Kansas University football alumni are trickling into Lawrence carrying thoughts of re-living their glory days – flag-football style.
Preceding the spring game at 7 tonight at Memorial Stadium, the old-timers will play a flag football game at 5 p.m. Event organizer Pat Henderson, a former Jayhawk, expects close to 150 players to attend, though only about 50 will play.
One going all-in, of course, is KU icon Don Fambrough, who again will serve as a kicker for one of the veteran teams. Fambrough, who finished playing in 1947 and later had two stints as head coach, has been crucial toward the final outcome of the first two alumni games.
This year, only one change will be made to Fambrough’s arsenal – longtime team manager Todd “Leaper” Williams will be his holder.
“Fam is not only playing,” Henderson said, “he made it very plain to ‘put me down as a player, not a coach.'”
Along with the game, several former Jayhawks will attend a 1 p.m. lunch to honor longtime football secretaries Marge Hazlett and Carole Hadl. The two have worked in the football office for almost 40 years, and though they aren’t retiring, they are being recognized for their years of service.
“I wanted to do something for them,” Henderson said, “because they’ve been so super.”
At 3:30 p.m., the old guys will go to Memorial Stadium to prepare for the 5 p.m. game. An autograph session will take place afterward.
Henderson says who’s coming and who’s not changes by the day, but among those who could make a cameo include John Hadl, Bruce Kallmeyer and Otto Schnellbacher. Past games have featured appearances by Bobby Douglass, David Jaynes, Don Davis, Dana Stubblefield and others.
“It’s sketchy about some of the guys whether they’ll make it or not,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “Several of the guys that are well-known to fans, I’ve talked to them personally, and they said they’re tentatively coming, and they’re going to make every effort to be here.”
