A (Tony) Guy to always remember

I first wrote about my all-time favorite Jayhawk Tony Guy in my blog on Feb. 17, 2019, writing about our Where are they Now? interview in 1999 and my dad's friendship with Tony. Here's more good stuff on Tone--in his own words from that 1999 interview at his State Farm office in Kansas City, Mo. Tony, you will always have a special place in my heart…far more than you will ever know. You helped bring my beloved late, forever hero dad and I closer together, and I will always be grateful to you for that. I was an impressionable high school sophomore then when I met you at my parents house the summer of 1982 when you regularly played racquetball with my dad, who sadly passed on March 11, 2021 at age 95. 

You told me during our interview that it was people like my dad, who treated you as Tony Guy the person, and not Tony Guy, the athlete, that helped make your college experience so special. That meant a lot to me; my dad, myself, and our family treat everyone we meet equally. When we met at your State Farm office in Kansas City, Mo, on that memorable afternoon in 1999, we talked man to man. Maybe no other person I’ve ever interviewed in my long journalism career talked to me the way you did; you spoke about being a good father, a good husband — so more important than your kids don’t know or don’t care about your basketball exploits. You also spoke that society has sports out of perspective, and so much more profound wisdom. While I truly loved watching you play growing up in Lawrence — pure grace in motion —I honestly don’t care if you ever shot a ball threw a hoop. Who you are as a person, as a man — someone of impeccable character, morals, values and integrity, how you graciously treated me as a teenager when I first met you and then again at our wonderful interview in 1999. You are the tremendous man, father and husband your mom, Gertrude, raise you to be — that’s what counts for me. Humble, gracious, and kind. That’s the bigger picture by far! That's the Anthony Guy I remember, and I will always remember! So thank you Tony. I wish you and your family all my best, and hope to connect again with you in the future! You are one of the greatest ambassadors that not only KU basketball, but the University of Kansas has ever seen!

And yes, it would be a thrill to shoot hoops with you at some point. I regret I never took you up on your offer to do that when we talked at Robinson Gym way back in the summer of 1982. While I've lost my quickness and speed and my jumper isn't what it once was, it would still be very special!

Favorite memory at KU:

“Ironically enough, some of my favorite memories about KU have nothing to do about basketball. And I think that’s the way it ought to be. My favorite memory of KU has to do with a conversation with (sociology professor) Norm Yetman, a surrogate father. We’re extremely close today. My sophomore year (1978-79), we were walking up on campus. Norm said, 'Tony, this is a neat place to go to school. You’re a neat basketball player. And who knows what’s going to happen to you in the future. But I just want you to keep something in mind while you’re at the university. And the thing that you’ll need to always remember is way after you’re gone, KU’s going to continue to have great basketball players and teams. The most important thing you can do for Tony Guy is to get the most of this experience as possible, meaning you need to graduate and you need to get a degree. 

“The thing he was trying to let me know, was that although my name was in the paper and everybody’s telling me how great I am, well, you’re just another basketball player, you’re just another athlete that after four years, no one talks about you. No one remembers what you did on the basketball (court) — all the great things you did on the basketball floor. That’s just the way life is. I think more young people need to have conversations like that so we don’t get caught up on the euphoria that takes place. We need to go to school and get an education. That’s the exchange. If you get a degree, it’s a fair exchange. You better believe it. The more relationships that young people can get plugged into, the better off they’re going to be. That was my most important conversation I had in my four years at the university. Basketball takes care of itself. There’s highs and lows. What young people need to be concerned with is four years is just a short period of time. There’s a lot of life left after college. And what do we with all the time that we have left.”

Most important experience at KU:

“The most important experience I take from KU is the night (teammate and best friend) David Magley took me to a FCA meeting (our senior year). I gave my life over to Christ. That experience (helped me) make it through the Celtics (when Guy was injured and cut after being a second-round draft pick (No. 46 overall). There’s nothing (else) that would have enabled me get through it. He’s been with me every step of the way. …(I speak) a lot on behalf of FCA.”

The games:

“I didn’t care much for the lower echelon team. (Playing) Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, K-State, Missouri, Arizona State, that’s what basketball should be about —when you get the upper echelon teams playing against each other. You find out how good a player I was. (When you) play against the best, (that’s an) accurate guage. And that’s what it should be about. The better teams in the country playing against the better teams in the country.” 

“Playing at Rupp arena (against Kentucky as a freshman). I was in awe of the place. We were blowing them out. They had a great backcourt—(Kyle) Macy, (Jay) Schilder. They had unlimited range (and hitting) bombs. They made a comeback with 30 seconds to go (with KU up six points). The last thing in timeout huddle, (Coach Ted Owens) tells us (we have no more timeouts). Mac Stallcup calls a a timeout (and they) score (and win). ”It broke us. I don’t know if we ever recovered from that (loss). (We went) 18-11, (were) ranked number two in Playboy preseason. (We had Paul) Mokeski (7-1 star center), we had a great team. We had the players. I started at forward, (Parade All-American Wilmore) Fowler (was) a guard (with superstar point guard Darnell Valentine).”

Playing against No. 3 Arizona State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1981, Guy’s junior year and best season, when he finally played his true position at shooting guard. He exploded for a career-high 36 points on 13-of-15 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. KU easily upset the Sun Devils, 88-71, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans to play Wichita State.

“All week, we read about how good they were and they were going to blow us out and blow everyone out for that matter. They deserved all the press clippings they received (all four starters had NBA careers in Alton Lister, Fat Lever, Byron Scott and Sam Williams). We were extremely talented, too. While Art Housey didn’t have the skill level as Alton Lister, it wasn’t neccessary. Byron Scott was a great player, Fat lever, Sam Williams. It was just one of those games that whenever I was open, Darnell got me the ball. My teammates got me the ball. I think at that point, it’s kind of neat the first couple of shots you shoot, they go in. My teammates (were) confident (in me). At some point, Darnell was like, ‘Hey, Tone, whenever you’re open it’s going to be there.  And it was.

