As part of its ongoing look at the greatest football players from colleges throughout the country, Last Word on Sports discusses the Kansas Jayhawks and the legends that have played for the program. While not considered a blue blood team by any means, the Jayhawks have had their fair share of legendary players throughout the program’s 126-season history. These players continue to represent the school’s long-standing traditions and heritage. These four players have earned their place on the Mount Rushmore of Kansas Jayhawks football.
The Mount Rushmore of Kansas Jayhawks Football
Gale Sayers, RB, 1962-64
Sayers is thought of as one of the greatest running backs in the history of football, regardless of level. Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet,” Sayers dominated throughout his career for the Jayhawks. After originally planning on attending the University of Iowa, Sayers committed to KU when Iowa head coach Jerry Burns didn’t make time to meet with the talented running back during his visit the school.
Sayers and the Jayhawks would get the last laugh, as the tailback would run roughshod on Big 8 defenses throughout his college career. A two-time consensus All-American, Sayers ran for 2,675 yards in his college career, averaging 6.5 yards per carry during his time in Lawrence. Despite never playing in a bowl game with the Jayhawks, Sayers is considered one of the top athletes to ever play for Kansas, and today he stands as one of three players in program history to have his number retired.
The Chicago Bears drafted Sayers fourth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft, while the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him fifth overall in the 1965 AFL Draft. He was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977, becoming one of just four players in the history of Kansas Jayhawks football to receive the honor.
John Hadl, QB/RB/DB, 1959-61
Another Jayhawk enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1994), Hadl excelled in numerous roles on the field while playing for KU. Originally a running back, Hadl also played in the defensive secondary in addition to playing special teams for coach Jack Mitchell’s Jayhawks (serving as both a punter and punt returner) before eventually settling in at quarterback. Like Sayers, Hadl was a two-time All-American, only he was elected for two different positions – 1960 as a running back and 1961 at quarterback.
Hadl’s abilities and excellence in numerous positions contributed to impressive statistics during his college career. He would lead Kansas to an overall record of 15-5-2 during his junior and senior years from 1960-61. His senior year, he led the Big 8 conference in total touchdowns, with 13 scores combined through the air and on the ground. He would then go on to star in the 1961 East-West Shrine Game, in which he was named the game’s MVP. Unlike Sayers however, Hadl was able to make an appearance in a bowl game during his Kansas career when the Jayhawks participated in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl, a contest in which Hadl and the Jayhawks blew out the Rice Owls 33-7.
Hadl would go on to play for four teams during a 16-year AFL/NFL career and would be elected to the Pro Bowl twice in 1972 and ’73. Hadl’s number 21 has been retired by the Jayhawks program.
Todd Reesing, QB, 2006-09
Kansas’ all-time leading passer in most major categories, Todd Reesing led the Jayhawks offense during their best season in team history in 2007-08, including an improbable win in the 2008 Orange Bowl. Originally the backup to Kerry Meier (who would convert to wide receiver in 2007), Reesing was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien award in both 2007 and 2008.
Compared to every other quarterback in school history, Reesing’s numbers are truly gaudy. With nearly twice as many completions and passing yards as the next closest quarterback (Frank Seurer, 1980-83), as well as nearly three times as many passing touchdowns as Dave Jaynes second-place mark of 36 (Reesing has 90 for his career), he clearly performed at a level in a different stratosphere than anyone else in KU history.
Although Reesing is not enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, nor does he have his number retired at Memorial Stadium yet, his lasting impact and legacy at Kansas is unmistakable. Reesing completed arguably the two best passing seasons in program history in 2007 and 2008, both of which ended in bowl game victories; the aforementioned 2008 Orange Bowl and the 2008 Insight Bowl.
Dezmon Briscoe, WR, 2007-09
Just as Todd Reesing dominated at the quarterback position for Kansas football during the late-2000s, Dezmon Briscoe made a name for himself as one of the Big 12’s best receivers during KU’s brief period of national glory. A three-star recruit from Cedar Hill, Texas, Briscoe developed strong chemistry with Reesing and was able to help lead the Jayhawks offense through the end of the 2000s.
Briscoe’s receiving statistics dominate the record books for Kansas. He is the all-time leader for the team in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while also ranking second all-time in receptions (behind teammate Kerry Meier) and total touchdowns (James Sims, RB, 2010-13). His impact on the field reached beyond the Jayhawks and even beyond just the Big 12. In 2008, Briscoe finished 10th in the nation in receptions with 92, while also finishing third in receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns.
After a quiet performance in the 2008 Orange Bowl, Briscoe dominated in the 2008 Insight Bowl, pulling in 14 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns on his way to being named the game’s MVP. Briscoe was twice named to All-Big 12 teams, garnering second-team honors in 2008 followed by a first-team selection in 2009.
Aside from the four aforementioned players, there are numerous quality candidates for the Mount Rushmore of Kansas Jayhawks football. Running backs Jon Cornish, Tony Sands and John Riggins are all certainly deserving, as are the likes of quarterback David Jaynes and defensive back Aqib Talib. However, the four players selected for this Mount Rushmore have left legacies at Kansas that will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to top.
