The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 24, 1975, Image 6

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    Page 6 THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1975
A&M boasts best crop in years
Six Aggie footballers anticipate NFL draft
BY ROBERT CESSNA
Staff Sports Writer
They call it the National Football
League’s player draft but to the
people being drafted and the people
doing the selecting it’s more like
Russian Roulette.
The Aggies should do well in the
NFL draft Tuesday and Wednesday
with as many as six athletes being
chosen by various teams. The list
includes James Daniels, Tim Gray,
John Paul McCrumbly, Warren
Trahan, Randy Haddox and Ricky
Seeker. Where or when they get
drafted is unknown.
Gray was the Aggies’ right cor-
nerback for two years and was
named first team, All-Southwest
Conference. The 61”, 203 lb. Gray
has been contacted by the New En
gland Patriots, Buffalo Bills and
New York Giants.
“I don’t have a special preference
of where I go,” Gray said. “I’d like to
go to a winning team. And I’d like to
go to a team with moderate
weather,” he added.
Some athletes are asked to
change their position when they
enter the pros but Gray hopes this is
not the case. “I’d like to play right
cornerback because I’ve been play
ing that ever since I’ve been playing
football.” But he would play strong
or weak saf ety if they needed him at
those positions.
There has been much talk about
the legality of the NFL draft. Many
say it is a restriction of freedom for
the person being drafted. Once the
draft is conducted they are obli
gated to one team.
Gray said, “I never have thought
that much about it.” But it’s a sys
tem where the teams can pick the
athletes they need. Then it’s your
decision if your want to sign or not,
he added. Gray speculates that
without the draft the best players
would end up on one team creating
a monopoly. “There is no monopoly
going on now, ” Gray said.
It is believed that Gray will be the
first Aggie selected and will go very
high in the draft.
Gray’s buddy in the secondary
which helped A&M rank second in
pass defense is Daniels.
The 6’2”, 187 lb. Daniels earned
second team All-SWC for his
season’s play at safety. Teams show
ing an interest in Daniels are the
Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles
Rams, New England Patriots, and
New York Giants. Daniels has no
preference of cities. “I wouldn’t
care which one I went to as long as I
got a good deal.”
Even though Daniels has made
his mark at A&M as a defensive back
he has other hopes. “I’d like to be a
running back and give it one more
shot,” Daniels said. Daniels played
running back at McGregor High
and was very good, scoring 34
touchdowns. Then at Navarro
Junior College he also played run
ning back. But when be came to
A&M they needed defensive back-
field help and Daniels was the ans
wer.
“I really wanted to be a back
when I came to A&M,” Daniels
said. He may get the chance once he
enters the pros.
Daniels viewpoint of the NFL
draft is: “From the player’s point of
view I’m in favor of it. Players not of
higher quality can still get drafted. ”
Defensive tackle Warren Trahan
is the only Aggie who has been able
to display his talents once the season
ended. The 6’4”, 268 lb. Trahan
played in the American Bowl in
Tampa.
While at the game, scouts from
(SEPCO (Pittsburgh Steelers,
Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay
Packers, Baltimore Colts and Hous
ton Oilers) talked to Trahan. But
mostly agents talked to him in
Tampa. The agents represented
ex-player agencies as well as other
centrally located agencies across the
country.
Other teams that have contacted
Trahan are the Los Angeles Rams,
Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raid
ers, New England Patriots, New
Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
“I think I will go on the eighth
round or later,” Trahan said. “Louie
Kelcher hurt me with that game he
had against A&M.” Even though
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By MIKE BRUTON
Sports Editor
I’ve often wondered why basketball teams from the
Southwest Conference seem to bog down against teams
from other major conferences, especially in the NCAA
playoffs. After watching the A&M-Rice game Tuesday it
became apparent that the officiating in the S WC could be
the reason. Baylor went to the free throw line 38 times
against TCU Tuesday night and that’s not counting no
shot fouls. Half of those must have been for sweating too
hard.
The players in other major conferences are accus
tomed to playing a more physical brand of basketball. But
in the S WC the officiating is so close that the players seem
to concentrate more on setting themselves up to draw
fouls than playing basketball. I know that basketball is a
so-called non-contact sport, but whatever happened to
the “no harm, no foul” philosophy.
When S WC teams play intersectional foes they seem
to lack agressiveness under the boards, probably because
they’re so foul-conscious.
The SWC leads the nation nearly every year in total
fouls called, because the SWC office supports the close
call method of officiating. Many officials in the SWC call
high school games on Friday nights prior to SWC games
on Saturday. From high school to major college is quite a
transition, so this could also be cited as a contributing
factor.
The SWC office should really consider a change ir
the current officiating methods. The present trend
weakens SWC teams against major intersectional conten
ders and makes SWC basketball dull in the eyes of the
fans. The 48 fouls called in the A&M-Rice game made the
contest miserable. The game was repeatedly interrupted
by questionable fouls. In one case an offensive foul was
called on Aggie Mike Floyd as he approached a Rice
defender, who fell before Floyd made any contact. It was
a superb acting job by the Owl defender and one of many
lousy calls.