“(One of) funniest things, Arizona State scored. (It was the) left side of court (and) I was dribbling after pass from Darnell, a step inside the (free throw line). “I’m in the air and I thought to myself, ‘Tony, you’re on national TV,  you’re about to fall flat on your face in front of millions of people. What were you thinking about?' I’m in the air thinking about all this stuff and I just keep going, and going, and thinking I’m going to get to the bucket. And I get to the bucket, and the place just goes off. It just goes off. My best friend, David Magley. He said, ‘Tone, you’re the only brother I ever met in my life that can’t dunk.’ That was the physically proudest moment on the court. I didn’t have a lot of dunks in my career. I jumped from at least from the dotted line. At the (season-ending) banquet, everybody still went off. Everybody still couldn’t believe it.

“Magley has the tape (of that game). Every time I ask him about it, he says, ‘I don’t know where that tape is.” l (should) call KU (and have them) make another one. It was a lot of fun. I always dreamed about having a game like that. I guess that’s a zone. Everything I did, I felt at ease with it. I felt comfortable. ‘Yes, this was the right decision’ I only took 15 shots, not an exhorbitant (amount of) shots. I made most of them. It couldn’t have come at a better time. That’s what I was about; I was about wanting to perform well against the better teams.”

KU jelling at end of season:

“(We were) starting to play really well as a team. The only bad thing is that only seven players played. Booty Neal (reserve guard and long-range bomber) could really play. He could flat out play. The one thing I like about Roy Williams is that when you’re wearing a Kansas uniform, the chances are you’re going to get a chance to play. And I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Playing against North Carolina at Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 28, 1981, the first game of the season in Guy’s senior year, one of the first ESPN nationally televised games. UNC featured a promising star but relatively unknown freshman at that time named Mike Jordan, who started in his debut college game and defended Guy. KU played ‘Carolina close, but lost 74-67.

“Mike’s a freshman; we did not know much about him. We were more concerned about (James) Worthy, (Sam) Perkins, (Jimmy) Black. Mike was guarding me. I had a real good first half. I remember I was at the free throw line, and I remember Worthy yelling over to Mike,‘Hey, don’t go for his ball fakes.' He was really coaching Mike on how to defend me and how to guard me. (At one point in the game), a shot went up. I didn’t know where Jordan was. No box out. (I jump) to grab the rebound, all of a sudden I feel someone’s body on me. I look up and there’s a long arm up in the air. He went to dunk it and missed. I said to myself, ‘Tony, don’t ever lose track of where that guy is again.’ I thought, ‘My goodness, who is this guy?’ I was up about to grab the ball when I saw this outreached arm.”

On that 13-14 team in 1981-82 during Guy's senior year, which played without a true point guard after All-American Darnell Valentine graduated the previous year. Guy and Magley had to carry the offensive load without much of a supporting cast. Kansas lost eight of its last nine games.

“I played point guard for a while. That was probably one of the least talented teams to ever play at the University of Kansas. (I was) Playboy preseason All-American.”

On his preseason injury before senior year:

“I remember as if it was yesterday. It was my senior year. ...  (I couldn’t jump off) one leg my entire senior year. I had a sleeve on left leg; it was a serious leg injury. I injured leg in preseason conditioning. I went to coach (Ted Owens and told him I was in) pretty bad shape (and could use some time off). (Owens said), “We’re a young team, (we’re) dependent upon leadership, we need example for youngsters. (I participated in) preseason conditioning program. I shouldn’t have. A calcium deposit developed in leg; at night, I couldn’t sleep (it was) between fibula and tibia. All season I was in so much pain. Nobody knew it. A lot of guys would be bitter. (I could have redshirted). I played, that’s what team athletics is all about, making sacrifices. My senior year, (I had) my worse year, worse time. (I could have went) hardship after junior year. Portland had the 16th pick (and wanted to draft me) behind Darnell if I wanted to come out. I said, ‘No, I didn’t want to come come (out). The lesson is that things don’t always work out the way we ‘d like them to or the way we’d play for them to work out. That’s pretty much what life is about. Very seldom does things go the way we want them to. But life goes on ...For all that basketball has given me, it didn’t owe me anything at that time and it doesn’t owe me anything now. (Portland) called Darnell (and said), ‘we got the 15th and 16th picks in the first round (in 1981 NBA Draft). We’re going to use one of them on you. ‘Is Tony interested in coming out? Check with Tony.’ The thought of going hardship never even crossed my mind. As a kid, (we could) not afford it to go to college. If basketball works out, (I could get a) scholarship, and then you get the degree. That’s all it was about. It wasn’t about trying to be rich and famous. It was about going to school and getting a degree. The quality of life that I have today, there is no doubt in my mind that had I played in the NBA, the quality of my life wouldn’t have been richer than what it is today. Things normally work out for the best.”

Guy’s “consistency” and more on his serious injury:

“I was consistent over (my) career. I had been playing out of position first two years (at small forward) until junior year. (There was) no coincidence (when I played big guard), once everyone saw that I could not only play guard, but I could defend guards as well, it was pretty obvious that I was a pretty good player. I could guard just about anyone on the perimeter. (I was) unique, 6-6, defend on the perimeter. (I could move my feet) and play guard. (There was) a question mark (if I could) score. (Team-high and career-high 15.8 points per game in 1980-81, Guy’s junior season) and Sweet 16 team). There was never a doubt in my mind that I could play in the NBA.

