UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, October 18, 1996
5B
Simpson's records broken
Running back Thomas slowly beating ex-Bill
The Associated Press
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Thurman Thomas is finally about to surpass O.J. Simpson for the Buffalo Bills' team rushing record, after years of steady pursuit.
"I know every time I get close to something," Thomas said Wednesday, "it's O.J. Simpson at the top of the list."
Thomas needs 66 yards, and he will have a chance of reaching the milestone this week against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium.
"I would love to have him there with me breaking the record," Thomas said. "But I know it's not going to happen. I'm sure that
whenever I do break it, he'll be aware of it."
Simpson is wrapped up in the civil suit filed against him in the slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. He has not visited the Bills' locker room since 1994, something he did every season for years while working for NBC.
Thomas has been steadily creeping up on the records that made Simpson famous in the first place. Two years ago, he broke Simpson's record with his sixth season of more than 1,000 yards rushing. Last year, he broke Simpson's mark of 41 career 100-yard rushing games.
Last week, Thomas established a team mark with his 58th rushing touchdown, one more than Simpson. On Sunday, reaching his average of 78 yards per game would bring Thomas to 10,588 yards, 12 more than Simpson had for the Bills.
"He's going to be one of the great
ones who ever played the game when he finally does retire," Bills coach Marv Levy said.
"He's done it on a team that has been successful, which is very important. He is an extremely tough, smart player."
Thomas has played in 17 more games behind a better offensive line than Simpson had during his nine-year career with the Bills. Simpson played two seasons with San Francisco and finished his career with 11,238 yards.
The 30-year-old Thomas is one of only three running backs who have rushed for 1,000 yards in seven consecutive seasons, and he has nearly doubled Simpson's reception yardage.
But given the circumstances surrounding Simpson, breaking his record doesn't seem the same to
fans. To the Bills, it doesn't matter.
"Any time you reach a milestone like that it's special," center Kent Hull said. "If Satan himself had that record, and Thurman was breaking it, it would still be special."
Thomas led the league in yards from scrimmage four straight years. Two team records he probably won't break are yards in a season (2,003) and yards in a game (273), both of which are owned by Simpson.
Thomas also has played on better teams, which helped him even as he led the Bills to four AFC championships to start the 1990s. Simpson was on three winning teams in Buffalo and played in just one play-off game before two unproductive seasons with the 49ers.
"The years that he played here, he was probably the greatest running back ever," Thomas said. "I never thought in a million years that at this point in my career, I would be surpassing one of the great all-time running backs."
Morrison may declare return
The Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. — Tommy Morrison, the HIV-infected heavyweight, will decide today whether he will return to the ring next month in Japan, his longtime promoter said yesterday.
Morrison is considering a match on the undercard of the George Foreman-Crawford Grimsley bout Nov. 3 near Tokyo, but he has not agreed to a fight as a Tokyo newspaper reported, promoter Tony Holden said.
Tommy Morrison
"They've been pretty aggressive
trying to get Tommy on the card, but there's been no confirmation from Tommy's cam. "Holden said."
The fight against a still-undetermined opponent would be Morrison's first since he announced his retirement in February after testing positive for the virus that causes AIDS. The 27-year-old fighter last month said he would fight again to raise money to help children infected with AIDS.
Morrison has been training but has reservations about the fight in Japan because of the short notice and because it likely won't raise much money for his Knock-out AIDS foundation. Holden said.
"But he sees it as a chance to get overseas and knock the rust off and come back and fight for the kids," Holden said. "I believe this fight would be a little early."
Foreman, outpointed by Morrison in the 1993 World Boxing Organization title bout, has said he would like to fight the heavyweight in 1997.
- Morrison has said that he would step out of the fight if he began bleeding in the ring.
The mass-circulation daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun quoted fight planners as saying Morrison will fight on the undercard.
"Tommy will do everything he can to eliminate the risk." Holden said.
The newspaper said the fight likely would inspire debate in Japan. The Japan Boxing Commission hasn't established rules regarding fights involving HIV-infected boxers.
Holden, who has said he would not promote a Morrison fight until he knew HIV could not be transmitted in the ring, said the boxer had numerous offers from boxers and promoters for a comeback fight in the United States.
DEPTH CHART
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
OFFENSE
Fm. No. Name Ht. Wt. Xn.
WR BLAAC BYRD 68 Michael Collermiller 6-11 180 %.
TB 89 IMACTKWITTAKER 6-3 243 %.
LT 79 SCOTT WHITTAKER 6-3 243 %.
LG 70 MIJ STEIBEL Darnon Hunt 6-2 225 %.
