Friday • October 7, 1994
The Battalion • Page 5
Today’s pro
quarterbacks
can’t cut it
h
a
r-
ter of the Na
tional Football
League’s sea
son completed,
it has come ap
parent that the league is facing a tal
ent shortage at the most important
position of the field: quarterback.
With the exception of Troy Aik-
man, the starter of the two-time
Super Bowl champion Dallas Cow
boys and a certain future member
of the Hall of Fame, something is
wrong with the talent level of
the“new generation” signal callers.
In fact, of all the quarterbacks
who have entered the league since
1987, Aikman remains the only one
who has become a franchise player.
In the 1990s, scouting has
evolved into an industry, a major
branch of the NFL. But, when it
comes to selecting quarterbacks,
little has changed for the new high-
tech NFL. In other words, the
misses far outweigh the hits.
For every Troy Aikman, there are
the Dan McGwires and Todd Mari-
novichs of the world. The latter two
are just a sample of the growing
number of quarterbacks who were
picked high in recent drafts, but
have failed to produce and win foot
ball games. Check out this list of re
cent failed quarterbacks:
Jeff George, picked number one
overall by the Indianapolis Colts,
pouted his way out of town and is
trying to start over in Atlanta.
Timm Rosenbach, plagued by in
juries year after year for the Ari
zona Cardinals, abruptly quit the
team before trying to re-surface in
the Canadian Football League.
And probably the worst mistake
made so far in the 1990’s by an
NFL general manager, the drafting
of the University of Houston’s An
dre Ware as number seven overall
pick in the 1990 draft. The Detroit
Lions gave up on the former Heis-
man Trophy winner after four sea
sons of moving in and out of the
lineup. After the 1993 season,
Ware signed with the Minnesota
Vikings where he is the back-up
quarterback to Warren Moon.
The NFL’s last two drafts may
be the turning point in terms of
quality quarterbacks in the league.
With the additions of Drew Bledsoe
and Rick Mirer in 1993 and Health
Shuler (if he can survive his rookie
season with the Redskins) and
Trent Dilfer (if he ever starts for
the Buccaneers) in 1994, the NFL
outlook might be improving.
Mirer, the promising quarter
back for the Seattle Seahawks, and
Bledsoe, the signal-caller of the
New England Patriots, had impres
sive rookie seasons in 1993. They
finished with a combined 5,327 to
tal yards and 27 touchdowns on
two non-playoff caliber teams.
As for the other two quarter
backs, Shuler and Dilfer, they have
all the talent to win in the NFL (of
course, so did a lot of the other peo
ple on this list) but let’s wait until
they have more experience in game
situations before judging their
place in football history.
Because of the sudden drop-off of
younger talented quarterbacks,
teams like the Kansas City Chiefs
and Minnesota Vikings have looked
to the old guard of aging NFL sig
nal-callers (i.e. Joe Montana and
See Holstead/Page 6
JASON
HOLSTEAD
Sportswriter
’94 Wrecking Crew dominates SWC
Stew Milne/THE Battalion
Linebackers Antonio Armstrong (56) and Reggie Brown (46) converge on Texas Tech’s quarterback during Satur
day’s game at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M leads
conference in four
defensive categories
By David Winder
The Battalion
After losing two All-Americans,
three starters and two reserves from
the defensive line, and defensive coor
dinator Bob Davie, the 1994 Texas
A&M defense quickly became the “No-
Name” defense.
After four games under new defen
sive coordinator Tommy Tuberville
however, the Aggies’ Wrecking Crew de
fense is back, at full force.
“Right now, we’re playing as well as we
possibly can. ” Tuberville said. “We’re go
ing to continue to get better though be
cause we haven’t finished putting in all
of our defensive alignments.
“We feel we’re going to get better
technique wise, too. Right now, we’re
playing as good as we can because we
are playing with a lot of effort.”
The Aggies lead the Southwest Con
ference in total defense (241.3 yards
allowed per game), rushing defense
(53.8), passing efficiency defense (a
91.7 rating) and scoring defense (15.3
points per game).
“I think the defense should be better
than it is right now,” linebacker Anto
nio Armstrong said. “We keep making
little simple mistakes in certain areas.
“There’s no lack of size or speed on
this defense. Mental errors are the only
thing holding us back from being the
best defense in the country.”
This year, the Aggies have yet to al
low more than 100 yards rushing to an
opposing team. They have also racked
up 22 sacks and 42 stops behind the
line of scrimmage. Cornerback Ray
Mickens however, feels the defense has
yet to reach its full potential.
“In the new system, there are new
signals, so we’re still getting adjust
ed,” Mickens said. “We’ve been going
on Coach Davie’s signals for years, it
was like second nature.
“We’re making errors now as far as
lining up and getting the calls. Once we
get all our calls together, there won’t be
too many busts and big plays.”
Even if the alignments are not al
ways correct, Tuberville has been
pleased with the Aggies’ effort so far.
“I think everybody who has played a
lot has improved in one form or anoth
er, ” Tuberville said. “They improved
their technique, their effort, and the
mental part of their game.
“They’re really a bunch of unselfish
guys, also. You got a guy like Larry
Jackson who is playing on the defensive
line now, and Reggie Graham has made
a lot of improvement since he has
moved inside. Michael Hendricks has
also improved his tackling.”
Armstrong, whose five sacks tie him
with Keith Mitchell and Brandon
Mitchell for the team lead, would like to
bring back another defensive tradition.
“Earlier this year Keith(Mitchell)
and I were talking about bringing the
‘Blitz Brothers’ back to A&M, ” Arm
strong said. “We were just joking
about it then, but now it looks like it is
becoming reality.”