 

(...There was a) pickup game before season,” Guy added about he got hurt. (I was) dribbling the ball. I shot the ball better than ever, (I was in) weight room (and) physically peak shape. Tim Banks (was) running up from behind to steal the ball — slipped, fell and his knee hit the back of my leg. (It was a) deep bruise. In the middle of preseason conditioning program,I was running around (Memorial) stadium, (it turned) turned into calcium deposit. (There were) serious problems. I literally couldn’t jump off left foot (for whole season). I couldn’t elevate.”

On the Boston Celtics camp and playing in the CBA and Switzerland:

“Probably the lowest moment of my life. Up until that point in time, I achieved and accomplished everythiing I set out to do. Playing in the NBA was important, the next step, validate that I was continue to grow and improve as an athlete and a basketball player. I couldn’t move (because of leg injury). Nobody knew. Even on one leg, Danny Ainge couldn’t score or defend me. He was starting for the Celtics. I thought to myself, ‘What could I be doing if I was healthy; (they) didn’t see half the player I really was...If I was at 100 percent (and they said), ‘You ain’t good enough, that’s fine but to be at 25-30 percent, when I knew I was good enough to play in the NBA, never had experienced dissapointment of that magnitude. I never once talked about my injury, no excuses. Life goes on. I got cut. (I then played in the ) CBA. (I was with) Maine (and) traded to Wyoming for one year. I felt injury was getting better. I played extremely well. The following year, (I played in) Switzerland. The best year of my life. I had gotten married the day before I left. By far, the best year of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.The reason being, my wife and I had the foundation for our marriage that will last a lifetime. And that was important. Only place I know of, postcards don’t do it justice, even the best postcards. I was still hurt, never recovered from that injury. I had a great year in Switzerland, (developed) more leg strength. I still had pain, but not as severe. I played 1983 in CBA and1984 in Switzerland.”

(After returning home from Switzerland), “a couple of months went by and I talked to my agent. He called and said, ‘The team loved you, but same money.’ I talked to my wife. I’m thinking, ‘A lot of guys spent playing in CBA or over in Europe. They come back after having done that after eight, nine years, still need to get a job.’ She said, ‘Hey, why don’t we just get started on our lives after basketball.’” (I told my agent), ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”

Working at State Farm and lessons shared

In 1987, Guy began working for State Farm in Kansas City, Mo., as a insurance agent. He’s been there ever since.

“I think every thing I stand for, this company is about. It’s a neat feeling to be working for a corporation who you think values the same things you value. Just taking care of people’s needs is important.. (They’re) dependent on me to have a certain skill level as it relates to being the guy that handles their insurance needs. Almost like being a coach. I have two staff, own little team. I’m in the office and out. I schedule my own, speak when I where I want to. … Most importantly, it allows me the flexibility and the time to spend with my wife and kids. I have three wonderful kids, wonderful wife. My wife is a full-time homemaker, it’s a neat home with the kids. I’m having more fun now than I’ve  ever had in my entire life. 

“I guess the lesson I share with younger guys playing, ‘there’s a lot of life left after basketball. The bottom line is all that matters is ultimately, what type of fathers we become and what type of husbands we become, because those are the most important roles we have in this lifetime is my role as a father and my role as a husband. To be quite honest, my kids don’t know or do they care about any of my basketball exploits. And that’s the way it ought to be. But they do care if I’m a good father and a good husband. … KU is an important time (but) it’s not the most important thing. ... Society, it’s out of perspective...out of whack.

“No one thinks character counts, but character does count and it always will.  No matter how much hypocrisy exists in the system, character does count. Ultimately, my mom raised me to be good husband and father; she never once called and asked how basketball is going. In the final analysis, (basketball) is a vehicle to get a college education, vehicle to be a productive member of society. We treat it as if it’s everything to me. ‘Without it, I’m nobody. I can’t do anything.” 

Guy thinks about that defining conversation with Yetman his sophomore year in his “daily life.”

“What Norm was trying to tell me was, “Tony, a lot of people you’re going to come in contact with are going to like you because you’re Tony Guy, the basketball player. I just want you to know that I care about you because you’re Tony Guy, the person. I just want you to know that Tony Guy the person will carry you much further than Tony Guy the basketball player ever will.” Guy now laughs when adding what Yetman then said, ‘I’ve been watching you. You don’t jump very high.’ I was fortunate to have a mom, Gertrude, she kept myself grounded. …(When I) speak, (I) share (about) society today. Michael Jordan retired, the world still turning. If we don’t somehow find a way to bring young people up in such a way that they become people--men and women of integrity--of high character--this place isn’t going to last much longer … unless we start having better fathers and better mothers. It’s going to collapse. It’s going to collapse. …“What (matter is what) type of adults we become.”

Guarding Magic Johnson, a sophomore sensation point guard at Michigan State, when Guy was a freshman on Feb. 4, 1979 at East Lansing, Mich. MSU blew KU out, 85-61.

“(My) freshman year, (it was both a) high light and low light (of having the) dubious honor of having to guard Magic Johnson. I realized I was OK, but I was just an average basketball player. Magic was so overwhelming that I said to myself, ‘What am I doing out here. He was just truly incredible, truly amazing. Those experiences shape your own perspectives as a player. Having to guard (Magic) was a nightmare. That was bloody.” 

On Roy Williams and the Jayhawks:

“I think that those kids play with an enthusiasm and togetherness that is unparallelled. We didn’t have it when I played. There is more of a one for all and all for one attitude. (There’s a) togetherness that Roy’s teams have that we did not have. Those guys generally care for another one. They’ll do any things for one another. These guys graduate. (They) are class acts. They’re not goofing off. They’re going to class. The positives far outweigh the negatives. … A great coach, and a great guy. (He’s) not perfect, but nobody is.”

Guy’s passions:

“Golf is my new passion, and my kids. My family is my passion. Faith, obviously. Those things are what keeps me going. …I love golf.” 

