Amazing athletes with strong Kansas ties were front and center as the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame welcomed its 2025 class in Topeka. This year, 10 new members were honored at raising the Hall’s total to 349 inductees since its founding in 1961.
The spotlight fell on four names with deep roots to our community of readers — NFL running back Larry Brown, wrestler Kendric Maple, Wichita Southeast’s Laverne Smith, and world-class sprinter Clifford Wiley.
Each carved out a career that connected Kansas to the national stage.
Larry Brown: From K-State to NFL MVP
Larry Brown’s path to football glory began at Kansas State, where his hard-nosed running style caught the eye of the NFL. Drafted by Washington, Brown became one of the league’s premier backs in the 1970s. He twice led the league in rushing and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1972. Despite playing with significant hearing loss, Brown earned four Pro Bowl selections and more than 5,000 career rushing yards — achievements that still inspire.
Kendric Maple: Wichita’s Wrestling Standard
Kendric Maple grew up on Wichita’s north side and starred at Wichita Heights High School, where he claimed back-to-back state wrestling championships in 2008 and 2009. His dominance continued at the University of Oklahoma, where he won the 2013 NCAA title at 141 pounds and added three Big 12 championships to his résumé. Maple finished with a sterling 127-25 record and later went on to win U.S. Open Freestyle national titles in 2017 and 2022. Now the associate head coach at the University of Missouri, Maple is helping guide the next wave of collegiate wrestling talent.
Laverne Smith: Southeast’s Dual-Sport Phenom
Closer to home, Wichita Southeast’s Laverne Smith made headlines in both football and track. At KU, he became one of the school’s most explosive running backs, setting records for rushing yards, touchdowns, and 100-yard games. On the track, he claimed Big Eight sprint titles and still holds KU’s 100-meter dash record. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1977, Smith’s athletic versatility remains legendary among Jayhawk fans.
Clifford Wiley: Speed on the World Stage
Clifford Wiley left an indelible mark as a track star at the University of Kansas. A 13-time All-American, Wiley was part of KU’s NCAA-winning 4×400-meter relay team in 1978. He also sprinted onto the world stage, setting a world record in the 4×100 relay at the 1977 IAAF World Cup and later winning the 400-meter title at the 1981 World Cup. A member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Wiley helped put Kansas sprinting on the global map.
Other Honorees
- Bob Lutz, longtime Wichita Eagle sports columnist, spent 42 years chronicling Kansas sports. In 2013, he founded League 42, a youth baseball program in Northeast Wichita honoring Jackie Robinson. Today, more than 600 children play baseball each summer because of his vision.
- Tim Jankovich, a Manhattan High and Kansas State basketball standout, later earned more than 300 wins as a college coach, including a 2017 AAC Coach of the Year season at SMU.
- J.C. Louderback was a three-sport standout at Cowley and Southwestern before a 36-year coaching career at Arkansas City High School, where his tennis teams won three state titles.
- Mark Mangino, KU football coach from 2002–09, led the Jayhawks to the historic 2007 Orange Bowl win and was named national Coach of the Year.
- Bobby Randall, a Kansas State baseball great and longtime coach, also logged five seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
- Deb (Pihl) Torneden, a Kansas State track star and four-time All-American, continues to set records as a national masters running champion.
