University Daily Kansan / Monday, September 8. 1986
7
Sports Monday
Ex-Javhawk Frank Seurer calls signals during a practice with the Kansas City Chiefs. Seurer is the third-string quarterback behind Todd Blackledge and Bill Kennev.
Former 'Hawks thriving on pro teams
Bv HEATHER FRITZ
BY HEATHER PRITZ
Associate sports editor
Frank Seurer isn't the only ex-Jayhawk who latched onto a professional team this summer. Mike Norseeth, Alvin Walton and Johnny Holloway also survived training camp to make National Football League teams.
Linebacker Willie Pless plays with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
Norseth, picked in the seventh round of the spring's NFL draft, battled four Cleveland Browns quarterbacks this summer, including second-year superstar Bernie Kosar. Things looked promising for Norseth when 10-year veteran Gary Danielson broke an ankle late in the summer. But Norseth was placed on the injured reserve list Aug. 27 with a stomach problem, leaving Kosar and Mike Pagel to handle the quarterback duties.
Walton, a defensive back, was the first Jayhawk to be drafted, even though he was academically ineligible to play in his final season at Kansas. The Washington Redskins selected him in the third round and listed him behind third-year safety Ken Coffe on the depth chart.
Holloway, drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round, made the
team and could start in tonight's game against the New York Giants.
Holloway, who switched from wide receiver to defensive back at the Cowboys' training camp, originally was supposed to play left cornerback behind Evanson Walls, who last year led the NFL for a record third time in interceptions. But Walls left the team Thursday, and unless he shows up before the game, Holloway will take his spot.
United Press International said Friday that Walls left saying the Cowboys failed to negotiate a contract in good faith. Walls' agent filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association and asked for an arbitrator to settle the dispute, UPI said.
UPI also reported that Tex Schramm, Cowbys' president, said that if Walls did not return within five days the team would bar him from playing in 1986.
"It didn't catch me by surprise," Holloway said from his Dallas hotel room Friday. "There were rumors he might do it."
Holloway first learned of the news Friday morning when he went to a special teams meeting and Walls did not show up.
better get used to it.' I welcome the challenge.' Holloway said.
Last year, Holloway caught 32 passes for 538 yards and one touchdown for Kansas. In 1984, he grabbed 13 passes for 235 yards in three games before being redshirted because of an ankle injury. The year before, he played at Butler County Community College, earning all-conference honors and leading the country in yards per reception, and in 1982 he played in 10 games at Northwestern.
Holloway grew up wanting to play for the Cowboys, and said a lot of training camp pressure was relieved Sept. 1 after the final cut to the NFL limit of 45 players.
"I don't get into all the hoopla," he said. "I just want to go out there and shine. I just want to play. I have a pretty good grasp of what we're doing. I'm very well prepared to meet this challenge."
Holloway compared starting the game to taking a test in school. If one is not well prepared for a test, he will get nervous, he said. But if prepared, there is nothing to worry about.
"Some people think you should make a big deal out of it," he said. "I don't put
myself in that position because that puts undue pressure on me. I'm excited I'll be playing. I'm just going to go out there and do it."
Holloway, Norseth, Walton and Seurer are four of 13 former Kansas players now with NFL teams.
the other are:
Wayne Capers, WR, fourth year,
Indianapolis Colts.
Paul Fairchild, G, third year, New England Patriots.
The o t h e r s a r e :
Bob Johnson, WR, third year. New York Giants.
Elvis Patterson, CB, third year,
Giants.
David Verser, WR, fifth year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dan Wagoner, CB-S, fourth year, Atlanta Falcons.
- Nolan Cromwell, S, 10th year, Los Angeles Rams.
LeRoy Irvin, CB, seventh year, Rams.
■ Frank Wattelte, S, sixth year, New Orleans Saints.
See FORMER, p. 9, col. 1
Seurer loves football with NFL's Chiefs
By HEATHER FRITZ
Associate Spokesperson
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Frank Seurer was running sprints with the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday at practice.
"Ya gotta love it," he yelled between trips across the field
Frank Seuer does love it. He loves Kansas City, and he loves playing for the Chiefs.
Seurer survived the final cut Sept. 1 to make the 45-man roster. Yesterday, he watched from the sidelines as the Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14.
When he went into the Chiefs' training camp this summer, Searer knew he would have a tough time making the team. Todd Blackledge was named the starting quarterback last spring, and Bill Kenney was a capable back-up. Furthermore, the league had refused to expand the teams' rosters from 45 to 49 men, making it unlikely that any team would keep three quarterbacks.
Seurer forced the Chiefs to do just that.
Seurer forced me to say, "I like to think that's what happened," Seurer said, "I knew they didn't have plans to keep three quarter-backs. I sweated bullets for awhile."
John Mackovic, Chiefs head coach, said the team was keeping Searer because it thought he could succeed in the NFL.
ceed in the NE. "On a 45-man roster you don't keep a third quarter back unless you see him as a potential starter." he said, "It's not fair to your team. Rarely can you afford to keep a player for your future. This is the only position where, anymore, you can worry about the future."
in 1984, Seurer was chosen in the fifth round of the United States Football League's draft by the Los Angeles Express, coached by former KU assistant coach John Hadi. He fought with former UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey for the startling job and won. But the Express then signed Brigham Young's Steve Young, and Seurer was relegated to the bench.
