Wichita running back great and former K-State, NFL player Don Calhoun dies at age 68
One of Wichita’s greatest running backs has died.
Don Calhoun, a standout football player at Wichita North and Kansas State who had a nine-year career in the NFL, died in his Derby home on Dec. 14, 2020 at the age of 68.
Calhoun was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Wichita Sports Hall of Fame and North High School Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife of four decades, Donna, five children, 17 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Known as a 6-foot, 215-pound bruiser during his playing career, Calhoun had the combination of speed and power that made it possible for him to split time between running back and fullback. And his willingness to put his team’s needs first allowed him to enjoy a successful college career at K-State and play nine years in the NFL.
“The sportscaster Howard Cosell always said I was too big to be a running back and too small to be a fullback,” Calhoun said during his 2009 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame induction speech. “I enjoyed being both and I loved playing both positions.”
Before he was asked to block, he was asked to run. And Calhoun proved to be one of the best running backs to ever come out of the City League. He was an Eagle Top 11 pick in 1969, rushing for 1,104 yards and powering North to an 8-2 record and appearance in the Class 5A state championship game.
Reflecting back on his athletic career in 2009, Calhoun said his time in Wichita playing all different sports was what he remembered the fondest.
“I have always loved athletics,” Calhoun said then. “When I was in high school, I did everything. I ran track, I played basketball and I really liked football. I did it from the seventh grade on. As soon as they let you be in competition, I was out there.”
In his three seasons at K-State, from 1971-73, Calhoun rushed for 1,300 career yards and left as the program’s fourth leading rusher all-time. He led the Wildcats in rushing his junior year in 1972 with 608 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games against BYU and Tampa, before transitioning to a blocking role for his senior season.
He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 10th round of the 1974 NFL Draft and played two seasons there before being traded to the New England Patriots, where Calhoun would play the bulk of his career from 1975-81.
His professional career began with blocking for O.J. Simpson on the Buffalo Bills and ended in 1984 playing for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL blocking for Herschel Walker. In a 1985 Eagle profile, Calhoun said he thought Simpson was the better runner of the two all-time greats.
“They were different types of runners,” Calhoun said then. “O.J. was an elusive, fast type who read blocking well. Herschel is the type of guy who is real fast, who gets a lot on just speed alone. He’s sort of a straight-ahead runner.”
While Calhoun made a career out of blocking in the NFL, he did showcase his ability at running back when given the opportunity. He finished his nine-year career in the NFL with 4,183 total yards and 25 touchdowns.
Calhoun said he felt like his best season came in 1976 for the Patriots when their star running back went down with injury and he filled in admirably, rushing for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry, the best in the NFL that season, and helped the Patriots clinch their first playoff berth.
He had another strong season for the Patriots in 1980 when he started all 16 games and finished with career-best numbers with 787 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Following his professional football career, Calhoun returned to Wichita to raise his family. He spent two seasons as an assistant football coach at Friends University and made a career after football as a Waste Management route driver.
Exactly five decades after his Top 11 selection, Calhoun had a grandson, Kevin Washington, who was named a Top 11 football player at Derby. Washington, a standout offensive lineman, currently plays for Butler Community College.
“I never lost my passion for football,” said Calhoun in 2009, more than two decades after retiring. “It prepares you for the ups and downs in life and I encourage everyone to participate and learn as much as they can about this sport. It gives you the opportunities to experience the power of teamwork.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 6:12 AM.
.jpg)