By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the start of a new year just five days away, it's natural to get excited about what the future may hold.
But while looking forward to 2023, it’s also important that we don't forget those we lost in 2022, including seven men and women who had a lasting impact on sports, some in the Topeka area and others on a national scale.
Former Shawnee Heights state championship basketball coach Bob Bodenheimer, Kansas City Chiefs legendary quarterback Len Dawson, University of Kansas legend and NFL star John Hadl, former Washburn University men's basketball standout David Johnson, former Kansas State quarterback and Wildcat assistant coach Matt Miller, Topeka native and women's sports torchbearer Billie Jean Moore and highly-successful former Rossville football coach Hal Taliaferro all passed away in 2022.
Miller passed away at the age of 49 just eight days into 2022 while Bodenheimer passed away on May 7 at the age of 86, the 87-year-old Dawson passed on Aug. 24, the 54-year-old Johnson passed on Sept. 17, Hadl passed on Nov. 30 at 82 years old, Moore passed on Dec. 14 at 79 and Taliaferro passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
Here’s a brief look at the legacy the six left:
Bob Bodenheimer
BOB BODENHEIMER
Bodenheimer coached Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team to back-to-back Class 5A state championships in 1988 and 1989.
Bodenheimer's '87-88 T-Bird team posted an 18-6 record and his '88-'89 title team went 18-5. Shawnee Heights beat Campus in the '88 state championship game and McPherson in the '89 title game.
Bodenheiemer's T-Birds captured the Centennial League championship in 1988, were the co-league champs in '89, '91 and '92 and won the league title outright again in '93.
He was born December 30, 1935, in Osage City and graduated from Osage City High School, attended the College of Emporia and received his master’s degree in mathematics from Kansas State.
Bodenheimer began his career in education at Garnett and had stints at Landon Middle School, Jardine Middle School, Highland Park High and Shawnee Heights, retiring in 2004.
In addition to his coaching success at Heights, Bodenheimer was an assistant coach for Highland Park teams that won two Class 4A state basketball championships and in 1976 captured the only Grand State championship in Kansas history.
Len Dawson
LEN DAWSON
The NFL Hall of Fame quarterback led the Chiefs to a pair of Super Bowls, including their first Super Bowl title.
Dawson played for the Chiefs from 1962 through '75, playing until he was 40 years old, and also put together a long and successful broadcast career in television and radio.
Dawson was born in Alliance, Ohio and went on to star at Purdue where he began his long association with future Chiefs head coach Hank Stram, then an assistant coach for the Boilermakers. Dawon was named the All Big-Ten quarterback in each of his three varsity seasons.
He was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers (fifth overall), then traded to the Cleveland Browns. After five seasons Dawson moved to the American Football League with the then-Dallas Texans, who would become the Chiefs.
Dawson won three AFL championships in his first seven seasons, including playing in Super Bowl I and winning Super Bowl IV. He was named MVP of Super Bowl IV.
Dawson was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1979 and inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1987.
John Hadl
JOHN HADL
The former Lawrence High and University of Kansas star went on to become a six-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback, earning the NFC Player of the Year award in 1973.
Hadl was a two-time All-American at KU and was a 1994 College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Hadl was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1962 NFL draft, but he chose to play with the AFL’s San Diego Chargers.Hadl was a four-time AFL All-Star.
He also played for the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Houston Oilers before retiring in 1977.
Hadl went on to coach at Kansas as well as for the Rams, Denver Broncos and the USFL’s Los Angeles Express before becoming associate athletic director at Kansas.
DAVID "DJ'' JOHNSON
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Johnson played for Washburn University's men's basketball team from 1991-93, as the Ichabods put together a pair of 27-5 seasons.
Johnson helped Washburn win MIAA regular-season and MIAA Tournament titles in '91-'92 as WU reached the NCAA Division II Regional final.
In '92-'93 Johnson helped the Ichabods win the MIAA regular-season championship on the way to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance.
After his playing career ended Johnson served in a variety of security roles in Topeka, including Washburnn Rural High School and the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library.
MATT MILLER
Miller was part of Kansas State’s rise to football prominence in the ’90s, which included the program’s first 10-win season in 1995.
Miller, who also played baseball for the Wildcats, would later return to the program as a coach under Bill Snyder. Miller passed away after a battle with cancer.
Miller was K-State's starting quarterback as a senior in 1995, helping lead the Wildcats to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Holiday Bowl. Miller passed for 2,059 yards and 22 touchdowns in the '95 season, earning All-America recognition.
Miller's father, Les, a longtime NFL personnel director, passed away just a few days before Matt.
Billie Jean Moore
BILLIE JEAN MOORE
Moore, a Highland Park and Washburn University graduate, was a women's basketball coaching legend and coach of the first United States women's Olympic team,
A member of Highland Park's Wall of Honor, the Washburn Athletic Hall of Fame and the Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame along with numerous other honors, Moore was the first coach in women's basketball history to coach two different colleges to national championships.
She coached at California State-Fullerton from 1969 to 1977 where she won the AIAW national title in 1970 in her first year with the team.
Moore went on to coach at UCLA from 1977 to 1993 and claimed the AIAW national title in 1978. Moore became the eighth coach in women’s basketball history to reach the 400-win mark and her overall college coaching record was 436-196.
Moore was the head coach for the first-ever United States Olympic women's basketball team in 1976 and led the Americans to the silver medal. She was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Prior to her coaching exploits, Moore was a local fast-pitch softball legend as the star third baseman for Topeka’s nationally renowned Ohse Meats fast-pitch softball team.
Hal Taliaferro (left), with his son, Matt, passed away Tuesday. Taliaferro posted a 13-year record of 96-35 as Rossville's head football coach. [Facebook photo/Matt Taliaferro]
HAL TALIAFERRO
Taliaferro, who passed away on Dec. 27, had a banner 13-year run as Rossville's head football coach from 1978 through 1990, posting winning records in 12 of his 13 seasons with the Bulldawgs.
Taliaferro compiled a 96-35 record at Rossville, winning a career-high 11 wins in 1979 and eight or more victories eight times.
Taliaferro's Bulldawg teams won six league championships durig his Rossville tenure.
After leaving Rossville Taliaferro served as head coach at Atchison County for 11 seasons, posting a best record of 8-3 in 1996.
