Volume 125 Issue 8
kansan.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Kansas coach Charlie Weis' greatest asset on the recruiting trail is his connections to the NFL. That will be the key to turning this program around.
Instead, he chose to go to a school that has only won one conference game over the past two seasons. And he did it because of the coach.
Weis and Crist will benefit each other this season. First, Crist will use Weis' offensive game plan, one in which he will run a pro-style offense and get to throw the ball to demonstrate his skills as a quarterback and a leader to NFL scouts.
Then, Crist will use Weis' connections to get himself drafted in April.
Weis will, in turn, use Crist as a model for how he can help recruits enter the NFL. He'll walk into the living rooms of recruits across the nation and flaunt his four Super Bowl rings. His connections will entice them and his tales of coaching Tom Brady will have them chomping at the bit.
Senior quarterback Dayne Crist could've gone to a bowl game this season. Had he chosen to join defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin Badgers, he would've been virtually guaranteed to play in the Poinsettia-Fight The War Against Childhood Obesity Bowl sponsored by a KenTacHut.
He didn't.
Edited by Brian Sisk
COMMENTARY Hopes ride on Crist
Given the quality of the opponents he'll come up against this season, Crist could find his team facing a deficit frequently, which will give him plenty of opportunities to sling the rock around and spark the fire that ignites the program's turnaround.
If Crist wins the games he should, keeps Kansas competitive in their Big 12 games, and sparks an upset here and an almost-upset there, he will draw the attention of NFSC nouts.
But the commitment will be sealed because of the solid evidence offered by Crist.
If Crist succeeds, Weis can point to him and say not only that it happened under his watch, but that it happened under his watch at Kansas.
Crist will be the foundation for future success. And as the stories pile up, the quality of recruits coming into Kansas will continually improve.
And those recruits will lay the groundwork for the future of the program: a future where the Jayhawks are a competitive team on a yearly basis, not just a flash in the pan, with a once-in-a-generation trip to a BCS bow.
Holding the entire fate of a college football program might be a lot to ask of a 22-year-old. But in order to succeed, Crist won't have to win a national championship, because at Kansas the expectations are low. Kansas was picked at Big 12 Media Days to finish in last place in the conference.
He can show them how he got the most out of a very talented quarterback.
BONDED SET
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Twins Amy and Kara Wehrs bring positivity and athleticism to the Jayhawks for a third year
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Identical twins Kara Wehrs, a junior setter on the volleyball team, and Amy Wehrs, an outside hitter and defensive specialist, said people have come up with many ways throughout the years to tell them apart, from a freckle on Amy's chin to Kara's round face.
However, the Hampshire, Ill. natives said those who should know better still have trouble telling them apart at times.
"There was one time in high school where I went up to Kara's boyfriend and gave him a hug, and so he thought it was her," Amy said. "But then he was trying to hold my hand and I was like, 'No, I'm sorry, it's Amy. I'm sorry.'"
Occasional mix-ups aside, the twins insist their personalities are anything but identical.
"I'll joke and laugh and cheer when the time's right, but I'd say I'm more serious, and she's more bubbly" Kara said.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard discovered the twins when they were playing for Club Fusion outside of Chicago during their junior year of high school. He said he liked them because of their high volleyball IQ and versatility on the court.
"Amy always brings that positive attitude," Riley said. "She's always someone I can look at to practice to give me a thumbs-up or keep me going during practice. Kara is more aggressive at practice. She's always there to get me in check, telling me to get my head back in the game."
Junior defensive specialist Branne Riley met the Wehrs in high school when she played for a club volleyball team in the same league as the twins. Riley said that despite their different personalities, Kara and Amy both contribute energy and confidence to the team.
The twins, who live in a house with some of their teammates, said they share the close sister bond that
one might expect between twins. The bond is especially evident when the girls say the same thing simultaneously or end up wearing matching outfits, Amy said.
Like many siblings, the two don't always get along, but use their shared sense of humor to defuse disagreements.
"We'll get mad at each other; we'll have our little sisy fights." Kara said. "We'll say some mean words but literally two seconds later we're over it and we're laughing. Usually our fights end in laughter. We get over things pretty quickly."