High-School All-American and Super Prep Stats

Tony made his mark in high school at Loyola in Towson, Md, and one of the country’s most highly recruited prep stars. He was a McDonald’s All-American (KU’s second one in history behind Darnell Valentine), Parade All-American, Street & Smith Yearbook All-American, and Basketball Weekly and Scholastic Magazine All-American.

Guy was a second-team Parade All-American, along with future Hall of Famer James Worthy. Mark Aguirre, a third-team selection, was a future No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks.  KU teammate and best friend David Magley was a fourth-team Parade All-American. Guy and Aguirre were also members of the 1978 McDonald’s All-American team.

A three-time all-league selection and three-year starter at Loyola, Guy helped lead the Dons to a 78-19 record during that time. Loyola went 27-6 his first year as a sophomore, then 26-4 and 25-9 his senior year. The Dons ranked No. 2 in the state in final polls both his sophomore and junior seasons. Guy, who lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists his senior year, averaging 22.9 points,11.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. In league games, Tony averaged 26.5 points,10.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Guy also led Loyola in scoring (15.4 ppg) and assists (154) his junior year, while second on squad in rebounding (9.0 rpg). He culminated his magical career with 1,499 points in 89 games (16.8 ppg). He also had 881 career rebounds (9.9 rpg) and 341 assists (3.8 apg). He connected on better than 50 percent of his field goal attempts last two seasons, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field during his career. He was also a career 77.0 free throw shooter. 

Tony scored a career-high 38 points his senior year and grabbed a career-best 18 boards his junior and senior seasons. Above all, he was a winner and team player. Loyola won the Catholic League Tournament all three years, while Guy served as team captain his senior year.

Tony sums it up:

“(I was) extremely fortunate in my career. I started from day one and played every game. I had a great career. The university and coach Owens and the players were extremely kind to me.”

1973-74 Jayhawks were a Team: Coach Ted Owens and players planning a 50-year reunion to celebrate their time in the spotlight.

This story was published in KU Today & Tomorrow (2023-24 edition) about the 50th anniversary of the miracle 1973-74 Final Four Jayhawks, the "Comeback Kids." Thanks so much for my kind editor Jean Teller for giving me the go-ahead with this pitch and story. The 1973-74 Kansas basketball team was my first KU hoops love, and the memories of my childhood heroes like Rick Suttle, Norm Cook, Roger Morningstar, Dale Greenlee, Danny Knight, Tommie Smith and Tom Kivisto have stayed with me forever. This team, even though I was only 7 years old at the time, taught me to believe in miracles, that anything possible can happen. KU and head coach Ted Owens responded from a dismal 8-18 season in 1972-73 season and showed true toughness, tremendous chemistry, and most important, a beautiful brotherhood that remains strong 50 years later. A special thanks to my friend and childhood hero Dale Greenlee for a wonderful 90-minute interview reliving the joys of yesteryear. Dale is one of the kindest and most personable individual I’ve ever met!  I’m so grateful for Dale and the time he shared with me during this story, and also with our interviews and talks over the years. Dale sent me a highlight video of the 1974 and 1975 seasons in 2009, which proved invaluable to this story for its exclusive insight and some great quotes by Owens.

...

 

On a beautiful July day in Indianapolis, Dale Greenlee has finished playing nine holes of golf (two birdies) with his daughter, Julie, who’s visiting from Atlanta. He’s looking forward to his 70th birthday in a couple of weeks.

 

Greenlee, branch manager in industrial sales for FCX Performance, treasures Julie’s birthday gift — an autographed basketball of NBA legend Julius Erving — as he thinks back 50 years ago and reflects on his 1973–74 Kansas basketball Final Four team (23–7). He and his teammates staged the most dramatic comeback in school annals and one of the biggest turnarounds from the previous season (8-18 in 1972-73) in NCAA history. The 1973-74 team was the first team in 23 years to earn a Final Four berth after a losing season.

 

“It seems like yesterday, especially when the NCAA Tournament starts,” Greenlee says. “It’s like it’s been a few years; the memories keep flooding back. I see Kansas playing in the tournament and think, ‘Oh my gosh, it wasn’t that long ago we were there, but it was.’ It makes you feel young when you watch KU. I think (Coach) Bill Self could put me in and maybe I could get one shot. I couldn’t guard anyone anymore.”

 

The Return Season

Greenlee, one of the fiercest competitors in KU history and once called the league’s “best pure shooter,” was a sophomore in 1972–73, playing on the team that lost every close game — a “season of challenges.”

 

The returnees completely “redoubled our dedication in the offseason ... to become a better basketball player,” and the “effort and quality of play in practice was better.”

 

With the top four scorers returning and the additions of sweet-shooting 6-foot-6 community college transfer Roger Morningstar and 6-foot-9 high school star Norm Cook, KU was still picked by area media to finish fifth or worse in the Big Eight.

 

KU coach Ted Owens, now age 93, was named Big 8 Coach of the Year five times during his tenure at KU. He started senior co-captain Tom Kivisto and Greenlee as guards, Morningstar and Cook as forwards, and junior center Danny Knight, with “Super Subs” 6-foot-10 Rick Suttle (team-high scorer in conference play) and 6-foot-4 Tommie Smith, who all gave instant spark when they rotated into play.

 

“The Comeback Kids” first routed Murray State, 103–71, during which Cook (Big 8 Freshman of the Year) had a magical freshman debut with 21 points (10–10 FG); then the team won a huge home battle with No. 10 Kentucky, 71–63.

 

“That was critical to our confidence,” Greenlee says. “We’re thinking, ‘We can play with anybody.’” 

