THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011
PAGE 21
sports
Weekly Sports Trivia
Q: In what yearwas the last NFL lockout?
A: 1974.
—wikipedia.com
FOOTBALL
Quote of the Week
"The owners don't win by having a lockout Shutting down your business is not good for anybody and it's certainly not good for the players, it's certainly not good for the fans. And that's most important to us."
Roger Goodell
Fact of the Week
The NFL lockout lasted for a total of 135 days.
— wikipedia.com
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Kansas head coach Tuner Gill answers questions during NCAA college football Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday, in Dallas.
Matt Strasen/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Big hopes for a tough season
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
DALLAS — Nobody has said the path to redemption for this year's Kansas football team will be easy in fact, it's set up to be one of the toughest seasons any team will have in college football this year.
Based off of last year's records, college football analyst Phil Steele has ranked the Jayhawks schedule the third toughest in the nation.
At the Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday, this year's Kansas team showed it is aware of the tough odds against it, and instead of dwelling on the nail-filled road to come, the Jayhawks are using that tough path as a motivator of sorts, or a reason to work harder than ever before.
"Everybody in the Big 12 is excellent this year," senior tight end Tim Biere said. "Every week is going to be a challenge and we look forward to that challenge."
The labor the Jayhawks have put in during the spring and summer workouts is most visible when looking at the new, slim appearance
of senior lineman Jeremiah Hatch. Working off over 30 pounds, Hatch believes the lost weight will help his mobility and ability to block down the field.
"A lot of running, a lot of sweating, and a lot of Stairmaster," Hatch said when asked how he lost the weight. "I got with our nutritionist Aaron, and he showed me how to eat the proper way while still maintaining a love for food."
It appears that the entire team has joined Hatch's newfound work ethic this offseason. Coach Turner Gill seemed to think that the team as a whole has taken a step in the right direction during college football's more quiet months, providing potential dividends for the upcoming season.
"As we went into the winter offseason program and spring football season, I saw a better work ethic," Gill said. "When you have a better work ethic, you have a better opportunity to be successful."
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson has been working hard as well, leading the defense through their
offseason workouts. Johnson believed that the hard work of the defensive players will help them against well-conditioned Big 12 opponents.
"Our defense is a lot more athletic, a lot faster, and for the other teams in the Big 12, it's going to be hard to get away from us," Johnson said.
Not only is the defense faster, but also the team as a whole has improved greatly in the speed department. Every player representing the Jayhawks in Dallas didn't
forget to mention the improved speed they've seen on the practice field.
"When you have a better work ethic,you have a better opportunity to be successful."
The freshman class in particular got the older players to rave about the new turf-burners in Lawrence.
"There has been talk from the older guys that this is the best recruiting class we've seen since we've been here." Biere said. "There's so
much speed and so much athleticism."
TURNER GILL coach
Coach Gill brought up the increased speed in particular as one of the keys to turning things around with the Kansas program. He said the new quickness will give the team a better opportunity to be successful and get things going the
right way.
With all-new speed and a new hard-working attitude, stemming from last season's underwhelming effort and the tough road ahead, the Kansas team has done a lot this
off season to make sure there is no repeat performance from the lackluster 2009-2010 season.
"When you go 3-9 and you don't want to go workouts, you think about that 3-9," Hatch said. "When you think your slacking it comes in your mind. 3-9 has a lot to do with what's coming this season."