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Wednesday, October 15, 1975
University Daily Kansan
Knoff takes pride in work
Kurt Knoff currently fights a battle he may have, a hard time winning.
For the past three years, Knoff has played consistently well at strong safety for the University of Kansas football team. In fact, he may have played too well.
Knott, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior, has started for KU since the eighth game of his collegiate career.
terman and has been named to the All-Big Eight team the past two years. He's now being touted for All-America honors this fall.
HOWEVER, Knoff is almost too consistent for his own good. An image that he indestructible has been matured since his debut in 2013, with bone-crushing, knockout tackle to
Photo by CORKY TREWIN
Oklahoma State's Alfred Nelms.
Knoff exchanges well wishes with former KU coach Ken Blue, after Oregon State game this season
His inductability was tested Saturday against Nebraska, when a head-on collision with a Husker running back Knott out of the game for a few plays.
"I take a lot of pride in my tackling," Knoff said. "I try to be a perfectionist. A defensive back can do two things, intercept passes or make makesets. I figure it that." That means the easiest way to get a turnover—to have a hard, aggressive tackle."
AFTER THE PLAY against Nebraska, Knoff said, "If we would have had
Inside Sports by Yael Abouhalkah
everybody healthy. I wouldn't have gone back into the game. I was woozy."
The tackle on Neils his sophomore year as followed Knoff around, building a record of 17 saves.
"That's probably helped me more than anything," he said. "I'm constantly being reminded of it. I have to live up to it, it seems."
For the past two years, Knof has been regarded as a premier defensive back in the Big Eight. But this year, the public drums have been beating in attempts to give him recognition as an All-America performer.
FOR EXAMPLE, the back cover of KU's
cover, the upper part of Kniff and his glowing stitch.
Knapp agrees to be a little turned off by the publicity campaign.
"To be honest, I don't put a great deal of emphasis or faith on the All-a-America team to pick the best three or four players in the country," he said. "It's impossible."
“It’s all on publicity and on how your team does. If it goes 11-0, you’ve got a better chance of making the team. But if you're on a losing team, that hurts you.”
THERE'S NOT A LOT of glamour playing in the defensive backfield, either. He has worked with many knows how many yards Oklahoma's Joe Washington gained last week, very few
people know the number of tackles a safety made or the number of game-easing steps they used.
"Definitely, the limelight is on offense," Knoff said. "On defense, there's little chance of being in the spotlight. But I've learned to accept that."
Not content to merely exploit his football playing ability, Knoff branched out and has played baseball for the Jayhawks during his first three years at KU.
HE HAS made the second All-Big-Eight team the past two years while batting .325 his junior year and 269 last year. In fact, he is a leading batter in the league with a possible career after graduation.
"I'd say there's at least a small possibility there," he said. "I haven't had great years at KU, not nearly the years I'd have liked to have had.
"But I think if I put all my effort into
working, I could I coul make it
professionally."
HOWEVER, Knopf is now concentrating on this football season. This season has possibly been the most difficult in the amount of time devoted to football, Knopf said. That takes away from another pastime—studying.
Knoff also has excelled in the academic field during his first three years at KU, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5. He's majoring in business.
"I've had that drilled into me since I was in school by my parents," Knieff said of his pursuit of good grades. "It's the same thing again—you take pride in yourself. Once I found I could do it, I wanted to keep them (grades) un.
KU's pass defense is one of the team's strongest points this year, with the experience of Knoff, Eddie Lewis and Steve Tvlor.
A lot of teamwork has gone into making the monkey as勤 as to tough against as possible.
Consequently, Knoff said, "I like to think that we have communication with each other and a lot of respect in each other's abilities. You can afford to go ahead and gamble when you've got good people behind you."
For the Jayhawks, gambling with Knoff has been a slight risk the past four seasons. That is what's expected of a player with such pride in his work.
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The victory also gave the Reds a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series. Game Four is scheduled for tonight in River Front Stadium here.
Located Across from the Granada Theater
Reds nip Boston, 6-5
For a while, it seemed Cincinnati would run the Red Sox right out of Riverfront. Its awesome power, held in check for two games, erupted with a two-run homer by third-hitter inning and consecutive homers by Dave Consepion and Geronimo in the fifth.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Joe Morgan's base-
loaded single in the bottom of the 10th in-
ning gave the Cincinnati Reds a tense 6-4 win
over the Boston Red Sox in the World
Series here last night.
Red Sox reliever Roget Moret struck out
and struck out 27 while Morgan surrendered the winning hit to Morgan.
Morgan's hit salved over the pulled-in Red Sox outfit after the Reds had loaded the bases with none on a leadoff single by Caser Garonim, an error by Boston catcher Carlton Fisk on a controversial bunt and an intentual walk to Pete Rose.
But the Red Sox cashed in two walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice飞 in the sixth for a run. They added a run in the seventh on a first pitch and a two-run on Dwight Evans' two-run shot in the ninth.
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