Former KU standout Thomas Robinson persevered through extreme adversity

In Part II on Thomas Robinson, I include this feature I wrote on him in the March 2011 issue of Kansas City Sports & Fitness.

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KU's Robinson overcomes tragedy

Thomas Robinson’s life changed forever at approximately 11 p.m. on Jan. 21.

That’s when Robinson’s 7-year-old sister Jayla called from home in Washington, D.C., to tell her older brother and KU sophomore forward that their mother, Lisa, had just died of an apparent heart attack.

Lisa was just 43.

Robinson’s teammates, the KU coaching staff, and some of the players’ mothers soon gathered in Robinson’s Jayhawker Towers apartment to console and support him through the dark night. Junior guard Tyshawn Taylor’s mother, Jeanell, massaged Robinson’s back as he sobbed uncontrollably. The entire team cried. They mourned. They came together as a family.

“It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” KU coach Bill Self said, “but it was probably something that was humbling and made you proud because those kids and family and everybody do care about each other an awful lot.”

Robinson, who had lost his mother, grandmother and grandfather within a three-week period, played against Texas the next day in KU’s first loss of the season.

“He’s a stud,” Self said afterwards. “For him to even be out there is remarkable. ... How his life has changed so much overnight, it’s a pretty sad thing. People deal with it all the time and he’ll deal with it like a man. Still, your heart certainly hurts for him and his family.”

Suddenly, at age 19, Robinson had just his baby sister and older half-brother Jamah left in his immediate family. As the man of the house, Robinson went back home with KU director of basketball operations Barry Hinson and Angel Morris (mother of teammates’ Marcus and Markieff Morris) to Washington, D.C., to handle funeral arrangements. He picked out the casket and the clothes for his mother.

The entire team and staff attended the funeral at Antioch Baptist Church before an overflow gathering of about 200 people to help Robinson say goodbye to his mom one final time. Prior to the service, Robinson, Jamah and Jayla placed a white rose into their mother’s casket, while Robinson also placed a KU basketball jersey there and Jayla placed a stuffed toy Jayhawk next to Lisa.

“It was a beautiful service,” Self said. “It was sad, but also very uplifting. It was great to see that Lisa had so many family and friends come to pay their respects and pay tribute to her. I know our team was very glad and proud that we were able to come.”

Indeed, they were.

 

“We’re family, and this is something we wanted to do for Thomas,” senior guard Tyrel Reed said. “Thomas is our brother and he and Jayla are hurting. We’ll do anything we can to make sure they get through this. Our support will continue for them in the future; we want what is best for them. We want them to be in the best situation and have the utmost opportunities.”

Two days later, Robinson honored his mother by playing one of the best games of his career in KU’s emotional 90-66 victory over K-State in Allen Fieldhouse, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 20 minutes.

He dunked again and again. He battled under the boards. He even scored six straight points in a 54-second span during the second half.

It was one of the most inspirational and courageous performance ever displayed by a Jayhawk.

“I played tonight because I cannot sit around too long,” the 6-9, 237-pound Washington, D.C., native said afterwards. “I know my mother wouldn’t want me to sit around crying forever, but I keep going on and striving to reach my goals.”

The fans cheered his every move and every play, giving him a standing ovation when he entered the game at the 16:47 mark of the first half and the last time he left the contest with 1:04 remaining.

“That’s a special moment, that’s one he will never forget,” Self said. “We’re really proud of him and our team is really happy for him. This was an extra special game, not because it was K-State, but because it was one that probably for the first time, he had an opportunity to play for his mother.”

Robinson waved to the fans and blew a kiss when he left the game for the final time to say thanks for their overwhelming support.

“We have great people all across Kansas,” Robinson said. “This past month really has opened my eyes to how amazing this place is. It is beyond words to describe how I feel and the love that I have for the University of Kansas and the fans.

“The support that I received was beyond amazing, and the support is still coming,” Robinson added. “I know that I cannot physically say thank you to every person that has helped me, but if this could get out I just want to thank people that have tried to reach out to me or thought about me.”

The support has come from coast to coast as Robinson’s and Jayla’s plight became a national story, gripping the hearts of basketball fans and non-hoops fans alike. KU fans have reached out and even wanted to adopt Jayla, who for now, is living with her dad in D.C., while a college scholarship fund in her mother’s name has been set up for her by the family.

Over a thousand miles away here in Lawrence, Robinson continues to go about his business with a heavy heart. He has been a rock through this ordeal and somehow managing to have a smile on his face while playing the best basketball of his career in the four games following his mother’s funeral and emerging as one of the big sixth men in college basketball before persevering through more misfortune when he underwent surgery on Feb. 11 to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee.

Robinson (8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game), who showed his unwavering spirit by remarkably bouncing back and playing 10 days later against Oklahoma State, averaged 12.8 points on 80 percent field-goal shooting (20-25) during that four-game stretch while shooting 73.7 percent from the free-throw line the last three games. Robinson is a 52.6 percent free-throw shooter for the season.

Self said T-Rob had been “more aggressive” and “putting himself in position to score.” 

“I think he’s a little bit more focused than what he was,” Self said. “I think reality has slapped him in the face. He’s playing for much more than himself right now. It’s going to be his obligation in someway shape or form to make sure his younger sister’s life is good, well beyond age 10, 12, 15, and he has a responsibility towards that. That’s what his mother would want, so I see a pretty good focus on him.”

Robinson will be a pivotal factor this March as the Jayhawks hope to make a big splash in the NCAA tournament. But no matter how far KU goes this postseason, Robinson has already passed his biggest test by overcoming extreme adversity and triumphing of the human spirit.

That’s won him great admiration from fans, his teammates, and coaches.

“I always liked him,” Self said. “I like all our guys. Thomas is a guy I really, really liked. Then after seeing how he’s handled everything, I think he’s become an unbelievable young man in a short amount of time. He’s a guy you go from like to really respecting. It’s one thing to like somebody, but it’s another thing to respect their core and who they are. He’s certainly got all of our respect in our locker room.”

Lisa Robinson would be proud.

Thomas Robinson played for the love of his Mom

Thomas Robinson seemed destined for NBA stardom after a standout career at Kansas, where he was named a consensus first-team All-American his junior year and led KU to the national title game. Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game that magical season.

I interviewed an NBA scout before the 2012 NBA Draft, and he was extremely high on Robinson.

“He will have a strong chance at putting up good numbers immediately and I would expect him to be in the ROY (Rookie of Year) discussion,” the scout wrote in an email while comparing Robinson to then-Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap, who earned his third straight All-Star appearance that season.

“(He) could be a double-double guy and a starter for 10 years,” the scout added about Robinson. “Probably not a perennial all star but could be a one-two time all star.”

This scout loved Robinson’s game.