 

After next losing at No. 3 Indiana, Greenlee says, “We played pretty well (going forward).” However, after losing to Colorado, 73–71, on December 26, 1973 — KU’s second straight loss — Kivisto told John Hendel in his 1991 book: Kansas Jayhawks: History-making Basketball,  that doubt crept in and he called a team meeting.

 

“We decided we’re going to go with some kids … who worked hard … (and) have a little bit of fun,” Kivisto said at the time.  

 

KU won 14 of the next 16 games, including a pivotal 72–71 win at Iowa on January 2, 1974. Kansas (0–7 in road games the previous season) finally won a close road game and against a Big Ten foe.

 

“This game made our season,” Kivisto said. He was an All-Big 8 and Academic All-American that year.

 

The close wins and tremendous team chemistry continued with five players averaging in double figures for the first time in school history. Knight was the team-high scorer at 12.4 points per game. Kivisto, a prep All-American, was the consummate leader who sacrificed scoring to help everyone.

 

“Tom was our most valuable player,” Greenlee says, “… and never happier when giving an assist.”

 

Playing on a “team without a star,” Greenlee remembers that “nobody cared who scored. We played like brothers. We were really a tight group, watched out, and cared about each other. We hung out off the court, my comrades in arms. You worked, practiced, traveled with, that’s a lifetime experience.”

 

Greenlee has warm memories of living with teammates at Jayhawker Towers, attending KU football games, and visiting the homes of Owens and assistants Sam Miranda and Duncan Reid. The coaches viewed the team as “family.”

 

The Big Eight Title

On March 6 at Allen Fieldhouse in what the Wichita Eagle termed “The Game of the Year,” KU beat K-State, 60–55, clinching the Big Eight title. Students stormed the court, the KU team cut down the nets, and the players were carried off the court. 

“We’ve won a lot of championships, but this means more than any we’ve ever had,” Owens said in the jubilant locker room.

 

“We went up on the Hill afterwards,” Greenlee says, where 7,000 fans celebrated at midnight. “Nobody wanted to sleep. It felt as if you almost won the national championship because you had to win the conference to get into the NCAA Tournament.”

 

The best was just beginning.

 

After KU beat Creighton, 55–54, in Tulsa during the Jayhawks’ opening game (they received a bye in the first round), the Kansas team went up against the high-scoring Oral Roberts squad for the Midwest Regional title on ORU’s home court, the Mabee Center, which remains “The Game” in Tulsa.

 

ORU led 81–74 with 3:19 left. The Jayhawks scored the last seven points to tie the game in regulation and went on to win 93–90 in overtime.

 

“We had a season when we’d come back a lot,” Greenlee says. “I’ll never forget the timeouts. I’d look at Kivisto. He’d look at me, we’d look at Roger, and Rick and Norm. We figured we’d do what we had to do to get back in it.”

 

The Jayhawks were overjoyed afterwards. Owens called the victory against a great team on its homecourt the “gutsiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

“You’ve climbed the next mountain,” Greenlee says now. “The first mountain was winning the conference. (Now) you’re standing at the peak of the mountain and ... moving on to the Final Four.”

 

In the 1991 Hendel book, Kivisto said, “It was as talented Final Four group, with the exception of our team, as there ever was in a Final Four.” The rosters of the Final Four teams included numerous future first-rouned NBA picks as as well as future Hall of Famers Bill Walton and David Thompson. The Final Four wasn’t near the huge media event it is today, so there was just a small sign at the Holiday Inn at Greensboro, North Carolina, where the Jayhawks were staying, that read: “Welcome, Kansas Jayhawks.” 

 

On March 23, No. 6 KU played No. 3 Marquette in the undercard game in Greensboro, while No. 1 N.C. State took on No. 2 UCLA in what was billed the “Dream Game.”

 

“We were thrilled to be there,” Greenlee says. Newspaper headlines used “Mystery Team” to describe Kansas.

 

After KU led 24-23 at halftime, Marquette coach Al McGuire directed his players to a full-court press on Kivisto and Kansas lost 64-51. In the 1991 book, Owens said, ‘We did not have a lot of other ballhandlers except Tom Kivisto, so what they did was full-court pressed and trapped him. It was good strategy on their part. They trapped him and took the ball out out of his hands and put the press of ball handling on other people…”

 

 The Jayhawks fell against UCLA in the consolation game, 78–61, after leading by eight points at halftime.

 

Even with both losses, the KU players felt immense pride though. Owens said later, “This team probably gave as many thrills and excitement in the great history of Kansas basketbalI. It was this kind of unity, spirit, and togetherness which made us such a great team.”

 

The Brotherhood

Greenlee says the team’s brotherhood remains strong.

 

“Definitely for life,” he says. “That’s not something that changes.”

 

The squad regularly comes back for reunions and is planning a 50-year reunion in Lawrence this season. Greenlee talks to his close friend Morningstar every week and speaks to to other teammates on a regular basis. He also keeps in touch with Owens. He says his former roommate Tommie Smith still calls him “roomie,” and the team has a group text.

 

“You slide right back into the relationships (at reunions),” Greenlee says. “There’s that feeling of joy, warmth, the hugs. You’re right back where you were in 1974.”

 

Greenlee can’t hold back his emotions when expressing what that miracle comeback season 50 years ago meant to him and his lifetime “brothers.”

 

“It was one of the greatest moments of my life,” he says. “I believe we had as good a group of guys that ever wore Kansas on their chests. I’m proud to have been part of that group.”

