The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, July 27, 1992, Image 3
The Battalion Sports Monday, July 27, 1992 Page 3 ling icies ■ocess nerates new knot, the experimentst n in the real woij d on a large scale,' on Service usesit t station to meeti; ting Texansabot development,® 'adership develcf vice, funded be itions left and I /el funding. • extension sent illion allocation! cas' last legislafc and organizatioie omit reports wbitl )als and objective meet again injas imitted by thedii ■ funding, counts John Shat pertaining to li /r's role in budget o grams. ite numerous pr i n the communiti club which isde skills to help the; / citizens, Brack ^stem t at one timem ive on a list oil eceive the system ian artifacts wen e where the radt ailed, said Do; er radar prograr FA A in Washiitt days in detenu al significance: \.A shoved DH !e of dozen slot Don Norwood Sportswriter Moon puts team ahead of himself A mid the excitement and antici pation of what could finally turn out to be the first Super season for the Houston Oilers, there has been a strange pall cast over the proceedings at training camp because of the contract woes of Warren Moon. Sure, Ernest Givins is still dancing, Ray Childress is still big and mean, and Sean Jones is still "retired," but there is an eerie wind blowing around Trinity University as teammates and members of the press handle the situ ation with kid gloves. The word from owner Bud Adams' camp seems to be one of optimism. Adams said this weekend that a buy out of Moon's escalator bonus from the last two seasons is on the way, and that he and Moon's agent, Leigh Steinberg, have "had excellent dia logue." But just two days before that. Moon did not display such a rosy pic ture. "There's nothing new," Moon said Friday afternoon. "We're still work ing. Bud's not the easiest guy to catch. "You get tired of calling every few- days." Moon's furrowed brow gave away his disgust during Friday's media on slaught, a rarity for a man who seems to always have control of his emo tions. But despite his feelings for the Oilers' front office, he is displaying the ultimate sacrifice just by showing up for camp. Most holdouts come when players are either negotiating new contracts or are hoping for new ones. In Moon's case, it's a matter of management See Norwood/Page 4 Richardson adjusts to ways of NFL Former A&M quarterback handles new offense, increased pressure in pro camp By Don Norwood The Battalion SAN ANTONIO —The last time Texas A&M fans saw Bucky Richardson, he was desperately trying to carry the Aggies on his shoulders once again, struggling with a catch-up passing offense against Florida State in the Cotton Bowl. Richardson had excelled throughout his career at A&M by directing an option attack, relying on his arm almost exclu sively in situations like the one he found himself in on New Year's Day. That is what makes the circumstances he finds himself under now even more improba ble. Richardson, an eighth-round draft pick by the Houston Oilers, has taken ad vantage of a knee injury to referve quar terback Reggie Slack to move into the third-string slot at that position behind Warren Moon and Cody Carlson. And in doing so, he is helping to destroy the myth that option quarterbacks cannot succeed in the National Football League. The most impressive part of Richard son's move to the NFL has been the fact that he has had to learn the run-and- shoot, the antithesis of option offenses. The immensity of the run-and-shoot, including the different terminology and nuances associated with four wide re ceivers, led to widespread speculation following Richardson's selection by the Oilers about where he would end up playing. Wide receiver, running back, defensive back, linebacker, and even spe cial teams "mercenary" have been some of the possibilities mentioned. But Oilers head coach and former A&M linebacker Jack Pardee never ruled out a stay at quarterback, and Richardson is now proving why as he adjusts to the ways of the NFL. "I think it (the hardest adjustment) is the mental part of the game and having new faces around," Richardson said Fri day following the Oilers' last two-a-day session. "Obviously, it's the NFL, so there's more pressure. But he (Pardee) knows enough about this offense to know that you can't learn it overnight. "He'll be fine," Pardee said. "He just needs more repetitions, more practice. "He knows the offense real well." Richardson took