“(He’s) physical, rebounds, competitive, improved offensive talent,” the scout wrote.

Many observers believed Robinson could go as high as No. 2 in the draft to Charlotte. However, Sacramento picked him at No. 5 and then gave up on him after 51 games and traded him to Houston.

Seven years after he was drafted with tremendous fanfare, Robinson is out of the NBA. Since leaving the NBA in 2017 after a year with the Los Angeles Lakers, the former KU star has played in Russia, China, and most recently with the Maine Red Claws of the G-League in 2019, averaging 19.0 points and 13.5 rebounds in four games.

The 6-9 forward with a high motor played with six teams during five NBA seasons, starting just 12 out of 313 games and averaging 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per contest. He recently competed for the San Antonio Spurs in Salt Lake City and the Las Vegas Summer League in hopes of making an NBA comeback, averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 60 percent from the floor and just below 80 percent from the free throw line.

Robinson talked about what he was trying to do in Summer League.

“Honestly, I’m not trying to show that I could do anything different,” he told poundingtherock.com on July 15. “I’m not scared to shoot it. I just want to show that I am doing everything they ask me to do the first time. That’s pretty much the plan. To get everyone’s attention. I’m not 30, and I’m not about to pass away. I’m not old. I’m still young. I still got plenty of years left in me. I’m just happy to be here.”

In Salt Lake City, second-year Spurs’ player Lonnie Walker IV spoke highly of Robinson. Walker said Robinson was “a great guy. He’s shown me his work ethic is impeccable. He’s making me work harder, he’s a true motivation . . . I’m grateful to have a guy like that to be able to talk to and still learn things.”

Robinson isn’t at all resentful of how his NBA career has panned out.

“I’ve accepted my route,” Robinson said. “I’m fine with how things went. I wouldn’t change anything. It made me more mature. It made me smarter. It made me more grateful.”

According to Jeph Duarte of poundingtherock.com, Robinson was “eventually told that he lacked the basketball IQ to truly compete.”

“It’s hard when you tell somebody to work on their IQ. Because how do you do that? It’s terminology and knowing the right places to be and just watching the game,” Robinson said. “You have to know the game. I’ve been a raw talent all my life, so I got this far by not having to know certain things or do certain things. That’s been the case with me.”

While his NBA career hasn’t been successful thus far, Robinson was simply unstoppable at Kansas his junior year while working his way through the big man rotation his first two seasons.

He ranks No. 1 in KU history for double-doubles (27) in a single season in 2012 and his 11.9 rebound average that year ranks No. 8 for a season. Robinson ranks No. 55 on KU’s career scoring charts and No. 15 in rebounding.

He will eventually receive the ultimate honor and have his jersey retired in the Allen Fieldhouse rafters.

Regardless of what happens next in Robinson’s basketball career, he is already a resounding success for how much adversity he’s overcome during his life. His mom, grandmother and grandfather died within three weeks during his sophomore season. He played against Texas a day after his mom, Lisa, died, and he competed versus K-State two days after her funeral.

It was simply a courageous act to be on the court both times. I wrote about Robinson’s heroic performance against KSU on Phog.net on Feb. 2, 2011, the most inspirational performance by a  Jayhawk that I’ve ever witnessed in 46 years of following KU basketball.

Here is that story.

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A Son To Be Proud Of

DAVID GARFIELD

02/02/2011

Phog.net

Three hours after Thomas Robinson waved to the fans and blew a kiss after leaving the KU-K-State game with just over a minute remaining, all the cheers and chants of "Let's Go T-Rob" in Allen Fieldhouse still echoed in my mind.

As I drove my car with the radio amped to the grocery store on this cold winter Saturday night in Lawrence, I felt the chills. And it wasn't because of the weather. These were deep, cold chills, the kind you get when you've just seen something so extraordinary, so magical and mesmerizing that you don't know if you'll ever see again.

The kind of chills you get after witnessing probably the most inspirational and courageous performance I've ever seen by a KU basketball player in 38 years of following Jayhawks hoops.

Eight days after Thomas Robinson's mother, Lisa, died of an apparent heart attack in Washington, D.C., and just two days after her funeral, Robinson put on a jaw-dropping show with 17 points and nine rebounds in KU's 90-66 victory.

He dunked. Again and again. He battled under the boards. He shocked the fieldhouse by swishing an 18-foot jumper just below the top of the key, capping six straight points in a 54-second span during the second half.

And with every dunk, with every rebound, with every point, with every sprint down famed James Naismith Court, Robinson honored his mother with one of the best games of his life.

For two hours, Robinson could forget about his pain and play the game he loved. For two hours, Robinson had fun and joy with his teammates and lost himself in the moment. For two hours, he showed the fans how much he cared for their support during this trying time, where he lost his mother, grandmother, and grandfather within three weeks.

And for two hours, Robinson played a game that he and the 16,300 fans will never forget.

I know I never will.

The grieving process can be a long and hard road, and sometimes even unbearable with pain and heartache. I know this was the case for me when I lost a loved one 17 years ago on Jan. 8, 1994. I cried constantly. I lost my joy. I lost my way of life. I was gripped with sadness and grief for a whole year. I could never have played a basketball game the day after my loss or two days after the funeral.

But that's what Robinson did. First, he played in the Texas game on Jan. 22 following the death of his mom the previous night, and then he came up huge against KSU two days after saying goodbye to Lisa one final time at her funeral.

"I played tonight because I cannot sit around too long," Robinson said after the K-State game. "I know my mother wouldn't want me to sit around crying forever, but I keep going on and striving to reach my goals."

It will be a long journey ahead for him, his 7-year-old sister, Jayla, and also his half-brother, Jamah. But Robinson knows he will have the love of the Jayhawk Nation supporting him and his family every step of the way.

"We have great people all across Kansas," Robinson said. "This past month really has opened my eyes to how amazing this place is. It is beyond words to describe how I feel and the love that I have for the University of Kansas and the fans.

"The support that I received was beyond amazing, and the support is still coming," Robinson added. "I know that I cannot physically say thank you to every person that has helped me, but if this could get out I just want to thank people that have tried to reach out to me or thought about me."

As I drove my car after the game, I couldn't help think about an ex-Jayhawk who also showed triumph of the human spirit. Jerod Haase, a standout guard from 1994-97, scored 16 points and dished out five assists in 30 minutes against UCLA as a freshman playing for California on Jan. 24, 1993, just a day after the unexpected death of his dad, Gary.

"He's one courageous kid," Cal Coach Lou Campanelli told the Los Angeles Times after the game.

Haase's effort earned him "Most Courageous Performance" by USA Today.

Almost exactly 18 years later, Robinson displayed tremendous courage and heart in helping KU beat its Sunflower rival and start a new homecourt winning streak.

