KU Football by the Numbers: 50-69 - 60 Days Until Kansas Football

We rank the best players in Kansas football history to wear a jersey number in the fifties and sixties.

© John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

As part of the 100 days leading up to the first kickoff for Kansas football, we’re well into a series focusing on players from the past. We’ve already explored some greats who wore numbers from 70 to 99 and you can start by clicking here and simply follow the links to access all the other entries to this series.

Today’s listing is a bit different. Kansas is kind of light on greats with numbers in the fifties, so we’re combining the fifties and sixties with a twist at the end.

Contents

1. The Players:
2. The Rankings:

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 group of players is a mixed group of players spanning almost all eras of Kansas football.

The Players:

Mike Sweatman, #50, 1965-1967.

The eighth leading tackler in the history of Kansas football, Mike Sweatman was a two time all-conference linebacker for the Jayhawks.

Steve Towle, #50, 1971-1974.

Along with two others, Steve Towle holds the record for most tackles in a single game at KU with 25 against Colorado in 1974. That same season, he recorded the fifth highest total tackles in Kansas history with 155. Towle also played six seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, registering three interceptions as a pro.

Brandon Perkins, #59, 2002-2005.

Starting out as a tight end, Brandon Perkins switched to linebacker and thrived at the position. In 2005, Perkins recorded 8.5 sacks, the joint fifth most in a single season in KU history. He ended his career with 20 QB sacks, good enough for fourth place all-time.

Willie Pless, #60, 1982-1985.

An absolute tacking machine, Willie Pless is the all-time leader in this category, and it’s not particularly close. Pless finished with 633 tackles and the next highest total is 416. Pless also holds the record for most tackles in one season. In fact, he has the three highest totals in KU history with 206 in 1984, 191 in 1985, and 188 in 1983. Pless also recorded three games with more than 20 tackles including a KU record 25 in one game against Oklahoma State in 1984.

Hessley Hempstead, #66, 1991-1994.

As a guard, there isn’t too much statistically to say about Hessley Hempstead. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1995 and played there for three seasons. He passed away in 2021.

Don Goode, #68, 1971-1973.

The 15th overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, Don Goode played eight seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns. He had nine career sacks and ten career interceptions as a pro.

Hal Cleavinger, unsure of number, 1950-1952.

Almost everything short of an interception statistic is hard to come by concerning Hal Cleavinger. I couldn’t even find a picture to confirm his number. He did finish his career with 12 career interceptions, third on the all-time list at Kansas.

The Rankings:

1. Willie Pless
2. Brandon Perkins
3. Steve Towle
4. Mike Sweatman, Don Goode, and Hal Cleavinger
5. Hessley Hempstead

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