KU Football by the Numbers: the Nineties - 97 Days Until Kansas Football

We rank the best players in Kansas football history to wear a number in the nineties

© Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

As part of the 100 days leading up to the first kickoff for Kansas football, we’re starting a brief series focusing on players from the past. Today, we are looking (and ranking!) some of the best players to wear numbers from 90 to 99.

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. Let’s get started.

Contents

1. The Players:
2. The Rankings:

Having a number 90 or above on your jersey most likely means you are a defensive lineman, and honestly, there isn’t a ton of information out there on early Kansas players in this position, so today’s group of players is a relatively recent bunch.

The Players:

Phil Forte, #91, 1983-1986.

Here is a name familiar to many who read this site, but probably for the wrong reasons. Former Jayhawk defensive lineman Phil Forte is also the father of the former Oklahoma State basketball player of the same name, perpetual thorn in the side of his father’s alma mater. But let’s focus on the Jayhawk. Forte Sr. is fourth on the all time sack leaderboard with 20 in his career at KU. He was a team captain in his senior campaign of 1986.

Jake Laptad, #91, 2007-2010.

The 2010 Kansas defensive player of the year is second on the all-time sacks chart, grabbing the quarterback 21 times over his KU career. He registered 33.5 tackles for loss over his career as well, a number that stands as the fifth highest in Jayhawks history. Laptad was an honorable mention all conference performer three times.

Nate Dwyer, #92, 1998-2001.

The big defensive tackle from Stillwater, Minnesota was a second team all Big XII selection in 2000 and a first teamer in 2001. Dwyer still ranks in a tie for sixth place on the all time sacks list at Kansas with 17.

Gilbert Brown, #93, 1989-1992.

The only player on this list to be inducted into the Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium, Brown was a standout at KU, helping the Jayhawks to an 8-4 record and the 1992 Aloha Bowl championship over BYU. Gilbert was a third round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings but made his name in Green Bay as a member of the Packers. He won Super Bowl XXXI and was eventually inducted in the Packers Hall of Fame.

James McClinton, #93, 2004-2007.

Defensive tackle James McClinton was a major key to Kansas’s breakout season in 2007. That year, McClinton was named a first team All-Big XII by Rivals. Over the course of his Jayhawk career, he totaled 117 tackles, eleven for losses, and 8.5 sacks.

Kyle Moore, #96, 1990-1992.

Kyle Moore and Gilbert Brown formed quite a pairing in Lawrence. Moore finished his KU career with 15.5 sacks, a number that lands him seventh on the all time list.

Daniel Wise, #96, 2015-2018.

A first team all-conference performer in both 2017 and 2018, Daniel Wise was a bright spot on some very dismal Kansas teams. Over the course of his career, Wise registered 18.5 sacks, good for fifth all time at KU. Daniel has played for the Washington Commanders over the last two NFL seasons and has recently signed for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Algie Atkinson, #98, 1998-2001.

Linebacker Algie Atkinson is the all-time sacks leader at Kansas. He racked up 24 sacks in his tenure on Mount Oread and stands alone in second place for single season sacks when he registered 11 in his senior campaign of 2001. The Skokie, Illinois native never earned any all-conference awards despite a stellar 2001 season.

Ron Warner, #99, 1996-1997.

A force of nature in his two seasons in Lawrence, Ron Warner ranks third all time in sacks as a Jayhawk with 20.5, 14.5 of those coming in his senior season of 1997. That number is the single season record for sacks at Kansas. The 1997 first team All-Big XII performer was a seventh round draft pick in 1998 and played in 24 total NFL games in his career including Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Rankings:

1. Gilbert Brown
2. Ron Warner
3. Algie Atkinson
4. Daniel Wise
5. Phil Forte
6. Jake Laptad and James McClinton
7. Nate Dwyer and Kyle Moore

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