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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2006
» WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Malibu High the new home for a former KU standout
Dylen Smith, former quarterback, coaches youth and supports Kansas
BY BRYAN CISLER
Six years after Dylen Smith led the Kansas football team as quarterback, he is an assistant high-school football coach. Being around the sport of football gives Smith an opportunity to reminisce about his time as a jayhawk.
In the days leading up to the 2000 Kansas football season, there was a feeling around campus that the jayhawks were about to have that one breakout season that would get Kansas to its first bowl game since 1995 and save head coach Terry Allen's job.
The Jayhawks had many returning starters that year, the biggest and brightest being
senior quarterback Dylan Smith. Smith, who came to Kansas before the 1999 season as a junior from Santa Monica Community College, gave Jayhawk fans something to cheer about
"I thought about coming back and playing arena football, but then tore my shoulder again," Smith said. "And
"I like what they're doing at Kansas now.I really feel they have brought the right players in and are moving forward."
Football was still in Smith's blood after he left Kansas. He wanted to head north to Canada to try his hand at the Canadian Football League. Smith's body, though, didn't match his ambitions. He tore a muscle in his shoulder his first week there. Smith went through rehab and tried to come back a year later, but again his shoulder gave out. After another year of rehab, he was going to give it one more shot.
DYLEN SMITH
Former Kansas quarterback
cused. That was one of my favorite games."
that year when he threw for 1,599 yards after replacing an injured Zac Wegner. As the 2000 season approached, Smith could feel there was something missing from that team.
after three shoulder surgeries in three years, I gave up playing and went back to school."
Smith, who threw more passes for Terry Allen than any other quarterback, thought that some of the easy-going attitude was passed down by the coach.
"Everybody on that team was kind of laid-back and relaxed. We weren't a 'rah, rah' type of team, which maybe hurt us a little bit," Smith said.
"Terry Allen was a players' coach, he wasn't a yeller. Some people need coaches to motivate them, others don't," Smith said. "Terry Allen felt that we should have motivated ourselves."
Now Smith roams the sidelines as an assistantcoach at Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., not far from where he grew up. But Smith is at the end of his coaching career. He is only three weeks away from getting his degree from Colorado Tech University via the Internet. Even though Smith is giving up coaching, he will still be working and trying to motivate young people.
That year the Jayhawks only went 4-7, but did show the fans a glimpse of what they could have been with a 38-17 victory at Missouri.
"All week, I had never seen the team so determined. The breakfast before the game, it was dead quiet, nobody was talking, everybody was fo-
"I want to work with kids as a student probation officer," Smith says.
While Smith ponders his future in California, he likes the direction Kansas is headed.
"I like what they are doing at Kansas now, I really feel they have brought the right players in and are moving forward."
And though Kansas was just 9-14 when Smith was here, his memories are still good ones.
"I loved it there, I am a proud alumni and hope in the future to come back and watch a game."
Kansan sportswriter Bryan Cisler can be contacted at bcisler@ kansan.com.
Edited by Natalie Johnson
CLUB SPORTS
KU Crew looks to recruit new members for season
Though season has begun, membership in the club is still a possibility
BY KAYVON SARRAF
The biggest sport club on the campus of the University of Kansas would not mind growing even bigger.
KU Crew, with more than 60 members, trumps all other sport clubs in terms of size and budget.
"The club is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved on campus and play a sport, too," said Jon Rogers, club president and Overland Park senior. "We're one of the most active clubs on campus and everyone is able to meet a lot of great guys and girls."
With 35 men and 25 women already on board for the fall, the club always welcomes new participants. The team splits up
into a varsity group and a novice group, with each practicing five days a week.
The team competes in four competitions each semester, with five-kilometer races in the fall and two-kilometer races in the spring. Travel takes the club as far as Philadelphia for the annual Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in the United States.
The men won the Sunflower State Championships, a competition among the University, Wichita State and Kansas State last year to solidify its spot as the best team in the state. The women placed fifth in the Head of Charles Regatta in Boston. Rogers has high hopes for the upcoming season.
"We have most of our top performers returning. It should be an even better year," Rogers said.
Rogers said that contrary to popular belief, very few club members had rowing experience before joining the club. The club is able to teach all interested participants proper rowing technique. Rogers said the club was a sweeping team, whose members uses only one oar, compared to a skull team, whose members use two.
called ergometers. The machine, often referred as an erg, is able to calculate stroke rate and split time. Other indoor training includes biking, running and playing basketball.
With about 10 shells, or boats, in good condition, the club is able to practice regularly on the Kansas River at Burcham Park. The fleet is highlighted by a brand new eight-man shell, recently purchased for $27,000. When not on the river, the Jayhawks are able to train indoor on 25 indoor rowing machines
As a self-sufficient club sport, the team does its own fundraising. The most popular event is an erg-a-thon, where team members receive donations for the amount of time spent on an erg.
The season is already underway for KU Crew, but interested participants can still join. For information, e-mail jarog7@ ku.edu.
Kansan sportswriter Kayvon Sarraf can be contacted at ksarraf@ kansan.com.
KICKS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
dence in fielding punts."
Evidently Mangino liked enough of what he saw, because Murph will get a shot, along with senior wide receiver Jonathan Lamb and sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib, to return punts this season on special teams.
— Edited by Derek Korte
Neither Lamb nor Talib saw time returning punts last season. The majority of that duty fell to former Jayhawk Charles Gordon, who left school a year early to play in the NFL.
