The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 17

www.delawareonline.com SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 2004 THE NEWS JOURNAL C3 an unproven entity, scouts say 71 yA Clarett Running back has not yet entered NFL draft By RUSTY MILLER Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio Now that Maurice Clarett has won his landmark legal challenge to get into the NFL draft, he must prove to scouts and coaches he is worth selecting. That might be even more difficult than beating the NFL in court. "My guess is that I don't think he'll be picked in the first two rounds," NFL draft consult games and parts of two others due to knee surgery and a shoulder injury A U.S. District Court judge declared Thursday that the NFL's rules regarding its draft violate federal antitrust laws.

The decision overturned the league's rule barring players from being eligible for the draft before they were out of high school for three years. The NFL said it will appeal, and it will probably try to block the ruling before the April draft. NCAA president Myles Brand issued a statement Friday, calling the ruling a "setback." "It is ironic that the two by off-field questions. He was suspended by Ohio State last September for accepting money from a family friend and then lying about it to NCAA investigators. "I wouldn't take him before the third round, if I was a GM," said Jim Sabo of Ourlads' Scouting Service.

"He's obviously got a lot of talent and looks like he would be a very high first-round draft pick, but with all that has happened to him, there's a lot of red flags there." Clarett, 20, set Ohio State freshman records with 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2002. Still, he missed three Seahawks players enjoying time in the sun at Pro Bowl major professional sports without developmental leagues -basketball and football will have two of the most liberal draft rules if this decision is not overturned on appeal," he said. "It may be time for those two sports to provide another option than intercollegiate athletics as the route for young men whose primary interest is turning professional as quickly as possible," he said. Clarett has not decided whether he would enter the draft, because even a declaration to join the league would rule out any chance he could return to college ball. chance to come out here and enjoy the moment." Seattle has one of the largest contingents in Hawaii, though Kansas City leads with eight players for Sunday's game.

It's evident Alexander and Hasselbeck, both injury replacements, are enjoying every moment. After Thursday's workout in balmy 83-degree weather, the two spent nearly an hour filming a segment for NFL Films, talking to reporters and having their pictures taken. They were among the last ones off the field. Alexander is making his first Pro Bowl appearance, but many Seattle fans think he should have been here sooner. In 2001, he ran for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He rushed for 1,175 yards the following season, and Alexander is quick to point out that he had a combined 18 TDs rushing and receiving. "Did I deserve to go before? Who knows?" he said. "I had some good years, but by all means, I'm really glad to be here now. Hopefully I'll be back many times." Hasselbeck was ridiculed by I A APERIC RISBERG Luke Donald hits the ball out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the second round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Donald leads the tournament by one stroke.

Singh, group of unknowns battle for Pebble Beach lead ant Gil Brandt said Friday. "Now, if he comes in and blows people away with the way he catches the ball, the routes he runs, his speed and his conditioning, that might be a different story." The NFL set a March 1 deadline Friday for high school players and newly eligible underclassmen to apply for the draft. Clarett, a star running back, hasn't played competitive football for 13 months, since scoring the winning touchdown in the second overtime of Ohio State's national championship victory over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. In addition, Clarett is dogged GOLF time on the PGA Tour. Tom Per-nice Jr.

let a great round at Spyglass get away with bogeys on his last two holes for a 68 and was also in the group one shot behind. The tournament has plenty of celebrities, but was lacking in star power. Singh and Phil Mickelson (two back) emerged late in the afternoon, when sunshine gave way to cool, overcast skies on the Monterey Peninsula. Els set 36-hole record for European Tour MELBOURNE, Australia One day after flirting with a 59, Ernie Els broke the European Tour record for the lowest 36-hole score. Els shot a 6-under 66 Friday at the Heineken Classic, after shooting a career-best 12-under 60 in the opening round.

His two-day total of 18-under 126 It turned amazing when Warner reached the NFL and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title. Only 75 AFL players have made the leap to the NFL, and Warner is the one success story everyone wants to match. Gregory thinks Nagy is a guy who can make the leap. "I think he has a lot of talent," Gregory said, "and hopefully he can do the same things Kurt did." If he does reach the NFL, Nagy is working on the quaint background story. He and his draft deadline is March 1 By JAYMES SONG Associated Press KAPOLEI, Hawaii Walter Jones doesn't mind playing tour guide for the other four Seattle Seahawks who joined him on the islands for the Pro Bowl.

In fact, Jones would feel guilty and lonely without them. "Man, it's a great feeling to have these guys over here to experience this," said the 315-pound offensive tackle, selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. "The last couple years I was here, I wasn't with no guys. Hopefully, we'll get some more guys to enjoy this." Jones is joined by four first-time Pro Bowlers: quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, running back Shaun Alexander, guard Steve Hutchinson and special teams player Alex Bannister. The five Seahawks are the most Pro Bowlers for the team in 17 years.

They sent five in 1986 and '87, and seven in 1984. "That's great," Jones said. "That shows we're going in the right direction. If you play good during the season, guys will recognize you and give you a NFL's new Associated Press NEW YORK The NFL set a March 1 deadline for high school players and newly eligible college underclassmen to apply for this year's draft. A day after a federal judge struck down the league's rule limiting the draft to players at least three years out of high school, the NFL issued new rules Friday to comply with the decision.

Newly eligible players must obtain an eligibility form from the NFL, and completed forms must be received by the league by March 1. The deadline does not apply to players previously eligible to apply for the draft, who had a Jan. 15 deadline. Players who became eligible because of Thursday's decision in the case of Ohio State sensation Maurice Clarett must apply for the draft by Feb. 15 to be considered for invitations to the scouting combine, which starts Feb.

