KU Football by the Numbers: the Seventies - 80 Days Until Kansas Football

We rank the best players in Kansas football history to wear a jersey number in the seventies.

© Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

As part of the 100 days leading up to the first kickoff for Kansas football, we’ve started a summertime series focusing on players from the past. We’ve already explored some greats who wore numbers in the eighties and nineties, and today, we are diving into some of the best players to wear numbers in the seventies.

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. Having a number between 70 and 79 on your jersey most likely means you were a lineman, and both offensive and defensive players will be featured here. In some cases, career defining stats were hard to come by, but the rankings must commence.

Today’s group of players is a mixed bunch, featuring players from all eras of Kansas football.

The Players:

Larry Brown, #70, 1967-1970.

Ring of Honor member Larry Brown was perhaps best known for being a part of the dynastic Pittsburgh Steelers teams in the early 1970s. He played tight end for the Jayhawks, but in the NFL, he played there as well as tackle. He won four Super Bowls with Pittsburgh and was named to their all-time team in 2007.

Dana Stubblefield, #71, 1990-1992.

While you can’t erase a player’s accomplishments (17 sacks, sixth all-time at KU), you can mention and comment on the bad stuff. In Dana Stubblefield’s case, the stuff is really bad. In the summer of 2020, Dana was tried and later convicted of rape and is currently in prison on a fifteen years to life sentence. He will not be ranked below.

Chris Maumalanga, #72, 1990-1993.

The big defensive tackle from Redwood City, California finished his KU career with 74 total tackles and 7.5 quarterback sacks. He was an all-conference first teamer in his senior season of 1993.

Mike McCormack, #73, 1948-1950.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever put on a jayhawk uniform, Mike McCormack was more than just an offensive tackle. Sure, he was an all-Big Seven selection in his final two years at Kansas. And yes, he played 13 seasons in the NFL then coached in the league for 17 more before moving on to front office duties. And finally, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. But he also passed over a prime year of playing early in his career to serve in the United States Military. Quite honorable, indeed.

Oliver Spencer, #73, 1950-1952.

Another Ring of Honor member, Oliver Spencer was a wrecking ball of an offensive lineman at Kansas. As an understudy to Mike McCormack, Spencer learned the craft well, following the KU legend into the NFL where he played eight productive years. He also became a coach in the league.

Mitch Sutton, #77, 1969-1973.

The Stone Mountain, Georgia native got drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles after attending KU and played two seasons in the NFL.

Steve Lawson, #78, 1967-1970.

Another Georgia product, this time from Athens, Steve Lawson had a productive career after he left Lawrence. As a guard, he was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft and played seven seasons in the NFL for the Bengals, Vikings, and 49ers.

Terry Beeson, #78, 1973-1976.

After leading the Jayhawks in tackles in both his junior and senior seasons, the latter of which also saw Terry Beeson receive all-conference accolades, he was drafted into the NFL in the second round by the Seattle Seahawks. He played six seasons in the NFL before injuries forced an early retirement.

Anthony Collins, #78, 2005-2007.

Anthony Collins is one of the most recent players to have been enshrined in the Kansas Ring of Honor and the recognition is well deserved. He was a first team All-American in his senior year as well as a finalist for the Outland Trophy recognizing the country’s best offensive lineman. He played six years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final season was in Tampa with the Buccaneers.

Hakeem Adeniji, #78, 2016-2019.

One of the great recent offensive linemen, Hakeem Adeniji grabbed first team all-conference honors in his senior season before being drafted by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft. He is still playing for Cincinnati.

The Rankings:

1. Mike McCormack
2. Larry Brown
3. Terry Beeson
4. Anthony Collins
5. Oliver Spencer
6. Steve Lawson and Hakeem Adeniji
7. Mitch Sutton and Chris Maumalanga

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