM ROOM KANSAS UNION
THE
٢- فصل خاتمه القرآن الكريم
عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله محمد المزدوجي
الشاعر المكتوب في تاريخ نهاية القرآن الكريم
المؤلف من مجلس الإدارة العامة للبحث والتقارير
السعودية
THE GRREEN POPCOR Gives You FREE DOUBLE CHEESE on any size pizza with this coupon
Call 841-4044 for ...FAST FREE DELIVERY
Offer expires
621 W. 9th
10/3/74
K. U. Night
Every Wednesday Night, 4 p.m.-12 p.m.
50° off any 12" Pizza
$1.00 off any 14" Pizza
$1.50 off any 16" Pizza
For Carry Out Phone 841-3233
843-9892
1O21 MASSACHUSETTS ST.
Fender Kustom
Gibson Pearl
Epiphone
S. L. Mossman
Ibanez ampeg
SG
Come by and visit with us anytime