Jorgensen: Law, Paris among recent best
Simien was best Kansas basketball player of the last four years
Eric Jorgensen lists some of the best athletes he has seen during his four years as a student at the University.
Wednesday, April 11th, 2007
All this talk about NBA talent and players has had me thinking over the last day or two. I started reminiscing about all the best players I have seen during my time as a student at the University of Kansas.
I thought it would be fun to recapture those memories and rank the best sports players/athletes I’ve seen since I enrolled in Fall 2003. It should be noted that I never saw Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson play or two-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner run for Baylor.
As I started compiling my list, I got a little depressed as I realized the sheer number of Texas Longhorns on this list. But, here it is, the top ten athletes I’ve seen.
As I started compiling my list, I got a little depressed as I realized the sheer number of Texas Longhorns on this list. But, here it is, the top ten athletes I’ve seen.
Vince Young, Texas, quarterback: The Longhorns gave the Jayhawks a chance to actually beat these giants on our turf in 2004. With a few minutes left in the game and Kansas with the lead, I was perched on the rail in the front row, waiting for the final horn to blow.
What ensued is now historic. Charles Gordon was called for the ever elusive offensive pass interference and Young did what he is now famous for, he drove the length of the field in less than two minutes and won the game.
He torched the Jayhawks the entire game and then finished them off by tearing their hearts out in the last minute. It was the only time I gave an opponent a standing ovation as he walked off the court or field. He is hands down the best athlete I have seen while in college.
Kevin Durant, Texas, forward: Although he is the youngest player I list, he is already one of the most accomplished. He won all six of the men’s college basketball Player of the Year awards and is the best basketball player in Longhorn history.
He makes everything, rebounds well, blocks shots and can handle the ball like a guard. No matter how well the defense plays, he’s going to get 20, if not 30, points and be the leading rebounder in the game. I have him pegged for next year’s Rookie of the Year in the NBA.
Cat Osterman, Texas, pitcher: One week, Osterman was pitching for Texas and the next she was pitching for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Softball Team. She didn’t have a buffer-time where Team USA. nursed her to a starting position, she jumped straight into it.
It’s a rare moment when a college player is one of the best in not only college, but arguably the world.
Derrick Johnson, Texas, linebacker: I remember watching in the stands and discussing with my friends how this former Longhorn linebacker was around the ball on every tackle.
Knowing how bad the Kansas City Chiefs defense was at the time, I yelled, “Derrick, let the Chiefs draft you,” over and over again as he exited the field. He looked over at me, gave me a “hook ‘em” and smiled. Six months later he was drafted by the Chiefs. I’ve been smiling ever since.
Wayne Simien, Kansas, forward: Simien is the best Jayhawk basketball player I’ve seen in my four years. Everyone could count on him to make his shots and grab the hard rebounds. He always left his heart on the court and always gave the fans a show. He’s my all-time favorite Kansas basketball player.
Cedric Benson, Texas, running back: He is the third player from the 2004 Texas-Kansas football game to make this list. He is one of the best running backs in Texas history and is now the starting for the Chicago Bears.
Courtney Paris, Texas, center: Like Durant, Paris is young and her talent ceiling is high. There is no one in NCAA women’s basketball who can stop her.
Nick Fazekas, Nevada, center: He has flown under the radar during his time at Nevada, but there was no missing him when he came to Allen Fieldhouse two years ago. No one could stop him as he led the Wolfpack past the Jayhawks and made me boycott the state of Nevada ever since.
Don Czyz, Kansas, pitcher: There have been some amazing baseball players who have made their way through Hoglund Ballpark in the last four years, but Czyz was the only one who stood out to me. In 2006 he won the Stopper of the Year award as the best closer in college baseball, and was a first team All-American.
Acie Law, Texas A&M, guard: Law was a Kevin Durant away from Big 12 Player of the Year this year and maybe one of the National Player of the Year awards. I’ll always remember him as the best clutch shooter I have ever seen.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Gordon (Kansas cornerback/wide receiver), Bill Whittemore (Kansas quarterback), Jon Cornish (Kansas running back), Julian Wright (Kansas forward), Brandon Rush (Kansas guard), Keith Langford (Kansas guard), Joey Graham (Oklahoma State forward), Jared Dudley (Boston College forward), LaMarcus Aldridge (Texas forward), Randolph Morris (Kentucky center), Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech guard).
Jorgensen is a Baldwin senior in journalism.
— Edited by Stacey Couch
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