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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1995)
7 PORTS The Battalion* Tuesday • August 1 Training Camp *35 /5 Nick Ceorgandis,' Fomer Texas A&M standout and current Houston Oilers quarterback Bucky Richardson looks over the defense in a drill at training camp on Saturday in San Antonio. The Oilers are coming off a 2-14 seasc their worst record since 1 983. Richardson is locked in a battle with William Furrer for the backup quarterback job, with Chris Chandler getting the strating nod. Oilers out to prove ’94 a fluke Third week of can □ Free-agent signings and a talented rookie class have Houston looking to re bound from a 2-14 year. By Nick Ceorgandis The Battalion SAN ANTONIO — Until the remnants of tropical storm Dean passed through the area Monday, the city of San Antonio had seen 100-degree temperatures every day for the past two weeks. Maybe the only place hotter than in the heart of the city was Trinity University, where the Houston Oilers have been burn ing with the desire to forget about last sea son and build a winning team. Last year, the Oilers suffered through their worst season since 1983, winning just twice while losing 14 times. This came just one year after Houston strung together 11 consecutive wins while winning a club- record 12 games. The dropoff from 1994 to 1995 was the largest in NFL history. “This is not a 2-14 team,” offensive line man Brad Hopkins said. “Everybody here is very optimistic for this season.” This year’s team is vastly different from the squad that reported to San Antonio a year ago. Gone are former coach Jack Pardee and his run-and-shoot offense. Also gone is quarterback Cody Carlson, who could never stay healthy during the regu lar season and was waived two months ago. This year’s team is coached by Jeff Fish er, the Oilers’ former defensive coordinator who was promoted to the head coaching job when Pardee was fired during last season. Fisher has installed a more traditional of fensive set/utilizing two backs and a tight end, instead of the run-and-shoot’s single back and four receivers format. “We have added a lot of talent and changed our offense to where we can com pete in this league,” Hopkins said. The additional talent has come largely via the free-agent market. During the off-season, the Oilers’ signed former De troit Lion All-Pro kick returner Mel Gray, who returned four kickoffs for touchdowns last year. Gray will return punts and kickoffs and is also expected to be used some at wide re ceiver. He said he chose to sign with the Oilers over other teams because he sees a bright future for the team. “I had plenty of offers after my perfor mance last year, but Houston’s was gener ous,” Gray said. “We are not that far off from being a g<5od team.” The other big free-agent signing by the Oilers was All-Pro center Mark Stepnoski, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys. Stepnoski will start at center for the Oilers while All- Pro Bruce Matthews, who is expected to sign a four-year, $10.3 million contract to day, will move to guard. Two draft picks are expected to have im mediate impacts on the Oilers’ offensive at tack. The first is Chris Sanders, a wide re ceiver from Auburn drafted in the third round. During the off-season, Ernest Givins, the Oilers’ all-time leading receiv er, signed a free-agent contract with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. As training camp began, the Oilers cut starting wide receiver Webster Slaughter to free up money to sign key players who are still holding out. filled with illness, injuries for Cowbc □ Running back Sher man Williams contin ues to impress coaches. Nick Ceorgandis, The Battalion (L-R) Oiler quarterbacks William Furrer, Bucky Richardson and Steve McNair gather at camp. "This is not a 2-14 team. Everybody here is very opti mistic for this sea son." — Brad Hopkins Offensive lineman, Houston Oilers These circumstances have quickly moved Sanders up the Oilers’ depth chart at wide receiver. Haywood Jeffires and Reggie Brown are listed as the Oilers’ first-string receivers with Sanders and Gary Wellman on the second string of the depth chart. The other rookie, who reported to train ing camp on Monday, is former Texas A&M running back Rodney Thomas. Thomas held out until Friday when he signed a three-year contract worth $832,500. Thomas is expected to get substantial playing time as the backup to running back Gary Brown. Thomas is the Aggies’ all- Nick Ceorgandis, The Battalion Rookie wide receiver Chris Sanders from Auburn stretches during special teams' practice at Hous ton Oilers training camp Saturday. Sanders is listed as second-string on the Oilers' depth chart. time leader in touchdowns scored and is fourth on A&M’s career list for yards rush ing. Fisher said Thomas would also see ac tion on special teams. Most of the Oilers’ defense is already used to working under Fisher, who came to the team before the 1994 season to replace Bud dy Ryan, who left the Oilers to coach the Ari zona Cardinals after the 1993 season. Last year, despite their poor record, the Oilers ranked in the top 10 in the AFC in nearly every defensive category. Michael Barrow, one of the Oilers’ returning start ing linebackers, said the team is trying to forget last year and that Fisher’s influence is already taking effect. “Last season ... a lot of guys are still try ing to figure out what happened last sea son,” Barrow said. “But this is a different team. Coach Fisher has changed a lot of things for us, and we’ll be better.” The defensive unit returns most of its starters from last season, except for line backer Lamar Lathon, who signed with the Carolina Panthers and Bubba McDowell, who left for a bigger contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Oilers’ defensive line was a major area of weakness for the Oilers last season when first-round draft pick Henry Ford did not pan out into the player he was expected to be and starting defensive line men William Fuller and Sean Jones left via free agency. In an attempt to remedy the situation, the Oilers used their second-round pick to sign Anthony Cook, a standout defensive lineman from the University of South Carolina. Cook is expected to see a lot of playing time on the line, along with second-year player Jeremy Nunley and for mer Aggie All-American and All-Pro Ray Childress. Perhaps the most interesting player at camp for the Oilers is the one who is not expected to play at all this season. The Oil ers used the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft to take quarterback Steve McNair from Al corn State. Despite playing in Division II, McNair drew rave reviews from most pro scouts and graced the cover of Sports Illus trated during his final season. McNair fin ished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leader in total yards. Although McNair saw some action in the Oilers’ scrimmage with the Dallas Cowboys See Oilers, Page 4 AUSTIN (AP) — Shane Han nah, the Cowboys’ second- round draft pick from Michigan State, will be out for eight weeks because of a knee injury suffered in Saturday’s exhibi tion game against Buffalo. Dallas coach Barry Switzer said Hannah suffered a carti lage injury. “He will be out about eight weeks, and we will probably operate on it Friday,” he said. The Cowboys tried rookie tight end Eric Bjornson at wide receiver Monday, and Switzer tM said the fourth-round r draft choice from Washington may play at that position Sat urday against the Oakland Raiders. The Cowboys are looking for quality players at the wide receiver position. They have been searching for a suitable replacement since former starter Alvin Harper left the team after the 1994 season and signed a free-a? tract with the fair Buccaneers. “Eric is a big recei 1 can run fast, and we* take the option of loti him against the Rt Switzer said. Several observers at: that the Cowboys havf found a suitable back Pro running back Emm: in rookie Sherman V Williams, selected intt round by Dallas from; versity of Alabama, hat ries for 40 yards inthet 21-15 win over the Buf Saturday a: Stadium. Last year, £ Cowboys were! by the San Fn 49ers 38-28 inti Championship Smith admitted to beit out physically from a son of wear and tear. Although the Tes; has been hard on the Cowboys, it has bother: Aikman another way. The All-Pro quarter^ through the Monday af- workout at St. Edwards sity despite a bad cold. Angela bles ont T Cowboys wide receiver Corey Fleming, left, snatches the f from cjafotx/ \A/i 111 rliirino 3 xA/nrlrni it in Aiidin