The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 23, 1976, Image 5

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The practice pads come off, and
e game jersies are donned, as the
anual Maroon-White game will be
ayed at 7 this Saturday night. Ad-
ission will be $3 for adults and $1
r high school students and under.
&M students will be admitted on
tivity cards, and there will be no
served seats.
With the loss of David Walker, the
gs are hard pressed at quarterback,
of now, David Shipman and Keith
iker will alternate at quarterback
for the Maroon team, with John
Baber, a freshman from Hobbs, New
Mexico, quarterbacking the Whites.
1 The Aggies have suffered a rash of
injuries this spring, so it is doubtful
that we will see the football team at
fiillstrengh. Fullback Eddie Hardin
broke his collar bone, and Chet
handler has a bruised kidney,
bach Bellard said that because of
bese injuries, the Maroons will run
ie wishbone, and the Whites a split
ackfield.
Injuries on the defense have also
en plentiful. Edgar Fields has
een hampered by a knee injury and
ay not see action. Lester Hayes is
eportedly not at a hundred per cent
Either.
Centers Matt Freeman and
Kenny Kirk, and offensive tackles
Xirtis Jennings and Cody Risien will
;ee action on each squad. All four are
[excellent in their positions, and Bel
lard says he wants to get a good look
at each one.
Small back
akes pro
Associated Press
All of a sudden Greg Pruitt isn’t so
|mall anymore.
The personable former Oklahoma
Ul-American running back has
aade his mark on professional foot
ball with the Cleveland Browns,
Overcoming the “too small tag that
bas plagued him since his junior high
[school days in Houston.
Last year the 5-foot-1, 190-pound
fruitt lived up to the expectations of
Irowns owner Art Modell by rush
ing for 1,067 yards to join Jim Brown
and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns
to ever reach that milestone.
Modell, Pruitt and several other
Cleveland players and officials were
|in Oklahoma City Wednesday to an
nounce the Browns would play At-
Slanta in an exhibition game Aug. 7 at
iLewis Stadium in Stillwater, home
|of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Modell said the drafting of Pruitt
linthe second round came after much
Sdebate among the Cleveland staff,
iwith Modell finally making the deci-
|sion.
“Cleveland has had a history of
[great running backs and I guess they
saw something in me,” Pruitt said.
“They must know something about
[developing backs, too.”
Pruitt said he knows he is in illus
trious company, being mentioned
with the likes of Brown and Kelley.
[“When I was young I really didn’t
follow football that much, but I knew
of Jimmy Brown. When I was picked
by Cleveland, I related back to that,
I being on a team where I might at
least be compared to someone like
that.”
With the Greg Pruitts and the
| Terry metcalfs doing such great
things, more pro teams are begin
ning to utilize the speed and
superior quickness of the smaller
backs.
Halfback Joe Washington, a 185-
pound former Oklahoma teammate
of Pruitt who tore up the Big Eight
the past two years, was the fourth
player plucked in the pro draft this
year, going to the San Diego Char
gers.
Pruitt had no doubts Washington
will make the grade in the pros.
Transfers to La. Tech
Walker quits team
THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1976
Page 5A
By PAT EDMONDSON
David Walker, one of the most
gifted quarterbacks from Louisiana
since the Terry Bradshaw-Joe Fer
guson era, has quit the Texas A&M
football team. He will transfer to
Louisiana Tech following the current
semester and will continue his athle
tic career on a two-year scholarship.
A red-shirt last fall. Walker made
the decision Wednesday morning
when he asked A&M Head Coach
Emory Bellard for a release.
“It was a decision he made,” said
Bellard. “He feels like his future
would be stronger someplace else. I
wish him all the luck in the world. ”
A 6-0, 185-pounder out of
Suupher, La., Walker ended his
A&M career fighting for the signal
calling duties with teammates David
Shipman and Keith Baker.
Bellard termed it “the best spring
he’s ever had.”
He has not seen spring action
since April 10 though, when he
hyperextended his right knee during
workouts.
Once referred to as “Baby Face”
and “The Kid,” Walker took the
starting berth away from ex-Marine
Mike Jay as a I7-year-old midway
through the 1973 season. In his first
appearance in the unfamiliar
backfield, the freshman sensation
led the Aggies on four of five
touchdown drives and rushed for 81
yards on 19 carries. He netted 395
yards and six touchdowns and hit on
31 of 69 pass attempts for 426 yards
during the final four games. He was
named “Freshmen of the Year” in
the Southwest Conference by the
UPI.