In 1985 he was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL's supplemental draft of USFL players. He bought out the third year of his USFL contract and went to the Seahawks' training camp. He started as the sixth of six quarterbacks but quickly moved to No. 3. When veteran Jim Zorn was cut, things looked bright for Seurer. But suddenly, after the third exhibition game, he was cut
"I'm hoping I learned something from it," he said. "I knew going in there they didn't have a whole lot of plans for me. I didn't feel confident there. I made mistakes in practice that I normally wouldn't make."
He was so frustrated and wanted to play so badly that he joined the Orange County Cougars, a semi-pro team in California.
For once in his life, he had time on his hands. He came back to the University to work on his degree. Then this summer, he signed with the Chiefs.
He had two good pre-season games, against Cincinnati and St. Louis, to help him earn a place on the team. Mackovic has said Seuerer won't play much this season, and that's fine with him.
"The main thing for me is to do whatever I need to do to help out." he said. "I just 'am so happy I here'"
Seurer expects to be charting plays during games and listening to coaches over the headsets. During practice, he plays cornerback in offensive drills.
But the important thing is that he's made a claim, "He will grow during the year," Mackovic said. "He'll be on the practice field, he'll be in the meetings, he'll be learning. That's what he needs right now."
"For us to cut him and perhaps try to resign him and bring him back next year would be a real disservice to
See SEURER, p. 12, col. 1
Shannon Ridgeway, member of the Kansas volleyball team, tries to dig a ball spiked by a Wichita State player as James Adams, line judge, watches. KU dominated the match, winning three straight games. 15.5, 15.7 and 15.9. See story, page 10
Incoming
Chiefs beat Bengals,24-14
Early defensive touchdown sparks Kansas City victory
The Associated Press
Buoyed by Deron Cherry's touchdown recovery with 1:42 elapsed, the Chiefs went on yesterday to post a 24-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the opener for the two teams.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs found the perfect way to begin the NFL season — block a punt for the go-ahead touchdown before the offense even touches the ball.
"We scored a touchdown off the special teams at the start of the game and that took the pressure off," said Chiefs' quarterback Todd Blackledge.
Safety Mark Robinson came crashing through to block Jeff Hayes' punt, and the ball bounced 15 yards
"We go out there with the idea of giving it our all on every play." Cherry said. "Our goal is to make one big play on special teams every game. We were able to do it at the start of the game today, and fortunately, it set the tone for the game."
backward into the end zone where Cherry fell on it.
Bengals head coach Sam Wyche said, " that blocked punt might have been the difference in the ballgame. We had a quick snap on as we figured they would blitz. As it was, we were the ones who weren't ready."
The Chiefs, hoping to improve on last year's 6-10 record, were locked in a 7-7 halftime tie after the Bengals Boomer Esiason completed a 15-yard pass into the end zone to Cris
Collinsworth.
Jeff Smith, following a tackle-breaking, 40-yard run by Herman Heard, took a short pass from Blackledge injury time. He tucked at the 5-yard line, and put the Chiefs ahead 14-7 with 11:30 left in the third quarter.
The Chiefs went ahead 21-7 in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns. Nick Lowery iceed the victory with an 18-yard field goal for the Chiefs with 1:32 left in the game.
About to minutes later, tight end Walt Arnold fell on Heard's goal-line fumble in the end zone and gave Kansas City a 14-point advantage. Eisason brought the Bengals to within seven points midway through the fourth period with his second touchdown pass to Collinsworth.
Royals beat Texas
United Press International
BLINGTON Trues Angel
ARLINGTON. Texas — Angel Salazar drove in three runs, including two with a tie-breaking double, and Danny Jackson scattered eight hits last night to help lead the Kansas City Royals to a 5-2 victory over the fading Texas Rangers.
ne loss, coupled with California's 7-2 victory over New York, dropped Texas 71 games behind the Angels in the American League West. The Rangers have lost five of their last seven games.
jackson, 10-10, struck out six and walked two in his second complete game of the season. Charlie Hough, 12-9, took the loss.
right, scoring. White and Kingery with the winning runs.
The Royals went ahead 4 in the sixth innings. With two out, Frank White singled and Mike Kingery walked. Salazar then doubled to
Texis tied the score in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Scott Fletcher and Pete O'Brien singled and Larry Parrish walked, loading the bases. Fletcher on Ruben Sierra's sacrifice fly.
White's 10th home run of the season gave Kansas City a 5-2 lead in the eighth. White has 77 RBI, tying his career high.
Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first when Lonnie Smith scored on a wild pitch by Hough. Smith had led off with a single, went to second on a one-out single by George Orta and advanced to third on a groundout.
Kansas City made it 2-1 in the second. Kinggery reached on a bloop triple to left and scored on a single by Salazar.
More sports
The California Angels increase their lead in the American League's Western division, page 9.
The Chicago Bears begin defense of their SuperBowl title with a 41-31 win over Cleveland, page 8.
**Ivan Lendl** and Martina Navratilova win U.S. Open titles, page 10.
The Kansas volleyball team begins its season with a victory over Wichita State, page 10
"The men's cross country sets its roster for Friday's meet against the Southern Illinois Salukis, page 10.