Page 6/The Battalion/Thursday July 25, 1985
SPORTS
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Ags under sports news microscope again
Battalion File Photo
Texas A&M Head Football Coach Jackie
Sherrill gets a lift from the Houston Oilers’
1985 No. 1 draft pick, Ray Childress (left)
and Sammy O’Brient (90) after the Aggies’
victory over Texas last season in Austin’s
Memorial Stadium. Sherrill hopes this
happy scene will be repeated with great fre
quency during the upcoming ’85-86 season.
By ED CASSAVOY
Sports Writer
Football, you bet — even in
J uly ‘
After spending the past few
days following the trials and trib
ulations of Texas A&M football,
past and present, I can’t say that
I’ve got a lot to show for it.
Ray Childress, the erstwhile
construction worker and former
All-America and All-Southwest
Conference defensive end for
A&M, sat down for serious nego
tiations Wednesday with his
agents and the Houston Oilers.
Childress remains unsigned at
the time of this column.
Childress, the third player
taken in the 1985 National Foot
ball League draft, said he wasn’t
too thrilled with the money of
fered him and might consider
working in a lucrative position in
the construction business, rather
than play football for the Oilers.
But it appears that Childress
tried on the old hard hat and
found that his football helmet
(with the accompanying contract)
fit a lot snugger. I predict he’ll
be suited up at the Oilers’ train
ing camp in San Angelo by the
end of the week.
Matt Darwin, a fifth-round ’85
pick of the Dallas Cowboys, will
probably be applying for the
construction job Childress
dumped.
Darwin, a second team All-
SWC center at A&M last season,
seems worlds apart with the Cow
boys. And Darwin probably won’t
be inking his name on any Pokes’
contract in the near future..
But Darwin doesn’t exactly
have the leverage Childress has.
Fifth-round picks are an en
dangered species at most NFL
training camps. Typically, they’re
>rde
on the borderline between mak
ing the cut or taking a walk.
The Cowboys reportedly of
fered salaries of $70,000, $85,000
and $100,000 with an option to
Darwin. On top of that, Gil
Brandt, the Cowboys’ personnel
director, said the $55,000 signing
bonus Darwin was offered will be
reduced by $2,500 each day he
misses camp.
Brandt seems to feel that Dar
win won’t be playing in the NFL
in 1985.
Darwin’s options, if he doesn’t
play, include signing with a
United States Football League
team for the league’s upcoming
fall season, or heading to the
cooler climate of the Canadian
Football League.
That’s assuming that the Cow
boys don’t trade his draft rights to
another team.
The future for Darwin, who
played every position on the Ag
gies’ offensive line at one time or
other, appears somewhat cloudy
when compared to Childress,
who will be an immediate starter
for the Oilers.
Jimmy Teal, a graduate of last
season’s Aggie wide-receiver
corps, has come to terms with the
Buffalo Bills. Although Teal also
was a fifth-round choice, he’s get
ting a fair bit of attention from
the Bills. Teal’s chances of mak
ing the cut look good.
The Bills acquired quarterback
Vince Ferragamo from the Los
Angeles Rams during the off-sea
son and Teal’s speed and soft
hands could be just what the QB
ordered.
But Childress, Darwin and
Teal aren’t the only Aggies in the
sports spotlight. Even the for
tune of the 1985-86 Aggies has al
ready been predicted in a num
ber of sports publications.
A&M Head Football Coach
Jackie Sherrill can’t even escape
the questions about his future in
College Station long enough to
enjoy a nice glass of ice tea.
Tne Sporting News College
Football 1985 Yearbook didn’t
have high hopes for the Aggies
A&M Was listed as finishing sev
enth in the Southwest Confer
ence in the coming season, ahead
of only Texas Tech and Rice.
Admittedly the fourth year of
Sherrill’s command is the critical
year (isn’t every year?) for his fu
ture. After trouncing the Texas
Longhorns last year, Sherrill ap
pears to be in a no-win situation.
Expectations are high that
Sherrill has to win, and fair!)
quickly, to keep the cries for his
coach’s whistle down to a dull
Vol. 79 1
The Aggies’ opener is against
Alabama. A tough battle against
two teams and coaches who des
perately need a win to gain some
early season momentum.
Alabama Head Coach Ray Per
kins is starting his fourth year as
well and is looking to erase mem
ories of the Crimson Tide’s dis
mal ’84 season.
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The game promises to be a Bir
in ingharn barn burner.
So here’s how it totals up in my
note pad.
• Childress will be able to af
ford all the nails he wants in
1985.
• Darwin w ill probably be bit
ing his.
• Teal will need snow tires put
on his car for those lovely winten
in Buffalo.
• And Jackie Sherrill will
E robably wish he could beat the
onghorns every week.
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Fast receivers fill
Oilers’ draft order
Cowboys Camp
Lattany feels good as Olympic gold with Pokes
Associated Press
SAN ANGELO — They started
appearing on the Houston Oiler ros
ter during the off-season — short,
muscular men with a common ingre
dient designed to add more punch
to the team’s passing attack.
Herkie Walls, a seventh-round
draft pick in 1983, was the prototype
of what Oiler head coach Hugh
Campbell has been seeking to com
plement the silky smooth moves, of
wide receiver Tim Smith.
The Oilers seemed determined to
swarm opposing secondaries.