"What a night Thomas had," KU coach Bill Self said. "He was unbelievable. He was so fired up and played so hard. That was a special deal for him. The fans here are incredible, how they recognized him when he checked in (standing ovation at the 16:47 mark of the first half) and how they recognized him when he checked out. That's a special moment, that's one he will never forget. We're really proud of him and our team is really happy for him." 

Self could tell Robinson was driven and on a mission.

"I think he's focused," Self said. "He's been through a lot and it's a unique thing, but this was an extra special game, not because it was K-State, but because it was one that probably for the first time, he had an opportunity to play for his mother."

And he did so in a way that I bet every fan in the Phog felt the same chills that I did. Above all, with his courageous and heroic play, Robinson took a giant first step in the grieving process.

Lisa Robinson would be proud.

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.

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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.”

John Parker was the co-captain and point guard who helped lead KU to the 1957 NCAA title game

I had a wonderful Where are they Now? interview with John Parker in 2001 for Jayhawk Insider, co-captain of the great 1956-57 KU team. He was the point guard and leader, and got all his teammates into their sets.

Parker achieved his lifetime dream of playing for KU and coach Phog Allen and then Dick Harp his senior season. At the time of our interview, Parker was battling multiple sclerosis and couldn’t walk. He was noticeably frustrated by this, but reveling this night about watching his beloved Jayhawks on TV after our interview.

Sadly, Parker passed in March 2005.

Dr. Ken Johnson, an author and KU graduate, wrote a tribute to Parker on hoopzone.net after Parker died.

"John Parker, former starting point guard on Kansas’ 1956-57 squad, recently died of multiple sclerosis at age 70. As a sophomore at Topeka High in ’57, I had the opportunity to see Parker in action, gaining admiration for his determination, leadership and dignity on and off the court. Parker, along with future KU teammate Gene Elstun, led his Shawnee-Mission North team to the 1953 state basketball championship. 

"Recruited by Phog Allen, 6’0 Parker was a three-year part-time starter and letterman on the 55-57 teams. He wasn’t flashy and didn’t pile up big numbers (his career scoring average was 4.8ppg), but he provided steady leadership to the Wilt Chamberlain-led Jayhawks in ’57, directing the Jayhawks all the way to the NCAA championship game against North Carolina; a game that many feel was the best NCAA final game ever.

"While at KU, Parker also was an accomplished javelin thrower for the Jayhawks’ track squad. He also helped pave the way for racial integration at KU, confronting the adversity faced by teammates Maurice King and Wilt Chamberlain, the first two black starters in what was then the Big Seven conference. 

"In Max Falkenstein’s book, Max and the Jayhawks, Parker reported on the racial tensions KU faced that year.  'Wilt and his brash talent came along, and racial tensions, particularly in the traditionally southern states like Missouri and Oklahoma, escalated. Officials would often ignore blatant fouls committed against black players, and opposing schools waved Confederate flags and played “Dixie.”

"Parker further reported that 'None of us could have imagined the atmosphere awaiting the team at the 1957 Midwest Regionals. The tournament hotel refused to accommodate blacks, so we stayed at a dingy motel miles away. No restaurant would serve us, so we took all our meals together in a private room. Our first game was against our hosts, the fifth-ranked and all-white SMU Mustangs. SMU was undefeated in its new fieldhouse, an it was easy to see why. Their crowd was brutal. We were spat upon, pelted with debris, and subjected to the vilest racial epithets imaginable. The officials did little to maintain order. There were so many uncalled fouls, each more outrageous than the last, that Maurice and Wilt risked serious injury simply by staying in the game. And, incredibly, they responded to some of the best basketball of their lives. We escaped with a 73-65 overtime win.'

"All Jayhawk basketball fans owe tribute to Parker, not only for leading one of KU’s best basketball teams ever, but for helping break the color barrier in sports."

Here is a wonderful excerpt from Robert Cherry’s 2004 book: “Wilt: Larger than Life.” It details a very positive reunion between Parker and The Big Dipper.

“One year I was on vacation in Phoenix when the Lakers were in town,” Parker told Cherry. “I called up and asked for Wilt Chamberlain. They said, ‘He’s not taking any calls.’

“I said, ‘OK, tell him John Parker called and here’s my number. Ask him to call me back.’

“And within a few minutes, Wilt called. I said, ‘Wilt, this is John. I’m down here with my wife and I wanted to know if you could give me a couple of tickets to come to the game.’

“He said, ‘I’d love to. When you get there, just ask at the ticket counter, and I’ll leave a couple of tickets for you. I want you to meet me after the game.’

“When I met Wilt after the game, he said he wanted me to meet his teammates, and he took me in the locker room. There was Jerry West and all the guys he played with. He introduced me and said, ‘This is Johnny Parker, who was captain of our 1957 team.’

“That’s the kind of guy Wilt was---a really good guy.”

Parker was inducted into the Shawnee Mission North Hall of Fame in 2014.

From his bio: "He was quarterback on the top ranked football team for two years and starting guard on the basketball team for two years as well as state champion in the javelin in 1953. He went on to play basketball at KU and was co-captain of the 1957 team that lost to North Carolina in the national championship game."

Here is my Where are they Now? story on the great John Parker.

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John Parker grew up in Mission, Kan. dreaming of donning the crimson and blue and playing for Phog Allen. He admits he didn’t go to many home basketball games in Hoch Auditorium since “it didn’t seat many people and it was hard to get a ticket.” So Parker spent many cold winter nights at home listening to Max Falkenstien on the radio and cheering for his heroes like Charlie Hoag and Gil Reich.

After winning the state championship at Shawnee Mission North in 1953, Parker (along with high school teammate Gene Elstun) followed his dream and accepted a scholarship at Mount Oread. Although KU had won the NCAA championship in 1952 and finished runner-up in ‘53, Parker said he never envisioned playing for a national title.

This all changed when a 7-footer from Philadelphia named Wilton Chamberlain arrived on campus in 1955 and became eligible for varsity competition for the 1956-57 season.

“After we got to KU and got Wilt, we thought we could probably win every game we played, which we almost did,” said Parker, a 6-foot point guard and three-year starter. “We had some good players before Wilt came, but he made all the difference in the world.”

Indeed, he did.

A fiery leader and “savage little battler,” Parker played his sophomore and junior seasons on teams that finished fifth in the Big Seven. He entered his senior campaign as co-captain and relishing the opportunity of teaming with Chamberlain. With players like Maurice King, Elstun and Ron Loneski added to the mix, KU seemed invincible.

“Every game we played in Allen Fieldhouse was sold to capacity,” Parker said recently from his home in Kansas City. “They had standing room only. I don’t know how many they crammed in there, but I think somebody said one game they got about 18,000. Those home games were quite a scene. We never lost a game in Allen Fieldhouse.”

