The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 15

SPORTS Section July 27, 1991 Homer Jacobs It's hard not to root for Muecke AN ANTONIO Perhaps Tom Muecke is best known for the pronunciation of his name and his quarterback shuttle routine with Cody Carlson during the mid- 1980s at Baylor. The Angleton product, whose name is pronounced like "Mickey" as in Mouse, never got the glory under Grant Teaff's system. Sure, he helped dii xt some of Teaff's saltiest teams, but it was always Cody and Muecke, like Fred and Ginger. After Muecke's collegiate days were over, no NFL team drafted him in 1986. He was left to enter the real world, where he would become an insurance salesman in Waco.

But after the Oilers invited him to work out with the team at midseason last year, general manager Mike Holovak kept Muecke in the back of his mind. He called for Muecke's services again this summer. "I was real surprised when Mike Holovak called me," Muecke said. "I told him I'd think about, and I did for about five seconds and came on down." With Carlson in the middle of a contract dispute and holding out of camp, Muecke is battling Reggie Slack and Mike Norseth for the second and third QB spots on the Oiler roster. No illusions Muecke, on the same shaky ground as free agents like Galveston's John Levine, fared well in the Oilers' scrimmage with the Cowboys Thursday night, throwing a 14-yard touchdown for Houston's fourth score.

But Muecke has no illusions of a lengthy NFL career. Even if he doesn't make the Oiler squad, he's had too much fun along the way in football to feel bitter. "I was grateful when (the call) happened," Muecke said. "I've just been thankful for what I've been able to accomplish so far. I haven't been a star or anything, but at least I've had a chance to do it." During a time of contract squabbles and guys like Deion Sanders infiltrating the NFL, Muecke's presence in a football uniform is a pleasant change.

He was all smiles when his name was requested for an interview. He was pleasantly surprised to come across someone who knew La Marque head coach Alan Weddell and assistant Mark Kanipes, both former Angleton types. But most of all, he was just glad to be in a football uniform again. The insurance business is nice, but it's not pro football. Muecke looks sharp Muecke has looked good in practice, but then again, so have all of the quarterbacks in the Oiler camp.

Even the complex run-and-shoot hasn't been too overwhelming for the personable QB. "I really didn't know much about it," Muecke said. "I watched UH run it for a few years, and they made it look pretty easy. Like anything else, the more reps you get, the more comfortable you feel." Americans love underdogs, and Muecke is a typical one to root for if you're a pro football fan. He embodies what is good about athletics.

Mueke loves the game and just wants to play it one more time. "I feel everybody here has an opportunity, and that's all you can ask for," he said. All we can ask for is that more guys like Tom Muecke make NFL rosters this summer. Homer Jacobs is sports editor of The Galveston Daily News. Cowboy, Oiler set for Hall Associated Press CANTON, Ohio Even Jan Stenerud finds it hard to believe the series of circumstances that have led him to the Pro Football of Fame.

"It's taken a couple of unexpected turns here and there," he says. Turns? How many other Hall of Famers can say they lived their first 19 years in Norway and didn't see a professional football game until they were 21? Or that they came to the U.S. on a ski-jumping scholarship to Montana State? Or that they were discovered by a basketball coach? Yet Stenerud will receive pro football's highest accolade Saturday when he becomes the first pure place-kicker to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He will be joined by running back Earl Campbell, offensive guard John Hannah, offensive and defensive lineman Stan Jones and contributor Tex Schramm. The induction ceremonies, scheduled for the front steps of the hall, will precede the annual Hall of Fame exhibition game between the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos.

Schramm was the architect of the Dallas Cowboys' glory years in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Hired as general manager by team owner Clint Murchison Jr. in the franchise's first year (1960), he brought Tom Landry in as coach and kept the Cowboys stocked with talent through two Super Bowi championships and 20 straight winning seasons. Schramm will be presented by former commissioner Pete Rozelle. Hannah's father will present him, while Jones will be introduced by a former Bears teammate, Bob Kilcullen.

Campbell and Stenerud will be presented by their former coaches, Bum Phillips and Hank Stram, respectively. Hannah spent 183 games and 13 seasons as a pro with the New England Patriots and is the first Patriot to be inducted. Tex Schramm Cowboys, Oilers camps Solomon glad to be a Cowboy By RUSTY BURSON The Dally News AUSTIN Oil and water. Hair dryers and bath tubs. Picnics and ants.

