The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 37

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1989 -THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR- D-3 Briefly Fresno St. relying on Cox for defense progress has gone up and up." said Cox. who credits his study of martial arts for help with his concentration. Cox will need that concentration to decide if he should stay or if he should go. Go pro.

that is. Cox, who redshirted his freshman year, has the option of returning for his fifth year of eligibility or making himself available for the NFL supplemental draft. "I'd say right now he's a solid second-round, maybe late first-round pick," said Mel Klper a college and pro football analyst, who produces a draft report. "He's can play both the run and the pass and he's one of the top linebackers in the West." Said Cox: "Some people want me to leave, some want me to stay. I Just feel lucky to have the opportunity to make a choice like that.

I feel good about being rated so high. I "1 Just want to concentrate oh this last game then I will look at all the good things and the bad things (of each choice) after that." I By MARK AMBROGI STAR STAFF WRITER When It came time for Ron Cox to make his college choice, many of the big boys Oklahoma, Brigham Young, Nebraska, Alabama, etc. came calling. "I didn't even visit Nebraska or Alabama." Cox said. "I got sick of all those plane trips." Besides, the answer was blowing in the wind not too many miles from his house.

The highly sought linebacker from Easton. ended up at nearby Fresno State. "I made the right decision." said the 6-2. 240-pound Junior standout, who will lead the 10-1 Bulldogs Into action Saturday (3:30 p.m. EST.

WMCC-23) against Ball State in the California Raisin Bowl at Fresno, Calif. "I didn't feel like I needed to go to a big school to prove myself. There's a lot of top pros who went to smaller schools. "The school name can't help you perform when you go on the field. I feel like I've shown what I can do against teams like Colorado (In '88) and Oregon State (In '89)." Said Fresno State coach Jim record 26.5 sacks.

Cox. a third-team Associated Press All-Amer-ican, also leads the team In solo tackles (60), assisted tackles (38) and tackles for losses (12). He's also forced five fumbles and intercepted a pass. Cox's contributions came in Just 10 games. Due to a bout with the flu.

Cox played only one series in the season-ending loss to New Mexico State. "I have a good sense of the ball." said Cox. who finished fourth in the balloting for the Butkus Award (given to the nation's top linebacker). "I'm able to read plays pretty well and sooner or later. I'm able to make something happen." Usually a whole lot sooner than the opposing quarterback would like.

"I love quarterback sacks. They're like scoring a touchdown." he said. "I love making tackles, too. To be really successful, you have to play both the run and the pass." In 1988. Cox racked up 44 solo tackles.

34 assisted tackles and 14Vb sacks. "Every year I think I've got smarter about the game and my FILE PHOTO Fresno State's Ron Cox Sweeney: "Ron Cox has to be ranked as the best linebacker and the most dominant force in the history of our (Big West) conference. His quickness and strength are awesome. "And those stats speak for themselves." Rather loudly at that. Cox has recorded a school- Duron-Leonard rubber match tonight Leonard is a 2-1 favorite to win the rubber match.

Leonard's WBC super middle PASEDALL FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS REDS DEAL FRANCO TO METS FOR MYERS In an exchange of high-profile relievers, the Cincinnati Reds traded John Franco to the New York Mets Wednesday night for Randy Myers. The deal also Involved a swap of minor leaguers, as the Reds sent outfielder Don Brown to the Mets for right-hander Kip Gross. For the past five years. Franco has been the premier left-handed reliever In the National League, compiling 144 saves. Last season.

Franco slipped a bit but still finished with 32 saves. For Franco. 29. It's a trip back home to New York. He was born In Brooklyn.

"It's really a Judgment call." Mets vice president Joe Mclllvalne said. "They're both good, and It's a tough thing to give up a younger pitcher. But we felt a change of scenery might be coming at the right time. John Is from New York and we feel like he Is an established closer." Myers, 27. is one of the hardest throwing left-handers In the National League.

