Who's your favorite "bold" player of all time at Kansas? Which player had the biggest "onions" so to speak?
It's one of those things that elevate a player from just another player to a bit of a folk hero, that ability to take a game or a situation and own it. Kansas has had its share of just that sort of player over the past decade on the basketball court and on the football field.
Memories are going to serve different people in different ways but if you're picking the best of the "bold" who do you take? Could be for one moment, could be for a whole career. A few examples might serve us well. Dive in, look back and then let's hear who you taking and why?
Hate to be cliché here but let's be honest, Mario Chalmers was clutch. Certainly we all remember the one moment in time where Chalmers showed the ability to knock down an absolutely huge shot but take that away and there were other times in the combo guard's career where he answered the bell and took the big shot late.
If you're taking Mr. Clutch in the last minute, Chalmers is probably your go to guy, but did he perform at that level for entire games and entire seasons at a time?
Here's your Mr. Bold 2008-2009. A year after the National title and the mass departures, Sherron Collins received the keys to the car and he drove it better than most could have hoped. Collins led a young, rebuilding Jayhawk team to a Big 12 championship and exceeded all expectations in a season that was thrilling to watch.
Perhaps the most memorable moment would be the shootout with Willie Warren in Norman, but Sherron took over games so many different times and did so consistently during his final two seasons at Kansas ultimately earning him the title of "winningest" Jayhawk for a season. Of course it's worth noting that before Chalmers hit his three, Sherron made a steel and hit an equally important three.
Has there ever been a player that has dealt with pressure so well? It was hard not to take him for granted but Todd Reesing was an escape artist and a playmaker at a position that is absolutely critical to the success of a football team. Is there any doubt that 2007 doesn't happen if Reesing isn't the quarterback? Who can forget the scramble against Oklahoma State before hitting Dexton Fields, bouncing off a tackler in Lincoln before connecting with Kerry Meier for six and of course that cold snowy day at Arrowhead where Todd Reesing outdueled the Tigers.
Kerry Meier
For every great quarterback there has to be someone on the receiving end and while Meier doesn't get the same level of credit he was a huge part of Reesing's success. Meier had a knack for getting open, he had a knack for being available when the moment called for it and he rarely failed to reel in a catch when Kansas desperately needed it.
Everyone will remember Meier's catch against Missouri to win the game, but what about that key catch just a few plays prior to move the chains? Meier scooped a ball up off the turf in an effortless motion selling the catch the entire time. I'm still not sure he caught it cleanly, but Meier sure looked convinced and who was going to doubt him?
Others?
Who else? I'll challenge you to look beyond the obvious in Chalmers and give serious thought to the other three on the list above. Add your own in the comments and let's hear the argument. Bold players and clutch moments are what makes sport so great. They make moments memorable and those are the moments that make you say, "I was there", as a fan.