Kansas lost just two games all season (total of four points) before entering the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Dallas, Texas. After beating host school SMU in overtime (73-65), the Jayhawks breezed past Oklahoma City to advance to the Final Four in Kansas City. KU’s victories came in a violent environment in the segregated South.  

“They didn’t like Wilt or Maurice King (KU’s two African-American players),” Parker said. “They threw coins and food on the floor. The athletic director (SMU) had to come out and tell the crowd if anything else hit the floor, he was going to forfeit the game for KU. ...The fans were terrible. They cussed and spit on everybody. It was terrible the way they treated Wilt and Maurice. I’d never been around anything like that, and of course, neither had they. They kind of broke the barrier, I think. From then on, I think things got better between blacks and the people in the South.”

After the Jayhawks beat defending NCAA champion San Francisco in the Final Four, Chamberlain, Parker and company were primed for their title match with North Carolina. Parker can still vividly recall practically each segment of the game, especially the last few seconds of regulation.

“Still to this day, they called a foul on Maurice at the end of the game and I don’t think he fouled anybody,” Parker said. “They shot and I got the rebound, and the official blew his whistle and called a foul on Maurice King. He wasn't even close to anybody. I have never been able to understand that.”

North Carolina, which made a free throw to send the game into overtime, eventually won the championship (54-53) in three OT’s.

“It was a terrible way to lose the national championship,” Parker said. “I don’t feel like we lost it. I feel like we got it stolen from us.”

Parker, who admits the game haunted him for many years, moved on with his life. After getting married and receiving a business administration degree in 1957, he played five games for the new Kansas City team in the N.I.B.A. Parker then spent two years in the Army before entering the oil business in Hutchinson. In 1963, he changed professions and became involved in the restaurant industry as owner of Taco Grande. Parker was responsible for 10 franchises in central and western Kansas.

“It kept you busy and occupied, and I made a little money,” Parker said.

About two years ago, Parker was forced to retire due to multiple sclerosis (he was first diagnosed with MS in 1960). 

“It just got progressively worse,” he said. “Now, I can’t walk. When you can’t walk, you need a lot of help.”

The former Jayhawk sharp-shooter finds comfort reliving his days on the Hill. Despite the bitter loss to North Carolina over 40 years ago, Parker looks back with great pride knowing the 1956-57 KU squad is generally regarded as one of the top 25 teams to ever play college basketball and told American Heritage that “our regional title in the segregated South did more for the game than any national championship has ever done.”

“I’m glad I had some small role in challenging the inequities of the day,” Parker said. “And I’m honored to have been associated with some of the bravest men ever to don a basketball uniform.” 

A Closer Look at John Parker:

Years at KU: 1953-57

Career Notables: Co-Captain on 1956-57 Final Four Team...Second on team in field goal percentage in 1957 (45.5 percent)...career-high 21 points vs. K-State on March 6, 1956...Lettered in track (javelin) three years.

Family: Parker has five children and eight grandkids.

Education: 1957, B.S. Business Administration.

Since Leaving KU: Parker spent two years in the Army before moving to Hutchinson and working in the oil business. In 1963, he changed professions and worked in the restaurant industry as owner of Taco Grande until retiring two years ago.

Currently: Parker is retired and lives in Kansas City.

Hobbies: Watching sports on television...Ex golfer.

Favorite Memories:  Wilt Chamberlain’s varsity debut against Northwestern on Dec. 3, 1956. “I thought that was probably the best game (school record 52 points) he played.” ... Inaugurating Allen Fieldhouse on  March 1, 1955 against K-State. “We won the game. K-State was favored to win. Dedicating Allen Fieldhouse, that was quite a deal. At the time, it was the biggest fieldhouse in the United States.”

On the Jayhawks Today: “I’m really proud of Roy (Williams) because he’s carrying on the Kansas tradition. He’s got a great team this year, a team I think could make the Final Four.”

Alonzo Jamison made his mark as one of best defensive players in KU history

Alonzo Jamison's road to Kansas first began at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Calif. He lettered in four sports (track, football, baseball and basketball) and admits baseball was his favorite sport.

“It was the first sport I ever played,” Jamison told me in 2002 during our Where are they Now? interview. “It will always be near and dear to my heart.”

However, he “adopted” basketball as a sophomore, when he played on the varsity.

Jamison’s thought about his new sport at the time?

“I can get something out of this.”

The 6-6 forward, who idolized Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins and Magic Johnson, was named All-League and All-County as a senior and selected team MVP four straight years for the Falcons.

Jamison then went to Rancho Santiago Junior College in 1987-88, where he was co-player of the year in the California junior college system, averaging 19.5 points and 12 rebounds per game. He shot 58 percent from the field and named MVP of the Orange Empire Conference and was a third-team junior college All-American. He was his team’s MVP, leading them to a 25-8 record.

Jamison, who then signed with KU in May 1988 over San Diego State and Oregon State, was KU coach Larry Brown’s last recruit.

He talked about his recruiting visit.

“As soon as I went to KU, two weeks after they won it (national title), I saw the campus and met the people,” Jamison said. “Scooter Barry and Milt Newton were my hosts. I knew that was the place I wanted to be.”

After sitting out the 1988-89 season because he didn’t meet the Big Eight junior college transfer rule requiring 24 transferable credit hours in the previous fall and spring, he was then not eligible to play in the fall semester of 1989 based on NCAA eligibility requirements.

Jamison finally became eligible in the 19th game of the season, averaging 11 minutes per game and shooting a scorching 61.4 percent from the field.

Then this California native had his coming out party during the 1990-91 Final Four season, arguably KU’s most consistent performer throughout the season while developing into a leader on the court in the later part of season.

He elevated his game during the NCAA Tournament, posting a double-double  (14 points, 10 boards) against Indiana in the Sweet 16 before exploding for a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds versus Arkansas in the Elite Eight. Jamison shot a sizzling 72 percent from the floor in the first four games of the Big Dance, including 18 of 24 in the Southeast Regional (Most Outstanding Player).

Jamison recorded a team-high 80 steals that junior season and set a KU single-game record with eight steals against Marquette. Only Darnell Valentine and Danny Manning had posted more steals in one season. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 59.5 percent from the field, one of the top 10 percentages in KU history.

Entering his senior season, Jamison was one of 20 players on the preseason list for the John Wooden Award, given to college basketball’s best player. Considered one of the top defenders in the country, Jamison had the skills to guard quick, smaller players as well as opposing big men.

KU coach Roy Williams called Jamison “the quickest learned I have ever coached.” The 225-pounder was also the strongest player on the team with a 455-pound back squat and 302-pound power clean.

After helping lead KU to the Final Four the previous season, Jamison concluded his senior season averaging 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds while recording a career-high 83 steals (2.59 spg) in 26.9 minutes per game. He shot 55.6 percent from the field and a career-best 67.6 percent at the charity stripe.

