Otto Schnellbacher was one of the greatest athletes in KU history

It’s not often in your life when you have the priceless opportunity to interview and write a story on one of the greatest athletes in KU history, KU football’s first All-American and one of the rare athletes in sports history to play both in the NFL and NBA.

But that’s what happened to me on a November day in 2000 when I did a phone interview with Otto Schnellbacher, one of the true giants in KU sports history. Otto was in New York at the time watching KU basketball in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

We had a wonderful interview, as Otto fondly recalled his KU days, how he got started in football at Kansas, his favorite Jayhawk memories, his NBA and NFL career, and what he’s been up to since retiring from the NFL in 1951.

He was a phenomenal athlete but an even better person. I was saddened when he passed in 2008 at age 84 of cancer in Topeka, where he lived most of his life.

His death and storied accomplishments were written about in the New York Times and on ESPN.com. He is a proud member of KU's Ring of Honor and was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1972 and also the University of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Perhaps above all, Otto was an extremely loyal Jayhawk to the last day of his life.

Don Fambrough, the former KU football player and head coach and teammate of Otto's, spoke fondly of him after his death to the Lawrence Journal-World on March 10, 2008.

"This is a tough one," Fambrough said. "Otto was from the little old town of Sublette and he used to tell me stories of the dust storms out there. His mother would stay up all night long and put wet towels over their faces so they could breathe. I've always been partial to Kansas kids. They're tough kids who've had to work hard for everything they've gotten. That was Otto."

Here is that Where Are They Now? story on Otto Schnellbacher, an interview I’ll always fondly remember.

...

Otto Schnellbacher arrived at KU in 1941 as a “very farmish young man” from Sublette, Kan. He was recruited by Phog Allen on a basketball scholarship, which just included books and tuition. So to make ends meet, Schnellbacher waited tables at Delta Chi fraternity for room and board, and also worked at Memorial Stadium on game days.

“They notified me that I had a football job and I was on basketball scholarship, and they were going to have to fire me,” Schnellbacher said. “So I went to see Phog and he said, ‘Well, go out for football and you can keep your job.’ That’s how come I went out for football at KU. It turned out to be pretty good for me.”

A legend was born.

Hailed as the “Double Threat from Sublette,” Schnellbacher became one of the greatest athletes in KU history. He excelled on the gridiron and hardwood, and was one of just three Kansas players to serve as captain in both basketball and football. Schnellbacher earned all-conference in basketball four years and was a two-time All-Big Six selection in football. He capped off a scintillating football career in 1947 with 58 total receptions for 1,069 yards — both marks stood as school records for 22 years. 

Schnellbacher’s greatest accomplishment was helping lead KU to the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1948 (KU’s first bowl) and being named Kansas’ first All-America selection (along with Ray Evans).

“Ray Evans was a super player and super individual,” Schnellbacher said. “There was no finer individual that ever lived. That makes me feel very proud to be included with Ray.”

Schnellbacher, whose KU career was interrupted in 1943 (World War II), admits his sports preferences changed after he spent three years in the service.

“When I first went to KU, basketball was by far my favorite sport,” he said. “By the time I left there, I think football was my favorite sport. ... I think a lot of it has to due with the type of success you have. My last year, I had much more success in football than I did in basketball. We weren’t that whippy as a basketball team (KU went just 9-15 in 1947-48).  I knew my future was in football.”

Schnellbacher actually wound up being drafted in both sports. He played four years of professional football (he shifted from a split end to a defensive back) with the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference and the NFL New York Giants, as well as playing one year with the NBA Providence Steamrollers and St. Louis Bombers in 1948-49. 

 

He was named football All-Pro two times before retiring in 1951, leading the NFL in interceptions that year with 11.

“I thought it was great,” Schnellbacher said. “I wasn’t going to go into coaching or stay in sports, so it was time to quit after four years and make my home in Topeka.  I could have played more, but I had enough.”

Schnellbacher has lived in Topeka ever since.  

“I wanted to stay near Lawrence,” he said. “Lawrence was a little bit too small and Kansas City was too big. Topeka was just right in size for me.”

Schnellbacher, who worked in the insurance business for American United Life and Indianapolis Life before officially retiring in 1988, is now extremely active in volunteer work with his church and such deserving agencies as Let’s Help and Concerned Citizens for Topeka against Hate. He’s also president of the Topeka Jayhawk Club and follows the crimson and blue faithfully.

In fact, he was recently in New York to watch the basketball team in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

“Since I lived there back in the 40s and 1950 and ‘51, I know the town,” he said. “We had a great time. We went up to West Point and Bear Mountain.”