Olajuwon suffers headaches after headbutt
Injury not serious but Rockets star will miss first day of NBA training camp
HOUSTON (AP) — League MVP Ha
keem Olajuwon, still ailing from a colli
sion that occurred during a pickup bas
ketball game, may miss the first day of
preseason training camp Friday.
Olajuwon received a minor injury to
a sinus cavity on the left side of is face
when he bumped heads with teammate
Tim Breaux on Monday. He was treated
and released from a local hospital.
Olajuwon missed Thursday night’s
media day event because he went home
to rest after taking a physical.
“He went through the physicals but
he wasn’t feeling well,” Rockets coach
Rudy Tomjanovich said. “He didn’t get
much sleep last night. He won’t be here
tonight and I don’t know if he’ll be in
Galveston for the start of workout.”
The defending NBA champions begin
preseason workouts Friday at Texas
A&M -Gal veston.
Team physicians said Olajuwon’s in
jury was not serious, but that he would
not have any contact work for seven to 10
days or until he gets medical clearance.
“As a coach, you learn to expect the
unexpected,” Tomjanovich said. “I get
a call late at night and Hakeem has
been hurt. It’s one of those things we
have to deal with. It won’t upset what
we’re going to do.”
The Rockets, who beat the New York
Knicks in the seventh game of the
championship series, will open their
preseason Oct. 14 against Philadelphia
in Austin’s Frank Erwin Center.
The Rockets maintained their eight-
man rotation during the off-season and
Tomjanovich expects the Rockets to
make a run at repeating.
“There will come a time when we are
not the champions anymore, but there’s
no reason it has to be this year,”
Tomjanovich said. “I know you have
to be lucky and we can’t stay where we
were. You have to get better and al
ready I see ways to improve.”
This day in Aggie
football...
Oct. 7, 1 994:
In a game at Kezar
Stadium in San Francisco,
A&M defeats two-time
Sugar Bowl Santa Clara,
7-3, when Jim Thomason
catches a touchdown pass
form Marion Pugh.
WewMakh Ups
Dave
Winder
Nick
Georgandis
Drew
Diener
Stewart
Doreen
Tom
Day
Mark
Smith
Rob
Clark
Kim
McGuire
Heather
Winch
Stew
Milne
Commentary...
George
W. Bush
Reveille
VI
Belinda
Blancarte
Houston vs. #10 A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
What is this, some kind of joke?
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
#15 Texas vs. #u, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Texas
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas
Oklahoma
Texas
No rushing 'D' vs. No passing 'D'
Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Baylor vs. SMU
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Bears ram Ponies into wall....
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Rice vs, Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Raiders shoot down Owls....
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
#13 Miami vs. #3 Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Miami
Miami
Miami
Florida St.
Florida St.
Florida St.
Foot Locker vs. Luther Campbell
Florida St.
Florida St.
Miami
Miss. St. vs. #9 Auburn
Auburn
Auburn
Auburn
Miss. St.
Auburn
Miss St.
Auburn
Miss. St.
Auburn
Auburn
They castrate Tigers, don't they?
Auburn
Auburn
Auburn
Fresno St. vs. BYU
BYU
BYU
Fresno St.
BYU
BYU
BYU
BYU
BYU
BYU
BYU
Wacky WAC game of the week..
BYU
Fresno St.
BYU
Boston College vs. #8 N. Dame
B.C.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
No miracle this time....
Notre Dame
B.C.
B.C.
#7 Michigan vs. Michigan St.
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
just try to do that Hail Mary now
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Cowboys vs. Cardinals
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Buddy needs to invent '46'offense
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Bills vs. Dolphins
Dolphins
Bills
Dolphins
Dolphins
Dolphins
Dophins
Bills
Dolphins
Dolphins
Dolphins
Dolphins vs. Bills in Trials of Life
Dolphins
Dolphins
Bills
Oilers vs. Off Week
Off Week
Oilers (Larry)
Off Week
Off Week
Oilers (Curly)
Oilers (Moe)
Off Week
Off Week
Off Week
Off Week
Off Week just too strong....
Off Week
Off Week
Off Week
Last Week
10-2
7-5
8-4
9-3
8-4
9-3
9-3
9-3
10-2
9-3
88-32 (.733)
Last Week's Cue
sts: Dr. Ray Bov
yen 10-2,
Overall
40-20(667)
35-25 (.saa)
38-22 (.633)
44-1 6 (.733)
38-22 (.633)
38-22 (.633)
43-1 7 (.708)
40-20 (.667)
43-1 7 (.708)
41-19 (.683)
400-200 (.667)
Collective Soul 8-4, Marlin Fitzwater 7-5.
Total: 32-16 (.667)
SOUTHWESTERN BLACK STUDENT
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
AWARENESS WEEK
Monday, October 3 - Friday, October 7
in the Commons Lobby and the MSC
also
First Host and Hostess Meeting
For All Interested Students on
October 9th at 4 p.m. in Rudder 301
Fix the Grades! 4.0 and Go
nr/) andlittde, Daw,
Located at 700 E. University Drive, Suite 108
Across from the Hilton, next to Golden Corral, Blockbuster Video, and Sidepockets
*Rebates to Carpoolers
Mon. 10/10 Tlie. 10/11 Wed. 10/12 Thu. 10/13
7-9 p.m.
BANA 303
Part I
BANA 303
Part II
BANA 303
Part III
BANA 303
Practice
Test
9-11 p.m.
MATH 152
Part I
MATH 152
Part II
MATH 152
Part III
MATH 152
Practice
Test
9-11 p.m.
FINC 341
Part I
FINC 341
Part II
FINC 341
Part III
FINC 341
Part IV
TUTORS IN: ACCT 229, ACCT 230, BANA 303, MATH 151, MATH 152, FINC 341
FOR QUESTIONS, CALL: 846-TUTOR (846-8886)