The twins also have different roles on the team. Bechard described Kara as the team's quarterback, because she will direct the Jayhawks' offense from the setter position and make many of the offensive decisions. Amy is a multifaceted player who will receive playing time this year at both outside hitter and defensive specialist after being solely an outside hitter last year. Bechard said Amy will be effective for the Jayhawks with her pass, serve and dig, which is why she will transition more to the defensive side of the game this year.
Last season, playing time was a difference between the sisters. Kara started 18 matches at setter in 2011, splitting time with Nicole Tate, who graduated last year. Kara played in 71 sets last season, recording 563 assists and 135 dips.
CLAIRE HOWARD/KANSAN
Amy Wehr (left) and her identical twin, Kara, play on the volleyball team for their third year. However, the dynamic duo play different positions; Kara is the team's setter, and Amy is both an outside hitter and defensive specialist.
Amy, one of seven outside hitters vying for playing time in 2011, appeared in four matches. Kara said that Amy still had a vital role on the team in 2011 because her personality on the bench and in practice helped the team stay calm in tense situations.
"If someone's down," shed pick them up, "Kara said. 'She was always there to tell people what shots to make, where to hit, what spots are open on the court.'
— Edited by Joanna Hlavacek
Weis'toughness impresses
Coach Charlie Weis looks over some plays during the spring game at Memorial Stadium in April.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
FOOTBALL
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
Six days out of the week, coach Charlie Weis will berate his players. He'll get in their face, in their heads, argue — and ultimately win the argument — push their buttons and coach until his schemes are mastered and substitutions are flawless.
On the seventh day, he'll call the plays with a positive and energetic demeanor.
Weis said that if one of his players made a "boneheaded mistake" — an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, for example — his wrath would return. However, the attitude switch isn't a hoax, or trap, to later punish his players for saying something in a comfortable setting. It's genuine Charlie Weis.
"Most of my yelling on game days is for officials," Weis said. "Because they deserve it."
Despite how intense the Jayhawk's coach can be, the kicking and screaming routine has no place in his Saturday approach.
"I coach them hard in practice so when the time comes, the games are easier." Weis said.
The philosophy is rather simple:
Weis has all week to get his players ready for game day. There's nothing more he can, should or will do once the opening kickoff takes place. So he won't.
Weis will call the offensive plays, encourage his players, pat them on the back, and allow his team to enjoy the game, but raising his voice will depend on the sound level at Memorial Stadium — and the officiating and "bonehead" plays.
"On game day, it's about the players," senior quaterback Dayne Crist said. "It isn't about him yelling at us or trying to get us motivated, because if you're not motivated at that point, there's nothing he can do on the sideline to adjust that."
Crist and senior tight end Mike Ragone have already seen Weis' philosophy first hand during their time at Notre Dame. The result,
Ragone said, is a team in which the players hold themselves accountable on the field and are ready to compete by kickoff.
"It's like letting the dogs out," Ragone said. "He's hard on us, hard on us, hard on us and then on Saturday it's our time to step up."
The players said the pace hasn't changed in practice since camp opened on Aug. 1. Making the players sick of playing against their own in scrimmages is part of the process of building a team.
But Crist says the shouting in practice isn't for nothing, it's to coach up players, get his point across and search out the best in the team.
Edited by Allison Kohn
I'm usually very calm and cool and even if they are nervous," Weis said. "They usually follow your lead."
"He's preparing us to be relaxed when we go out there and play," Ragone said.
On the seventh day, Charlie Weis will be composed and comfortable; he's got the other six to get himself worked up.
ROWING
The Kansas rowing team is holding two informational meetings this week for female students interested in joining the team and participating in competitive Division I athletics.
The meetings will take place Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. at Wagnon Student-Athlete Center in Hadl Auditorium, located next to Allen Fieldhouse.
Team recruits today
CHRIS SCHAEDER
cschaeder@kansan.com
At the meetings, rowing coaching staff will discuss tryouts and the benefits of being a student athlete at the University. Rowing experience is not required.
"This is an outlet or an opportunity for them to join another team in which they may have even greater success," coach Rob Catloth said of newcomers to the sport. "They just never had rowing wherever they're from."
Catloth said this meeting is for anyone who has the desire to be a Division 1 athlete, who's athletic and has the drive to compete.
Edited by Joanna Hlavacek
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