The Jayhawker

He holds every major Kansas passing record, led the Jayhawks to the winningest season in school history, and became a larger than life figure on campus. In short, Todd Reesing is a Kansas football legend. But what made this legend? Small of stature, his size prevented him from getting offers from the best programs in his home state of Texas. So he ended up in Lawrence, playing for Mark Mangino. And when he got the chance to play, he took the reins and ran with it, determined to get his revenge on the Big 12 programs that passed on him. We know what motivated Reesing, but how did he turn that grudge into the best seasons by any quarterback in the history of Jayhawk football? And why was he the right guy in the right position at the right time to lead Kansas to Orange Bowl glory?

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Since Big 12 play began in 1996, there’s only been one Jayhawk football player to win the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award. There’s a reason Nick Reid was a big part of setting the foundation for the success of the Mark Mangino era at KU. Originally a quarterback in high school, Reid made the transition to defense as a college freshman. And he gave the position switch his all. His work ethic made him an easy fan favorite. But did you know that he also gained the admiration of opposing coaches? Reid may not be the winningest player in Kansas history—though he did go to two bowl games—but he set the table for teams that would go 26-12 in the three seasons following the end of his Jayhawk career. 

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Pooka Williams hardly needs an introduction to Jayhawk fans. The talented and electrifying running back has already established himself as one of the best in Kansas history, becoming just the second to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in his first two seasons. And in his eyes, he’s just getting started. Originally from New Orleans, Pooka excelled as a four-star prospect who led his high school to the state championship game as a senior. He had his pick of major college football programs. So why Kansas? Pooka has repaid KU’s faith in him on the field, while continuing to make strides off it. And as he enters his junior season, he’s made his intent clear: He wants to help the Jayhawks build a winning program under Les Miles.

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Darrell Stuckey’s story could easily be one of anger prevailing. It’d be hard to blame him. His parents got divorced at an early age, leaving his mom as a single parent. He suffered seizures as a child due to a medical condition. It was a struggle just to get by. But then, everything changed in an instant. How did this one moment impact his life forever? Stuckey instead adopted a work-hard mentality, and it led him to becoming one of the greatest defensive backs Kansas has ever seen. A starter for some of the best teams in school history, Stuckey would become an All-Big 12 performer, and eventually take his game to the NFL, where he would become a special teams captain and Pro Bowler for the Los Angeles Chargers. Now back in the Kansas community, Stuckey is using his life as an example, sharing his story and encouraging others to not let anger win.

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For a guy who was born and raised in a small town with fewer than 300 people, Nolan Cromwell sure has lived large. A standout on the track and the football field, Cromwell came to KU as a defensive back. But after a successful two-year stint at safety, he changed positions…to quarterback. And that’s where he would make his mark as a Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. Cromwell would lead the Jayhawks to one of the biggest wins in school history—a 23-3 drubbing of top-ranked Oklahoma in 1975. And while his senior season would be cut short due to injury, he was just getting started with his football life. Cromwell would become a Pro Bowl safety with the Los Angeles Rams, and eventually be named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s. From there, he’d find success as a coach, winning Super Bowl 31 while serving as the special teams coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. From a small town to football’s biggest stage, Nolan Cromwell has lived it all.

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Every football season, there’s a handful of new freshman Jayhawks for fans to get excited about. With their high school careers over, they’re ready for the bright lights of major college football. But how do they get discovered? And what goes into getting them to Lawrence? The world of major college football recruiting is a wild one, and there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to secure a commitment. It’s months and years of planning, travel, visits and watching film. In this episode, staff recruiting coordinator Josh Eargle takes you behind the scenes and inside the program, and explains how it all works.

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Kerry Meier’s stellar career as a wide receiver almost never happened. Twice. He was a star high school quarterback out of Pittsburg, Kansas, who committed to play for Mark Mangino and help the Jayhawks build something special. But before he could even get on the field, there was an undiscovered medical issue that forced Meier to redshirt as a freshman. Meier would bounce back and claim the starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman, and set a Kansas freshman record for touchdown passes. But heading into the 2007 season, Todd Reesing beat Meier out for the starting job. So how did a position switch change everything for Meier, and lead the Jayhawks to the Orange Bowl?

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When you hear the name Dave Robisch, maybe you don’t think “superstar.” But maybe you should. After all, Robisch was a two-time All-American and a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year. His career scoring average ranks fourth in school history and he helped the Jayhawks to the 1971 Final Four. And he did it all while also performing as an all-conference pitcher for the baseball team. He would go on to have a 13-year career in the ABA and NBA, and his jersey was raised to the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse in 2005. While his accolades read like those of an all-time great, his career wasn’t without its trials. How does one moment from the 1971 Final Four still haunt him? And how was that Final Four team one of the most impactful in Kansas history?

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From a career perspective, it’s hard to top winning an Olympic gold medal. For Kansas softball coach Jennifer McFalls, that dream came true in 2000, when she helped Team USA to Olympic glory. It was a long and winding road to get there, with plenty of successes—and disappointments—along the way. But once you win a gold medal, what do you do for an encore? What does life look like after reaching the pinnacle of your sport? For McFalls, she would turn to coaching, and after just one season at the high school level, she knew it’s what she wanted to do. After a decade as a full-time assistant at the college level, why was the time finally right for McFalls to be a head coach? And what does she envision success looking like at Kansas?

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He’s a member of the Elite Eight—the only eight coaches in the more than 120-year history of Jayhawk basketball. And though his tenure didn’t end the way he would’ve liked, Ted Owens isn’t bitter about his experience at KU. If anything, Owens fondly remembers his time as the Kansas head coach, which includes trips to two Final Fours and some of the all-time KU greats. He coached five All-Americans, all of whom have jerseys hanging in Allen Fieldhouse, and won six Big Eight Conference titles. And despite the ending, the opportunity to lead the Kansas program and the love he felt from Jayhawk fans are things he won’t ever forget. What led to so many good days, moments and memories? In this episode, we go inside his story, and how he recruited some of the greatest Jayhawks in history.

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