After his slight misstep, Murph said he was eager to get more experience returning punts.
"It's fun and it's something I have been wanting to do for a while." Murph said. "I'm glad they are giving me the opportunity to do that now."
Aside from new responsibilities for Murph, Lamb and Talib, Mangino will also put freshman running back Jake Sharp and sophomore wide receiver Marcus Herford back to return kickoffs. In addition to his usual duties as the starting running back, Jon Cornish will also see time on the punt and kickoff coverage teams, as well as limited time returning kicks. Mangino said it would be difficult to keep Cornish off
the unit because he was one of the top special teams players in the conference.
Special teams is one of few areas on the Kansas football team that won't see an influx of youth. Mangino will return veterans in both kicking positions: juniors punter Kyle Tucker and junior place kicker Scott Webb.
Webb already ranks as the third-most-accurate kicker in Kansas history, making nearly 67 percent of his kicks throughout his career. Last season, Webb hit 14 of 19 field goal attempts, including all 11 attempts inside of 40 yards. His longest kick of the season went 48 yards against Iowa State.
Last season, Tucker recorded the ninth-longest punt in program history, with his 77-yard boot at Texas Tech. He averaged 42.9 yards per punt and landed 19 inside the 20-yard line. This summer he was named on the Ray Guy Award watch list. The award is given to the nation's top punter.
Football Notes:
ning. Among the most competitive positions settled were wide receiver, linebacker and secondary. The starting wide receivers are seniors Dominic Roux and Murph, and sophomore Dexton Fields.
Depth chart released:
Mangino announced his depth chart early Wednesday eve-
Mangino has the first-string secondary listed as junior Blake Bueltel, senior Jerome Kemp, sophomore Sadiq Muhammed and Talib. However, Talib is reportedly suspended for at least the first game and Mangino has declined to discuss Kemp's status, but has said he looks "great."
Replacing Talib would be sophomore Raymond Brown. Adam Barmann will be the backup quarterback heading into the season. Barmann, the opening day starter last season, has practiced throughout training camp with the second-team offense.
"Adam Barmann's had his best camp and best two-a-days since he's been here," Mangino said.
The complete depth chart is available at Kansan.com.
Kansan senior sportswriter Ryan Schneider can be contacted at rschneider@kansan.com.
— Edited by Natalie Johnson
STANDING (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
our players and the direction that we're going."
Mangino knows all too well which direction Kansas is coming from. Entering his fifth season, he has an 8-24 career record in conference play, but has gradually built his program up from an 0-8 start in 2002.
With a schedule that has removed two powers, Texas and Oklahoma, and replaced them with two punching bags, Baylor and Oklahoma State, fans around Lawrence have been excitedly talking about a possible Big 12 shocker: The Jayhawks winning the north division outright.
Blue Ribbon, which does in-depth previews of all Division 1-A programs for ESPN's Insider, can see this happening. Despite picking Kansas fifth in the north, they see potential for a magical season.
"The Jayhawks have turned things around under Mangino's leadership. After years at the bottom of the Big 12, Mangino's program has a chance to win the Big 12 North title this season," according to the preview.
Mangino is not getting caught up in the hype just yet.
momentum from it. You can get energy from it. But you have to perform each and every year," he said.
The rehearsal for this performance is over, and the curtains will be opening Saturday at Memorial Stadium when the Jayhawks take on Northwestern State at 6 p.m.
With the bar officially raised, the stage has been set for a big year.
"You can't live off what you did the year before. You can get
Kansan sportswriter Thor Nystrom can be contacted at tnystrom@kansan.com.
Click and Connect!
The second session of Edukan classes is approaching this fall. Students must enroll by Sept. 15 for the session.
Edited by Travis Robinett
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English Compassion I & II
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Human Relations
Introduction to Business
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Introduction to Music
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Orientation
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Principles of Biology
Principles of Microbiomics
Principles of Microbiology
Public Spelling
RAIDERS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Texas Tech's secondary isn't well-known, but it is experienced. The players projected to start in the secondary appeared in a combined 38 games last season.
Dwayne Slay, it's finding new leadership up front. Dawson said senior nose tackle Chris Hudler has become the new leader on defense. At linebacker, Dawson and senior Fletcher Session return to the starting lineup for Texas Tech and will be joined by junior Brock Stratton.
Just as Leach has found an answer for most defenses his offense has faced, he has one for those who say his offense is all finesse, no contact.
"You want to see physical? Go line up on somebody and throw it 60 times a game, see how physical that is," Leach said. "Ask our offensive line if that's physical when those guys bring the house."
Kansan sportswriter Shawn
Shroyer can be contacted at
sshroyer@kansan.com.
Edited by Travis Robinett
FRIDAY
athletics calendar
Volleyball vs. Temple, 6 p.m., Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Soccer vs. Cal, 6:30 p.m., Cal Invitational, Berkeley, Calif.
SATURDAY
Volleyball vs. Maine, 9 a.m.
Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Cross Country, Bob Timmons
Invitational, 9 a.m., Rim Rock
Farm
Volleyball vs. Rutgers, 2 p.m., Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Football vs. Northwestern State, 6 p.m., Memorial Stadium
Player to watch: Redshirt-fresh
man Kerry Meier is an obvious choice for player to watch against Northwestern State. Though
this will be his Meter
first start for Kansas, ab eyes in Memorial Stadium will be on him to see if he lives up to the high expectations that have been set for him.
SUNDAY
Succeed vs. Saint Mary's, noon,
cw Invitational, Berkeley, Calif.
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