 

1973–74 Basketball

Overall Big 8                 Home    Away     Neutral Post-Season        NCAA Tournament

23-7      13-1, First          12-1      7-3        4-3        2-2                    2-2, Final Four

 

Note: This KU team had its 50-year reunion on Jan. 5, 2024 weekend. The 1973-74 Final Four Jayhawks were honored at halftime on James Naismith Court, when No. 2 KU played TCU at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 6. Hunter Dickinson scored with 3.4 seconds remaining, lifting the ‘Hawks over TCU 83-81. It was a great day to honor those (and my) beloved Jayhawks of 50 years ago! Thank you Coach Owens and all my heroes from that 1974 team. You made my childhood so might brighter and you are in my heart forever! Not only were you the consummate TEAM, you are great people. That's what counts in the end.

Blast from the past: Former Chiefs MVP Glenn Parker lends a helping hand to Special Olympics

I had the great opportunity to cover the Kansas City Chiefs in the late 1990s for Kansas City Sports Magazine. I can still close my eyes and flash back to yesteryear watching my Chiefs heroes like wide receiver Otis Taylor (I had a poster of him on my bedroom wall growing up) and dynamic running back Joe Delaney, who died a hero after drowning trying to rescue three children. Delaney, who did not know how to swim, died as he always lived his short life (age 24) — trying to help others and make a profound difference.

So it was a great thrill to cover my childhood team and write human interest stories on some great players and people like offensive lineman Glenn Parker and hard-hitting defensive back Chris Dishman. I also loved featuring some kind cheerleaders Michelle Reiter and Kimberly Roberts. I was very humbled when Michelle and Kim both called and thanked me for my stories on them when the articles were published. Michelle and I reconnected on Facebook many years ago, and it was so great to hear from her. I was so humbled and overwhelmed by her endorsement on LinkedIn and also when she called me an "inspiration." She is such a kind soul. Michelle, Kim, everyone who has ever been a cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs, and all the countless players who've donned the uniform, and, of course, the inspiring Hunt family — they are all great ambassadors for the franchise and helped make the Chiefs who they are today — not only Super Bowl winners, but with their humanitarian outreach into the community.

This story on one such humanitarian, Glenn Parker, was very moving to me. I had an hour sit-down interview with Glenn at Saturn of Kansas City in October 1999, talking to him about his volunteer work with Special Olympics, his early days playing football and being named Chiefs MVP for the 1998 season, while watching him genuinely interact with one Special Olympian and others in the dealership. I came away with our interview with great admiration for Glenn and what a wonderful and outstanding human being he is.

Here is that feature on Glenn Parker in Kansas City Sports Magazine. As I do with every story, I put my heart and soul into this one.

...

By David Garfield

Glenn Parker watched with amazement and wonder last spring volunteering at the Special Olympics track and field competition at Blue Valley Northwest High School. He’ll never forget seeing the first Special Olympian storming through the finish line in the mile run, and then looking in the distance at the last athlete struggling two and a half laps behind.

“Yet, all those other kids waited and clapped and cheered him on,” Parker said. “That was very nice. The coaches were running with him and telling him to ‘finish, finish.’ He did it. It was neat.”

Parker isn’t used to people cheering for someone coming in last place. After all, the Kansas City Chiefs’ left tackle is in the high-pressured, money-making business of pro football, where “last” guys and teams don't finish first.

“When you play football for a living, you lose focus and sight of the fact that sports is supposed to be fun and supposed to be about the event and all the things that it can teach you about yourself and dealing with other people,” Parker said. “It’s all about money and winning now, and that’s not what it was originally for. All Special Olympians still see it as what it is. Again, it’s not about 80,000 people and millions of dollars. It’s about 20 people clapping, cheering, and having fun.”

Parker was hooked that memorable day handing out medals to all the competitors. He was even awarded himself with a lot of priceless hugs from some very “affectionate people.”

“That got me started and they asked me to be a spokesperson,” Parker said. “And here I am.”

Parker is here just past 4 p.m. this recent overcast Saturday afternoon at Saturn of Kansas City signing autographs and raising money for a cause quite dear to him. Through December 10, Parker is teaming with Special Olympics Missouri, law enforcement agencies, and Wolfe Automotive Group as the honorary chairman of a state-wide fund-raising campaign called “Win with Glenn.” Parker will be making personal appearances at all 10 participating Wolfe Automotive dealers and Saturn retailers in Kansas City.

The campaign is a raffle where four lucky winners will win tickets to the Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers home game on December 18. One of these four finalists will win one of five new cars from a Kansas City area Wolfe Automotive dealer or Saturn retailer. All proceeds from these $2 raffle tickets will benefit local Special Olympic athletes.

One Special Olympic athlete named Richard is in the dealership today watching his hero welcoming customers and telling them about the purpose of his appearance. Richard, a junior at Center High School, smiles contently along with the director of marketing and communications for Special Olympics Missouri, Diannah White, a local police officer, and a few dealership employees.

Sitting behind a nearby table casually dressed in a Nike hat, shorts, and a navy blue short-sleeved shirt, Parker certainly doesn’t look as imposing as he would staring menacingly into the eyes of a defensive lineman during game days. This 6-5, 313-pound giant, with his signature goatee, has actually been called a “teddy bear” by some people for his compassionate and gentle nature of the field.

Asked if his involvement with Special Olympics has changed his perspective on life and made him a better person, Parker answers candidly:

“It’s opened my eyes to a new segment of our population that you know is there, but until you deal with it, you kind of see it and say, ‘OK, I can do something. I can help.’ I’m not doing much. I’m lending my name and coming down and signing some autographs. But it’s going to help ...I would think if anything, it’s allowed me to be friends with some of these Olympians and people involved in this organization. It’s neat that I get to meet these people.”

Suddenly, an elderly woman walks into the store proudly holding a Chiefs shirt and football, which are decorated with countless autographs from current and former Kansas City players. “I got Marcus Allen,” she says. The woman now hands the shirt to Parker, who looks closely to find an open place to pen his name.

“There’s a spot on here someplace,” Parker says. “Here we are.”

