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Friday, July 25, 2008

Jayhawks counting on Steward at tight end

By Dugan Arnett

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After tossing touchdowns for most of his recent life, Kansas red-shirt freshman A.J. Steward will be charged with catching them this year.

In the Jayhawks' 2008 media guide, released earlier this week, Steward is listed as a tight end, and on Tuesday, KU coach Mark Mangino said he expected the former all-metro quarterback out of Riverview Gardens (Mo.) High School to play a notable role this season.

"He's an outstanding athlete," Mangino said. "He's a big, strong guy. He has good hands. He will not be in the three-deep at quarterback, and we don't have a veteran tight end returning. We're not going to just throw him in there, but I think he'll end up playing significantly once the season starts."

Sophomore Bradley Dedeaux and red-shirt freshman Nick Plato are listed as the top two tight ends on the KU preseason depth chart.

Comments

prairie_dog (anonymous) says...

We should have talked about Steward on the "surprise player 2008" threads. He is indeed a big, strong, talented guy. He needs to learn fast.

July 25, 2008 at 6:49 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

5DecadeHawk (anonymous) says...

Those Mizery journalism grads are really talented.

Many sports writers wouldn't be able to write a story that would fit on half a postcard.

Doogie managed to do it with room to spare.

I think we just read everything Doogie knows about the Tight End position.

I can't wait to see him write an eight word article about the punters.

"Guy drop football and kick it. Really hard!"

Don't hurt yourself Doogie.

July 25, 2008 at 6:57 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

nwkshawk (anonymous) says...

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather see it longer too, but a short KU football article is better than none at all.

July 25, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

nddhawk (anonymous) says...

Alot of people on here are a little too tough on the kid, IMO. Sure he's from mizzou, but let's at least give him a chance to prove himself.

You gotta admit, he has a pair to take a job with his schools biggest rival. So far, my opinion is that he has written some pretty good stuff.

July 25, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Chicago_JHawk (anonymous) says...

I think the point is that several of these short articles could be combined into a Football Notebook type entry. No need for separate headlines for each...

July 25, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhawk23 (anonymous) says...

Maybe a football beat writer would be given more information by the coaching staff if he weren't a graduate of the school's biggest rival.

I've mentioned it before, and, again: why would a secretive coach like Mangino (e.g., injury reports, closed practices, etc.) open up to a Mizzou grad by dishing out certain off-the-record info that helps shape articles and helps reporters write with the correct "angle" on the story?

I fear we're looking at a season of mediocre beat reporting until Doogie hits the bricks and a KU guy--or at least a non-Mizzou grad--takes over the beat. Not that Doogie's not talented enough to be a competent writer; but why give him the information? Are we to assume he never talks on the phone to his college buddies about football? Ha. I doubt that.

The fact is, the guy is a liability to the program, and Coach Mangino is too savvy to let Doogie be a source of advantageous information to the enemy.

July 25, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

You guys are effing idiots.

get the f over the mizzou bit. Yes he is from Mizzou. Yes Mizzou sucks. We all understand that.

But this whole whine fest about how he's not going to "get the info" is all a bunch of BS. Mangino is going to give this guy the same information he'd give any other media member. This is college football, not the effing cold war. If there is "information" that Mangino wishes to keep private (I'm sure there are some tricks) he isn't going to tell anyone from the media. anyone. anyone. anyone. it doesn't matter who. Holy crap.

IDIOTS!!!!!!!!

July 25, 2008 at 8:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

HowMuchRice (anonymous) says...

I think JayViking has a larger capacity of intelligence than most of you.

Some of these conspiracy theories make me weep for humankind. Mangino isn't going to hold things back because Dugan is a Missouri grad. Mangino is going to hold things back because he's Mark Mangino.

July 25, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

rolo2383 (anonymous) says...

He deserves a chance just like anyone else. I have no problem with being from Mizzou. I hate Mizzou but that doesn't mean this guy won't do his best for KU. Give him a chance.

July 25, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

chuckberry32 (anonymous) says...

Go away 5decadehawk.

I'm more concerned with the pass protection than the receiving numbers out of the TE position right now.

July 25, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

number1jayhawker (anonymous) says...

I thought it was a descent article.

Let's give him a shot and also I have heard through the grapevine, that he wasn't a big mizzou sports fan anyway.

July 25, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

teejhawk00 (anonymous) says...

I will take any KU Football information over none at all. I am enjoying the breakdown of the different schools in the Big 12. Great job new guy, keep bringing us information, because Stewards move was all just speculative talk until this article was written.

July 25, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kackley (anonymous) says...

