Angus Quigley has learned the importance of having patience.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Junior running back out of Cleburne, Texas, has had his fair share of adversity to overcome.

In high school, Quigley’s team was less than remarkable. The team’s record during his junior and senior seasons was a miserable 1-19.

However, the lack of success didn’t keep Quigley down as he worked hard and earned all-county honors after his senior season.

Quigley joined the Kansas football program as the only committed running back in the recruiting class of 2005 and took a redshirt his first year at Kansas.

In 2006, he was ready and the future looked bright. He had paid his dues and was now listed as the second string running back behind senior Jon Cornish.

What was set up to be a sweet season quickly turned sour when Quigley suffered a severe tear to his thigh and decided to go through with a surgery that ended his season, put him in a wheel chair for three weeks and put him on crutches for four more. Cornish was more fortunate as he would go on to break Kansas’ all-time, single season rushing record in 2006.

In 2007, Quigley was a mop-up man behind the successful tandem of Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp. While McAnderson and Sharp went on to gain a combined 1,947 rushing yards and chip in another 376 yards receiving, Quigley did what he could to help the team.

He only saw action in the backfield for three games last season but still managed to gain 131 yards, score two touchdowns and average 5.8 yards-per-carry.

Even with the success, the earliest chance Quigley had to run the ball in any game was with 7 minutes 55 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter with Kansas leading Baylor 44-10.

Now here we are in 2008 and Quigley is keeping true to the Mangino philosophy you hear time and time again: keep working hard, earn your stripes and good things will come your way — emphasizing the idea of having patience.

In week one against FIU, Quigley entered on cue with 6:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and Kansas leading the Panthers 40-10. The Hawks marched from their own 20 yard-line to the opposite end of the field where Quigley was stopped one yard short of scoring as time expired. With nine touches, six rushes and three receptions, Quigley would account for 71 all-purpose yards and average 7.8 yards-per-carry on the ground, by far the most of any KU running back in the game.

Now you might think that Quigley would see some first-half playing time against Louisiana Tech after putting up the most yards of any back in week one during the six-and-a-half minutes he had to work with. Think again. Mangino stuck with Sharp and junior running back Jocques Crawford.

Crawford looked impressive against FIU during his first few drives in crimson and blue, but since he tweaked his ankle later in the game he has been anything but impressive. Sharp, on the other hand, just isn’t matching the numbers he put up one year ago.

The last straw finally fell when Sharp and Crawford went into halftime against the Louisiana Tech with a mere 40 yards on 13 carries. By this time, the average fan’s patience as well as the patience of coach Mark Mangino had expired for the lackluster Jayhawk rushing attack. Mangino went ahead and told Quigley to be ready.

After a three-and-out on Kansas’ first second-half possession, which included one run by Sharp for a loss of a yard, Quigley got the call. Quigley entered the KU backfield with 8:57 remaining in the third quarter and stayed there until the final whistle. When it was all said and done, he finished the day with 84 yards rushing and 12 receiving, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Now, I don’t know Quigley on a personal level, but I have no doubt in my mind that he was ready and waiting for that moment for a long time — it showed.

Patience has paid off for Quigley and he deserves to be rewarded. Quigley should be the starting man in Kansas’ backfield when they take on nationally-ranked South Florida on national television Friday night.

Quigley has the size, speed and ability to run wild in the Big 12. Like junior quarterback Todd Reesing and freshman wide receiver Daymond Patterson, he fits with the typical Kansas theme that the star is never who you think he will be. Most importantly Quigley is healthy and appears to be in his best shape yet.

The same holes that opened up for Sharp and Crawford were there for Quigley. It’s not like the offensive line likes Angus better, he just performed better. He has proven he can do what ultimately matters most – produce. He deserves the chance to contribute in the first and second quarter as well as the third and fourth. The surprise leader of the ideal triple threat should be Quigley.

It’s kind of ironic that Quigley lists fishing as his favorite hobby in this year’s Kansas media guide. I’m guessing his patience makes him a pretty productive fisherman as well.

— — Edited by Andy Greenhaw