KU’s Lewis keeps eye on QB
Protecting Whittemore lineman's calling
When Danny Lewis talks about “our boy Bill,” you don’t need a Kansas University football program to find who he’s talking about.
Lewis is a KU offensive tackle and his primary job Saturday afternoons, along with the rest of the offensive line, is to protect quarterback Bill Whittemore from the clutches of preying defenders.
“He’s like a little kid. We’ve got to baby-sit him back there,” said Lewis, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound senior from the Phoenix area, about Whittemore.
Not that baby-sitting the quick-footed Kansas QB is really that difficult, Lewis says.
“No, he doesn’t complain too much,” Lewis said with a smile. “But you have to keep an eye on him every now and then.”
Last Saturday in the Jayhawks’ 28-21 win over Baylor, Lewis and his fellow offensive linemen needed to keep an eye on him more than usual. In the first six games, Whittemore was sacked just four times, yet Baylor matched that total and added one more for good measure.
KU coach Mark Mangino confirmed KU’s offensive line wasn’t operating at peak efficiency against Baylor.
“They were able to get to us on few occasions with a four-man rush,” Mangino said. “That shouldn’t happen and was just a physical breakdown. We have to shore that up.”
Five sacks were five too many — a fact Lewis readily acknowledges while accepting some of the blame. Lewis and left tackle Adrian Jones are charged with recognizing formations designed to bring the house down on Whittemore.