The excessive foul-calling kills the excitement of the
game by keeping talented players on the bench also.
There are many SWC games where the star players either
foul out or spend three quarters of the game on the bench
because they get in foul trouble early. This frustrates the
player, his coaches and the fans.
The close officiating, in many cases, distorts the play
and talent of individual players to such an extent that the
inferior team wins. With all the time and hard work by
players and coaches devoted to preparation for play, it
would be a shame for it to be ruined by officiating that
warps the whole game.
In the SWC basketball was a sport that football
players used to stay in condition ten years ago, but today
basketball is played by people who specialize in playing
the game to its fullest extent. So the officials should let
them play.
The Southwest Conference will never rate with the
other major conferences in the NCAA, unless the officials
rest the quick whistle.
Dont let the price of
a college education
stop you
The price of a college education is skyrocketing.
Fortunately the Air Force has done something to
catch up with it. For the first time, the Air Force
ROTC Scholarships include the 2-year program,
for both men and women. If you can qualify, the
Air Force will pay for the remainder of your college
education. Not only do AFROTC 2-year college
scholarships cover full tuition, but reimbursement
for textbooks, lab and incidental fees, as well as a
tax-free monthly allowance of $100.
To cash in on all this, start by taking the Air Force
Officers Qualifying Test on 25 Jan. or 1 Feb. 1975,
8:00 a. m., in Room 100 of the Chemistry Building. Or
if you want more information. Contact Maj. Joe Berg-
stad at 845-7611 in the Trigon.
It’s a great way to finish your college educa
tion in the money, and build a future where
the sky’s no limit.. .as an officer in the Air
Force.'
MAKE THE MOST OF IT
Put It All Together
in Air Force ROTC
Trahan made first team All-SWC he
was overshadowed by Kelcher of
Southern Methodist and Doug En
glish of Texas.
Trahan doesn’t care where he
plays as long as he gets the chance
and a good deal.
The position the pros pick for
Trahan does not bother him. “I
don’t care where I play. I’ve played
offense all my life until I came here.
I could play offense if I had to.”
Trahan likes the draft the way it is
and is glad they have it. Trahan said,
“If you get drafted you can get a
contract for a certain number of
years and then when it expires, you
can bargain.”
McCrumbly is the fourth senior
on defense expected to go in the
draft. The 6’2”, 245 lb. McCrumbly
was the Aggies’ middle linebacker.
He played two years at Tyler Junior
College before coming to A&M.
This past season he made second
team All-SWC. With the major em
phasis being put on linebackers in
the pros, many teams have shown
an interest in McCrumbly.
Another Aggie who will probably
go in the draft is place-kicker Had
dox. The 6’4”, 235 lb. Haddox
earned first team All-SWC and has
been in contact with the Dallas
Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and
New York Giants.
Haddox also doesn’t really care
where he goes. “I’d like to stay in
the South where it isn’t cold, was
Haddox’s only request.
Haddox does not feel he is ham
pered by being a place-kicker which
probably means he cannot change
positions. “I think I have as good a
chance as anyone. There are less
kickers coming up than other posi
tions, he said.
His views on the draft: With no
draft one team would get all the
good individuals. With no draft less
people would get picked and the
ones that got selected would get
more money. Then the rest of the
teams would gef lousy choices.
The Aggie we will mention last
started all the plays first, center
Ricky Seeker.
The 6’3 ”, 257 lb. Seeker who
earned second team All-SWC has
been in contact with the Dallas
Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and New
York Giants.
“I don’t know if I’m getting
drafted,” was the initial reaction of
Seeker. “If I get drafted I’d like to
stay in the Southwest area. I don’t
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It appears Seeker will have to
make it at center in the pros. "I
don’t have the speed to play any
where else, he said. “To play guard
I’d have to put on speed and weight
and I’ve never played defense,”
Seeker said.
Seeker was disappointed with the
season. “I was supposed to be first
team (SWC),” he said. Aubrey
Schultz of Baylor took first team
All-SWC. “Schultz is good but he
isn’t no All-American.”
On the draft: “There’s no inside
connection to know which team
needs what. You can’t try out for
every' team. There is no other way
right now.”
The NFL draft has a lot of vari
ables, said Melvin Robertson, Ag-
(See NFL, Page 8)
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NOTICE
Peniston Cafeteria will close Sunday, January 26,1975 at 7:00
p.m. and will remain closed. The Memorial Student Center
Cafeteria will open Monday, January 27 at 7:00 a.m.
MSC CAFETERIA OPEN DAILY
11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
SNACK BAR OPEN DAILY
7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Full breakfast will be served plus ham
burgers, sandwiches and snacks.