 | Mark Schremmer is a major contributor to KPREPS.com, a website dedicated to covering Kansas high school football. A Pittsburg native and Pittsburg State University graduate, he is assistant news editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal and has covered sports in Kansas since 2000. |
Sports
2012-10-02 14:53:25
History of football in southeast Kansas. Part 1
If you’re like me, football will soon be occupying your weekends through the entire fall.
In football-crazy southeast Kansas, we love the Friday night lights of prep football, the Big 12 and MIAA on Saturdays, and, of course, the NFL on Sundays.
Southeast Kansas has its fingerprints on each football night of the week. Over the next few months, The SE Kansas Q&A Times Journal will take a look at the great history of football in this corner of the state.
This month, we will look at some of the current NFL players with ties to One of the NFL’s best punters was an All-American in football and track and field at Pittsburg State University. Buffalo Bills’ punter Brian Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl player and a two-time All-Pro. He was selected as the punter of the decade for the 2000s and was named to the Buffalo Bills’ 50th anniversary team.
Moorman was a four-time All-American punter at Pitt State and was named to the first team as a junior and senior. He also was a 10-time All-American in track and field, winning three consecutive Division II national championships in the 400 meter hurdles from 1997-99.
The Sedgwick, Kan., native enters his 12th season in the NFL, all with the Buffalo Bills.
NFL rosters also include a couple of players who competed in the high school’s Southeast Kansas League (SEK).
Pittsburg High School product Kerry Meier, who was an All-State quarterback for the Dragons and an All-conference wide receiver for the Kansas Jayhawks, enters the 2012 season on the Atlanta Falcons’ injured reserve list.
Former Parsons’ Vikings’ star Shaun Hill is Matthew Stafford’s backup at quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Hill enters his 11th NFL season, previously playing for the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers.
With Stafford hurt most of the season in 2010, Hill started 10 games for the Lions and threw for 2,686 yards and 16 touchdowns. Hill’s time was limited last year as Stafford remained healthy. However, the Lions know they have a more-than-capable reserve if Stafford gets hurt again.
Sometimes forgotten, southeast Kansas also is represented in the NFL by numerous players who attended Fort Scott and Coffeyville community colleges.
The Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds not only have players in the NFL, but they boast one of the league’s best defensive players in the New York Giants’ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. The former Greyhound recorded 16.5 sacks in 2011 and helped the Giants to a Super Bowl win.
The Giants’ roster also includes former Greyhound Jacquian Williams at linebacker. Williams also earned a Super Bowl ring last year as he helped the Giants on special teams and started two games at middle linebacker in 2011.
FSCC product Lavonte David begins his rookie season at linebacker with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Former Fort Scott CC quarterback Dominique Davis made the Atlanta Falcons’ roster out of training camp after signing a free agent deal in the offseason.
San Francisco 49ers’ running back Brandon Jacobs, Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive lineman Ryan Lilja, Houston Texans’ defensive back Jonathan Joseph and Seattle Seahawks’ offensive lineman James Carpenter all played for Coffeyville Community College.
Enjoy watching the NFL this season and best of luck to the players who represent southeast Kansas.