He told me he wanted to be “remembered for defense, tenacious defensive player.”

Indeed, he was.

Jamison also showed tenacity and perseverance after leaving KU in 1992 after majoring in communications. Fifteen years later, he received a bachelor’s degree.

He eventually developed type-2 diabetes and lost kidney function. By April 2015, Jamison was on dialysis eight to 10 hours daily. His life was eventually saved when Army veteran Shekinah Bailey donated his kidney to Jamison on Jan. 24, 2017. Just before he headed into transplant surgery, Jamison talked to KSHB about what Bailey’s gift meant to him.

"I think it's going to be gratefulness and I feel that now and I'm going to continue to feel that for that man over there," he said.

Bailey was also grateful to help Jamison.

“I saw the interview actually you did on Facebook," Bailey said. "It kind of dawned on me that it's like, if I'm willing to be a soldier and go out there and lay down my life what's a few months of inconvenience to give somebody a kidney?”

The surgery was successful and Jamison is feeling like a new person.

"You just don't know how it feels to have a gift like this,” he said. “This is just once in a lifetime type of situation and I can't put it into words.”

Jamison, a registered organ donor, is now giving back by being a Green Ribbon Champion for Midwest Transplant Network. His goal, as MTN reported on Nov. 1, 2018, “is to encourage more people in Kansas and Missouri to join the organ donor registry.”

Jan Finn, president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network, greatly encourages more people like Jamison and Bailey to become organ donors and save lives.

“Nationwide, an average of 22 people die every day due to lack of available organs for transplants,” she said. “We have the power to change that. Alonzo and Shekinah are proof of it.”

Here is my 2002 Where are they Now? story on Jamison, where he talked about overcoming adversity to make his mark at KU and his fond relationship with Roy Williams. He called Williams “one of my closest friends.”

...

Alonzo Jamison’s road to basketball glory at Kansas had a few bumps along the way. After signing with KU out of Rancho Santiago Junior College (Santa Ana, Calif.) in May, 1988, Jamison saw KU coach Larry Brown leave for the pros a month and half later. Then, Roy Williams was hired in July when Jamison learned he was academically ineligible and would have to sit out the 1988-89 season.

“Coach Williams had told me he would recruit me again if I wanted to go back to junior college another year,” Jamison said. “That’s when I knew he was genuine and really on a level that you don’t see that often in Division I. I decided it would be a lot better if I sat out a year and learned the system and try to help the team out the year after.”

After sitting out the season, Jamison was then sidelined an additional semester for failure to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. The year and a half layoff was a trying time for Jamison, who learned a great deal about perseverance and overcoming adversity. He said the struggles made him a better person.

“That’s when I finally knew (being declared academically ineligible the fall of 1989) I was going to have to buckle down and do my job,” Jamison said. “It sort of prepared me for life. Nobody really cares. After you play ball, you’re a has-been. You got to make your own way in life.  Nobody’s going to do it for you.”

A tenacious battler and unselfish player, Jamison (6-6, 225) eventually won over the hearts of the KU faithful and Williams with his work ethic and defense. Williams called Jamison the “quickest learner I’ve ever coached” and one of the top defensive players he’s had. Jamison, who ranks No. 6 all time at KU in career steals, possessed the strength and quickness to stop opponents both on the wing and in the post.

“He’s had a lot of good defensive players,” Jamison said. “He’s had a lot of good players, period. To even be mentioned in that type of context is kind of special. ... Anybody could score. At least that was my mentality. It was one of those things where it takes a very special person to go out and shut somebody down.”

Jamison was, indeed, a very special player. He’ll probably be most remembered by KU fans for leading the ‘Hawks into the 1991 Final Four with his career game against Arkansas in the 1991 Elite Eight. Jamison, who scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, was masterful in keying a second half comeback win. He earned Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t remember a lot,” said Jamison about the victory. “I was more in a zone. People get in a zone and they don’t think about what you’re doing. You just react. I just felt the rim was a little bit bigger than what everybody else was looking at.”

Unfortunately, KU lost to Duke in the national title game. The following season, Jamison’s career ended on a sour note when Kansas was upset by UTEP in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After concluding his collegiate career (10.0 ppg in 1991-92), Jamison tried his luck with professional basketball. He was released by Denver in rookie camp and then sliced by the Los Angeles Lakers in veterans camp. Jamison next played six months in Sweden and two months in France. A few months later upon returning home in 1993, Jamison ruptured his Achilles and had surgery. He then decided to give up the game.

“It was pretty difficult at the time,” Jamison said. “It was one of those things where my body was falling apart pretty good (Jamison also had knee surgery after being cut by Los Angeles) so there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. The mind was willing but the body wasn’t.”

Jamison admits there were other reasons he quit basketball.

“I was so instilled with the team atmosphere and team game in college, I couldn’t take myself out of that realm and put it towards the individual one-on-one game,” Jamison said. “I think that was my biggest downfall. ... The professional level is completely different than the college level. For college, you’re playing for pride of the school. Professionally, it’s a business.”

Jamison moved on with his life and became a manager for Applebees restaurant in 1994. After working there two years, he changed professions and entered the banking business. He was a branch manager for Commerce Bank in Kansas City for four years before switching to Bank of Blue Valley. Jamison works with commercial lending as the business development manager for the past year.

“I enjoy meeting people and getting to know people’s needs and try to fit our product with what their needs are,” he said.

When he’s not working, Jamison keeps busy spending time with his wife and three children. And, of course, he follows the Jayhawks. Jamison calls Williams about once a month, “just to see where his head his and give him a pat on the back and let him know he’s still the man.” The California native will never forget the statement Williams made at the awards banquet in 1992 — that Jamison meant so much to the program, he would give the shirt off his back to him.

“It’s one of those things that is still in my mind,” Jamison said. “He’s a very special person. For somebody to believe in me and my skills when he didn’t even know me to tell me he would recruit me again out of loyalty not only from him but the university, we can just say that coach is one of my closest friends.”

Jamison admits their relationship was rough at first.

"All friendships are going to have a rocky stage,” Jamison said. “Ours was at the beginning.  I’m just glad he saw something in me that he liked, and we just persevered. I’ve been through a lot with that man.”

A Closer Look at Alonzo Jamison:

Years at KU: 1988-1992

Career Notables: Member of the 1991 Final Four team...Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional in ‘91...Tied with Nick Bradford for most steals in one game (Jamison had 8 steals twice)...No. 6 all time in career steals and No. 4 in career field goal percentage (58 percent).

Family: Wife, Jennifer, daughter Michaela, 6, and twins — Elise, 3, Olivia, 3.

Education: Jamison majored in communications. (He earned a bachelor's degree in 2007).

Since Leaving KU: After being cut by Denver and Los Angeles, Jamison played six months in Sweden and two months in France. He then quit basketball and worked as manager at Applebees for two years (1994 and ‘95). Next, Jamison switched professions and was branch manager for Commerce Bank for four years before becoming business development officer for Bank of Blue Valley.

Currently: Jamison is business development officer for Bank of Blue Valley in Overland Park, Kan.

Hobbies: Golf.

Favorite KU Memories: 1991 Final Four. “Having that 1991 team go to the Final Four when there’s only maybe four or five teams that actually did that in the history of KU basketball, that’s special in itself.”...Breaking the basketball support with a dunk during Midnight Madness in October, 1988. “I remember just the crowd going crazy. I was coming down after the dunk on two feet with the rim still in my hand. I didn’t feel any pain or anything, but I got a four or five inch gash on the top of my head. I still have it to this day.”  

Steve Woodberry left his mark at Kansas and in overseas basketball

I had a great Where are they Now? interview with former KU standout Steve Woodberry in February 2000 at Mr. Goodcents in Lawrence. Steve, who was back in Lawrence after playing professionally overseas rehabbing his knee and working at Retirement Management Company, talked to me fondly over his lunch break about his KU career and his professional career in Australia.

Then a young woman recognized Steve and asked him if he played for KU. Steve was very kind and said he did. They had a very nice conversation.

“It’s a good feeling to have,” Steve told me. “When they come up and talk to you, you can tell that you left a mark, along with the other players around you.”

Woodberry, who Roy Williams once said was the best defensive player he ever coached at Kansas, reveled in his KU experience.

“It was too short,” he said. “Four years was too short. It was a great four years.”

Woodberry arrived at KU after a heralded career at Wichita South High School under head coach Steve Eck. The Kansas Naismith Player of the Year in 1990, Woodberry averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds per game that senior season with single-game highs of 31 points and 15 boards. He led WSHS to two state championships and three straight conference titles while the Titans only lost three games during his career.

Woodberry, whose most admired athlete is Michael Jordan, improved each year of his KU career, averaging 3.0 points his freshman season, 7.2 points as a sophomore, 10.1 points his junior season, and then a team-high 15.5 points as a senior.

He boasts career averages of 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.6 minutes per game (138 games), while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 79.1 percent at the free throw line, and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. Woodberry shot a scorching 87.9 percent at the charity stripe during the 1992-93 Final Four season (No. 3 all time for single season in KU annals), where he was regarded as the best sixth man in the land.

Woodberry’s KU teams went a sparkling 110-28, where he played in two Final Fours (1991 and 1993), won three Big Eight regular-season titles, one conference tournament championship and one Preseason NIT title.

After graduating from KU with an economics degree, Woodberry embarked on a highly successful 11-year career overseas. He played in Switzerland in 1995 before enjoying a six-year career in Australia. He was the league’s MVP with the Brisbane Bullets in 1999 and an all-league selection in 1998 and ‘99. Woodberry then played two seasons in Lithuania, winning a championship in 2001 and voted the league’s Import player of the Year, before playing in Greece, Sweden and Finland.

Woodberry, who retired in 2005, then embarked on a coaching career, serving as an assistant at Missouri State from 2006-12, where he was part of five winning seasons, including three 20-win campaigns and three postseason berths. The Bears played in the NIT twice (2007, 2011) and won the postseason CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2010.

In 2012, he joined KU legend Danny Manning as his assistant Tulsa, where he coached for two years. Woodberry was instrumental to Tulsa in winning the 2013-14 Conference USA regular season and tournament titles--the program’s first league title since 2003. Tulsa played in the postseason both years, earning a a No. 13 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, its first NCAA berth in 11 seasons.

The former KU standout guard then moved to Wake Forest, where he’s continued as Manning’s assistant coach. Woodberry helped lead Wake to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, where the Deacs ranked in the top-10 nationally in offensive efficiency. Wake set school records with 268 three-pointers and 77.8 percent at the free throw line, averaging 82.8 points per game. 

Steve and his wife, Bianca, have three children -- sons Shaylen and Sherron and daughter Sanaa'. He also has two other children, Steven and Kaylen.

Here is my Where are they Now? interview with Woodberry from 2000. Steve, I truly appreciate your kindness and the time you gave me.

...

Every now and then, Steve Woodberry will turn on the TV and see a fellow Wichita native, Adrian Griffin, starting at small forward for the Boston Celtics. Woodberry, who played against Griffin in high school (Woodberry starred for Wichita South while Griffin, two years younger, played at Wichita East) and briefly in the CBA, can’t help but beam with pride.

“I’m happy for him,” Woodberry said this recent afternoon at a Lawrence restaurant during his lunch break from RMC (Retirement Management Company). “I’m glad he’s doing well, because there’s not very many guys from Wichita — if any — besides Adrian Griffin in the NBA. ... He does a great job for them.”

While Griffin toiled in the CBA (he played in college at Seton Hall) before getting a shot at the NBA, Woodberry has spent the majority of his time after college playing basketball overseas in Australia. The former Kansas basketball star has been one of the top players in the league for six seasons, and was even named MVP last year (27.0 ppg) despite an injury-riddled campaign.  

Woodberry said he has no regrets about not pursuing a CBA career after college, where he would have received more exposure from NBA scouts.

“I don’t recommend anyone going to play in the CBA,” said Woodberry, who actually played 30 games in the league for Quad Cities in 1997. “If you’re willing to stick it out, that’s fine. But what happens if you don’t make it? He’s (Griffin) an exception to the rule. All it takes is one person to like you. What happens if the coach doesn’t like you? I thought it was better for me to go overseas. You make more money overseas than you do with the CBA anyway.  I wanted to make the money,” Woodberry said, laughing.

After undergoing three knee surgeries in eight months, Woodberry is currently taking a year off from basketball, rehabbing his knee, and working in Lawrence (he’s been living here since November). An economics major, Woodberry is enjoying getting invaluable working experience at RMC, where he’s involved in accounts payable.

Woodberry, who plans on playing basketball three to five more years and then possibly joining the coaching ranks, is fortunate to currently have the opportunity to keep close tabs on the Jayhawks and watch his former coach, Roy Williams, conduct practices. Williams once gave Woodberry the ultimate compliment, saying that he was the best defensive player he’s ever coached at KU.

“That meant a lot,” Woodberry said. “I don’t think many players today take pride in defense.  Nowadays, it’s whose got the best crossover, who can jump the highest and shoot the most. I think him saying that really says a lot about me and how much pride I took playing on both ends of the floor.”

Woodberry admits he compensated for his lack of athletic gifts by learning shortcuts and watching other great defensive players like Alonzo Jamison. With scorers like Mark Randall, Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan, Woodberry wasn’t asked to shoot much his first three years in college  He thrived in the role as Super Sub, and was generally regarded as the best sixth man in the country in 1993.

