Leaper: The heart and soul of Kansas football since 1970
For nearly 50 years, Todd “Leaper” Williams has been behind the scenes of the Kansas football program working in the equipment room. His optimism and passion for the program have inspired both players and coaches. Leaper is described by his brother as “the epitome of loyalty and dedication to his job, to the University of Kansas, [and] to the Jayhawk team.”
Leaper was recently featured on an episode of College Colors Never Fade, a series by College Colors Day showcasing 12 unique, emotional fan stories from across the country. This will be the 15th annual College Colors Day to celebrate the start of the 150th season of college football.
Leaper comes from a household of Jayhawk fans, as the Williams education fund is actually named after his father, uncle, and grandfather. Leaper had anoxia at birth which restricted the oxygen from getting to his brain causing brain damage. When Leaper’s dad asked about his son getting a job with the football team, head coach Pepper Rodgers gave him a shot. Before he was 20, Leaper started working for Kansas football.
Starting in the equipment room in 1970, Leaper gave his all every single day. His loyalty and work ethic was second to none, as he went on a seven-year streak without missing a single day of work.
“He’s 100% Jayhawk” – Sean Williams, Leaper’s Brother
Many of the Kansas greats played while Leaper was in the equipment room: John Riggins, MikeMcCormack, Gilbert Brown, Todd Reesing, and Aquib Talib just to name a few. He’s also witnessed countless milestones and great moments during his years, including nine bowl games, an 11 win season, 14 head coaches, and an Orange Bowl win. Maybe even more impressive than all the great moments that he’s witnessed are the relationships that he’s built with the players. Former coaches and players alike rave about his passion and commitment to the team:
"“If you’ve played football at the University of Kansas since 1970, Leaper’s had an effect on your life.”- Clint Bowen, DB Coach"
When asked about his top three favorite Kansas football players, Leaper replied with Aquib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Darrell Stucky. All three are defensive backs, and all three were part of the same secondary that helped win the 2008 Orange Bowl. According to his coworkers, Leaper’s favorite guys on the team are the defensive backs.
“You [Leaper] mean so much to this program and it wouldn’t even feel right coming back here and you not being in that building.” – Darrell Stucky, KU Football 05’-09’
Leaper’s incredibly optimistic about the 2019 season with Les Miles at the helm: “We’re going to be really good.” Leaper’s seen it all, the ups and the downs and everything in-between; so when he says that the Jayhawks are gonna be good, what choice do you have but to believe him?
You can check out the College Colors Never Fade feature on Todd “Leaper” Williams below and the rest of the College Colors Never Fade episodes by clicking this link. College Colors Day is HERE! Through the Phog is ready, are you? Be sure to wear your college colors and post it with #CollegeColorsDay.