)
*20,
Hi
»TV
'«%<
Re.. J
The Battalion
SPORTS
7
Friday, April 20,1990
Sports Editor
Richard Tijerina
845-2688
Vince
Snyder
Sports writer
J *Mow
^they
T WHE n
|fr «e
«.£ THiS
al
y Disiria
a trip die
arrested,
light; and
ivhere he
■ed in the
Davis K
if his jail
i jury was
vil right!
lapjackis
ring,
d strip o(
it
s plant
for a
epart
1988
her a
(Ktors
Locke
ack in
if ficet
as un-
t and
y.
r said
is 100
;ment
open
more
have
[j still
that
come
some
i like
“We
[ways
er of
a va-
his
s in
;e in-
s trie-
been
-pen-
ga® 6,
«ch
cced
>ns
-aon
* dons
I thought I was
in good shape
...until aerobics
/Vs a sports writer, I feel
it’s only fair to shine a little light on the
many different aspects of sports and
physical fitness, including the cver-so-
popular activity of aerobics.
It all began when I registered for a
class called Healthy Lifestyles. There’s
nothing wrong with that class at all, it’s
great, but one of the activities during the
semester included a “field trip” up to the
fourth floor of the Read Building.
No problem there, except for the
heavy breathing, nausea and dizzy spells
I experienced once at the top floor.
After catching my breath and
regaining my composure, I ventured into
the gym where awaiting my arrival was
my class, an aerobics class and the
dreaded aerobics instructer.
“How hard can aerobics be,” I said to
myself. “I’m pretty much in shape ... I
think?”
At the completion of an easy stretch
and warm up routine, I felt in control of
the situation at hand, except for the fact
that I had never done aerobics before.
We were told to spread out across the
gym floor and maike sure we had plenty
of room so we wouldn’t bump into the
person next to us.
“Who me,” I mumbled out loud. “I’m
not going to ‘bump’ into anyone. I’m as
graceful as a cat walking the top of a
fence.”
The music began to play, and it was
finally showtime. A time for me to prove
how easy this little activity actually was.
A time to show what little effort was
needed to be in shape.
A big surprise
Now, those of you who have been
through this seemingly never-ending
torture from hell, know that I was in for
a big surprise.
The beat from the music started out at
a simple pace. Then out of nowhere the
tempo quickly increased, sending my
legs and arms every which way except in
the right direction.
“And step ... one, two, three, four,”
shouted the instructor. “Keep those legs
pumping.”
“Yea, I’ll keep my legs pumping,” I
moaned. “Pumping right on out of this
place.”
As we continued to jump and twist
like a bunch of cheerleaders at
competion, I felt the pain and fatigue
slowly taking over my not so much in
shape as I thought body.
The music played faster and faster,
and I lost the beat some where between
the leg kicks to the side or the one-two-
three step and clap motion to the front.
As the instructor changed the music to
Milli Vanilli, the hard part seemed to be
over for a moment. We proceeded to do
much easier routines compared to the
hard bashing I just went through.
“This is more like it,” I boasted. “I
knew there was nothing to this aerobics
thing.”
taped out
This stage of the workout was
considered to be low-impact, but it still
kept us running around like a bunch of
chickens with our heads cut off. Then it
was time to check our pulse to see how
hard we were actually working.
“Ok, everybody find your pulse and
start to count when I say go,” the
instructor said.
“Find my pulse,” I shouted.
I’m surprised everyone in the room
didn’t find my pulse. It was thumping
like one of those boom-box mini-trucks.
By the sound of my pulse it felt like I
had a whole P. A. system in my body.
“Attention ... attention. Vince’s heart
is beating 50,000 times a second.”
That was it. I had enough of this
healthy stuff. I wanted out of that gym. I
wanted to take me and my out of shape
body back home to the couch where big
bags of chips and cookies where waiting
forme.
When it was finally all over, I crawled
to the bathroom where I pulled myself up
to the sink and dunked my head in for a
quick refresher.
It didn’t last long because I still had to
face those four flights of stairs.
Well, there you have it. I shined my
piece of “light” on the aspev ts of
physical fitness, and 1 don’t plan to go
through hell to humor you people again.
Lord knows my body can’t take it.
It’ll be a SWC kind of day for draft
Francis, Webb
Ware lead group
of NFL hopefuls
By RICHARD TIJERINA
Of The Battalion Staff
One year ago, three Southwest Confer
ence football players were selected in the
first round of the National Football League
Draft. Eighteen were picked in the first five
rounds.
