Thursday, July 21, 1988/The Battalion/Page 7
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Sports
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Irvin content to be
Pokes’ No. 2 man
at Thousand Oaks
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.,
(AP) — Michael Irvin is the sec
ond most uttered name at Dallas
Cowboys’ training camp and the
flamboyant, fast-talking rookie
wide receiver doesn’t mind. For
now.
“Herschel Walker is what’s
happening and he’s the man,”
said Irvin. “He’s a great player
and he makes things happen.”
Then he flashed one of his
impish smiles and said, “I will,
too. I’m going to entertain the
fans of Dallas.”
The Cowboys’ first-round
draft pick has been so impressive
during training camp that bar
ring injury he will probably be a
starter by the time the NFL regu
lar season starts.
“He has made at least one great
play at every practice or scrim
mage we have had,” said Gil
Brandt, player of director per
sonnel. “He has the largest hands
and longest fingers of anybody
we’ve ever had at receiver. He has
such a deceptive stride that he
can get to balls you don’t think he
can catch.”
Irvin, who helped Miami to the
national title, has made such an
impact that club president Tex
Schramm gave him No. 88, not in
use since Drew Pearson retired.
“Some people can live up to be
ing given a legend’s number but I
think Mike can handle it,”
Schramm said.
Pearson said, “It didn’t bother
me because I think Irvin is going
to be a great player.”
All the fuss doesn’t bother Ir
vin, who talks a mile a minute on
and off the field.
“The way I see it the Cowboys
were just one or two players or
one or two plays away from the
playoffs,” he said. “Well, here I
am. I think I can make the differ
ence of the Cowboys getting into
the playoffs.”
He said he was touched when
he got Pearson’s number.
“It was a big compliment but I
know I’m great and I’ll make
Drew happy about getting 88,”
Irvin said. “I’ll pay the organiza
tion back for it. And I’ll pay the
fans back for accepting me in Dal
las like they have. ”
Irvin paused to sign auto
graphs and let a boy carry his
shoulder pads to the dressing
room.
“I’m ready to go against the
veterans now,” Irvin said. “I’m re
ady for 30 reps (repetitions) a day
against Everson Walls. I want to
see how much I’ve learned and
how far I’ve progressed. ”
It bothers Irvin that he didn’t
get the notoriety of Tim Brown
and Sterling Sharpe, both chosen
ahead of him in the NFL draft.
“I guess I didn’t get as much at
tention because I didn’t return
kicks,” he said. “I’m a Kentucky
Fried Chicken man. You don’t go
there to get hamburgers do you?
Well, I do things right. I’m a pass-
catching specialist. That’s what
you come to me for. ”
Irvin also pointed out that he
was a team-oriented player.
“I had to give up some dollars
because I didn’t get as many
catches and some of the other
guys did,” he said. “Well, I was on
a team interested in winning the
national championship. You have
to give up some personal glory to
do that.”
Then he added, “Man, I miss
Dallas. I’m ready to play in Texas
Stadium.”
Irvin said fans love him so
much in Dallas that a man fol
lowed him in his automobile seve
ral miles last month to get an au
tograph.
How did he know it was Irvin?
“Oh, man I’ve got ‘playmaker’
on my license plate. You didn’t
know that?”
Herschel to carry load
for resurgent Cowboys
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Doctors say he
has only 1.5 per cent body fat but Herschel Walker
doesn’t look like he has any.
Chiseled from flint is what the 6-foot-2, 225-pound
Walker looks like.
Muscular and fast, he appears indestructible.
Indestructible he must be if the Dallas Cowboys are
to appear in the NFL playoffs for the First time in three
seasons.
Walker says he does 3,500 sit-ups and 1,500 pushups
daily.
Make it 4,000 and 2,000, Herschel, you have a big
load coming.
With Tony Dorsett now a Denver Bronco, Walker
will be expected to carry the ball 25 to 30 times per
game with the aid of an offensive line that is large,
young and inexperienced.
“If Herschel gets through this season without getting
hurt then he REALLY is Superman,” said a member of
the Cowboys’ organization.
“Did Coach (Tom) Landry really say he wanted me to
carry the ball 25 times a game?” Walker asked. “He
didn’t tell me that but that would be Fine with me.”
What Landry said was: “We’re counting on Herschel
to play the dominant role because he has that kind of
ability.
“We are building for the future with Herschel as the
foundation.”
Landry figures Walker could get 1,500 yards rush
and 1,000 yards receiving this year.
Walker said he’s ready to carry the Cowboys back to
the top of the NFL standings and he has a special feel
ing about the upcoming year.
“Last season was a big disappointment for me and
the team,” Walker says. “But I think we can surprise
some people like we did in my First year at Georgia.
“People didn’t think much of us then we went out
and won the national title.
“This situation sort of reminds me of that.”
Walker is the talk of the camp now that Dorsett is
gone.
“Did you see Herschel on the Oprah Winfrey show?”
“Did you see Herschel make that diving catch?”
“Did you see Herschel talking with Magic Johnson?”
The camp is Herschel’s except that he didn’t bring
his dog “A1 Capone” to camp because he didn’t think
Landry would like it.
Other than that Walker can do no wrong.