With that matter of business at hand, Parker points out the raffle tickets to the woman. “I’ll do it, but I won’t win,” she says. The two continue talking and joking. The woman says she’s been a longtime Chiefs fan, but has never been to Arrowhead Stadium.

“We’ll have to get you down there, don’t we,” Parker says. “Yeah,” she responds cheerfully. The woman now puts her $2 on the table, picks up a raffle ticket, and says goodbye. “Thank you very much,” Parker says. “Thanks for coming out.”

As the woman leaves, Parker continues elaborating on his love for Special Olympics.

“It gives everyone of these Special Olympians a chance to compete at whatever sport they choose, and do it free without ever having to pay a dime,” Parker said. “That’s something I liked. I grew up playing every sport for free. There are fields everywhere in Southern California. These Olympians can get that chance.”

Parker grew up in sunny Huntington Beach, Calif., as the youngest of six siblings. He describes his childhood this way:  “Great loving family, a paradise to live in where I was. I’m thankful every day for what I had.”

While he really didn’t do any volunteer work in his youth, he now feels a unique responsibility and privilege as a professional athlete to serve others. Parker, who was active in charity work during his years with the Buffalo Bills (1990-1996), said he could act no other way. But was he aware of volunteerism growing up?

“As a kid, I was out playing at the beach and having fun,” Parker said. “I didn’t think about that stuff at all. But then you get older, you start to think about it.”

Parker spent a majority of his childhood living the good and carefree life — surfing at the beach, playing volleyball, basketball, and football. Surprisingly, he didn’t play organized sports or high school football. Well, he did play football briefly his freshman year in high school.

“I hated it,” he says, grinning  “I had a 300-pound 5-foot-5 coach screaming at me and telling me I was out of shape,” Parker said. “I said, ‘You know, I don’t need this,’ so I left. It just wasn’t fun. To me, sports was always fun growing up. When I got there, it was about killing, win, kill, and win.”

So Parker quit the team and went back to the beach. A few years later, he decided to give football another chance at Golden West Junior College in hometown Huntington Beach. The free-spirit beach boy had now matured and was able to handle life better.

“I realized I was able to look at it and say, ‘I want to get a scholarship. If I’m going to get a scholarship, I’m going to have to listen to these guys and I have to be coachable and do what they want, which was not a problem anyway. But I have to take the good with the bad. If they screamed at me, they screamed at me.’”

Fortunately, Parker had some great coaches who genuinely cared about him as a person and taught him about the “game of football and a lot about life in between. It took off and I did well. I got lucky.”

Parker earned a scholarship to the University of Arizona and played two years for the Wildcats (1988-1989) at offensive tackle. He was named All-Pac 10 as a senior in 1989.  His crowning achievement, however, was meeting his future wife, Casey O’Shaughnessy. Casey, a native of Buffalo, NY., had received a synchronized swimming scholarship to Arizona.

Parker, who actually dated Casey’s best friend in college, became very good friends himself with this athletic swimmer.  When Casey graduated from Arizona and moved back to Buffalo, Parker wondered if he’d ever see her again.

And then destiny reunited the two friends when Parker was drafted by the Bills in 1990. Their friendship blossomed into a romance, and they eventually married. Parker, who was brought up with good moral values in a very tight-knit family, had now taken another pivotal step in his life.

“I got the greatest wife in the world,” he said. “That further defines you because you’re never the same person after marriage as you were before. You change and you give and take, and you kind of mold. If I wasn’t a good person before, she’s made me a much better person.”

The couple now have two daughters — Madeleine, 4, and Emily, 2. Parker said the family does “everything that normal parents do,” such as go to the playground, picnics, movies, and shopping. Despite his grueling schedule as a professional athlete, this gourmet chef insists that the family have regular dinners together at home.

“We like our girls to be around the table with us and talking about the day,” Parker said.

As Parker talks thoughtfully about his family and greets new customers who walk into the dealership, the subject soon turns back to football. Asked his most memorable moment in his career, Parker, who played in four Super Bowls with the Bills, doesn’t hesitate.

“Getting elected MVP by my teammates last year,” he said. “That’s by far ... When your teammates decide you’re the guy, that’s quite an honor.”

Parker, who started games at left guard, left tackle and right tackle in 1998, became the first offensive lineman in franchise history to earn MVP. He recalls the emotional day last season when coach Marty Schottenheimer took him aside in the locker room and told him about the award just before their final home game against the Dallas Cowboys. Parker was so intent on playing that he didn’t get caught up in the moment. However, that all changed after the game when he was alone with his wife and dad.

Enjoying himself with a beer in the parking lot, Parker told them about being named MVP by his teammates.

“My wife broke down right there,” he said.

And then later when the couple got home, this giant teddy bear broke down and cried himself.

“Whenever you’re able just to relax and let it go, that’s when the emotional sweep comes over you,” Parker said.

With the 1999 campaign now in gear, Parker is hoping the Chiefs fortunes can change dramatically from last year’s 7-9 record.  He said the players have greater team unity and cohesiveness under new coach Gunther Cunningham.

“He wants us to see ourselves as a 47-man team rather than an offensive line, a defensive group, things like that,” Parker said. “He brings everybody in. Nobody’s down here or up here. We’re all in the middle.”

Parker lives for game days where he and his teammates have the “chance to put what you’ve learned all week into practice. Games are fun, especially when you win.  In this business, losing is no fun at all.”

He knows, though, that having fun on Sundays is a whole different world from the pure spontaneity and innocence he felt playing volleyball on the beach as a child or the warm hugs the Special Olympians share during a festive day of competition. While he would love to see professional sports return to this level, Parker realizes it is wishful dreaming.

“It will never go back,” he said. “It can’t, not with the money involved. It’s more of a business now than ever and it’s not turning around anytime soon, if at all.”

