Kansas Jayhawks Football: Top Sixteen All-Time in Rushing Yards

Kansas Jayhawks All-Time Rushing Yards Leaders Number One: June Henley

Like James Sims and Tony Sands, June Henley was more of a grinder when it came to rushing the ball. His average isn’t as impressive as some others, and he had to share time with another big on this list for most of his career, yet he still finishes at the top of this very impressive list.

L.T Levine, number nine on this list, split time with Henley for three seasons. Both were talented enough to shoulder all of the load but together they lead the 1995 Jayhawks squad to a 10-2 record and an Aloha Bowl win.

Yet, Henley has the most rushing yards, carries, and rushing touchdowns in school history.

• Rushing Yards – 3,841
• Carries – 823
• Rushing Touchdowns -41
• Yards per Cary – 4.7
• Total Yards from Scrimmage – 4,463
• Kick Returns – 33
• Kick Return Yards – 694
• Total Touchdowns -43

Henley finished in the top eight in the conference (Big 8 his first three years, Big 12 his senior season) every year in carries, top ten every year in rushing yards, and top seven every year in rushing touchdowns. He led the Big 8 in all three categories as a freshman!

Henley was drafted in the fifth round of the 1997 NFL Draft but did not make the team. He signed with the St. Louis Rams in 1998 and led the team in rushing with 313 yards. He produced three touchdowns on the ground on 88 carries. He also snagged 35 passes for 252 yards in his only NFL season.

According to Lawrence Journal-World archives, Henley suffered a severe turf toe injury that ended his career after the 1998 season. Like Laverne Smith, June Henley might have had a very nice NFL career if it weren’t for injuries.

Still, the way things are going, it may be a while before anyone comes close to surpassing Henley’s impressive numbers in a Kansas Jayhawks uniform.

Best of the Rest

There are other famous Kansas Jayhawks football players who rushed for more than 1,000 yards and then went on to great NFL careers.

Curtis McClinton (1959-1961) ran for 1,414 yards (ranked 22nd all-time) at Kansas, then became a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame.

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John Hadl (McClinton’s quarterback in 1959-1961) rushed for 1,041 yards (ranked 35th) in college, then threw for over 33,000 yards and ran for another 1,100 yards in the NFL.

He was selected to six Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 1973.

Bobby Douglass (1966-1968) rushed for 1,015 yards (ranked 38th) for the Jayhawks and threw for another 2,817 (ranked 11th) for moving to the NFL.

As a pro, he threw for 6,493 yards and ran for 2,654 (22 touchdowns). He averaged 6.5 yards per rushing attempt as a professional.

Despite the up and down nature of the football program at Kansas, the Jayhawks have had their fair share of the greats of the game, especially when it comes to those who carried the football for the crimson and blue.