He had 26 saves In 1988 and 24 saves last year. In the past three seasons, he has 249 strikeouts In 227 Innings. PADRES REACH ACCORDS WITH CARTER, LYNN Joe Carter reached agreement with the San Diego Padres on a three-year. $9.2 million contract Wednesday and was traded by the Cleveland Indians for Sandy Alomar Jr. and two players.

Just hours after trading for Carter, reached agreement with free agent Fred Lynn on a one-year contract. In exchange for Carter. Cleveland also got outfielder Chris James and talented minor league third baseman Carlos Baerga. Carter. 29.

hit 35 home runs, drove In 105 runs and batted .243 last season. He has averaged 31 homers and 108 RBIs for the past four years. Alomar Jr. repeated as the J.G. Taylor Spink Award Winner as the Minor League Player-of-the-Year this season.

Lynn, 38 next month, is a nine-time All-Star. REARDON SIGNS WITH RED SOX Free agent Jeff Reardon. the major-league save leader during the 1980s, signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday for $6.8 million. During the 1980s, Reardon had 264 saves with the Montreal Expos and Twins. Reardon Joins Lee Smith and Rob Murphy as the Red Sox's closers.

HRBEK TO STAY WITH TWINS Free agent Kent Hrbek. wooed by big bucks from several teams, took less money Wednesday and reached an agreement to stay with the Minnesota Twins for five years. Hrbek's contract is worth $14 million. His agent. Ron Simon, confirmed that both Detroit and Seattle proposed bigger deals, and Boston also offered top dollar.

Hrbek, 29. was born and raised In the Twin Cities. He broke into the majors with Minnesota in 1981 and has spent his entire big-league career there. Last season. Hrbek hit .272 with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs in 109 games.

NOTES St. Louis shortstop Ozzle Smith was awarded his 10th straight Gold Glove Wednesday, becoming the only major leaguer to receive the award In each year of the 1980s The Houston Astros made moves to bolster their pitching staff and bench by signing free agents Bill Gnllickson, pitcher and Ken Oberkfell, infielder The St. Louis Cardinals traded first baseman-outfielder Jim Lindeman and pitcher Matt Klnzer to the Detroit Tigers for three minor league 1 players The Montreal Expos have extended manager Bock Rodger' contract through the 1991 season Dennis Lamp agreed to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox for a guaranteed $925,000. FOOTBALL WABASH RECEIVER MAKES KODAK TEAM Wabash College receiver Mike Funk, who caught 87 passes for 1,169 and 12 touchdowns this season, was named to the Kodak Ail-American Football Team for College Division II Wednesday. Funk hauled In 228 passes in his four years with the Little Giants.

This year, he also led the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference with an average of 10.2 yards per punt return. The West Lafayette High School graduate was the only small college player from Indiana to make the team. College Division II includes NCAA Division III players as well as those from NAIA Division II schools. NOTES All-America Junior linebacker Keith McCants denied a published report Wednesday that he planned to give up his final season at Alabama to enter the NFL draft next year Wide receiver Richard Johnson of Detroit and cornerback A.J. Johnson of Washington were named NFC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Tight end Mike Dyal of the Los Angeles Raiders and safety David Fulcher of Cincinnati were cited In the AFC The NFL's Phoenix Cardinals hope to have a new head coach by Feb.

1 and Duke coach Steve Spurrier has been the first person interviewed for lithe Job. Cardinals general manager Larry Wilson confirmed Wednesday that he met with Spurrier last week. MISCELLANEOUS weight title will be at stake tonight, but Duran's WBC middle the 1980s despite three retirements. "1 was never given credit for that," Leonard said. "I beat him fair and square.

He was the star. He got more play than I did. It was Ouran's doing, not Ray's doing. That's what ticked me off. "That (Duran's act) robbed me of my accomplishment." weight title won't be.

BASEBALL CARDS! resignation and muttered, "No mas." "After the New Orleans fight. I won two more titles." Duran said. "I beat Davey Moore (for the World Boxing Association Junior middleweight crown) and Iran Barkley (for the World Boxing Council middleweight championship), but all that people talk about Is 'no The two words became part of boxing's lexicon. They were used in routines by late night television hosts and standup comics. Duran, who had ruled the lightweight division for eight years during the 1970s and was known as "Hands of Stone," was ridiculed as "Belly of Jelly." He claimed at the time he suffered stomach cramps.