C 68 AARD SMITH Clem Chandler 6-1 270 %.
RG 77 CLEVY ROBERTS Shawn Vang 6-2 270 %.
RT 76 JUSTIN GLASCOW Denick Chandler 6-6 310 %.
WR 80 ANDRE CARTER John Gordon 5-10 185 %.
QB 18 MATT JOHNER Bain Rye 6-1 195 %.
RB 30 ERIC GALBREATH Mark Saade 6-1 205 %.
RB 20 JUNE HELEY Rick Vanen 6-1 205 %.
DEFENSE
OLB 45 PATRIK BROWN J. Jotsonus 5-10 210 %.
DT 83 DEWEY HOUSTON III 6-4 273 %.
NT 70 BRITT MECAW John Williams 6-4 273 %.
DT 57 KEVIN KOPP Aristian Groene 6-4 273 %.
OLB 49 CHRIS JONES Jeremy Haank 6-3 243 %.
LB 38 JASON THOREN Steve Bratten 6-2 228 %.
LB 46 RONNE WARD Tyrus Foosteen 6-1 228 %.
LCB 35 JASON HARRIS Jacoline Allen 5-10 170 %.
FS 27 MICHAEL ALLEN Tbad Rawls 5-10 190 %.
SS 28 TONY BLEVINS Michael Allen 6-0 170 %.
RCB 37 JAMIE HARRIS Micha Bowlers 5-10 170 %.
SPECIALISTS
P 41  PIER ROYAL 6.2 180  Jr.
41  PET McCord 6.3 120  Jr.
LSN 85  SEAN MCDERMOTT 6.3 220  So.
85  PAT Bishop 6.3 283  So.
PR 1  ISAAC BYRD 6.4 180  Sr.
1  Tony Blair 6.4 190  Sr.
PK 15  TONY BLAIR 6.4 183  Sr.
15  SUSAN DOELE 6.4 183  Sr.
ILD 18  MAT JOHNER 6-1 295  Jr.
KR 20  DLINE JENLEY and 6.1 195  Sr.
20  EULIC VANN 6.1 195  Sr.
OFFENSE
Pos. Name Player Male HL Wt V %
WR 18 PEL SAVOY Chris Anderson 6-4 120 120
WR 21 BAE CARRHUFF Daria Cahverwal 6-1 119 100
LT 74 DOWNEY WELSH Shane Cook 6-2 255 120
LG 82 KLIVE SMITH Cony Kah 6-0 230 100
C 31 ADAM REED Katie Kudas 6-2 120 100
RG 31 CHRIS NALEE Aaron Wade 6-4 110 100
RT 78 MELVIN THOMAS Matt Jones 6-3 305 100
TB 84 TAYLOR MCCARTY Brody Hartwee 6-3 245 100
WR 2 18 JAMES KIDD Chris Anderson 5-8 160 100
QB 14 KOY DETMER John Henkel 6-4 180 100
TB 39 HERCELI ROUTMAN John Henry 6-7 190 100
FB 35 KEITH MILLER 6-0 215 100
COLORADO BUFFALOES
43 Darren Fluk 230
DEFENSE
DE 19 6 GRBO JONES Fred Jones 8.3 190 %
NT 54 RYAN JONES Jeremy Warren 8.3 279 %
DT 77 VILLAIM MAUMAU Amos Marshall 8.3 309 %
DE 37 NICK ZEGLER Jesse Warnes 8.3 309 %
WLB 98 HAWKIN PHILLIPS Manuel Navies 8.3 210 %
MLB 16 MATC CRUSSELL Allen Wilbon 8.3 245 %
SLB 33 RON MERKERSON Jason Brown 8.3 260 %
LCB 37 MARCUS WASHINGTON Lorey Elko Davis 8.3 180 %
SS 42 YRAN BLACK Dionne Dickey 8.1 180 %
FS 18 STEVE ROSGA Susan Sullivan 8.1 190 %
RCB 7 DALTON SIMMONS 6.0 190 %
SPECIALISTS
P 27 NICK PIETCH Andy Mitchell 8.0 190 %
PR 23 RYAN NUNEZ Savage Krago 8.0 170 %
KR 21 RYAN NUNEZ Warner Waller 8.9 170 %
PK 13 JASON LELEY Jeremy Akala 8.9 150 %
LSN 81 BRODY HEFFNER Kris Sooner 8.9 150 %
SSN 61 KIRN SODEN Jeff Malebold 8.9 150 %
HLD 15 STEVE ROSGA John Heister 8.1 260 %
Help keep our campus clean... Recycle your Daily Kansan!
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