advantage of the reps he got in Friday afternoon's practice to show off his arm during two-minute drills, an area of Houston's offense that has been much-maligned. He led the Oil ers' offense inside the 30-yard line by sandwiching a draw play to Lorenzo White with two straight completions. But Richardson's third attempt was deflected into the waiting arms of cornerback Tony Brown to end the drive. Although he has seen most of his play ing time at his accustomed position, Richardson has been pushed into service at scout team receiver, where he wowed Thursday afternoon's crowd with a one- handed diving catch in the end zone. But except for backing up punter Greg Mont gomery as holder for place-kicker A1 Del Greco, any other real-game experience at positions other than quarterback will have to wait. "I've just worked strictly at quarter back," Richardson said. "There's some talk of playing special teams, but I'm not sure when." An important part of Richardson's ad justment has been the leadership of Moon and Carlson. The two veterans have tak en Richardson under their wings, helping him develop his game as well as grow ac customed to the league. "Any questions that I have, on the field or off, they're real helpful," Richard son said. "They treat me like an equal. That's nice." Another major factor in Richardson's impressive start was his ability to elimi nate a holdout. He signed a two-year deal worth more than $200,000 in early July, the type contract that few eighth- rounders are able to obtain. "It (signing early) was something I definitely wanted to happen," Richard son said. "But at the same time, I didn't want to get ripped off. Despite the playing time, the cama raderie and the contract, life with the Oil ers has not been all hugs and kisses for See Richardson/Page 4 Battalion File Photo Former A&M quarterback Bucky Richardson scrambles away from Rice defenders in A&M’s 38-21 victory in 1991. Richardson is adjusting to the ways of the NFL and the run-and-shoot offense at the Houston Oilers’ training camp in San Antonio. 'ield will getffte :em at least sever oppler Radar ials say will cos! i, is able to deted ercent of winl ee miles outsidf ays. r actice at Is from 7 p.m. )erience need- e at 846-8194 emitted to The no later than aired run date, me number ol What’s Up is i-profit events vn on a first-, no guarantee': dions, calh iLE • SALE <A>I % , :t lenses ar) ent A,!' Don't miss out on the best way to reach Students, Faculty and Staff Our Bac£-To-£aioof Edition is Monday, August 31st Deadlines are approaching fast. To advertise call your Battalion Sales Representative or call The battalion 845-2696 STANLEY H. KAPLAN EDUCATIONAL CENTER 707 Texas Avenue, College Station, TX 77840 (409) 696-3196 GRE Prep course schedule for the October 10, 1992 exam GRE REG 1 2 liii 4 6 7 : 8 8 & DIAG RC AR AEG LG.I WP& LR GEOM FINAL REVIEW svs G A LG.2 THURSDAY 8/16 8/20 8/23 8/27 9/3 9/10 9/17 9/24 9/27 10/1 & SUNDAY SUN THU THU lliilli THU THU THU THU SUN THUR 6:00 pm 1:30 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 i;30 6:00 LSAT Prep course schedule for the October 3, 1992 exam LSAT Reg & Dia \ CLASS 7 2 CLASS 3 CLASS 4 1 CLASS 5 GLASS 6 I CLASS • • 7 ' CLASS 8 CLASS 9 August 1 SATURDAY AM 8/1 8/8 8/15 8/22 8/29 9/5 r 9/12 9/19 9/26 9:30 10 am 10 am 10 am 10 am 10 am 10 ant 10 am 10 am August 5 8/5 8/12 8/19 8/26 9/2 9/9 9/16 9/23 9/30 WEDNESDAY PM 5:30 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm GMAT EXAM: OCTOBER 17, 1992 REG & DIAG 1 READ COMP WM; ARITH & ALGEB CR1T REAS I: ADVALC WD PRO GRAPHS 5 GEOM & GRAPHS SENT CORR 7 FINAL 8 REVIEW GMAT 8/16 8/23 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 SUNDAY SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN 8/16 PM 5:30 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 GMAT 8/17 8/24 8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 MONDAY MON MON MON MON MON MON MON MON MON 8/17 PM 5:30 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 BRING $10 WORTH OF NON-PERISHABLE GROCERIES ALONG WITH A $100 DEPOSIT TO THE CENTER AND RECEIVE $100 OFF YOUR TUITION COLLEGE STATION CENTER REGISTRATION To enroll, please cut and return this portion to Kaplan Educational Center, 707 Texas Avenue, Suite 106E, TX 77840. NAME PHONE ADDRESS SCHOOL CITY. STATE ZIP 1st course/class choice 2nd course/class choice: CREDIT CARD TYPE CREDIT CARD# EXP. DATE. NAME ON CARD SIGNATURE AMOUNT L (deposit) (full tuition). J