Bill Whittemore comes to the state of Kansas via Tennessee, where he was named Mr. Football after guiding Brentwood High School to a conference and district title in both his junior and senior years. Whittemore, who was the Jayhawk Conference MVP last season at Fort Scott Community College, accepted the backup role for the 2002 campaign. "I still have a lot to learn," said Whittemore, who was hampered in spring drills by a shoulder injury. "It's a role I'm happy to take. If I don't get to play, that's fine as long as the team comes out ahead. That's what we're shooting for."

Last year:
Whittemore (6-1, 190) completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, despite playing only eight games because of a shoulder injury. He had surgery in November and couldn't throw a ball for three months. During the spring, he suffered from arm fatigue. Whittemore, however, is expected to be ready for the season. "He's one of many questions we have on our football team," Coach Mangino said. "We're anxious to see him healthy, but we're not overly concerned about Bill or the quarterback position. We think we have some quality kids there and that we're going to be pretty solid at that position."