KU dismisses two players from football team, another retires

Kansas Jayhawks football coach David Beaty announced that two players had been dismissed from the team for undisclosed violations of team rules and another was retiring due to medical reasons. Matt Tait of KUSports reported Beaty’s announcement.

The two suspended players are running back Corey Avery and wide receiver Rodriguez Coleman, who were placed on indefinite suspension in the spring. Avery led Kansas with 631 yards and five touchdowns, while Coleman missed most of the season to a variety of disciplinary issues.

Then there’s linebacker Jake Love, who is retiring for medical reasons.

Running backs and wide receivers come and go, but losing a surefire starter and great leader on defense is a HUGE blow for the Jayhawks. In addressing this news, Beaty heaped nothing but praise upon Love.

“When I think of Jake Love, I think of a hard-nosed, tough, physical football player,” Beaty said in a press release. “We are going miss his leadership and tenacity on the field, but we will also miss having a guy out there with the experience he has playing in the Big 12. With that said, nothing is more important than his health and him being able to have a long, productive future outside of football. I am really happy he got his degree and we wish him the best as he moves forward.”

And now, Kansas finds itself fighting another uphill battle.

The team hasn’t had a winning season since going 8-5 (4-4 Big 12) under Mark Mangino back in 2008, and was 3-9 (1-7 Big 12) last season under Charlie Weis (fired after 4 games) and interim coach Clint Bowen, finishing ahead of only Iowa State in the standings.

The team is set to begin its first season under Beaty, formerly the wide receivers coach at Texas A&M, and opens 2015 at home against South Dakota State in Lawrence.

Hopefully, cutting Coleman and Avery proves to be the right move despite their respective talent.

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Photos: Graphic artist scores with college helmet concept
Photos: Graphic artist scores with college helmet concept