When it comes to Kansas football, there has been perhaps no player more loved and adored by Jayhawk fans than quarterback Todd Reesing.
Reesing, arguably the greatest signal caller in school history, will forever be remembered for his heroics during the 2007-08 season that led KU to its historic Orange Bowl win against Virginia Tech in 2008.
The Jayhawks finished 12-1 that year, and Reesing was named Second Team All-Big 12 and a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award – given each year to the nation’s top quarterback.
To this day, Reesing holds 14 school records including most passing yards (11,194), passing completions (932), and passing touchdowns (90). His name and number now rest in the Ring of Honor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium along with several other KU greats.
It’s for this reason that Reesing was slotted at No. 58 on a list of the Top 75 quarterbacks in the 2000s era, according to a recent ESPN Insider article.
Listed just ahead of Reesing at No. 57 is former Texas Tech quarterback and current NFL superstar for the Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes.
There were several former Big 12 quarterbacks who played around the same time as Reesing who were listed ahead of him, including rival Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel (No. 35), Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell (No. 34), Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (No. 15), and Colt McCoy (No. 12).
Here is what the piece had to say about Reesing and his time at KU:
"“Led Kansas to an Orange Bowl title” is a pretty good lead line for a résumé, yeah? The undersized Reesing led KU to 25 wins over three years as a starter. In the 11 seasons since he left, the Jayhawks have won … 27 games."
The anecdote takes a shot at the program, but it does help illustrate just how special Reesing’s time at KU was.
He and the teams he led were a bright spot for this program in an otherwise abysmal two decades of football. Until something changes and more progress is made, those will likely always be considered the “glory days” of Kansas football.
And none of it would have been possible without KU’s golden boy Todd Reesing.