Notebook: Larry Brown joins KU greats in Ring of Honor

By Benton Smith     Oct 27, 2018

Mike Gunnoe
Larry Brown waves to the crowd as he was inducted to the Kansas Football Ring of Honor Saturday.

For the third time this season, the name of a former KU football great joined the Ring of Honor inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

A tight end for the Jayhawks from 1967-70, Larry Brown watched his name go up on the north end of the old venue during a ceremony Saturday, in between the first and second quarters of the Jayhawks’ 27-26 victory over TCU.

Brown helped KU’s 1968 team to a 9-2 finish, a tie for first in the Big Eight standings and an appearance in the 1969 Orange Bowl, where the Jayhawks lost to Penn State, 15-14.

KU honored the entire 1968 team, as well, during a halftime ceremony, with 2018 marking the 50-year anniversary of its run to the Orange Bowl.

After his days in Lawrence completed, Brown played 13 seasons in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a tight end and tackle, becoming a three-time Pro Bowl selection (1977-78, 1984) and four-time Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV). The Steelers selected Brown as a tackle on the franchise’s All-Time team during the Steelers’ 75th season celebration in 2007.

Larry Brown joins 2018 inductees Todd Reesing and Chris Harris, as well as Gilbert Brown, Anthony Collins, Nolan Cromwell, Bobby Douglass, Ray Evans, John Hadl, David Jaynes, Bruce Kallmeyer, Curtis McClinton, Mike McCormack, George Mrkonic, Willie Pless, Gil Reich, Gale Sayers, Otto Schnellbacher, Oliver Spencer, Aqib Talib, John Riggins and John Zook in Kansas football’s Ring of Honor.

No start for Lee

Junior Kansas safety Mike Lee didn’t start in the narrow victory, but he appeared off the bench as early as the second quarter.

Hasan Defense, who made five total tackles and broke up a pass, started at one of the safety spots, with Jeremiah McCullough, who also made five total tackles, at the other.

Lee, too, finished with five total tackles.

Dineen alone atop TFLs chart

By combining with KeyShaun Simmons to stop TCU running back Darius Anderson for a 4-yard loss in the fourth quarter, KU redshirt senior linebacker Joe Dineen was credited with half a tackle for loss.

It was his only stop behind the line of scrimmage in the home win, but it moved him into sole possession of first place on KU’s career TFLs list.

Dineen now has 41.5, after entering the week tied with Willie Pless (1982-85) at 41.

With 13 tackles on the day, Dineen has finished with double-digit tackles in six of eight games this season.

Happy belated birthday, Beaty

As far as presents go, KU head coach David Beaty, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Friday, couldn’t think of many better than a victory.

“Man, other than my kids and my wife, whatever they’ve ever done for me, that’s obviously at the very top,” Beaty said when asked where the win ranked. “It’s pretty good. And my sweet mother. She’s always been sweet, too.”

Beaty called the win — his first against a Big 12 team since his first, back in November 2016 against Texas — a “great” football game.

“It took everything. It took every second on the clock to get it done,” Beaty said. “It took everybody in our staff to get it done.”

This and that …

• The Jayhawks scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time since their 2017 season opener against Southeast Missouri State. It was KU’s first opening drive TD against an FBS opponent since Oct. 10, 2015, against Baylor.

• KU freshman running back Pooka Williams caught a 7-yard pass in the third quarter for his first receiving touchdown of his career. With a 28-yard go-ahead TD reception in the fourth quarter, Williams set a new career long.

Williams set career highs in both receptions (seven) and receiving yards (102) in the game. It is his first career game with more than 100 yards receiving, and he is the first KU running back to have more than 100 receiving yards in a game since Tony Pierson did it against Texas Tech in 2013.

• With 27 receiving yards versus TCU, senior Steven Sims Jr. moved into sole possession of second place on KU’s career receiving yards list. He now has 2,336 yards in his career.

• TCU’s 10 first-half points are the fewest allowed by a KU defense versus a Big 12 opponent since Kansas State last season.

• Senior KU linebacker Keith Loneker Jr. recorded his first career interception deep in TCU territory in the third quarter.

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