Kansas Football by the Numbers: 29-39 - 39 Days

As part of the 100 days leading up to the first kickoff for Kansas football, we’ve started a brief series focusing on players from the past. We’ve already explored some greats who wore numbers from 40 to 99 and you can start by clicking here to access our previous article where you’ll have all the links you need.

The idea is simple. Some statistics and anecdotes are provided for each player and then they are unscientifically ranked by a party of one (me) and the debate shall begin.

Today’s list features players from both sides of the line of scrimmage, players who wore numbers between 29 and 39.

The Players:

Jon Cornish, #29, 2003-2006.

Jon Cornish had a good junior campaign when he racked up 780 yards rushing, but his senior year was his breakout. In 2006, Cornish set the all-time Kansas single season rushing record with 1,457 yards on the ground. He went on to play in his native Canada for the Calgary Stampeders where he won the Grey Cup twice and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian on three occasions.

James Sims, #29, 2010-2013.

Third all-time on the Kansas rushing charts with 3,592 yards on the ground, James Sims is one of the most underrated players in KU history. While none of his single season rushing totals gets him in the top 10 on the KU charts, Sims was remarkably consistent. His least productive year saw him run for 727 yards and nine touchdowns while his most productive season on the ground garnered 1,110 yards. Over his four year Kansas career, Sims averaged 4.5 yards per carry. His 34 rushing TD’s is second all time at Kansas.

Joe Dineen, Jr., #29, 2014-2018.

Fourth on the all-time tackles list at KU with 386, Joe Dineen did the majority of his damage in his final two seasons. He also had 8.5 sacks and one interception in his time in Lawrence.

Laverne Smith, #30, 1973-1976.

The Jayhawks of the 1970s could run the football. Laverne Smith had three extremely productive years as a Jayhawk, including his sophomore campaign where he totaled 1,181 yards on the ground, good enough for the fourth best single season ever. He is also fourth on the all-time yards list at 3,074. Smith was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 1977 draft.

Clark Green, #30, 2002-2005.

Right behind Smith on the all-time rushing yardage list is Clark Green. His 2,754 yards is good enough for fifth ever, but he also contributed as a receiver. In his Kansas career, Green caught the ball 122 times for 1,229 yards and two touchdowns.

Dan Eichloff, #31, 1990-1993.

Dan Eichloff’s 62 made field goals are nine higher than anyone else in KU history. Over the course of his Kansas career, he made 71.3% of his field goal tries.

Ben Heeney, #31, 2011-2014.

Ninth on the all-time tackles list at KU with 335, Ben Heeney was a force in his final three years as a Jayhawk, but 2014 was his true breakout season. He had 127 tackles, 92 of them solo tackles which led the Big XII. He also had an amazing game against Texas Tech where he had 21 tackles. Heeney parlayed that All-Big XII season into a fruitful NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans.

Curtis McClinton, #32, 1959-1961.

A three time all conference selection, Curtis McClinton finished his KU career with 1,377 yards rushing. He was also a Big 8 hurdles champion who was later drafted by the Dallas Texans into the AFL. He played for that franchise as it transitioned to become the Kansas City Chiefs and McClinton was a part of their first ever Super Bowl Championship.

John Riggins, #32, 1968-1970.

One of the most recognizable names in the history of Kansas football, John Riggins was a hard running machine. He still ranks seventh on KU’s all-time rushing yardage list and his 1,131 yards in 1970 is still good for the fifth best in a single season at Kansas. Riggins was the 6th overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft where he was taken by the New York Jets. On his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, John Riggins ran for 11,352 yards, had 2,090 yards receiving, and scored 116 touchdowns over a fifteen year NFL career with New York and Washington.

Brandon McAnderson, #35, 2004-2007.

Sometimes, one season is enough. Brandon McAnderson’s senior campaign of 2007 (which just so happened to coincide with KU’s most prolific season) was a revelation. He ran the ball for 1,125 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught the ball twenty one times for a 10 yard average. McAnderson scored 16 touchdowns that season as well.

Marcus Henry, #36, 2004-2007.
Tenth in all-time yards receiving with 1,598 including the sixth most productive from a yards perspective (1,014 in 2007), Marcus Henry was quite productive in Lawrence. He also caught 10 touchdown passes in that magical 2007 season.

The Rankings:

1. John Riggins
2. Curtis McClinton
3. James Sims
4. Laverne Smith
5. Jon Cornish and Clark Green
6. Marcus Henry and Brandon McAnderson
7. Joe Dineen and Ben Heeney
8. Dan Eichloff