Some people like 5 decadehawk and jhawk 23 are full of s---. Leave the guy alone just be glad we have this sight to enable us to keep track of what is going on with the teams. I don't care if he is a Martian if he is doing his job and keeping us informed about KU football.

July 25, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

2008hawk (anonymous) says...

In the real world, people get jobs because they are talented or they know someone, in the real world, the world in which the LJWorld is run, a guy comes in to interview, and if he is the best guy, he gets the job. Are some people so delusional as to think that anyone even gave a second thought about him going to school in Columbia? It is a truly sad state of affairs when someone working for KUsports gets criticized for everything he writes, simply because of where he went to school. Boo the football team, joke about their coaches, yell at basketball games, because that's fun and sure, I understand the Fambrough style mizzou hatred, but come on, Coach F wouldn't have true KU fans ripping up honest-to-god attempts at doing his job, working hard to make his mark in sports journalism. I for one, hope Mr. Arnett doesn't read the drivel that some people write under his articles, but, if he does: good work, thanks for the updates, and welcome to Lawrence, I think you'll like it here, just don't wear your mizzou shirts too often, gets some people riled up.

July 25, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

stravinsky (anonymous) says...

I have an inferiority complex about my college fandom! Hey you, mizzou grad! I'm going to show how much I love the jayhawks by continually berating you for no reason! In fact, I stopped talking to my own father when I found out he was a mizzou grad! (He really is a mizzou grad!)

Grumble grumble, grumble grumble grumble grumble!

July 25, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

:) stravinsky

July 25, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

longhawk (anonymous) says...

Are there no KU J-School grads available for the job? I'm sure this guy is fine and all--but this resembles the NAACP hiring a white accountant.

Could we have not found one of our own to do this?

July 25, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

weaglehawk (anonymous) says...

Actually it's best not to have a KU fan covering the team. It allows them to cover the program in an unbiased way, which is exactly what you are supposed to do. A lot of people think a beat writer is supposed to be a fan and say only good things, but that is not their purpose. They are an objective writer who strictly reports on what is going on and calls it like they see it.

July 25, 2008 at 3:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

Regarding the actual topic, I'm pretty sure I've seen Steward walking around campus. Dude is big and looks like he can move. Maybe another Kerry Meier!

July 25, 2008 at 5 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KoolKeithFreeze (anonymous) says...

Well, looks like the majority of these posters have turned in your favor Mr. Arnett. Congratulations on winning over the hostile crowd for the most part. Being the dork that I am, it pleases me just to find articles without spelling/grammer errors in them. Used to be rare in the LJW...

July 25, 2008 at 6:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

GoGators (anonymous) says...

I don't have anything specific really, but I am continually amazed by how dumb Kansas fans are. Seriously, I've been wasting all this time making fun of FSU and Georgia when there was this huge group of mid-western morons in dire need of abuse. I'd like to thank you all for putting a smile on my face every time I check this site. Seriously, thank you.

July 25, 2008 at 9:12 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

5DecadeHawk (anonymous) says...

I've got news for all the whiners about whining.

Doogie is an idiot if he thinks he isn't going to catch crap. Even a crappy Mizery education couldn't delude him enough to allow him to think he could work for a Lawrence paper and not become the butt of a lot of jokes. He's got it coming, and he knows it. His bosses know it. His parents know it.

I made fun of his University. I made fun of his writing a short article. I joked about his knowledge of the game. I did so without being vulgar. If he has any cajones he'll take my jokes as a challenge and write quality articles to prove that he has more to offer. That will be the best response he could make. If he can't do that, he shouldn't be a writer. He's young. He's got time to apprentice at a moonshine still.

Good grief. How many of you whiners run around wearing Muck Fizzou shirts?

Criticizm is part of the job. It's a big part of this rivalry.

If Doogie didn't get a laugh out of my post and was offended, he'll never survive as a sportswriter. It won't matter what publication he writes for. He's clearly not looking at making a career in Lawrence. He managed to find a first job where he could write for an audience that actually knows how to read. Where else was he going to find a literate audience and stay close to his Columbia home?

Enjoy the rivalry gang. Putting tiggers in their place is part of it. Is it my fault that they are such easy targets and leave so many openings?

July 26, 2008 at 12:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

GoGators (anonymous) says...

I think that the reason he probably didn't get a laugh out of it is because nothing you wrote was funny, at least not in the way you meant it. What IS funny is how retarded Kansas fans are. God, you're SOOOO dumb.

July 26, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KirkwoodHawk (anonymous) says...

Shouldn't you be more concerned that he has inaccurate facts, like listing Nick Plato as a RS Freshman?

July 28, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )