^er 3,1993
'riday, September 3,1993
Texas A&M vs. LSU
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Position Profiles
Freshman Spotlight
Greer's primary goal:
help out secondary
By Drew Diener
The Battalion
\ On Saturday, freshman de-
| fensive back Donovan Greer
i steps on the football field for the
j first time as a
jcollegi a te
I player when
I A&M meets
Ilouisi a n a
I State in the
season opener
at Kyle Field.
I The former
] prep All-
| American out
| of Alief Elsik
1 in the Hous-
Greer
■ ton area pos-
J sesses the tools A&M secondary
| coach Trent Walters said will
j make him a successful player on
1 the college level.
j "He's an instinctive-type
| player," Walters said. "That's
] good for a defensive back be-
| cause you've got to be aware of
j everything happening in front
; of you and make quick-snap
judgments and decisions."
If he continues to hone his
existing skills and his confi
dence continues to grow', Wal
ters said Greer is capable of
I making big strides early in his
j A&M career.
"He's made a great transition
from high school to college and
we've got him playing number
two (behind Aaron Glenn at left
corner) right now," Walters
said. "I think next year he'll
have an excellent chance of re
placing Aaron Glenn as the
starting left cornerback."
Walters also said Greer con
tinues to become more confi
dent in himself and his ability to
I help the team.
"When he first came in there
were some apprehensions," he
said. "He was unsure of himself
it the time. But once he got into
the system and got comfortable,
he's been making strides and
competing everyday."
That emerging confidence
Walters spoke of has helped
Greer combat the obvious stress
the heralded youngster has
faced during his transition to
the college game.
"Basically, there is a lot of
pressure on me," Greer said.
"The coaches have high expecta
tions of me. They try to tell me
what I did wrong so I can im
prove on the bad things I do."
Greer cited his teammates'
support as an integral part of his
adjustment and introduction to
the new level of football at
which he now plays.
"The players are real nice,"
Greer said. "If I have a ques
tion, they're eager to help me."
Adjusting to a higher level of
football is not the only challenge
Greer has faced since coming to
College Station. Aside from
dealing with typical freshman
anixieties, Greer said he has had
to tackle the overwhelming size
of classes he has encountered.
"It's a lot different from high
school, going to class with 200-
300 people," Greer said. "But
my professors are real nice."
Walters said Greer has the in
telligence and desire to succeed
both on and off the football field
and is adjusting to life away
from home.
"With all the football he's
getting and the success he's
having so far, I think that's kind
of taken away from some of the
homesickness," Walters said.
"He came in and was able to
grasp all the football terminolo
gy and our coverages and
picked up really well.
"I think his goal was to come
in and play early and he's going
to be able to do that."
Greer said he hopes to see
himself starting this time next
year if he continues to improve
and make big plays.
Walters said he will get his
chance and likes what he sees in
the freshman.
"He's come in and really im
pressed us," said Walters.
"He's like one of the boys right
A linebacker ready for contact
Shorter hoping to live up to
big-play potential as rusher
By Nick Georgandis
The Battaluon
Junior outside linebacker Anto
nio Shorter has two idols in life.
On the outside, they couldn't be
two more different people. But for
Shorter they both instill the same
desire to suceed.
"I have to idolize my mother,"
Shorter said. "She helped to get
me where I am. As far as a foot
ball player, I have to say it would
be Lawrence Taylor(of the New
York Giants). His reckless aban
don, the way he plays, just hit-up
hard-nosed football, I want to be
like that. I'm #56 for Lawrence
Taylor."Shorter steps into the po
sition vacated by stand-out Mar
cus Buckley who has since moved
on to the NFL. Shorter, however,
doesn't feel any pressure about
stepping into the spotlight.
"I look at it this way", he said,
"I've been waiting for my time,
working hard, doing whatever I
can do to help the team. Now it's
my time, my opportunity. Re
gardless of who was here last year
or who'll be here next year, now
it's time to see what Antonio's go
ing to do."
Outside linebacker coach Kirk
Doll agreed and said, "Antonio's
got a lot of ability. Obviously, he's
been playing behind some pretty
good players and hasn't got a lot
of playing time. It's a matter of
him getting some game experi
ence and being comfortable with
the added pressure of being out
there in the Aggie defense."
Shorter said Steve Solari, the
other outside linebacker, has
helped him feel comfortable as he
makes the change from back-up to
starter.
"It's a different feeling when
Steve's out there with me," he
said. "It's having someone I can
lean on if I have a problem out
there. Closer to game time, we
just go over what we do so we
don't go out there and have any
mental busts. We sit and go over
and over our defense to make
sure we have everything together
for our game plan."
"After this year, hopefully I
will be in the position where I can
help some of the younger guys
out the same way," he said.
Shorter came out of Houston's
Kashmere High School as Max
Emfinger's seventh best line-
"I have to idolize my
mother. She helped to
get me where I am."
- Antonio Shorter
backer in the Southwest. He said
he had little doubt on where he
wanted to continue his studies.
"A&M is close to home and it's
a great education," Shorter said.
"A&M is well-known, so once
you get a degree here, there's a
good chance you'll have a job
sooner or later. Plus, there's a
great football program.
"I came here to be a wild, loose
rusher," he said. "That's the way I
played in high school. That is the
kind of defense they have here."
Playing behind so many talent
ed players his first two years, a lot
of fans don't know what type of
player Shorter is. However, he
has confidence in his playing abil
ity.
"I am a balanced player," he
said. "I can get down and play the
run or I can line up outside and
cover people. I would like to get
at least one sack a game.
"Tacklewise, I'd like to be over
the 60 or 70 tackle barrier," he
said. "But, I still want to improve
in both areas and bring my game
up some."
