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Norm Cromwell (9) made the switch from cornerback to quarterback and has already rushed for 290 yards in one game for the Jayhawks.
'Super athlete' Cromwell improves KU's rushing
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Even the KU Sports Informa
tion Office is correctly spelling
Dennis Kerbel's name after four
field goals against Oregon State.
By Yael Abouhalkih, orts editor
Daily Kansan, Kansas University
Nobody knows just when the idea of
switching Nolan Cromwell from free safety
to quarterback for the Kansas University
football team hit head coach Bud Moore.
Not even Moore knows for sure.
"Like most coaches, I've always be
lieved in putting your best athletes at the
skilled positions," Moore explained.
"Obviously, Cromwell is a super athlete
and quarterback calls for a skilled, talented
person. Nolan is all of those."
A quick look at the honors the 6-2, 190
pound junior from Ransom, Kan., has re
ceived supports that statement.
All-state honors
Back in high school at tiny (pop. 416)
Ransom, Nolan garnered all-state honors
in football and basketball his senior year.
He also set an AAU Junior Olympics
decathlon record in track his senior year.
Those honors brought him a lot of
collegiate scholarship offers. Cromwell
finally settled on Kansas.
Cromwell moved his way up the safety
depth chart his freshman year, finally start
ing in the sixth game of the season. He
started all last year, finishing as KU's lead
ing tackier in the secondary.
Then came the shift to quarterback this
year. It didn't look like such a good move
when Cromwell alternated with junior
teammate Scott McMichael the first two
KU games this year. Cromwell's passing is,
well, extremely unimpressive. McMichaei's
is much better, but his running leaves a lot
to be desired.
Then it happened.
On Sept. 27, before 47,200 fans in KU's
Memorial Stadium-and a dazed and be
wildered Oregon State defense-Cromwell
rushed for a staggering 294 yards to lead
the Jayhawks to a 20-0 win.
"Actually there had been nothing in
something like that," Moore said. "But if
you're ever going to bet your money on a
horse before a race, he's the one to bet it
on.
"1 decided for the offense to go, Nolan
would have to be the quarterback. If he
didn't do it, we'd have to go to another
formation. But I knew he had everything in
the world you need to be a wishbone
quarterback."
Moore, of course, realizes that future
Jayhawk foes will be watching Cromwell
closely.
"No, he's not going to gain 294 yards
every week," Moore condeded. "But he's
capable of it."
Kicking improvement
There are other parts of KU's football
team, naturally, that are improving as the
season progresses.
One significant area is the kicking game.
"IVe always said that your kicking game
is probably the most important part of
playing winning football," Moore said.
"Now, I think we're getting some strong
performances there."
Those "performances" are coming from
walk-on kicker Dennis Kerbel. He was such
an unknown at the beginning of the year
that no one-including the KU Sports
Information Office-spelled his last name
right. It always came out "Kerbal."
That error was finally corrected. And
Kerbel has shown steady improvement as
Kansas's placekicker. His cool performance
on the field has earned him various nick
names, most prominently, "The Iceman."
"I was quite obviously wondering about
our team before the season began," Moore
said. "But I think now, with a couple of
games under our belt, we're on the road to
being a respectable team. Building a winner
here is going to take time. We're not going
to be an Oklahoma or a Nebraska over-
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KU photo by Gorg Miitenor
Scott McMichael, now KU
back-up quarterback, led the
Big 8 in total offense before last
year's Nebraska, game.
