K-State Countdown: Ranking the top 10 professional athletes in Wildcats history
Editor’s note: In an effort to provide sports content while college athletics are on pause nationwide because of the coronavirus pandemic, beat writer Kellis Robinett will spend some time this summer ranking some of the best and worst games, moments, players and anything else that comes to mind in the history of Kansas State athletics. If you have a suggestion for a future K-State Countdown, let him know by sending an e-mail to krobinett@wichitaeagle.com
Some Kansas State athletes are remembered mostly for their time in college and what they accomplished in a purple uniform. But a select few Wildcats went on to become better known for their achievements at the professional level.
Over the years, K-State has pumped out a seemingly endless stream of draft picks, all stars and Olympic-medal winners in various sports.
Who are the best? With that question in mind, let’s take a look back and rank them.
Last week: The 10 biggest what-if moments in the history of K-State sports.
10. Lynn Dickey
K-State was home to many quality football players before the Bill Snyder era began in 1989, and Dickey was one of the best of them. He was at his finest as a pro, where he played for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers. He truly began to shine late in his pro career, as he threw for big yardage with the Packers in the early 80s. His best season came in 1983 when he threw for a whopping 4,458 yards and 32 touchdowns, both NFL highs that season. He is now a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
9. Terence Newman
He was a starting cornerback in the NFL for 15 straight years, and darn it if Terence Newman didn’t grab at least one interception in all 15. Newman was the picture of longevity after his K-State career ended, piling up 42 interceptions and 879 tackles during stints with the Cowboys, Bengals and Vikings.
8. Kenny Harrison
Who is Kenny Harrison? Type the words “triple” and “jump” into your search engine of choice and you will quickly find an answer. After winning three individual NCAA championships at K-State, Harrison won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics with a record jump of 59 feet, 4 inches. That triple jump remains the longest of all time with a negative wind reading and it ranks third historically under any circumstances.
7. Elden Auker
Before there were multi-sport sport like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, there were multi-sport players like Elden Auker. In the early 1930s, he did a little bit of everything for Kansas State. He was quarterback of the football team, a pitcher for the baseball team and he played basketball, too. When his college days came to an end, he was wanted by both the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Tigers. He ultimately chose baseball and went on to win 130 games as a major-league pitcher, tossing 594 strikeouts along the way.
6. Jordy Nelson
How wild is it that Jordy Nelson began his K-State football career not only as a walk-on but also as a defensive back? I guess it’s a good thing someone asked him to give receiver a try, because he went on to become arguably the best pass-catcher in school history. And he only got better as a pro. Over the course of a 10-year career in the NFL, Nelson topped 1,200 yards in four different seasons and helped the Green Bay Packers win a Super Bowl as one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and was a must-have receiver on many fantasy teams during his prime.
5. Rolando Blackman
After he led K-State to an ageless victory over top-seeded Oregon State in the 1981 NCAA Tournament, Rolando Blackman went on to have an impressive NBA career that saw him average 18 points over the course of 13 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. The Mavericks selected him with the ninth overall pick of the draft and he contributed immediately. Blackman started at least 80 games in six different seasons and was a four-time All-Star shooting guard. He led Dallas to its first NBA Playoffs appearance in 1984 when he averaged a career-high 22.4 points.
4. Steve Grogan
When he retired from the NFL in 1990, Steve Grogan held multiple quarterback records with the New England Patriots. Those records included passing yards (26,886), passing touchdowns (182) and rushing touchdowns (35). His passing numbers have since been dwarfed by Tom Brady, but that shouldn’t diminish anything that Grogan accomplished during his 16-year stint with the Patriots.
Grogan was one of the first dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. His best rushing seasons came in 1976 when he ran for 12 touchdowns, then a single-year record for a QB, and 1978 when he eclipsed 500 rushing yards. He was also effective as a passer, topping 3,200 yards in 1979 and regularly throwing for more than 2,000 yards during his career. Grogan never made the Pro Bowl, but he did play in one Super Bowl and is now a member of the Patriots’ Hall of Fame.
3. Larry Brown
During his eight-year career in Washington, Larry Brown was one of the most bruising running backs in the entire NFL despite only standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 195 pounds. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1970 and 1972. He also made the Pro Bowl in all four of his first four seasons as a pro. His shining achievement came in 72 when he was named MVP of the NFL after he rushed for 101.3 yards per game. The following year was also a good one, as he helped Washington reach the Super Bowl. Hard to believe he was a late-round selection in the 1969 draft.
2. Darren Sproles
Does Darren Sproles belong in the NFL Hall of Fame? A case could be made for his inclusion. If you look strictly at all-purpose yardage, he is in elite company. With 19,696 yards to his name as a member of the Chargers, Saints and Eagles, he ranks fifth all-time in that stat category.
Three of the four names above him (Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith) are in the Hall of Fame. Six of the nine names listed immediately below him (Tim Brown, Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, Curtis Martin) are all in the Hall of Fame. Those players were all much more dominant than Sproles at their primary positions, but he at least deserves consideration following a 15-year career in which he made plays as a running back, receiver and return specialist.
1. Mitch Richmond
How good was Mitch Richmond as a shooting guard in the NBA? Start with this: The former K-State star averaged 21 points while playing in 976 games over the course of a 16-year career. He also played in six All-Star games, won a championship and is now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In other words, he played at an awfully high level for an awfully long time.
His memorable run as a professional began in 1988 when the Golden State Warriors drafted him with the fifth overall pick and he won Rookie of the Year honors. He quickly became a valuable member of the famous Run TMC teams that also featured Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin. That trio was regrettably disassembled when Richmond was traded to the Sacramento Kings, but Richmond flourished in his new home.
His scoring climbed as high as 25.9 points per game, and he was named an All-Star in six consecutive seasons. Though he never achieved team success in Sacramento, he fittingly went out as a NBA champion as a bench contributor with the Los Angeles Lakers in his final NBA season.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "K-State Countdown: Ranking the top 10 professional athletes in Wildcats history."