Now he says, "I'll tell the press after I beat Leonard why I quit." Leonard. 33. has said. "I think I Just frustrated him." That is the generally accepted Saturday, Dec. 9th 10:00 A.M.

8081 ZIONSVILLE RD. STORE 7211 W. 10th St. 1 J-7 pm 12-4 pm Sat. 12-5 pm Sun.

COMPLETE SETS HOBBY SUPPLIES 1 GIFT CERTIFICATES Auction Conducted Bv: Merit Marketing By ED SCHUYLER JR. AP SPORTSWRITER Las Vegas Roberto Duran wears the pride of his accomplishments for everyone to see. He tries to cover his disgrace with a verbal blanket. That blanket, however, has grown ragged with use. Tonight, outdoors at the Mirage.

Duran, 38. will try to put a final bright patch on his crazy quilt career by beating Sugar Ray Leonard. "Hey, Sugar Ray Robinson (the late welterweight and middleweight champion) and Ro- FIGHT SITES The "Sugar Ray" Leonard-Roberto Duran bout, scheduled to atart at approximately 10:40 p.m. today, will ba shown on closed-circuit TV at nine Indiana locations including four sites in Indianapolis. Tickets in Indianapolis are priced at $25 advance and $30 at the door at The Hop, 2014 North Shadeland; Picadilly's 2802 Lafayette Road; the Sherwood Club, 6250 South Emerson, and the West End Entertainment Center, 617 West 11th Street berto Duran are the two greatest fighters ever to step Into a ring," Duran said.

"I get tired of people asking me about New Orleans." In the eighth round at New Orleans Nov. 25. 1980. Duran. who had beaten Leonard on a close but unanimous decision In 15 rounds six months earlier at Montreal, waved his right fist In INDY CONNECTION SPORTS COLLECTIBLES (317) 244-7714 Alio Buying Baseball Card FACESAGE E.EQUOE.S Prices good Thursday.

Dec. 7 through Saturday, Oec. 9, 1990 while supplies last! theory. Leonard, who had gone toe-to-toe with Duran at Montreal, used his speed and had Duran lunging and lurching at New Orleans. In the round before Duran surprisingly quit, Leonard taunted and mocked the king of machismo.

The victory, however, was a hollow one for Leonard, whose pride has been fired by five world championships and his position as the premier fighter of JIM BEAM or BUD or BUD LIGHT Warm Only 24 ret WINDSOR CANADIAN Both 1.75 Liters $1)99 BYU's Elewonibi wins Outland M'OITtl vooKr '16" $10" $499 '1099 '599 '89 '20" '10" $1799 '859 '10" FRANGELICO 750 ml. 12 YR. OLD SCOTCH by Desmond A Dull 750 ml. E.S.T. BRANDY 750 ml.

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a native from Nigeria who never played high school football, is the second BYU player to win the Outland in the last four years. Jason now with the Cincinnati Bengals, captured the award In 1986. Elewonibi beat out center Michael Tanks of Florida State and nose tackle Moe Gardner of Illi nois in the voting by members of the Football Writers Association of America. Gardner is from Indianapolis Cathedral. The vote was not released.

"Mohammed's as a good a lineman as we've ever had here." BYU coach LaVell Edwards said of Elewonibi, who immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when he was 1 1 years old. "I came to football by a flip of the coin in Junior college," Elewonibi said. 'I was playing soccer and the coach saw me and took me over to football. In Utah, there's nothing to do but play football and raise turkeys." rTTIPALDI, WALLACE HONORED Season champions Emerson iTUtlpaldl and Rusty Wallace head the 20th Auto Racing All-America iTeam announced Wednesday by the American Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. Joining them were: Rick Mears (open wheel category), Mark i Martin (stock car division), Australian-born IMSA GTP champion Geoff Brabham of Noblesville (road racing division), SCCA Trans-Am champion Dorsey Schroeder (road racing), Whiteland's Bob Glidden i (drag racing).

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