Shorter said he is looking for
ward to his first game as a starter
against LSU and is more than
ready to face the challenge that
LSU's offense will present.
"First of all, they're going to
come out and try to run the ball,"
he said. "I don't think they're go
ing to try and finesse us or pass
on us. Hopefully, they won't be
Kyle Burnett/THE Battalion
A&M junior outside linebacker Antonio Shorter wants to step up this
year and fill the void created by Marcus Buckley's departure.
able to run the ball they'll look for
the pass. That will open it up and
give me a chance to drop inside
on the pass rush."
Although LSU is first and
foremost on Shorter's mind go
ing into the weekend, some
where down the line the dream
of the NpL looms for him.
"All college players come into
college planning on going to the
NFL," he said. "Playing college
football was a dream for me and
now this dream is coming true.
Hopefully, the NFL will be the
same way."
Right now Antonio Shorter is
ready to step into the tradition of
being an Aggie outside linebacker.
Perhaps, senior place kicker
Terrf, Venetoulia'3’Sums Shorter
up best.
"He's a great person and he's
going to be one hell of a player."
Touted McElroy ready to live up to expectations
By David Winder
Kyle Bumett/THE Battalion
ieeland McElroy is ready to go
’ollicking into the 1993 season.
The Battalion ,
Even though he has yet to play
a down in his college career, great
things are expected from running
back Leeland McElroy.
As a senior at Beaumont Cen
tral, he was named the Southwest
Player of the Year by SuperPrep
Magazine. He was also an all-
state selection after rushing for
1,532 yards and 21 touchdowns.
When he committed to A&M, it
was considered a recruiting coup
for the Aggies. Now, he is ready
to start paying dividends.
This year, McElroy will have
multiple responsibilities such as
sharing time with junoprs Rodney
Thomas and Greg Hill in the back-
field, returning kickoffs and play
ing wide receiver.
The Dallas Morning News,
Houston Post and Houston
Chronicle all selected the redshirt
freshman as their preseason New
comer of the Year.
"In my situation. I'm needed
right now but I also have a lot I
have to prove," McElroy said.
"I've already been written about
and my name is already pushed
out there even though I haven't
played a game. It's a lot I have to
live up to.
"It's not a lot of added pressure
it's just something I have to think
about. The media attention
doesn't really make me nervous
and I just try not to think about it
too much.
"It's good that I've brought all
this attention to myself before I've
even played. Hopefully I can do
best and live up to everything. "
A&M offensive coordinator
Bob Toledo said he can't wait to
see McElroy perform in an actual
game.
"He wasn't physical when he
first got here," Toledo said. "But
the things he's got better than all
of them is he's got a little better
quickness and he's got great vi
sion which I think makes a great
back."
Running backs coach Gary Ku-
biak has also been impressed with
McElroy's efforts so far.
"Leeland's come in here and
he's worked really hard," Kubiak
said. "Of course he's had a couple
of great football players ahead of
him but he's gone about his busi
ness and prepared for this week.
"He's going to get a chance to
get in there and play and we're
expecting great things out of him.
I think we'll see a lot of great
things from Leeland."
Last year A&M head coach
R.C. Slocum approached McElroy
before the Cotton Bowl and asked
him about possibly giving up his
redshirt due to the suspension of
Hill. McElroy ended not having to
play against Notre Dame but was
prepared if he had too.
"I had to think about it a long
time," McElroy said. "I had sat
out the whole season and to get in
there the last game would have
been heart-breaking but I was pre
pared to play if called upon."
This year, however, McElroy is
expecting to be called upon every
game, even if he will be behind
Thomas and Hill.
"I'm hoping I'll be in the rota
tion and not just be sitting out,"
McElroy said. "I can pretty much
deal with playing with Greg and
Rodney but I wouldn't want to sit
out the whole time."
According to former A&M All-
American free safety Patrick Bates,
McElroy will only have to wait for
a while to get his playing time.
"Leeland's just got to be pa
tient," Bates said recently. "He's
got a lot of talent but until he
plays he needs to be patient."
Former A&M fullback Doug
Carter was also impressed with
McElroy's abilities last year.
"He very quick and talented,"
Carter said a couple of weeks ago.
"He'll definitely see a lot of play
ing time this year."
DANCE
AEROBICS
Beginning Country 8c Western
Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 6pm
Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 7:30pm|
Advanced Country 8c Western
Wed. Oct20, 25,Nov3, 10, 17 6pm
Jitterbug
Thurs. Sept 23, 30, Oct 7, 14, 21 6pm
Wed. Oct 20, 25, Nov 3, 10, 17 7:30pm
Ballroom Dance
Tues. Sept 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 6pm
Gsl
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Registration Begins Sept 6th
in the University PLUS Craft Center
MSC Basement Level
*M/W Sept 6 - Dec 1
5:30-6:30pm $30/student
*T/Th Sept 7-Dec 2
5:30-6:30pm $30/student
*T/Th Sept 7 - Dec 2
6:45-7:45pm $30/student
Registration Begins Aug 30th
in the University PLUS Craft Center
MSC Basement Level
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION
MEN’S ADULT BASEBALL
REAL HARDBALL!! (18-29 yrs old)
LOCAL TEAMS FORMING NOW!!!
TRYOUTS
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Located in the MSC Basement Level - University PLUS Craft Center - 845-1631
Look for a complete listing of Fall ’93 classes in the blue boxes on campus.
DATE: SUNDAY, SEPT 5
TIME: 10:00 a. m.-12:00 p.m.
PLACE: TRAVIS FIELD
Call 846-6077 or 693-8434 for more details.
PLUS
A Tradition At Its Best.. .
Call 845-1631