As club president Tex Schramm put it: “Herschel is
our man.
“There are no ifs or questions about it.”
Schramm says with Dorsett gone Walker can be him
self.
“Walker was on his tip-toes because he and Tony
were friends,” Schramm says. “The tension is gone.
Herschel can be Herschel without any distractions.”
Even during the lunch hour Walker is active.
He can’t sit still. On one particular day at noon he
was showing a Cowboys’ secretary how to use Tai-
Kwan-Do to break a mugger’s hold.
“You do it like this, now try it on me,” said Walker,
twisting her wrist.
Walker seemed pleased that she eventually was able
to use the technique to break the hold despite his tre
mendous strength.
“That’s great, just great,” Walker says.
Of course. Walker sees himself as Mike Tyson’s equal
in the boxing ring but says “he knows I want to fight
him but we just laugh about it.
“I just like competition and doing different things.”
In the offseason, Walker won the Superstars’ compe
tition and also performed for the Fort Worth Ballet.
On the Field, Walker has been flawless except for a
halfback pass he tried at the end of a practice which
fluttered to the ground like a wounded duck.
Ramirez, Puhl
push Astros
past Expos
MONTREAL (AP) — Rafael
Ramirez and Terry Puhl hit solo
homers as the Houston Astros de
feated the Montreal Expos 3-2
Wednesday night to sweep a
three-game series.
The loss was the fourth
straight for Montreal, which won
seven consecutive games leading
up to the All-Star break. The Ex
pos have now lost five of seven
since then.
Jim Deshaies, 7-6, went six in
nings, allowing six hits, to get the
victory. Larry Andersen pitched
2% hitless innings for his fourth
save.
Houston took the lead in the
second inning against John Dop-
son, 2-6, when Ramirez hit his
third homer of the season with
two outs.
Puhl doubled the lead in the
fourth inning when he hit an 0-2
pitch into the right field seats for
his second homer.
Hubie Brooks led off the bot
tom of the fourth with his 12th
homer to cut the lead to 2-1, but
Houston got that run back and
chased Dopson in the sixth.
Bill Doran drew a walk to lead
off the inning and scored on a
double by Glenn Davis.
Montreal’s final run came in
the bottom of the sixth when
Andres Galarraga scored on a
sacrifice fly by Tim Wallach.
Oiler fullback Highsmith promises to be ‘hell on two legs’
SAN MARCOS (AP) — Hous
ton Oilers fullback Alonzo Highs-
mith’s like of “Dirty Harry” mov
ies helps explain his style of
football.
“I just like to get dirty that’s
all,” said the man who went into
the off-season vowing to come
back this season as ‘hell on two
legs.’”
Now he’s back and he’s not
backing off his statement, despite
an off-season that included knee
surgery and a twisted ankle.
“I’m still pumped and I don’t
back down from anything I said,
I’ll be ready from get-go,” Highs
mith said in true “Dirty Harry”
style.
Highsmith, the Oilers’ No. 1
draft pick in 1987, never reached
full speed last season.
Hampered by a lengthy con
tract holdout, the NFL players’
strike and a knee injury, Highs
mith made his vow following the
Oilers’ 34-10 loss to Denver in the
second round of the playoffs.
But even at full speed this sea
son, Highsmith doesn’t anticipate
challenging the NFL rushing
leaders.
“When I said ‘hell on two legs’ I
didn’t mean running 200 yards a
game, I meant blocking and
catching too,” Highsmith said.
“My forte is not worrying
about getting 100 yards a game.
I’m going to get noticed on the
field whether I block somebody
or catch the ball and make some
thing happen.”
Highsmith wasn’t activated un
til Nov. 8 last season and didn’t
start his first game until Dec. 13
against New Orleans.
He expects much more of him
self this season and much more
from the Oilers, who reached the
playoffs last season for the first
time since 1980.
“I expect to make a big contri
bution to the team whether it’s
running, catching or blocking,”
Highsmith said.
it’s convention time, the democrats are in
atlanta the firemen are in college station
so we’re having an un-conventionai week at
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thursday
21st
— LADIES NIGHT —
DON’T BE “EDGEY” START THE WEEKEND WITH CLASS
OPEN BAR FOR ALL 8 T011
NO COVER FOR LADIES WHO ENJOY 25C DRINKS AFTER 11
friday
22nd
— FIESTA NIGHT —
SINCE OTHER CLUBS ARE COPYING FIESTA NIGHT
WE IMPORTED ONE OF LA’S HOTTEST BANDS
THE WILD CARDS show starts at 8
Saturday
23rd
* FIESTA NIGHT II*
WE DECIDED TO COPY OURSELVES BEFORE ANYONE ELSE
GETS THE CHANCEiTHE WILD CARDS are back
ell'
THE WILD CARDS
This group is one of southern California’s premier club bands.
Their music is a mix of dance, funk, and rock & roll. Opening for
such acts as Level 42, Tower of Power, and with Dwight Yoakaum’s
on his ‘Always Late With Kisses” video. 1st major album to be re-
leaseed in August on Capital records.
313 S. College Skaggs Shopping Center 846-1542
Watch for the Neighborhood Conning Aug 2
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