Kansas football: John Hadl a star both in college and in the pros
Kansas football legend John Hadl had an incredible career with the Jayhawks and professionally with the San Diego Chargers.
A Lawrence native, John Hadl is arguably the best player in Kansas football history. Hadl played three years at Kansas and helped lead the Jayhawks to some of their best seasons in school history.
In 1960, Hadl took over the Jayhawks as the starting quarterback after playing running back the year before. In that season, Hadl led Kansas in passing yards and was second in rushing yards as the Jayhawks finished with a 7-2-1 record. The highlight of that year was a road win against No. 1 ranked Missouri to end the season; however, there is some controversy during that edition of the Border War.
The short version is that the Big Eight Conference ruled a Kansas player ineligible, and the Jayhawks had to forfeit the win over Missouri. There is still a debate about who won the game, with both Kansas and Missouri disagreeing on whether or not the Jayhawks’ victory was legitimate.
Kansas would end up finishing at No. 11 in the AP Poll, and Hadl received All-American honors for his season.
In 1961, the Jayhawks got off to a slow start by going 0-2-1 to begin the season. After that, Hadl and Kansas rattled off six wins in a row before falling to No. 10 Missouri in a 10-7 loss. Kansas would still be selected to participate against No. 17 Rice in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
The Jayhawks would go on to beat the Owls 33-7, giving Kansas their first bowl win in school history. Hadl was named an All-American, and he also received votes for the Heisman Trophy finishing seventh.
John Hadl’s pro career
After the ’61 season, Hadl was drafted in the NFL with the No. 10 overall pick and in the AFL in the third round. Hadl would end up playing with the San Diego Chargers of the AFL for 10 seasons, also making stops at the Los Angelas Rams, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Oilers along the way.
Hadl won numerous awards during his pro career in the NFL and AFL. Here are some of his most notable:
- 1963 AFL Champion
- Four-time AFL All-star
- Two-time NFL Pro Bowler
- One-time first-team all-pro
- Two-time second-team all-pro
- 1968 AFL Passing touchdowns leader
- 1968 Passing yards leader
- 1971 NFL Man of the Year
- 1971 NFL Passing yards leader
- 1971 NFL Passing touchdowns leader
- Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame
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Hadl was inducted into the Kansas football Ring of Honor, and he certainly deserved it. His legacy at Kansas stands the test of time, and he’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest Jayhawks ever, both in college and in the pros.