Of course, Schnellbacher’s fondest memories of the 1940s center around Mount Oread. He remains forever grateful to Allen for steering him into football and molding him into the person he is today.

“Phog Allen was the greatest thing to ever happen to my life,” Schnellbacher said. “He was just a super human being. He was very supportive and helpful with ideas and motivated you to do things right and be somebody, and try to do things right in a positive way in the world. He was a very fine motivator. Roy Williams has the same traits.”

And about that Jayhawk moniker as the “Double Threat from Sublette?

“I didn’t care what they called me,” Schnellbacher said, laughing. “I didn’t mind, as long as they called me something.”

A Closer Look at Otto Schnellbacher:

Years at KU: 1941-1943; 1946-48

Career Notables: Football All-American in 1947... Co-Captain of 1947 Orange Bowl team and captain of 1947-48 basketball squad (one of three KU athletes to serve as captain in both sports)...Led KU in receiving in 1942, ‘46, ‘47...All-Conference in basketball four years.

Family: Schnellbacher and his wife, Jane, have seven children and 13 grandkids (he and his first wife, who died over 10 years ago, had three children. Schnellbacher’s second wife, Jane, had four children).

Education: B.S. Education, 1948.

Since Leaving KU: Schnellbacher played one year in the NBA (1948-49) with Providence and St. Louis and four years in professional football (AAFC New York Yankees and NFL New York Giants) before retiring in 1951. He then moved to Topeka and worked in the life insurance business until 1988.

Currently: Schnellbacher, who still has his insurance license, is retired and lives in Topeka.

Hobbies: Playing golf and following the Jayhawks. 

Favorite KU Memories: The 1942-43 basketball team (22-6 and Big Six Champions) and 1947 Orange Bowl squad. “Back in those days, they only had four bowls — Orange, Sugar, Rose and Cotton. So to get to the Orange Bowl was quite a thrill.” 

On the Jayhawks Today:  “The basketball team is going to be great this year. It’s already on its way...I’m a fan of Terry Allen and I hope for his success. I think we got to give him some time to recruit some better personnel.”

Emmett Edwards ranks as one of best wide receivers in KU history

You just never forget your first childhood heroes; they stay a close part of you forever. That’s why I’ll never forget former KU star wide receiver Emmett Edwards, one of the all-time KU football greats. Emmett was my first KU football hero and he brightened my childhood immensely.

I was just 7 years old when I first saw Edwards play in the fall of 1973. I can still close my eyes and see Edwards sprinting down the right sideline and catching a bomb from quarterback David Jaynes. This memory still makes me smile and think back to happy times at Memorial Stadium.

Edwards finished his magical career in 1974 as KU’s all-time leader in receptions (105) and yardage (1,808). Despite playing only three years (freshmen were ineligible back then), this former world-class sprinter currently ranks No. 6 in career yardage and No. 11 in career receptions.

Edwards, a Kansas City native, also ranks No. 1 in average yards per catch (17.2) with a minimum of 100 catches. His career-best 49 receptions in 1973 ranks No. 14 for a single season. Edwards would rank even higher in the KU record books had the Jayhawks not gone to a wishbone offense in 1974, when Edwards caught a team-high 30 passes.

He was named All-Big Eight in 1973 and 1974, and was a ‘74 Sporting News first-team All-American. Edwards, who was a member of the 1973 Liberty Bowl squad, was also named to the all-time KU team.

Edwards and Bruce Adams comprised one of the best receiving duos in KU annals.

I soon thought of Emmett when my editor at Jayhawk Insider Lauretta McMillen asked me to write the Where are they Now? profiles on former KU athletes in the summer of 1999. That was a dream come true. I immediately walked out of my home, smiled and took a deep breath. I had always wanted to write these profiles, and now I was finally getting my chance.

Since it was August with football season upon us, the first person I thought of calling for my Where are they Now? interview was Emmett. We had a wonderful conversation about his KU career, his short stint in the NFL, where he teamed with O.J. Simpson for one season in Buffalo, and what he’s been up to since his football career ended.

I felt a great sense of satisfaction and happiness interviewing my childhood hero. Emmett couldn’t have been any kinder.

Here is that Where are they Now? story on Emmett Edwards, the first one I ever wrote for Jayhawk Insider.

...

Emmett Edwards will never forget the phone call he received from Don Fambrough in 1971. Fambrough, who was beginning his first year as Kansas head football coach, called Edwards to talk about the pros and cons of redshirting that season.

“He told me, ‘Well Emmett, you could redshirt, and you never know, you could have a career like O.J. Simpson.’ I said, ‘That’s a pretty good one, coach.’”

Edwards, who eventually redshirted and became one of the greatest football players in KU history, didn’t think too much about his talk with Fambrough at the time until five years later when he began his second and final season in the NFL.  

Edwards had just been traded to the Buffalo Bills by the Houston Oilers, where he played his rookie season. On his first day in Buffalo, Edwards held court with a group of reporters in the Bills’ locker room.

“A guy just asked me about Gale Sayers,” Edwards said from his home in Lee’s Summit, Mo. “As I was saying Gale this and Gale that, he (Simpson) comes in. Everybody just stopped. My mind immediately went back to what Don Fambrough said. All of a sudden, one of the reporters asked, ‘What about O.J. Simpson?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s pretty good, too.’”

Edwards, who concluded his career as the all-time leading receiver in KU history (he now ranks third), caught two passes for 53 yards with the Bills in 1976, and was waived the following year. Edwards then relocated from Houston back to his native Kansas City. After an unsuccessful tryout with the Chiefs, he waited patiently for another team to call. 

It never came.

 

Edwards, who received his degree in social studies education in 1975, moved on with his life. He spent five years as a middle school teacher in the Kansas City school district. Then, in 1983, he changed career paths again and went to work at Allied Signal in Olathe. He has been there ever since. 

 

As production control specialist, Edwards’ job is to formulate a plan on getting the electronic and avionic products through the processing system and out the door to the customer.

He explains why he made the jump from teaching to Allied Signal.

“I liked to teach, but teaching, you start out low man on the totem pole,” Edwards said. “It was moving a little slow.”

Nobody could ever excuse Edwards of being slow. A product of Kansas City Central High School, Edwards made his name at KU with his blazing speed in both football and track. He culminated a stellar track career in 1974 by anchoring Kansas to the NCAA championship in the 440-yard relay at Austin, Texas.

“That was the king of the hill,” he said.

Of course, Edwards is best known for his feats on the gridiron. He was all-Big Eight in 1973 and 1974, and a first-team Sporting News All-American in 1974. Edwards actually had his best season in 1973, when he caught 49 passes for 802 yards in helping lead KU to a berth in the Liberty Bowl. He has fond memories of that year, especially the thrilling stretch run. KU beat Iowa State (22-20), Colorado (17-15) and Missouri (14-13) in three of its final five games.

 

“Everyone was bringing all they had to bring,” Edwards said. “I just give credit to the coaching and everyone living up to the Kansas tradition.” 

Edwards, 47, feels blessed to be a part of this rich tradition at Mount Oread.

 

“It was a great experience, and one I wish everyone could witness and be a part of,” he said. 

While he wishes he could have duplicated his success at KU in the NFL, Edwards is at peace with himself. He said he loved playing with Simpson in Buffalo. It seems the two hit it off after the first day they saw each other in the Bills’ locker room. Simpson respected Sayers and “knew about everyone from Kansas.” 

“We had a lot of things in common,” Edwards said. “He really wasn’t a big talker. What I liked about him was that he showed by example. He was probably like Gale — no-nonsense player. He was low-keyed and you could talk to him. He treated everyone fairly. I felt he had a big heart.”

Edwards doesn’t have too much time to think about the past. He keeps an active lifestyle working at Allied Signal, spending time with his daughter, Mia, and playing golf. As for the future, he does have one major goal he’d like to accomplish.

“I’d like to get down to a six or seven handicap,” Edwards said.

A Closer Look at Emmett Edwards

Years At KU: 1970-1974 (played on the freshman team in 1970 and redshirted in ‘71)

Career notables: All-Big Eight in 1973 and 1974...A 1974 Sporting News first-team All-American...Third-leading receiver in KU history...Member of the 1973 Liberty Bowl squad... Named to the all-time KU team.

Family: Edwards, who is divorced, has three children — Emmett IV, 29, Micheala, 23, and Mia, 13.

Education: B.S.E in social studies education, 1975.

Since Leaving KU: Edwards played two years in the NFL with the Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills. Waived by the Bills in 1977, Edwards moved back to his native Kansas City. He taught middle school in the Kansas City school district for five years until 1983, when he changed careers and began working at Allied Signal in Olathe.

Currently: Edwards is production control specialist at Allied Signal, and also owns some rental property in Lee's Summit.

Hobbies: Avid weekend golfer (12 to 15 handicap).

Favorite KU Memories: The run to the Liberty Bowl in 1973, when KU beat Iowa State, Colorado and Missouri in three of its final five games...Winning the 440-yard relay in the NCAA track championship in 1974...Meeting such great players as John Hadl, John Riggins and Gale Sayers.

On The Jayhawks Today: “Hopefully, he (coach Terry Allen) can get his program to a level where he wants it and what the fans of Kansas are used to. I think they have a good nucleus of young players.”