Some things just don't go well together. And until recently, it would have been quite easy to add Jesse Solomon and the Dallas Cowboys to that list. The former Minnesota Vikings linebacker who came to the Cowboys in October 1989 as the key veteran player in the blockbuster Herschel Walker trade made no attempt at being tactful or congenial when he first arrived in Dallas: He liked the Vikings, he didn't like losing, and he didn't want any part of the losing Cowboys. End of story. End of discussion.

Dead end situation for Dallas. "In my first season here, I didn't have those dreams I had in Minnesota," Solomon said from the site of the Cowboys' training camp at St. Edward's University. "You go from one of the best teams in football to one of the worst in the league. In my mind, there was just See SOLOMON, 2-B Start photo by Kevin Bartram Smith relaxes during training camp in Austin Holt's hands, hits become fan favorites By RUSTY BURSON The Dally News AUSTIN Dallas Cowboys reserve quarterback Cliff Stoudt dropped back, pumped once over the middle and then drilled a short pass in the direction of the speedy Alexander Wright, who was running a 10-yard out pattern during Friday's afternoon practice.

Stoudt, the 11-year veteran, couldn't be blamed for what happened next. After all, Wright was wide open. The nearest defensive back was at least six yards away. Of course, that defensive back happened to be Issiac Holt, who just happened to make a tremendous break on the ball, make up the ground between him and the receiver, reach out with one hand, pull the ball in and go the other way for a touchdown. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was standing on the sidelines as the ball came his way, couldn't help but smile.

"Man, if we would have just gotten (Holt) in the (Herschel) Walker trade, we would have probably gotten the better end of the deal," Jones said with a laugh. He was joking, but he had an extremely good point. While Walker spent much of last year returning kicks for the Minnesota Vikings and practicing for the Olympic bob sled competition, Holt was helping turn the Cowboys into winners. He led all Dallas defensive backs with 18 passes defended, tied for the team lead with three interceptions and tied a team record with two blocked punts. Furthermore, in one of the finest games of his seven-year career, Holt stepped in front of another out route and went 64 yards for the tying touchdown in Dallas' second victory over Tampa Bay last year.

"That Tampa Bay game is one of the top four or five games I've had in my career," said Holt who also recovered a key fumble in that contest. "It showed a lot of people and fans in Dallas what I can do." What he has done so far in training camp is become one of the fans' favorite players. Each practice, it seems, Holt comes up with another brilliant interception. And with each one, the cheers get louder. "He's the type of talent that can turn an entire game around on any given play," Cowboys defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt said.

"He can do it with a big hit, an interception or a blocked punt. "Ike just has the natural instincts to make the big plays you need to win games." Instincts. It's a word that has been used to describe Holt's play time and time again throughout his career. When he set the NCAA Division See HOLT, 2-8 Garcia off on right foot with Oilers By RUSTY BURSON The Daily News AUSTIN Oilers coach Jack Pardee has always been excited about kicking off the 1991 season. But after Thursday's scrimmage with the Dallas Cowboys, Pardee may finally be excited about the man who will be kicking it off.

The second-year Oilers coach was pleased with various aspects of his team's performance during the scrimmage, including a rather impressive display by the often- criticized place kicker, Teddy Garcia. Garcia hit eight of 10 field goals Thursday at the Burger Center, including a pair of 53-yarders. His only misses came from 48 yards out one right, the other to the left. "Even the ones he missed were on their way," Pardee said. "I even thought he made one of them.

He kicked real well, and it was encouraging." Encouraging tojGarcia, as well. The 27-year-old kicker, who the Oilers brought in last year when Tony Zendejas broke his leg making a tackle on the kickoff return, is the only kicker in the Oilers' camp. Houston elected to leave Zendejas unprotected during the offseason. Until Thursday, many people associated with the Oilers were questioning their own logic in making that decision. Garcia has been under constant scrutiny in camp, not all of it positive.

Special teams coach Richard Smith said earlier this week that Garcia "has to get better." For one night, at least, he did. "I'm improving gradually," Garcia said. "As far as them bringing in anyone else, I'm not worried about it. I thought I was pretty good (Thursday). I hit the ball pretty solid." And not coincidentaily, for the first time in quite a while, the Oil- ers don't appear to be worried about bringing another kicker into camp.

Pittsburgh humbles hapless Houston, 8-1 NL standings Associated Press HOUSTON Bobby Bonilla drove in four runs with a homer and a double as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the slumping Houston Astros 8-1 Friday night for their 12th victory in 15 games. It may have been a costly win for Pittsburgh, however, as starter Bob Walk had to leave the game in the second inning when he strained his right hamstring while scoring a run. Houston has dropped six straight games, to equal its longest losing streak of the season, and 11 of its last 13. Neal Heaton (2-1) was the winner in relief of Walk. Heaton pitched 4 2-3 innings, giving up one run on three hits, and Bill Landrum finished.

Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the second off Darryl Kile (3-6). Barry Bonds led off with a triple and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Rafael Ramirez on Jose Lind's grounder. Walk doubled in a run and Orlando Merced singled home Walk, who was injured while sliding into the plate. The Pirates made it 5-0 when Andy Van Slyke reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Bonilla's 13th home run. It was Bonilla's fifth homer in his last 12 games and he has 14 RBIs in his last 18 games.

Tigers 3, Rangers 2 ARLINGTON Scott Livingstone, playing in his first pro game in his home town, singled nome the winning run in the 10th off Jeff Russell to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the error-plagued Texas Rangers Friday night Tony Phillips led off the 10th with a sinking liner to center that Gary Pettis dropped for a two-base error. On the second pitch to Livingstone, catcher Ivan Rodriguez fired a pickoff throw but the ball went into center field before shortstop Mario Diaz could get to the bag, and Phillips advanced to third on Rodriguez's second error of the game. Livingstone slapped a l-l pitch to left to score the run and make a winner of Mike Henneman (8-2), the fifth Detroit pitcher. Russell (3-3) took the loss. Travis Fryman, whose error gave Texas a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth, hit a solo homer with two out in the ninth off Texas starter Kevin Brown to tie the game.

The homer was Fryman's 12th homer of the season and came on the first pitch. All Times CDT NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division Pet. GB Pittsburgh 59 34 .634 New York 53 41 .564 St. Louis 52 43 .547 8 Chicago 46 50 .479 Montreal 42 53 .442 18 Philadelphia 40 55 .421 20 West Division Pet. GB Los Angeles 54 40 .574 Atlanta 49 44 .527 4W Cincinnati 46 48 .489 8 San Diego 46 50 .479 9 San Francisco 43 51 .457 11 Houston 37 58 .389 17W Thursday's Games Chicago 5, Cincinnati 4, 13 innings San Francisco 8, New York 1 San Diego 6, Montreal 5 Los Angeles 5, Philadelphia 0 Only games scheduled Friday's Games Late Games Not Included Atlanta 6, Chicago 2 St.

Louis 5, Cincinnati 1 Pittsburgh 8, Houston 1 New York at San Diego, (n) Montreal at Los Angeles, (n) Philadelphia at San Francisco, (n) Saturday's Games Atlanta (Smoltz 5-11) at Chicago (Lancaster 6-4(, 1:20 p.m. Philadelphia (Cox 3-3) at San Francisco (McClellan 0-0), 3:05 p.m. Pittsburgh (Tomlin 5-3) at Houston (Jones 6-6), 7:05 p.m. Cincinnati (Ki.Gross 3-1) at St. Louis (Olivares 3-2), 7:05 p.m.

Montreal (Hanoy 1-3) at Los Angeles (Ojeda 7-8), 9:05 p.m. New York (Gooden 10-6) al San Diego (Peterson 3-2), 9:05 p.m. Texas QB Clements expected to transfer to Brigham Young Associated Press AUSTIN Quarterback Steve Clements, the state's all-time leading high school passer, is expected to decide Saturday whether he will transfer from Texas to Brigham Young, University of Texas officials said. The Dallas Times Herald reported Friday that Clements, a freshman who was redshirted last season, had decidtd to switch schools. Clements' father, Huntsville coach Joe Clements, a former Longhorn quarterback, told Texas coach David McWilliams on Thursday that Steve Clements was going to leave, according to UT-Austin sports information director Bill Little.

McWilliams talked to Steve Clements on Friday in Austin, and expects a final decision on Saturday, after Clements returns to Huntsville, Little said. The Times Herald quoted a source as saying that Steve Clements was upset because the preseason depth chart listed him behind junior starter Peter Gardere and sophomore Jimmy Saxton and ahead of only redshirt freshman Chad Lucas, a converted linebacker. Clements, 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, also is unhappy with the Longhorns' run-oriented offensive style, the source told the Times Herald. Clements ran the run-and- shoot in high school and would fit in with BYU's high-powered passing offense. Calls to the Clements' residence in Huntsville were not answered Friday.

McWilliams said recently that Saxton was being viewed as a possible running back, which would move Clements to No. 2. He also praised Clements' impressive performance in the Orange-White spring training finale, which Gardere missed with an injury. Little disputed a report that McWilliams doesn't plan to release Clements from his scholarship. Steve Clements set a Texas high school career passing record of 8,204 yards at Huntsville, including 3,712 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior in 1989 while leading the Hornets to the Class 5A state quarterfinals..