‘If they (op-
Campbell said. “We’d like to get to
where they have to be concerned
about all of our receivers.”
Adding speed to the receiving
corps was a primary goal of the Oil-
Associated Press
the
posing defenses)
can’t look at a
Tim Smith and
be concerned
only with double
teaming him,
we’re that much
better off,”
Campbell said.
“We’d like to put as many offen
sive weapons on the field as possi
ble.”
The Oilers obtained Drew Hill, 5-
foot-9, 170-pounds, from the Los
Angeles Rams; drafted Hawaii’s
Mike Akiu, 5-9, 175, in the seventh
round and Willie Drewery, 5-7, 158,
in the 11th round; and signed for
mer University of Houston sprinter
Stanley Floyd as free agent.
“We’ve got receivers in the other
that we can count on,”
P 1
ers in the 1985 draft.
The Oilers had a chance in
first round to get a speed receiver
with Miami’s Eddie Brown still on
the board, but they used the pick to
choose Richard Johnson, a cpr-
nerback from Wisconsin.
“Coming here, I don’t see myself
playing right off,” Hill said. “I’m the
kind of guy who likes to give the
other receivers the respect they de
serve. They’ve been here longer
than me.”
Hill received few opportunities as
a receiver with the run-oriented
Rams last season.
“When a ball came to me I’d bet
ter catch it because I wasn’t going to
get another one,” he said.
Floyd, a world class sprinter and
easily the fastest man in camp, says
he’s learning to control his speed.
“I have to remember my assign
ments on each play but it’s getting
more automatic each time,” said
Floyd, who earlier had a tryout with
the Atlanta Falcons. “When it all be
comes automatic, you’ll see I’m a lot
faster.”
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — World class sprinter Mel Lattany gave up
a career that earned him $150,000 last year to try to make the Dallas Cow
boys as a wide receiver.
“I was making good money in track and Field,” Lattany said, “but I had
lost my competitive edge in track. I got backing from my wife so I decided to
try professional football.”
The Cowboys need receiver help and, although Lattany hadn’t played
football since he was in high school at Brunswick, Ga., the team decided to
sign him to a free-agent contract. Lattany was a safety in prep school.
Lattany’s speed was something too juicy for the Cowboys not to try out.
He holds the world record for the 100-meter run at sea level.
His time of 9.96 seconds translates to an 8.8 in the 100-yard dash.
Lattany, who made the 1980 United States Olympic team that boycotted
Moscow, is the fastest Dallas player since Bob Hayes.
The 26-year-old hopeful made a big impression on Coach Tom Landry
Tuesday by blazing past the Los Angeles Raiders secondary to catch a 53-
yard pass during a rookie scrimmage.
“It was a big play and the kind of thing we are looking for,” Landry said.
Lattany said of the catch: “I never had an Olympic gold medal, butthis
must be what it feels like to get one. It felt great.” „
Lattany also got a taste of National Football League roughness on lilt ! , .
play as a Raider piled on. Inedgetn
“I like getting hit — it’s fun,” said Lattany, who is quickly developing)
reputation for toughness.
No coach or player is tougher on Lattany than Lattany. He even grads
himself on a 1 through 10 scale on various categories.
“Right now I’m still about a four on catching passes but improving fast,
he said. “Learning the game, I’m about a six. Learning how to wear a fool
ball uniform again, I’m about a two. I think I rate myself harder than die
coaches do.”
Lattany knows he is facing longshot odds.
“I’rr. just trying to stay close to the other receivers right now,” he said
“I’m trying to give all of my body to football.”
Veteran defensive back Dennis Thurman, who is also working as)
coach during rookie camp, told Lattany, “Use your speed to the bestadvaii
tage.”
Dorsett not expected to meet comp deadline
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with the Oilers and had one touch
down reception.
T HOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys’ fullback Ron Springs be
lieves Tony Dorsett, whose having problems with the Internal Revenue
Service, won’t make it to training camp by the Thursday evening deadline.
“Tony is upset with his contract,” Springs said. “Last week he saw what
Danny White and Randy White are making and he Figures he deserves
more. I don’t think he will be here. I’ve talked to him a lot in two weeks.”
The Financially troubled Dorsett, who missed practice for a third day
Tuesday, will make $400,000 this season.
Dorsett was hit in Dallas with a $400,000 back tax notice by the IRS,
which seized two of his houses. He also has made several bad investments, a
source close to the Cowboys said.
Dorsett was divorced in February and his wife received a settlement
reaching $250,000 and also lost some $50,000 in an oil deal that went sour,
the source said.
“Tony is struggling right now,” the source said. “He’s trying to over
come some setbacks.”
Dallas Coach Tom Landry said Dorsett has until Thursday to report to
camp without being Fined $ 1,000 per day.
“You have to recognize that Dorsett would be here unless there was
something of much concern bothering him,” Landry said.
Dorsett is the only Cowboys’ veteran running back not in training camp
“Tex Schramm is talking to Dorsett and I’m not involved,” Landry said.
“The veterans have been invited here early, but they don’t have to come un
til Thursday night.”
Schramm, the club president, said he is talking “to a third party” in
volved in Dorsett’s Financial affairs.
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Rev. John McGafey, Associate Pastor
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College Class at 9:30AM
(Bus fromTAMU Krueger/Dunn 9:10AM Northgate 9:15AMI,
Youth Meeting at 5:00PM
Nursery: All Events
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