18 in Indianapolis. The league notified U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin on Friday that it would file papers Tuesday seeking a stay of her decision, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. The NFL's new draft rules apply only if the Clarett decision remains in force. Scheindlin has scheduled a hearing on the case for Wednesday, and it is possible the stay application will be addressed then, Aiello said.

APe Questions about Maurice Clarett's durability and off-field problems may prevent him from becoming a top pick if he enters the NFL draft. some last month for his bold statement after the overtime coin toss in the Seahawks' NFC wild-card game against Green Bay: "We want the ball, and we're going to score." It didn't work out, but he has received plenty of praise from players for his bravado. In Hawaii, Hasselbeck replaced Brett Favre, who is sidelined with injuries to his right thumb and left shoulder. Hasselbeck, Favre's longtime backup in Green Bay, lost that playoff showdown to Favre. "I sort of feel indebted to him already for a lot that has gone on in my career," Hasselbeck said.

"He was a great role model for me and a great teacher for my first three years at Green Hasselbeck, who threw for a team-record 3,841 yards this season, doesn't really believe Favre isn't able to play. "We all know what kind of player he is," he said. "We know how he plays through injury and through pain. So he could be here. "I think he was just hooking a brother up." ing retiring since at least December, confronted with a coaching change and a pending cocaine charge.

"It took me a while. I've been going back and forth with it for a couple of weeks," the 32-year-old Hamilton said in a statement released Friday by the "I've talked about it with my family, and it's time for me to move on." Ki HARRIS if ONE YEAR I it INTPRPU- FPFP ft FINANCINC," Jf Annual i6 February- 7, 2004 4:30 PM Fred Rust Ice Arena University of Delaware Associated Press PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -Vijay Singh wasn't in the lead Friday at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, but it sure seemed that way For one thing, Singh got the most difficult course out of the way with a 4-under 68 at Spyglass Hill that left him only one stroke behind Luke Donald of England. And no one knows what to make of the other guys atop the leaderboard. Donald bogeyed the last hole at Pebble Beach but still shot a 65, putting him in contention for the first time since he won the Southern Farm Bureau Classic held the same week as the Tour Championship at the end of the 2002 season.

Among those one stroke behind were J.J. Henry (70) and Ken Duke, a 35-year-old who has played tours in Canada, South America and Asia and is competing for only the 10th broke by one shot the previous 36-hole record held by seven players, including Els at the Mercedes German Masters in 1994. Wie youngest ever on a Curtis Cup team Michelle Wie was among eight players selected Friday to the U.S. Curtis Cup team, making the 14-year-old from Hawaii the youngest player in the 72-year history of the amateur matches for women. Despite her age, Wie should fit right in on the youngest U.S.

team ever. The oldest player is Sarah Huarte, a 21-year-old senior at California. Wie is also joined by Paula Creamer and U.S. Women's Amateur runner-up Jane Park, both 17; Duke freshman Brittany Lang, 18; Arizona sophomore Erica Blasberg, 19; Duke sophomore Elizabeth Janan-gelo, 20; and Annie Thurman, a 21-year-old junior at Oklahoma. wife Stacey are expecting their first child in May.

Nagy did color commentary for the Dragons while he was out injured. And he sells real estate in the offseason. Sounds like the story is in place. All he needs now is the success. "I'm looking forward to this year, but my ultimate goal is the NFL," Nagy said.

"It's funny -my dad is telling me all the time that everyone is going to hear my success story and it's going to be even that much better than the other guy's." NFL NOTEBOOK Giants defensive tackle Hamilton retires EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. New York Giants defensive tackle Keith Hamilton retired Friday, ending a 12-year NFL career in which he finished fourth in franchise history in sacks. Hamilton had been consider Best Jewelry Repair Monday friday 10 AM 9 PM BranmarPIa 47S-M1 Frien "iiiare Shnnninn it B36.I7K 4377 Kirkwood Highway 999-9901 Thirteenth Nagy: Warner comparisons continue Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware Hockey Exhibition Game flyers: alumni isi nighthawks Roger Crozier Memorial MVP Award (SS7 FROM PAGE C1 the Cobras. He spent nine seasons as the head coach of the franchise that began as the Iowa Barnstormers and is now the New York Dragons. He found Warner, who played at Northern Iowa, after a tip from a college coach and signed him to be Iowa's starter after a tryout.

He found Nagy after looking at tape after tape of Delaware games, and he signed him after a tryout with the Dragons. "At least Matt had been playing," Gregory said. "Kurt was stacking groceries." Nagy started six games for New York in his rookie year in 2002, completing 105 of 178 passes for 1,242 yards and 27 touchdowns. But then he sat out all last season with a torn ACL. Still, Nagy was the guy Gregory wanted when he landed in Carolina.

"I think he looks even better than he did two years ago," Gregory said. "He's very accurate and has been able to move around in the pocket and find people. He looks very complete tome." Nagy, 25, finished at UD in 2000 with 20 school passing records, including those for completions, yards and touchdowns. When nothing developed with the NFL, he took a shot with the Dragons and heard the Warner comparison from Gregory almost immediately. He's heard it even more lately "I watched a behind-the-scenes tape on Kurt last year, and it was pretty weird how we had similar scenarios," Nagy said.

"We both grew up in single-parent families, and we went to Division I-AA schools and we don't run 4.6 second 40s. But he persevered, and his story is amazing." Autograph Session with DONALD BRASHEAR National Anthem sung by LAUREN HART ROB GUARINO as Master of Ceremonies Flyers Alumni Greats from the BROAD STREET BULLIES Raffle Silent Auction for Flyers Memorabilia FOR TICKETS 1 -HENS $7.00 in advance $9.00 at the door Children 6 and under FREE, SPONSORED INF0 .1 i. I 1 SYSTEMS.