“It’s good when you can come in and play the point, two and three,” Woodberry said. “I gave us what we needed. ... I took a back seat to be unselfish and make sure other guys got involved.  I thought there was more to my game than just scoring. I enjoyed playing defense, rebounding, getting steals. I’m glad I came here and did it that way.”

Woodberry wound up leading the team in scoring his senior year in 1994 (15.5 ppg) and silently carved his way into the KU record books. He tied the school record for most games played in the NCAA tournament (16), and ranks among the all-time Jayhawk leaders in assists, steals, and three point field goals.  

Of course, Woodberry will never forget going to two Final Fours (1991 and 1993) and hitting game-winning shots throughout his career, including buzzer beaters against K-State in 1992 and Oklahoma State in 1994. Woodberry, who calls the three-pointer against the Cowboys one of the biggest shots of his life, said he lives for those moments.

“Most people are scared,” said Woodberry, whose also hit a couple of game-winners in Australia.  “But why not? Either you miss it or you make it. What’s going to happen? Nobody’s going to kill you. You step up to the challenge and see if you can meet it. Michael Jordan, as many as he’s made, how many did he miss? No one remembers that.”

And how would he like to be remembered?

“To me, everything was about winning,” Woodberry said (he won two state championships in high school). “I’d just like to be remembered as a winner. I did everything I could to help us win.”

And while Woodberry would certainly love to be playing in the NBA with Griffin and former KU teammates Walters, Jacque Vaughn and Greg Ostertag (the Milwaukee Bucks actually asked Woodberry to work out this summer, but he was unable due to his knee injury), he’s perfectly content continuing to play basketball overseas or anywhere but the CBA.

“People are doing worse things,” Woodberry said, smiling. “Basketball is fun. You get paid to do it two hours a day.”

A Closer Look at Steve Woodberry:

Years at KU: 1990-94

Career Notables:  Member of 1991 and 1993 Final Four teams... No. 19 leading scorer in KU history...Among KU all-time leaders in three-point field goals, assists, steals, and games played...  Second team All-Big Eight in 1993 and ‘94.

Education: B.G.S. Economics, 1996

Family: Woodberry has two children (Steven, 2, and Kaylen, 7)

Since Leaving KU: After being cut by Larry Brown’s Indiana Pacers in 1994, Woodberry spent the next six seasons playing overseas in Australia. He also had a brief stint in the CBA (30 games with Quad Cities) in 1997.

Currently: Woodberry is living in Lawrence while rehabbing his knee and working for Retirement Management Company.

Favorite KU Memories: “How close-knit everyone is. We’re lifelong friends.” … Going to the Final Four as a freshman in 1991. “Mark Randall was the star, but everybody did their role and played together. That was a special year.” 

On the Jayhawks Today: “He’s (Roy Williams) getting a lot more talent than what we had back then. ...This team can go as far as any other team, but they have to play together.”

Rick Calloway was one of the best transfers in KU history

Rick Calloway may be one of the most forgotten great players in KU history since he only played at KU one season (1989-90) after transferring from Indiana and head coach Bob Knight, where he played three years and won a national title in 1987.

I had a very revealing Where are they now? interview with Rick in January 2001, where he talked about what led him to pick KU, his decision to transfer from IU and his great memories of being a Jayhawk.

Calloway had a very distinguished career at Indiana, where he scored 1,073 points in 84 games (12.8 ppg) while averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. The 6-6 quick small forward was named 1986 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and freshman All-American by the Sporting News, averaging career-highs 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He was selected Honorable Mention All-Big 10 as a freshman and sophomore, while named second-team All-Big Conference his junior season. Calloway, who scored a career-high 26 points versus Idaho his freshman year, shot 52.3 percent from the field and 69.4 percent from the charity stripe for his career while averaging 29.7 minutes per game.

He scored the winning basket in a 77-76 win over LSU in the 1987 Midwest Regional Championship, and recorded career-highs with 13 rebounds and Minnesota and Auburn in that NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, he broke his wrist in the ‘87 national final game against Syracuse.

Calloway, who scored in double digits 19 games as as sophomore, arrived at IU after a sensational career at Winthrow High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, averaging 29.5 points and 13.5 boards per game his senior year, earning Ohio class 3A Player of the year and named a McDonald’s and Parade All-American. Calloway was co-MVP of the Capital Classic All-Star game, scoring 24 points. He also lettered in football and track in high school.

He then competed for KU coach Larry Brown at the National Sports Festival in Houston with KU players Danny Manning and Sean Alvarado, winning the gold medal while named to the All-Tournament team averaging 15.2 points per game.

Calloway also traveled to Taiwan in 1986 as a member of the USA team in the Jones Cup.

After redshirting the 1988-89 season upon transferring, there were high expectations for this former Indiana star and McDonald’s All-American. Before the 1989-90 season, KU coach Roy Williams tried to temper the hype.

“I’m glad Rick Calloway is here,” Williams said. “I hope people don’t make him out to be a savior. Rick is a fine basketball player, but he can’t pick it up on his shoulders and take this team to the so-called promised land by himself. He knows that he has been out of competitive game-like situations for over a year and a half. He’s a hard worker, and that’s what I like about him.”

Calloway prepared for his last college season by playing for the Big Eight Conference select team in the summer of 1989 in Australia. He was the team’s second-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) while scoring 23 points versus Hobart, the highest single-game mark for any Big Eight player.

He then made an instant impact at KU during the 1989-90 season (KU went 30-5 and bounced in and out of the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in America most of the year), starting all 35 games and averaging 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds,  2.97 steals, 1.4 steals (No. 9 in Big Eight) in 23.9 minutes per game, while shooting an impressive 54.4 percent from the field (No. 9 in Big  8 with 55.7 effective field goal percentage) and 73.4 percent at the charity stripe. He scored a season-high 22 points (9-10 FG) against Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Calloway told me he transferred from IU since coach Bob Knight reduced his playing time and benched him in the Hoosiers’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss against Richmond in 1988.

“He yelled and screamed all the time, which wasn’t a problem,” Calloway said. “As long as I played and got my minutes, I didn't have a problem with that. The problems came when he started benching me and taking away my minutes. I just thought that where I wanted to go as a player, I needed to go somewhere where I could be on the floor.”

Calloway, though, candidly admitted he wasn’t crazy about Knight’s verbal abuse.

“It’s not that I was unhappy, I just felt he had mistreated so many people, although he did a lot of good for a lot of people, too,” Calloway said. “(The) game passed him by. ... When you look at 18, 19, 20-year old kids and you’re verbally abusing them on a consistent basis, that has to leave some type of mental scars on you later on in life. Just like a parent that mentally abuses a kid, that has to stick with them. If you got somebody telling you every day, ‘You’re no good, you won’t ever be any good, worse player I’ve ever coached,’ just stuff like that, after that, you might start to believe it.”