Don't be surprised if both figures in
crease Sunday.
Baylor outside linebacker James Francis,
Houston quarterback Andre Ware and
Texas A&M tackle Richmond Webb head
line the SWC Class of 1990. All three are
expected to go in the first round's top half
of Sunday's draft. But the
list of conference players
with first-round hopes go
much deeper.
Houston linebacker La
mar Lathon, A&M line
backer Aaron Wallace and
Texas Tech running back
James Gray may also go in
the bottom of the first
round.
The first pick in the draft
had appeared to be sewn up.
Until Thursday, when the
Atlanta Falcons and India
napolis Colts reportedly
agreed on a conditional deal.
The Falcons owned the
top pick and had been negotiating with
agent Leigh Steinberg, who is representing
Illinois quarterback Jeff George.
But Thursday’s trade, if agreed upon,
would send George to Indianapolis for two
of the Colts’ top players —six-time Pro
Bowl offensive tackle Chris Hinton and
wide receiver Andre Rison —plus draft
picks.
But the deal reportedly is contingent on
whether the Colts and George can reach an
agreement on a contract by an unspecified
deadline — either late Friday or early Sat
urday.
Steinberg, who last year landed quar
terback Troy Aikman $11 million over six
years from the Dallas Cowboys, is asking for
$2 million a year.
The only other trade activity Thursday
involved the Cowboys and the San Fran-
sisco 49ers. The 49ers got an additional sec
ond- and third-rounder by sending run
ning back Terrence Flagler and defensive
end Danny Stubbs to the Cowboys. Dallas
owned the No. 1 pick by having the NFL’s
worst record (1-15) last season, but fore-
feited it when it picked up quarterback
Steve Walsh in last year’s supplemental
draft.
Two of the three SWC players drafted in
the first round last year —Texas running
back Eric Metcalf (Cleveland) and Arkansas
safety Steve Atwater (Denver) — made sig
nificant contributions in 1989.
This year’s crop may be better.
. “I think the SWC is a heavy group this
year, especially at linebacker and defensive
backs,” Cincinnati businessman Jerry Jones,
whose Drugstore List is one of the most
highly respected scouting reports in the
country, told the Houston Post in February.
“There’s no question all the probation
However, Gray overcame doubters,
mountains of press clippings on A&M’s
Darren Lewis and opposing teams keying
on him to rush for over 1,500 yards. Now
scouts are touting him as a low-first round
or second-round pick, and he may end up a
Dallas Cowboy.
The Cowboys have the 21st pick, and
need a running back to replace Paul
Palmer, who left the team via free agency.
If Indiana’s Anthony Thompson isn’t avail
able, Coach Jimmy Johnson might take a
chance on Gray.
Gray is the same type of runner as
Palmer — small, tough and durable. He is
an excellent receiver, but scouts are most
impressed with his cut-back ability which
reminds some of former Franco Harris.
The Houston Oilers also may end up
with a SWC alumnus before Sunday is over.
Battalion file photo by J. Janner
Heisman Trophy candidate Andre Ware from Houston leads a pack of talented
SWC athletes into Sunday’s NFL draft. Indianapolis holds the No. 1 draft pick.
A&M’s Rich
mond Webb may
be the first SWC
player picked.
problems hurt the conference the last few
years. But they have more players with pro
potential this year than they’ve had in a
while.”
The biggest question in the conference
may be, “Where will Ware go?” This year’s
Heisman Trophy winner has drawn con
flicting reviews from NFL scouts.
At Houston, Ware excelled in John Jen
kins’ Run-and-Shoot offense. But. some
scouts doubt whether he can develop into a
straight drop-back passer. He’s expected to
be among the first 15 picks.
Webb is regarded as the best offensive
lineman in the country by scouts. He was an
AH-Southwest Conference selection, and
he’s expected to be picked ahead of Brig
ham Young’s Moe Elewonibi, this year’s
Outland Trophy winner.
Last year, outside linebacker John Roper
was the first Aggie drafted —in the second
round by the Chicago Bears. But Webb vir
tually assures A&M of a first-round pick be
cause quality offensive linemen are hard to
come by.
Webb was recruited out of Dallas Roose
velt as a defensive linemen, but quickly
made the move to the offensive line. An
other Roosevelt product from A&M may
give the Aggies their second first-round
player — linebacker Wallace.
