Nolan Cromwell

Nolan Cromwell, the Wichita Eagle's high school football player of the decade for the 1970s, came to the University of Kansas as an all-around athlete. In his four years in Lawrence he proved his versatility. As a freshman in 1973 he was the starting safety in the Liberty Bowl. After being a two-year starter at safety he made the move to quarterback where he broke several KU, Big Eight and NCAA records for rushing by a quarterback. Despite playing in just 18 games on offense at Kansas, he is 13th on the all-time rushing charts and is the top rushing quarterback. The 1975 Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year ran for 1,124 yards that year, the third highest in NCAA history at the time. An HM All-American on the gridiron, Cromwell earned All-America honors on the track while setting KU records in the 600 and 400 yard runs, the intermediate hurdles and the decathlon. After leaving Kansas he was a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams where he played safety until 1988. Continuing his progress on the football field he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1980 and was selected to participate in the Pro Bowl. After his playing days, Cromwell spent time as a coach with the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns.