Monday • August 11, 1997
S The Battalion
PORTS
Injuries plague expansion quarterbacks
Collins breaks jaw, Panthers forced to regroup
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The
Carolina Panthers — already strug
gling on offense — suddenly face a
more urgent problem: Kerry Collins
[tin has a broken jaw and is sidelined in
definitely.
The Pro Bowl quarterback of
the NFC West champions was in-
da jured during Saturday night’s 23-
13 exhibition loss to the Denver
Broncos. Standing in the pocket
as he completed a pass, Collins
L took a vicious hit to the head in
the second quarter from line
backer Bill Romanowski.
He underwent surgery Sunday
rnd it’s unlikely he will play in the
\ug. 31 opener against Washington,
tnd he could be out for more than
a month.
lvai The quarterback job now goes to
ourneyman Steve Beuerlein, an 11 -
fear veteran who was 3-1 as a
F starter in 1996 when Collins went
| sll Pown with several injuries.
“1 don’t think there is really any-
p aodyon this football team that feels
ike I ve to prove anything to
Item,” said Beuerlein, who is 25-25
as an NFL starter for six different
teams. “They have confidence in
neand until I show them otherwise
[don’t think that will change. I don’t
alanon letting them see that side.’’
Collins threw for 2,454 yards last
season and had only nine intercep
tions in leading Carolina to the NFC
title game.
The Panthers had scored only
one touchdown and 22 points in
an 0-2 exhibition start while try
ing to break in a relatively new re
ceiving corps.
“We can’t let it be a starting over
process,” said wide receiver Ernie
Mills, who signed as a free agent
from Pittsburgh. “As receivers we
can’t say, ‘OK, now we’ve got to start
over and adjust to Steve.’ We are
wide receivers, our job is to go out
there and catch the ball regardless
of who the starter is.”
Beuerlein is the first to admit his
talent and ability doesn’t match up
to that of the rugged Collins.
“My game is a lot different than
Kerry’s game,” Beuerlein said. “I’m
not able to do some of the things he
is physically. I don’t know if I would
have been able to take that hit any
better than he did. I make up for it
in other ways.”
One way is by his fiery nature.
Beuerlein held an impromptu
meeting with the offensive starters
after news of Collins’ injury reached
the locker room.
“I do know I need everybody on
this offense to step up and play their
best to give me a chance to be my
best,” he said. “That’s the word I’ve
spread. I said, ‘Hey, this is the way it
has got to be. I have confidence in
all you guys.’”
Coach Dom Capers said he was
looking downfield when Collins
was struck and couldn’t comment
on Romanowski’s hit. Capers said
he would look at the tape before
deciding to ask the league to re
view the hit. There was no flag on
the play.
“It was a head-to-head shot,
which is not what you are looking
for anytime, much less a preseason
game,” Beuerlein said. “It’s not go
ing to make Kerry feel any better if
there is a fine involved. The bottom
line is he has a long way to go what
ever the situation may be. He’s got
to get himself ready.”
Bruneirs knee injury hobbles Jaguars
EAST RUTHERFORD, N J. (AP)
— The Jacksonville Jaguars’ hopes
of reaching the Super Bowl in their
third season may have taken a big
hit following a knee injury to quar
terback Mark Brunell.
Brunell, who carried the
Jaguars to the AFC title game in
their second year last season, in
jured his right knee with 6:54 left
in the first half of Saturday night’s
38-16 exhibition win over the New
York Giants.
Brunell was scheduled for an MRI
Sunday, but neither coach Tom
Coughlin nor his players seemed op
timistic. The Jaguars now turn to back
up Rob Johnson, who has thrown all
of seven passes in two seasons.
“It’s a whole new ballgame now,”
Johnson said. “I’ve done well in
practice. Now we’ll find out what I
can do in the NFL.”
Johnson certainly looked like a
Super Bowl quarterback for one ex
hibition game, going 5-for-7 for 170
yards and two touchdowns, includ
ing a 60-yarder to Jimmy Smith
right after Brunell went down.
When he entered, the Jaguars had
been outgained 170-45, although
they trailed just 6-3.
Brunell was obtained from
Green Bay before the 1995 season
and played the last 11 games that
season. He then emerged in the sec
ond half of last year as one of the
NFL’s top young quarterbacks.
He was the only quarterback to
take every snap for his team in 1996.
He led the NFL in passing yards
(4,367) and
rushing
yards
for a
terback (396) and his 4,763 total
yards was the fifth-highest ever by
an NFL quarterback.
“He’s our heart. It’s as simple as
that,” said Pro Bowl receiver
Keenan McCardell. “He’s the piece
of the puzzle that can get us to the
Super Bowl.”
Johnson has played in only one
regular-season game during his two
years, completing 3-of-7 passes for
24 yards with one interception. His
career quarterback rating is 12.0.
Brunell was hit by a blitzing
Jessie Armstead as he planted his
right leg on the artificial turf at
Giants Stadium. Armstead ap
peared to be blocked to the
ground by Natrone Means and
slid into Brunell.
