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The Battalion
A U T
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Page 7
Friday • October 25, 1 996
Armored Escort
McKinney directs spotlight on
jnderrecognized offensive line
By Kristina Buffin
The Battalion
r see themspeai 'tis not a common occurrence for a college
babysitter thaiii
or professional offensive lineman to be fea-
ted babyfrompa .tured on the front page of a major sports
tring a football
“First Baptist Cl
Valley Museum
agazine or newspaper. In fact, not much at-
ntion is paid to offensive linemen at all.
They do not rack up impressive statistics or
or children toai ten contend for the Heisman Trophy. However,
ley are an integral part of a productive offense
if the linemen fail, the entire offense suffers.
One of these unsung heroes is junior Steve
cKinney, an offensive guard on the Texas
&M Football Team. McKinney is a key com-
onent on an A&M offense that averages 454
h this manypn yards per game and ranks second in the
ig 12 Conference.
McKinney said while it is nice to be recog-
jized for his accomplishments by the media, be-
service in Dura |gnoticed by others is more important to him.
“This is my first feature in the three years
11 have been here,” McKinney said. “The
fensive line rarely gets credit. But that does-
t matter, because the people I want to notice
* walling totakei
; their area
create problems,
lappens 1 tall
s right away.'
efficient systems ia ,
id.
he Commons sit
eir ways. Theses
me are my family and coaches.”
Guard was not a position that McKinney
played in high school; he actually played on
the opposite side of the ball. However, A&M
Offensive Line Coach Mike Sherman moved
McKinney to offense during his freshman sea
son to help out a depleted offensive line.
“We really needed people on offense,”
Sherman said. “We had enough people on de
fense. Plus, I think Steve is a natural for an of
fensive lineman. He has the body type, foot
work and speed.”
To make the transition a smooth one, McK
inney had to work on a couple of mechanics.
“Defense is different in terms of foot
work,” McKinney said. “On offense, you
have to take shorter, choppier steps on
blocking. I had longer strides, but I now
have it under control.”
Since McKinney’s footwork has been tuned
to offense, Sherman said he has the ability to
become one of the best technicians on the
line by the time he graduates.
See McKinney, Page 10
Vengeance least of Ags’
concerns as Tech visits
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Junior offensive guard Steve McKinney
stretches before practice Wednesday.
From Tonga to Texas, Heimuli displays strength
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Tim Moog, The Battalion
freshman Semisi Heimuli blocks
ping practice Wednesday afternoon.
By Matt Mitchell
The Battalion
hat’s in a name? Well, for those
readers who don’t speak Tongan,
this is a pretty perplexing question.
For what is believed to be the first time ever,
a player from Tonga has his name on the back
of a maroon Texas A&M Football jersey.
According to the man behind the name and
the starting right guard for the Aggies, it’s pro
nounced “si-MEE-see hi-MOO-lee.”
Semisi Heimuli’s name is familiar in his na
tive Tonga, where he began playing rugby at a
young age, as is the custom on the Polynesian
island. When the younger kids started playing
football, Heimuli did too, and immediately fell
in love with the game.
When his mother’s job with an airline
moved them to the Dallas-Fort Worth area,
Heimuli took up football at Euless Trinity
High School. Later, when deciding on a col
lege to attend, Heimuli elected to stay close
to home and go to A&M because of its repu
tation as a good academic environment with
a good football program.
“When I was recruiting Semisi, he was ask
ing how many Tongans there were on cam
pus, and I alluded to him that the Clayton
Williams building was the Tongan Student
Center,” Offensive Line Coach Mike Sherman
joked. “He appreciated that, but I don’t think
he bought it.”
Even as a freshman, Heimuli has impressed
coaches and teammates alike with his strength
and aggressiveness. He is arguably the strongest
member of the team, as he led the Aggies with a
415-pound bench press in the off-season condi
tioning program.
“He is a good, tough guy who enjoys the game,”
junior left guard Steve McKinney said. “He is fun to
be around and fun to play with. He is a hard work
er who takes every play seriously.”
With junior center Koby Hackradt falling to in
jury in the spring and fall camps, and Calvin
Collins' subsequent move to center, Sherman said
Heimuli was hurried into the starting rotation and
responded well to the opportunity.
See Heimuli, Page 8
in
Sports
Friday
page at http, ^ Y 0 || e yk a ||
vs. Kansas
ate at G. Rollie White
ov DPS
iliseum, 7 p.m.
l| DentisJF 1 Men’s Tennis will com-
te at the LSU Showcase
Baton Rouge all weekend.
ital Practici
e 105,
itIVI Volleyball vs. Kansas
G. Rollie White Coliseum,
p.m.
By Tom Day
The Battalion
There is no revenge factor.
Last season, the Texas A&M
Football Team suffered a demor
alizing defeat at the hands of
Texas Tech in Lubbock. When Red
Raider linebacker Zach Thomas
stepped in front of an errant
Corey Pullig pass and returned it
23 yards for a touchdown, Tech
had a 14-7 win — and the Aggies
had their pride stomped on.
Their 29-game Southwest Con
ference unbeaten streak snapped,
the Aggies suffered a cut that has
yet to heal.