Walker remained number one in
1974, guiding the Ags to an 8-3 mark
under the now defunct T-bone for
mation. Toward season’s end
though, a lack of offensive punch be
came evident and Walker was highly
criticized as the center of the ineffec
tiveness.
He was red-shirted last season and
by early spring this year he had be
come disgruntled with the
Wishbone offense.
“That kind of sealed my decision, ”
said Walker. “The triple option
made me look like a poor quarter
back.”
“I’d go into games knowing I was
gonna fumble two or three times.”
“I’m not sure he had the confi
dence he could effectively run it,”
commented Bellard.
At Tech, Walker will be con
fronted with a more wide open of
fense.
“They run a split-back formation,
with variations of the T,’ he said.
“The offense also features a lot of
drop back passing. In their (Tech)
final game of last season they put the
ball in the air 52 times.
“I feel I can run any offense except
the Wishbone, and I think I owe it to
myself at this time to make a
change.”
VALUABLE COUPON
301 PATRICIA
NORTHGATE
846-7401
Good through
April 30
THE VARSITY
SHOP
COUPON SPECIAL
$2.00 OFF
On a wash, cut, & style
with this coupon.
Professional Personalized Hair Service
for Men and Women
Going Back Home
David Walker (Number 8) decided that A&M was no longer
his home. The disgruntled quarterback is heading back to
Louisiana to play ball for Louisiana Tech. The offense there
is more open and should fit Walker’s style of play better
than the wishbone of A&M.
Loss of player hurts team
Associated Press
Nets Coach Kevin Loughery says
holding out forward Rich Jones hurt
his team’s play in their 106-105 loss
to San Antonio in an American Bas
ketball Association playoff match
Wednesday.
Loughery announced before the
game that Jones stayed in New York
because of comments made about
him by Spurs General Manager John
Begzos and Coach Bob Bass after the
Nets forward participated in a brawl
in Sunday’s fourth game of the
series.
Begzos called Jones “garbage” and
Bass referred to him as a “cheap shot
artist.”
And a local sportscaster, noting
Jones has legal problems in the city,
aired that sheriffs deputies would
meet him if he returned.
“It’s my decision. I made it on my
own,” said Loughery.
“He (Jones) wants to play, but I
don’t think he’s in any frame of mind
to play.”
The New York Coach added that
Jones would be unsafe in San An
tonio although Loughery later told
local newsmen there probably would
have been no danger.
“It was their judgment,” said
Spurs Coach Bob Bass, when asked
about Jones’ absence. “I know that
we miss James Silas more than they
miss Jones.”
Spurs star guard James Silas broke
his ankle in the final regular season
game against New York and has mis
sed the series.
San Antonio traded Jones and two
other players to New York last year
in exchange for center Billy Paultz.
“This town made the worst re
marks I’ve ever seen directed toward
one individual,’’ said Loughery.
“Jones played here, loved this town.
It’s still his off-season home. To have
a guy treated like this is unfair. It’s a
complete disgrace to basketball.”
APPLICATIONS FOR
1976-1977 PUBLIC RE
LATIONS CHAIRMAN
AND TREASURER OF
THE RESIDENCE HALL
ASSOCIATION ARE
BEING ACCEPTED IN
THE RHA OFFICE, MSC
216, UNTIL APRIL 29
5:00 P.M.
For Battalion Classified
Call 845-2611
UNIVERSITY APARTMENT
COUNCIL
fleamarket
APRIL 24th
9 am to 4 pm
.In Front
Apts Offices
Everyone Welcome To SELL
PLEASE CALI 846-3933
University Drive
Of Married Student
SENIOR SUNDAY
APRIL 25
8-12
BAR DRINK .50
Lg. BEER .45
Admission only — with Senior Ring 75/76
6th Annual Texas A&M
KARATE
Championships
Saturday, April 24, 1976
Eliminations 11:00 a.m. - Finals
7:30 p.m.
General Admission
$2.50
A&M Students w/I.D.
$1.50
Children under 10
75c
Held at G. Rollie White Coliseum
Tickets Available at the
T.S.P.F. Karate Academy
693-4856
1800 Ponderosa
College Station, Texas
° NLY 7 * e ^
\ EXPIRES ™ ifnrninitSM OFFER EXPIRES^^I^^i^
” \ ^ june 20, 1076 june 20, 1076 ^ /
/ —— — — — —— — — — —
\ TACO x 7 A Thurs. thru Sun. A A’-tooV
Thurs. thru Sun.
April 29 to May 2