In the first installment of my "Who is K-State's All-Time Greatest" series, it was very clear that the BOTC community feels like Michael Bishop (53%) deserves that accolade. However, within the comment section (and in the voting) the race for second was a tight one, between Ell Roberson and Lynn Dickey (both at 14%, with Ell slightly higher). There were three other quarterbacks garnering significant levels of support as well, with Beasley, Freeman, and Grogan all checking in at 5%. Because the race for second was so tight, and the discussion surrounding it, so interesting, I'm creating this quick poll, to better assess who are the top 5 QBs in KSU history -- at least according to the BOTC community. Dropped from the list is Bishop, because he was such a runaway winner, he is clearly #1, as well as May, Darrell Dickey, and Matt Miller, who all garnered 3 or fewer votes. Because I'm calling it a "Quick Poll", I'm only leaving it up for 48 hours. Brief bios of the remaining candidates are after the jump. Take a look, and then consider who you think is the #2 quarterback in KSU history.
Lynn Dickey (Wikipedia article)
1967-1970
Case for: Widely recognized as the top passing quarterback in the Big 8 at the time, Lynn Dickey held most Kansas State passing records for over 25 years. In fact, his 6,208 career passing yards stood as the KSU record for 38 years, until Josh Freeman (see below) broke it in 2008. After his senior season, in 1970, Dickey finished 10th in the Heisman voting, and was taken in the third round of the NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. He went on to a successful 15-year NFL career, including many years as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
Steve Grogan (Wikipedia article)
1973-1974
Case for: Grogan was KSU's starting quarterback for his junior and senior seasons. Known as a mobile quarterback, Grogan's duties also included punting for the Wildcats. During his two years as a starter, Grogan accounted for over 2,000 yards passing, as well as almost 600 on the ground. Additionally, he accounted for a total of 18 touchdowns (12 passing, 6 rushing) during these two seasons. Taken in the fifth round of the NFL draft, Grogan -- like Dickey -- went on to a long NFL career (1975-1990), mostly with the New England Patriots, with whom he made it to the Super Bowl in 1985.
Darrell Dickey (Wikipedia article)
1979-1982
Case for: Darrell Dickey was the starting quarterback at KSU for all four of his seasons of eligibility. He is the only player to ever lead the Wildcats in passing yards and total offense for four straight seasons. Darrell Dickey left KSU ranking second all-time in nearly every passing category to Lynn Dickey. What Darrell Dickey is by far best known for is leading the Wildcats to the first bowl game in their 87 year history, an Independence Bowl loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. Dickey's coach at KSU was his father, Jim.
Jonathan Beasley (Wikipedia article)
1999-2000
Case for: With his Wildcat career falling between two much-flashier quarterbacks, Beasley is sometimes a "forgotten man" of sorts. Yet, Beasley compiled a 21-4 record as a starter, his .840 winning percentage as a starter second only to Bishop's record of 22-3 (.880 winning percentage) amongst quarterbacks who have started for two full seasons or more. Additionally, his pass efficiency rating of 132.7 in 2000 was the top mark in Wildcat history to that point. The Wildcats won their second North Division title with Beasley at the helm in 2000, falling in the Big 12 championship to the eventual national champion Oklahoma Sooners, by the slimmest of margins, 27-24.
Ell Roberson III (Wikipedia article)
2001-2003
Case for: One of only two quarterbacks in KSU history to be responsible for at least 60 touchdowns (the other is Freeman), Roberson was the Wildcats' starting quarterback from his sophomore year onward, leading the team to their only football league championship to-date, a stunning 35-7 upset of the #1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners -- whom many experts had tabbed as one of the greatest college football teams of all time -- in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. Roberson also engineered KSU's most lopsided victory over theNebraska Cornhuskers, a 38-9 romp in 2003 that prompted Nebraska's then-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini to nearly lose his mind.
Josh Freeman (Wikipedia article)
2006-2008
Case for: A rare, true-freshman starter for the Wildcats, Freeman led KSU to a bowl game his freshman year. He also broke Lynn Dickey's career passing yardage record, which had stood for 38 years. He is one of only two KSU quarterbacks (along with Roberson) to be responsible for at least 60 touchdowns. Turning pro after his junior year, Freeman was the first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008, and has since established himself as the unquestioned starter for that franchise.