As the clock nears 5 p.m, Parker gets up from his chair and has some fun visiting with White and others.  Richard watches closely nearby while holding tightly to his autographed hat. He said he got two Chiefs cheerleaders signatures earlier that day at Price Chopper — “Cheers to you! Raquel” and  “Go KC! Jennifer,” who even drew a special heart by her name.

Is Richard going to get Parker’s autograph today?

“I’m a big fan of his,” Richard says, as he walks over to his hero and asks him for his signature. Parker, who notices the cheerleaders autographs, flashes a broad smile and says, “That’s better than mine any day.” He modestly autographs the hat and soon bids goodbye to Richard and everyone in the dealership. The people all wish him good luck in the home opener tomorrow against the Denver Broncos.

“See you next weekend,” Parker says. "Thanks for doing it,” White responds. “My pleasure. Take care of yourself,” Parker adds while leaving.

Richard’s mom, Mary, who arrived at Saturn of Kansas City about 4:45, can’t help but smile seeing Parker’s genuine enthusiasm toward Special Olympics and how much his presence here today means to her son.

“He’s a great guy,” she said. “I hope he comes out to the events because I think it’s already touched his heart to see them compete and be a part of it.  It’s really warmed me that he’s jumped on board.”

Dick Harp is my Hero

.                                                         KU Libraries Digital Collection
This article of mine was published in the Fall 2020 KANSAS! Magazine. I wanted to pay tribute to former KU basketball standout, assistant coach, and head coach Dick Harp as being a true pioneer and revolutionary. I fervently believe Dick has NEVER gotten the credit he justly has deserved as being a brilliant technician with "no superiors," said his assistant JerryWaugh (1956-60), and his pressure defense, which led Kansas to the 1952 NCAA title and revolutionized college basketball.

And ABOVE ALL, when Dick became head coach at KU in 1956, he began revolutionizing the college game with the recruitment of the black athlete. I learned about this in 1988 when I wrote my honors thesis my senior year at KU on Racial Participation and Integration in University of Kansas Men's Basketball: 1952-1975. By recruiting the best players, including the Black athletes before just about anyone else in the country, Dick was making a huge statement about racial equality and equal opportunity for equal ability. For that, Dick Harp is my forever hero!

 Bill Lienhard, who played under head coach Phog Allen and assistant coach Harp, with his senior year in '52 culminating in the national title and Olympic gold medal — and the late beloved father of my kind and sweet childhood friend and South Junior High tennis teammate, Amy, said of Dick after he passed in 2000:

"Dick was one of the most underrated coaches the college game has ever seen."

Bill, indeed Dick was! And he should never be forgotten for the contributions he made to not only his beloved alma mater, but to humanity and all of college basketball.

Dean Smith may have summed up Harp's character, integrity and who he was as a human being better than anyone, when he once called his former assistant coach at Kansas "one of the finest citizens this country has ever produced."

...

When Kansas basketball lost two straight games in 1952 and trying to find its identity, head coach Phog Allen called his brilliant assistant Dick Harp into his office and told him to change the defense. Harp's response was to institute a innovative pressure defense, propelling KU to 13 straight victories, culminating in the national championship (28-3 record) and revolutionizing college basketball.

Soon, Harp's defense was being adopted on other courts. San Francisco coach Phil Woolpert visited Lawrence in the summer of 1953 to study Harp's defense and then applied it in winning two NCAA titles with Bill Russell in 1955 and '56. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden used Harp's defense and won a record 10 NCAA titles, including seven straight (1967-73). Wooden once said the "arrival of the Kansas pressure defense was one of the turning points in college basketball."

Harp, who did practically all the coaching in Allen's latter years and saw what the game was becoming, had already established a legacy as a true innovator and basketball genius before being tapped to replace Allen as head coach from 1956-64.

"Dick was one of the most underrated coaches the coaches the college game has ever seen," Bill Lienhard, a member of the 1952 Jayhawks, said in 2000 after Harp died.

Dean Smith, the late North Carolina Hall of Fame coach, once stated Harp "had the brightest basketball mind of everyone I've ever known." Smith, who also played on Harp's '52 team, wrote about that experience in his 1999 autobiography, A Coach's Life. "That team employed a great innovation: a pressure man-to-man defense that absolutely smothered opponents by overplaying. ...The idea was to cut off the passing lanes and make it hard to complete even the simplest pass. ...This was unheard of at the time, really the first instance of man pressure as we know it. And, Smith added, "The Kansas defense had a lasting influence on the game."

Now, more than 68 years later, virtually all college basketball teams play some version of Harp's defense.

Harp was also a great innovator in recruiting African American players in the early 1960s, when the majority of black athletes weren't given an equal opportunity. His former assistant coach, Jerry Waugh, respected how Harp's integration began with recruitment.

"How adamant Dick was when he took over (for Allen that) the black athlete would not be denied," Waugh says.

In 1962, only 45 percent of the country's collegiate teams had black players on their roster, and the average number of Blacks on integrated squads was just 2.2 Harp's 1959-60 team had four and his revolutionary 1960-61 team had seven, with four starters (a decision that defied unwritten codes to never play more than three Black athletes at any one time). This was five years before Texas Western made history with its all-Black starters beating all-white Kentucky for the 1966 NCAA championship.

An idealist, Harp was far ahead of his time. By comparison, the SEC didn't integrate until Perry Wallace became the first hoops player at Vanderbilt in 1968.

 Harp, a very religious man, also always brought equality to the pews by bringing his black players into white church services. "(He) integrated more churches in the United States than the Pope," Butch Ellison, a member of the 1959-60 and 1960-61 teams, said in 2007.

Kansas has many champions and legends. But Dick Harp should never be forgotten because of his revolutionary defense and unwavering commitment to racial equality.

— David Garfield