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Kansas Jayhawks: Rooting For The Enemy

By Mike Norris

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We Kansas Jayhawks fans are a prideful bunch.

We’ll tell you all about the three (or five) national championships the basketball team has won and the mystique of Allen Fieldhouse. If the soccer team won last night, well, you’ll hear about that too — it did by the way.

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Despite the fact our football team looks more like the “Little Giants” pre-Rick Moranis halftime speech than a Division I FBS squad, we’ll still sport Crimson and Blue on Saturdays in the fall.

We also love rooting for our former players in the professional ranks.

There are 19 current NBA players who donned a Jayhawk jersey at some point, including the great Paul Pierce and soon to be legend, Andrew Wiggins.

But believe it or not, there are eight former gridiron Jayhawks playing on Sundays, and fans will take the time to tell anyone who will listen (as will former KU coach Mark Mangino).

Of those eight, two are clearly leading the pack.

Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, Jr. were both Pro Bowlers last season and are quickly becoming two of the best defensive backs in the NFL.

The problem for some Jayhawk fans, however, is the jersey they are currently wearing.

After living in the KC area for the better part of the past 19 years, the Chiefs have grown on me. Which means the Denver Broncos have become as likable as Bret Biliema in Wisconsin — or anywhere.

And Talib and Harris just happen to be Broncos.

Talib has been a star since Tampa Bay drafted him in 2008, and it was fun to talk him up as a Jayhawk before he landed in Denver. Harris was not as highly touted coming out of Lawrence and eventually went undrafted.  He signed a free agent contract with the Broncos, which came with mixed emotions for Jayhawk fans who also root for the Chiefs.

After he had torn his ACL prior to the 2014 AFC Championship game, it became somewhat easier to root for him and hope he came back better than ever.

And he certainly has.

Last night his defense, as well as Talib’s, was a big reason the Chiefs blew a game they should have won, and the Broncos are 2-0.

There was some great Twitter reaction from Chiefs/Jayhawks fans during the Thursday night match-up.

Harris and Talib aren’t going to stop making plays anytime soon. In a full season last year and two games this year, the duo has two combined for two Pro Bowl appearances, eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, two forced fumbles and 36 pass break ups.

Not to mention, opposing quarterbacks don’t like to throw their way.

Just ask Chris.

So, if you are one of those tortured souls who cheer for the Jayhawks and Chiefs —  first off, sorry — and secondly, you don’t have to cheer for the Broncos. You can silently hope Harris and Talib play well, Denver doesn’t, and they sign elsewhere when their current contracts expire.

Until then, Rock Chalk Jayhawk, I guess.

Next: Why Can't Chiefs Fans Have Nice Things?

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