During Calloway’s senior year at KU in February 1990, NBA Director of  Scouting commented on Calloway and teammate Kevin Pritchard.

“I think they’ll both be drafted,” Blake said. “Calloway has been outstanding. I like ‘em both, especially Calloway.”

Calloway ended up going undrafted, but played one year in the NBA for Sacramento under head coach Dick Motta in 1990-91. He averaged 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 64 games (10.6 minutes per contest), while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 69.6 at the free throw line.

Here is my 2001 Where are they Now? story on Rick Calloway, one of the best transfers in KU history. He should never be forgotten by Jayhawk fans.

...

Rick Calloway’s journey to KU began during the summer of 1985 at the National Sports Festival in Houston, Texas. Calloway, a high school McDonald’s All-American and incoming freshman at Indiana, teamed with KU coach Larry Brown and Danny Manning to win the gold medal.

“He (Brown) told me if things didn’t work out (at Indiana), to give him a call,” Calloway recalled recently from his home in Houston.

Actually, Calloway’s first two seasons at IU under Bobby Knight were pretty successful. He was Big 10 freshman of the year and then started on Indiana’s national championship team in 1987. However, Calloway suddenly found himself in Knight’s doghouse the following season and was benched in IU’s first round loss in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.

 

“I just thought that where I wanted to go as a player, I needed to go somewhere where I could be on the floor,” Calloway said.

And that place was Kansas.  

He took Brown up on his offer three years earlier and called the KU mentor. Just one month after KU had won the national championship in April, 1988, Calloway arrived in Lawrence with high expectations of beginning a new career. Little did he know at the time that Brown would quickly take the head-coaching position with the San Antonio Spurs.

“I was definitely disappointed because I came there to play for coach Brown,” Calloway said. “But I also came to play for the program, because I did want to go to a top-notch program. They had just won the national championship, so it doesn’t get any better than that.”

After Roy Williams became the new KU coach in July, he soon had a meeting with the star transfer.

“I told him I was not interested in leaving,” Calloway said. "We hit off pretty well and I decided to stay. ... I kind of felt like I was at home already.”

Calloway, who sat out the 1988-89 season under the NCAA four-year school transfer rule, immediately found his home in the starting lineup the following year. An athletic, slashing 6-foot-6 forward, he’ll never forget beginning the season knocking off the top two ranked teams in the country (UNLV and LSU) and winning 19 consecutive games.

However, Calloway’s senior season (13.1 ppg) and college career ended on a bitter note, when his 15-foot baseline jumper in the final seconds came up just short in KU’s second-round loss to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament.

“I was very disappointed because I’ve made that shot in my sleep,” Calloway said. “Nine times out of 10, I make that shot. But unfortunately, it didn’t fall for me. ... I thought we could have made it to the Final Four.”

Despite losing the game, Calloway cherishes his memories of playing for Williams at Kansas.  

“The experience was great.  Coach Williams yelling — I don’t even call that yelling after being at Indiana for three years,” Calloway said, laughing. “He was tough but fair, and that’s all you want.  And when you did something wrong, he told you what you did wrong so you could fix it. Coach Knight would pull you out of the game, and he wouldn’t tell you why so you wouldn’t know what you did wrong to try to correct it in practice or the next game. Coach Williams, he was honest. Physically, practice was a lot harder than at Indiana. But it was a lot easier mentally.”

Calloway added that he felt like part of the “family” at KU, unlike his days at IU.

“At Indiana, it felt like it was more of a business,” he said. “Things were so tense and so tight all the time because of coach Knight. At KU, we were relaxed. All the guys hung out together. I just thought we were more of a family. That was a big change for me.”

After leaving “home” in 1990, Calloway went undrafted but eventually signed with the Sacramento Kings. He played the entire year in Sacramento, and scored a career-high 22 points vs. Seattle.

“Of course, my dream was to play (NBA) and I did,” Calloway said. “I played very well.”

Calloway, who spent the next season with Albany (Ga.) in a newly formed professional basketball league, took his skills overseas for six years playing in Argentina, Turkey, Israel, France and Poland.

“Every year, I played in a different country,” Calloway said. “I loved it, because I love to travel. A lot of people can’t deal with being overseas, but it didn’t bother me. ... My wife would come over and we would do a lot of sightseeing and things like that. When I played in Israel, we went to Egypt and saw where Jesus walked. It was nice.”

 Calloway decided to take a year off after 1997 and returned home to Houston (he moved there in 1993) with his wife. He eventually started his own swimming pool business (REDC Pools), which builds pools, repairs them, and does regular maintenance. He loves being his own boss, despite the long 65-to-70 hour work weeks.

“It’s wonderful, especially in Houston because it doesn’t get cold, so people use their pools year round,” he said. “Business is really good.”

And life couldn’t be better for the former KU standout. Living in Houston, Calloway has come full circle since he first made his Jayhawk connections with Brown almost 16 years ago in the National Sports Festival in Texas. Asked if he’d trade his NCAA title and three seasons at IU for four years at Kansas, Calloway doesn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, if I would have played there four years with the guys, I definitely think we would have won the championship,” he replied. “If I could have done it all over again...I definitely wish I could have played at KU a lot longer. I’m a Jayhawk.”

A Closer Look at Rick Calloway:

Years at KU: 1988-’90 (sat out the 88-89 season after transferring from Indiana)

Career Notables: 1990 UPI All-Transfer team...Co-UPI Newcomer of the Year...scored season-high 22 points (9-10 FG) vs. Robert Morris in first round of NCAA Tournament...1986 Big 10 Freshman of the Year at Indiana and freshman All-American by the Sporting News...Member of IU’s ‘87 national championship team.

Family: Calloway has a wife, Nancy (she has a 14-year-old daughter, April, from a previous marriage).

Education: Calloway will receive a communications degree this summer after completing two correspondence courses.

Since Leaving KU: Calloway played a year with the Sacramento Kings and one season with Albany (Ga.) in a newly formed professional league. He then spent six years playing overseas before returning home to Houston in 1997.  

Currently: Calloway owns a swimming pool company (REDC Pools).

Hobbies: golf, coaching JV boys high school basketball team.

Favorite Memories:  “Family atmosphere.” ...“Midnight Madness”... Crushing Kentucky 150-95: “That’s probably as good as we played. That game was awesome.” The fan support: “The students were real important. At Indiana, it was more of an alumni crowd. But at KU, the students were right down on the floor behind the basket. It felt more like a college town.”

On the Jayhawks Today: “I try to catch as many games as I can. ... I look for them to do great things in the (NCAA) Tournament this year. Coach Williams deserves a championship.”