“It was in no way deliberate,”
said Armstead, who had a serious
knee injury in college at Miami.
“The back hit me. I hit the ground
and kind of rolled into his leg.”
“It’s scary to see your quarter
back sitting on the ground,” said
Smith. “I’ve never been in this situ
ation before, where you suddenly
have a new quarterback.”
Added Coughlin: “It’s frustrat
ing when a guy gets hurt when the
game doesn’t count — or when it
does count. But it’s the way foot
ball is. It’s a dangerous game — on
turf or on grass. A guy can get in
jured planting his foot on grass
during a practice session. You just
never know.”
Johnson was a fourth-round
choice in 1995, Jacksonville’s first
season. He was the first pick of the
second day although he was pro
jected much higher. Some scouts
considered him a first-rounder, but
there were questions about his atti
tude and work ethic.
Maddux becomes highest-paid player
ATLANTA (AP) — Greg Maddux be-
bame baseball’s highest-paid player
[ e |) Sunday, signing a five-year contract ex-
ension with the Atlanta Braves that
wllpay him $57.5 million.
“Hove playing here,” the four-time
[ijjKyYoung award winner said. “It’s been
e [(j agreat five years and I look forward to
phenext five.”
Maddux’s agent, Scott Boras, said
le deal included a signing bonus
and no deferred money. The pack-
averages $11.5 million a year
and is guaranteed.
The 31-year-old right-hander
leapfrogs past Barry Bonds of San
francisco and Albert Belle of Cleve
land in the salary game. Bonds will
earn an average of $11.45 million a
year, beginning in 1999, and Belle
makes $11 million.
Maddux is in the final season of a
$28 million,
five-year con
tract that pays
him $6.5 million
this season.
“They made
me a nice deal,” he said. “I’d be a fool
not to take it.”
The signing was announced be
fore the Braves played the Florida
Marlins. Atlanta general manager
John Schuerholz attended the Turner
Field news conference and called
Maddux a “very vital part of the At
lanta Braves organization.”
Maddux supplanted teammate
Tom Glavine as the top-paid pitcher in
baseball. Those two join John Smoltz
and Denny Neagle in agreeing to long
term deals with the Braves, whose
starting rotation has been baseball’s
best during the 1990s.
Glavine, the winningest pitcher in
the majors since 1991 with 111 victo
ries, signed a four-year contract exten
sion for $34 million in May. That
pushed the left-hander past Toronto’s
Roger Clemens as the top earner
among pitchers.
Kile wins ninth straight
Houston beats up on Mets’ Rick Reed, 11-8
NEW YORK (AP) — Darryl Kile won his
ninth straight decision de
spite allowing two home
runs to John Olerud, and
the Houston Astros held on
to defeat the New York
Mets 11-8 Sunday.
The Astros gave Kile (16-
3) a 5-0 lead in the first in
ning. Kile gave up eight runs
and 10 hits in seven innings,
striking out eight.
Olerud’s solo home run in the third pulled the
Mets within 5-4. He highlighted a four-run sev
enth with a two-run homer, his 16th, as New York
closed to 11-8.
Tom Martin got five outs for his second save.
The Astros won their second in a row after losing
five straight games.
The Astros scored five times in the first inning
against Rick Reed (10-5), helped by a pair of er
rors. Bill Spiers and Brad Ausmus hit RBI singles.
WHAT’S IT LIKE AT THE PLASMA CENTER!
To the staff of the Plasma Center,
I would like to start by saying thank
you to each and every employee for making the
past three years enjoyable in a professional,
efficient and courteous environment. As a
donor since 1993, I have been more than satis
fied with every aspect of your operation, which
allows myself and others to contribute what we
can to community service, all the while being
serviced by diligent, but relaxed, workers.
Everyone at the Plasma Center, from those
behind the front counter to the phlebotomists
to the supervisors, have made great efforts to
insure that each donor feels hygienically safe,
as well as keeping the atmosphere light.
Like most, I started coming to the
Plasma Center for monetary reasons, but I
soon developed acquaintances that appealed to
me almost as much as the original need for
money, enabling me to look forward to each
donation, not only for my wallets sake but also
to see my friends. Like I commented to some
one recently, talking to people at the Plasma
Center was like getting mail from a far-off
friend that you don’t get to do much with, but
who you can talk to as often as you write. Lor
those acquaintances and for your continual
services. I would like to thank all of those I’ve
come to know and appreciate over the past
three years - Emily, and Tracy, Heath, and
Marty, Ada and Josie, etc... more I can’t
remember or those who have gone on to better
things.
So, as I graduate from this great
University, I bid you all a fond farewell and
strong commendations on such a successful
blend of quality medical practice and friendly
service. Thank you all and have a great sum
mer. Thanks, C.L
BiologicalS
THE PLASMA CENTER
700 E. University Dr.
268-6050
4223 Wellborn Rd.
846-8855
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