Wallace teamed with Roper at A&M as
“The Blitz Brothers,” and the senior holds
the school record for quarterback sacks. He
had a strong finish to a season filled with
nagging injuries.
He is a pass rusher in the same mold as
Kansas City’s Derrick Thomas, but scouts
are worried about his ability to play the run.
They are sure, however, on Baylor’s Francis
— everyone’s choice
as the SWC de
fensive player of the
year.
Francis probably
is the best athlete in
the SWC, and has
great versatility. He
had a superb perfor
mance in the Hula
Bowl — blocking
three kicks — and is
considered to be the
first player picked
from the conference.
“ ... Francis is a
big-piay type of
guy,” Jones said. “He
definitely solidified
his first-round status
in the Hula Bowl.
The only rap I’ve
heard on him is
sometimes he isn’t
intense 'on every
pla &
Iray, who in his
senior season at
Tech led the confer
ence in rushing,
could sneak into the
bottom of the first
round. He rushed
for a record 280
yards against Duke
in the All-American
Bowl, but some
scouts point out his
lack of breakaway
speed..
But Gray’s made a habit of overcoming
bad raps. At the start of the season, he was
considered a sixth-round choice at best. He
wasn’t even considered to be one of the
SWC’s premier rushers.
NFL Draft Order
The tentative order of selection as of April
20 for the first round of the 1990 NFL draft
to be held April 22-23 In New York
1. Dallas 1
2. Indianapolis (from Atlanta)
3. New York Jets
4. Phoenix 2
5. New England
6. Tampa Bay
7. San Diego
8. Chicago
9. Detroit
iO.Seattle
11.Miami
12.Seattle (from Indianapolis)
13. Los Angeles Raiders
14. Cincinnati
15. Kansas City
16. New Orleans
17. Houston
f8. Buffalo
19. Pittsburgh
20. Green Bay (from Cleveland)
21. Green Bay
22. Atlanta (from Washington)
23. Dallas (from Minnesota)
24. Philadelphia
25. Los Angeles Rams
26. New York Giants
27. Denver 3
28.San Fransisco
P
Steve Walsh In the 1989 supplemental draft
2 — Forfeited pick to draft quarterback
Timm Rosenbacn In the 1989 supplemental
draft
3 — Forfeited pick to draft running back
Bobby Humphrey in the 1989 supplemental
draft
year:
more defense,
That means some SWC players may find
themselves being drafted by the Oilers or
draft-rich Cowboys, who also are in desper
ate need of talented defensive players.
Safety Robert Blackmon is the latest in a
long line of great
Baylor defensive
backs, including the
Cowboys’ Ron Fran
cis (James’ older
brother). Houston
defensive end Craig
Veasey (6-3, 275) is
extremely quick for
his size. Texas’ 6-9,
285 defensive end
Ken Hackemack has
the mean spirit the
Oilers like. A&M’s
Terry Price is the
best defensive line
men the school has
had since Ray Chil
dress, but his lack of
speed will keep him
around until the
middle rounds. Fred Washington (6-3, 280)
of Texas Christian could go as early as the
third round. He bench presses more than
400 pounds, and scouts think he would
make an excellent nose tackle.
Then there’s the cream of the rest of the
conference crop:
Houston’s Lamar
Lathon.
Webb and Gray
won’t be the only of
fensive picks the
SWC has to offer ei
ther: Webb’s team
mate Mike Jones is
one of the top two
tight ends in the na
tion, and would be a
definite first-
rounder if he only
knew how to block.
But his hands are
soft, and scouts like
what the 6-4, 255-
pound Jones does af
ter he catches the
ball. It usually takes
more than one
tackier to take Jones
down.
Arkansas running
backs James Rouse
and Barry Foster
also will go in the
First five rounds.
Where conference
rs end up won’t
e decided until
Sunday, and even
Monday when the
later rounds are
completed.
But the SWC will
have more players
chosen in this year’s
draft then last.
For a conference that’s been riddled with
probation and lack of respect, it means only
one thing.
The SWC has come a long way.
player
be d
Battalion file photo
A&M’s Aaron Wallace, the school’s career sack leader, closes in on LSU’s
Tom Hodson in 1986. Both are expected to be drafted in the early rounds.
Battalion file photo
Battalion file photo by J. Janner
Baylor linebacker James Francis
(left) is the SWC’s best athlete, while
UH’s Craig Veasey and Texas’ Ed
Cunningham (above) may be drafted
in the middle-to-late rounds.