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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, February 7, 1968
Pro-ball or Olympics face Olison
by Carla Rupp Kansan Staff Reporter
Ben Olsen has a chance to fulfill two of his lifetime dreams—playing professional football and making the U.S. Olympic team.
The Jayhawk track sprinter and football flanker was drafted by the NFL Dallas Cowboys in the 10th round of the combined NFL-AFL player draft. However, if Clison makes the Olympic team in the June trials running the 440-yard dash, he said he would postpone his professional football hopes until the following year.
"If things go well so that I can make the Olympic team in the June trials, I won't sign the contract to play professional football this fall," Olson said.
BEN OLISON
Captain of KU's track team, Olison set a new KU record of 49.2 in the 440-indoors last Thursday in a dual meet with Southern Illinois. The sprinter has hopes his dream of making the Olympics may become a reality, however he has mixed feelings about his chances.
"Right now I think my chances are real slim to make the 440 in the Olympics. But by the time of the Kansas Relays in April," Olson said, "I'll have a pretty good idea whether I can make the June Olympic trials."
Bob Timmons, head track coach,
also thinks Olson's chances are slim,
but said there is no way of
telling this early in the season.
"Before I can make an accurate prediction of Olison's possibilities in the Olympic trials, he must prove himself." Timmons said. "Olison hasn't been at the top nationally, however, I feel he might still be able to get there." Timmens mentioned the case of Billy Mills, 1962 KU graduate, who won the 10,000 meters in the 1964 Olympics even though he was ranked low nationally going into the Olympics. "There are always many upsets going into the Olympic games," he said.
Olison is still hopeful. "The Olympics come only once every four years. If I pass up this opportunity there may not be another chance for me to make the team," he said.
Olison said if he fails to make the Olympic team, he will sign a professional football contract and fulfill a dream he has had since he played offensive half-back in high school.
Olison said it was a complete surprise to him when football coach John Cooper told him he had been drafted by the Cowboys.
"I had really expected to be drafted by the New York Jets, if I was drafted at all," he said.
He had never personally been in contact with the Jets or the Cowboys, but Sonny Werblin, general manager of the Jets, had
The University of Kansas football coaching staff will have a new face when former UCLA tackle, Terry Donahue, replaces Jack Green, who has accepted a job as a defensive assistant coach at Baylor.
Green, who has coached at KU only one year, said he was sorry to leave Kansas but Baylor head coach, John Bridgers, had offered him a position that he couldn't afford to pass up.
"I have always wanted to coach in the Southwest Conference. Coach Bridgers is recognized as one of the fine coaches in the business, but he has been having problems the last few years. He feels I can be helpful to him," Green said.
KU switches coaches
"Coach Green made a fine contribution to our program during the one year we have been together at KU and we certainly wish him well at Baylor." Pepper Rodgers, KU head football coach, said.
talked to coach Don Fambrough and given the coach a question-naire which Olison filled out.
"At the same time we are extremely happy that we have such a promising young coach as Terry Donahue to move onto our varsity staff," he said.
Donahue starred at defensive tackle under coach Tommy Prothro at UCLA in 1965 and 1966. During those two seasons the Bruins won 17 games, lost three and tied one.
GRENBLE, France — (UPI)— Franco Nones of Italy won the first gold medal of the 10th Winter Olympic Games with a stunning upset in the 30-kilometer cross country ski race today and pretty Peggy Fleming of Colorado Springs, Colo., gained a huge lead in women's figure skating.
He said he would have been just as happy to be drafted by the Jets.
"Being drafted by any professional team is a very great honor, so it wouldn't make any difference to me for which team I play."
United States hopes of winning its first men's Alpine gold medal in Olympic history received a sovere setback when Billy Kidd crashed during downhill practice and sprained his ankle. He definitely will be unable to compete in Thursday's downhill and is doubtful for his specialty, the slalom, Feb. 16-17.
Ranked as the number - two
U.S. skier injured
Rodgers said Donahue's coaching position would be determined later. Green had coached the line-backers at Kansas.
The 24-year-old University of Colorado student had made a stirring comeback after breaking his leg in 1966 and was the leader of the U.S. team. He won the silver medal in the slalom in the 1964 Olympics at Innsbruck.
Nones, a 27-year-old border guard, won in the second fastest time in Olympic history for the 18.6 mile event with one hour, 35 minutes, 38.2 seconds.
It marked Italy's first medal ever in an Olympic Nordic event and was the first time that a gold medal in this sport went to a country outside Scandinavia or Russia.
professional football team in the nation next to the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys already boast two of the top receivers in the country — Bob Hayes and Lance Rentzel. Hayes, a cowboy flanker, is often termed "the world's fastest human." He holds the world-record in the 100-yard dash. Split-end Rentzel is considered one of the best at that position.
Olison added that speed is definitely a factor in playing a split-end position. Currently weighing 170 pounds, he said he feels he can gain around 10 pounds without losing speed. Most split-ends weigh 185-190 pounds, he said.
Ollison, who will be trying out for one of these two positions, said it's hard to say how he will compete with these two men.
"Both men already have had several years of professional experience and I'll just be coming in as a novice trying to learn the position and the basic fundamentals," he said.
little difference between the two positions, Olsen said.
He doesn't want to play a defensive back, but if asked to he would.
Olison plans to come back to KU next February to finish his physical education major and to graduate. He will eventually coach high school football.
"This semester, though," Olson said, "I hope to compete well in track and be effective in helping the track team win the Big Eight championship and compete well in the NCAA."