Shockers everywhere, at events long ago to happenings just the other day, always have something interesting to say. Take this sampling as a Shock Talk example:
“We really believe that Wichita State should represent and resemble the great community we serve. It’s important for our students to interact with others who are not like them to prepare them for the work force and the real world.”
Ron Kopita, WSU vice president for student affairs, as quoted in The Wichita Eagle about the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the use of race to be considered in a student’s admission. Wichita State’s enrollment totals 15,534 and includes the following minority groups: Non-resident alien, 1,531; Black, 832; American Indian, 177; Asian, 649; Hispanic, 572.
“You never know who’s gonna be president of the United States, Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl or who’ll be a great coach. That’s how the world works.”
One of the coaches of the 1963 Shocker football team, which shared the Missouri Valley Conference title that year with rival Cincinnati, Reggie Colvard, overheard during a June reunion of former WSU football players, when asked if he ever imagined players such as Bill Parcells ’64, quarterback Harry Schichtle ’64, halfback Miller Farr fs ’65, receiver Bob Long ’64 and linebacker Jim Waskiewicz fs ’76 would achieve the success they later did. Parcells is a three-time Super Bowl-winning coach now with the Dallas Cowboys, while Schichtle, et al, played in the NFL.
“If you can’t outthink ’em, you gotta outwork ’em.”
Former WSU professor Fran Jabara, who received the Uncommon Citizen award from the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce, about his work ethic.
SHOCKING HEROES: The Shocker is throwing down a bet. We’re wagering the only Shocker (excluding WuShock) who’s been immortalized with his own action figure is Paul Wight fs ‘92. Prove we’ve missed someone, and we’ll pay off our bet with a “correction” in the fall issue of the magazine — plus send you a small, Shocker gift.
At 7 feet 2 inches and let’s call it 500 pounds, Paul Wight aka Big Show is the largest competitor in World Wrestling Entertainment today. His signature move is the Choke Slam; his finishing move, The Showstopper.
A former World Wrestling Federation champion, he nearly chokeslammed his way to yet another championship last month in a grueling match against current WWE champ Brock Lesnar.
Back when Wight performed as The Giant, he dwarfed talk-show host Jay Leno during an appearance on the Tonight Show. When the conversation turned to his college basketball-playing days, the former Shocker quipped he loved the game but realized his “two-inch vertical leap” just didn’t measure up.