But when the Red Raiders
come riding into Kyle
Field Saturday at 11:30
a.m., the Aggies won’t
have revenge on their
minds. They have other
things to worry about —
namely, trying to salvage
a season on the brink of
all-out disaster.
With his team standing at 3-4
and facing the task of having to
win four of its last five games to
be eligible for a bowl game, Head
Coach R.C. Slocum said it is hard
to gauge what his players think
about their chances of a Big 12
South Division title.
“I think they understand it,”
Slocum said. “Whether they see
themselves as being capable of do
ing that is another question. I think
they have a good feeling about
themselves. They’re frustrated
about the turnovers and mistakes,
but I don’t think any of the players
think they’re not good enough to
beat anyone left on our schedule.”
A&M junior quarterback Bran-
ndon Stewart said he and the
team are indeed frustrated.
“It’s tough when you feel you’re
playing well and you practice
hard, and then you come out in
the game and have turnovers,”
Stewart said. “It’s frustrating, and
it kills all your effort.”
Through seven games,
turnovers have been the Aggies’
Achilles’ heel. A&M has given the
ball away a mind-baffling 23
times this season.
However, another problem that
has plagued the team this season is
its inability to make big plays. Dur
ing the first half of its contest with
Kansas State last week, the A&M de-
fense surrendered several first
downs on Wildcat third-down plays.
Sophomore cornerback Shun
Horn said that is a problem the de
fense is working toward correcting.
“Last year, our opponents were
around 18 percent on third-down
conversions,” Horn said. “The
other night [KSU] had a 3rd-and-
19 and got the first down which
led to a touchdown. We have to
stop that, and we have to get bet
ter down in the red zone.”
The Wrecking Crew
will have its work cut
out for it against the
Red Raiders and their
primary gun —- Heis
man Trophy candidate
Byron Hanspard. The
junior running back
ranks second in the na
tion in rushing with 202
yards per contest and was the
first player in the country to
reach the 1,000-yard barrier.
Hanspard also leads the
Raiders in receiving with 14
catches for 149 yards.
Slocum said slowing Hanspard
will be a tougher task than it was for
the Aggies against Troy Davis and
Iowa State. A&M limited Davis to
just 130 yards on 39 carries in their
game with the Cyclones on Oct. 12.
“I think Hanspard is a little
more difficult to stop because
Tech has a much more diversified
offense,” Slocum said. “[He] is
probably a more versatile player
(than Troy Davis). They get the
ball to Hanspard in more ways
than Iowa State did with Troy.”
Tech’s diversified offense re
volves around athletic quarterback
Zebbie Lethridge. The nimble ju
nior can elude the defensive pass
rush and is at his best on the run.
Lethridge has completed less than
50 percent of his passes, but has
thrown for 883 yards and six touch
downs, while running for 190 yards
and two scores.
See Aggies, Page 10
The Battalion’s 1996 Staff Picks
Saturday
Football vs. Texas Tech
Kyle Field, 11:30 a.m.
The Match-Ups
Tom
Day
Kristina
Buffin
Jamie
Burch
Sara
Duesing
Jeremy
Furtick
Colby
Gaines
Ross
Hecox
Matt
Mitchell
Dennis
Ramirez
Nicki
Smith
Consensus
Texas Tech at Texas A&M
A&M
Texas Tech
A&M
A&M
A&M
Texas Tech
A&M
A&M
Texas Tech
A&M
A&M: Zach Thomas ain't around anymore
#7 Alabama at #6 Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee: Vols wait out Crimson Tide
#2 Ohio State at #20 Iowa
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State
Ohio State: The battle of the "eyes"
#14 Virginia at #3 Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State
Florida State: Two words: De-fense
Kansas at #5 Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska: Huskers harvest Henley
Texas at #8 Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado
Colorado: "Tatanka" saws horns off
Oklahoma at #16 Kansas St.
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas State
Kansas St: Sooners come down to earth
Iowa State at Baylor
Iowa State
Iowa State
Baylor
Baylor
Iowa State
Baylor
Iowa State
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor: Bears hide in cave from Cyclones
Oklahoma State at Missouri
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.
Missouri
Missouri
* Missouri
Missouri
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.
Oklahoma St.: Cowboys lasso Tigers
San Francisco at Oilers
Oilers
San Francisco
San Francisco
Oilers
San Francisco
Oilers
Oilers
Oilers
San Francisco
Oilers
Oilers: No gold for 49ers in Houston
Cowboys at Miami
Miami
Miami
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Cowboys
Miami
Cowboys
Miami
Cowboys: Jerry slaps jimmy in face again
Kansas City at Denver
Denver
Kansas City
Denver
Kansas City
Denver
Denver
Kansas City
Denver
Kansas City
Denver
Denver: Broncos bust Chiefs
Last Week
9-3
7-5
6-6
7-5
6-6
7-5
7-5
7-5
8-4
9-3
73-47: Sports desk has jacked up week
Cumulative
61-23
51-33
48-36
57-27
52-32
52-32
54-30
52-32
55-29
55-29
433-287: Buffin jumping off band wagon
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