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The Paris News from Paris, Texas • Page 16

Publication:
The Paris Newsi
Location:
Paris, Texas
Issue Date:
Page:
16
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

Paris 20, 1984 Lipps, Maas named NFL Rookies of Year Steeler wide receiver nearly played baseball By ALAN ROBINSON AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH Louis Lipps didn't doubt his own abundant natural ability, but never thought he would be the offensive rookie of the year in the National Football League. Or any other football league. Baseball? That's a different story. "I'd played baseball since I was 8, 9 years old and I thought baseball would be my future after high school," the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver said after being voted The Associated Press' 1984 NFL offensive rookie of the year. "I played center field in high school, batted .385 my senior year.

I hit a few home runs and stole a few bases and would have played baseball if I had been given the chance," Lipps said. "But I never got a single call about playing baseball." Nor many about playing football. Southern Mississippi was the only Division I school to offer the Reserve, scholastic star the chance to play college football. Although Southern Mississippi is a run-oriented team and Lipps is a wide receiver, that was his choice. He showed enough raw talent in four college seasons to be the Steelers' No.

1 draft choice last spring, despite a lack of overwhelming receiving statistics. "He has done everything we can ask a rookie to do," said Steelers Coach Chuck Noll. "He came from a school that didn't throw the ball much but his receiving skills have developed very quickly. We were hoping he could help us as both a receiver and a kick returner and has done both and done it very quickly." Teaming with veteran John Stallworth to give the Steelers the kind of game-breaking tandem at wide receiver they've lacked since Lynn Swann retired, Lipps caught 45 passes for 860 yards and nine touchdowns, ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on a reverse and led the NFL with 53 punt returns for 656 yards and another touchdown. He had returns of 73 and 54 yards called back by penalties and was named as the second team kick returner on the AP All-Pro team.

"This award makes me feel great," Lipps said. "I'm real happy about the year I've had and I hope to use the year as a stepping stone for next year. The All-Pro really surprised me because that's usually for players who have been in the league at least two years. That will be something for me to cherish." The comparisons between the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Lipps, who has great leaping ability, and the acrobatic Swann were both inevitable and favorable. "It's not fair to compare to Lynn Swann to compare him to Louis Lipps," Noll said.

"And it's not fair to compare Louis Lipps to Lynn Swann." The Steelers' receiving team of Stallworth and Lipps, which has combined for 125 receptions, 2,255 yards and 20 touchdown catches, does compare to the best in football. "John Stallworth has helped me a lot," Lipps said. "He taught me not to go all out on every play so that the defensive back can't time you, get adjusted to you. He said that even when you're running the same (pass) route to change it up and get the defensive back really confused." Clark fired as Detroit head coach By TIM BOVEE Associated Press Writer DETROIT Monte Clark, fired as head coach by the Detroit Lions three days after concluding his fifth losing season in seven years, said he would leave the National Football League team with "class and dignity." "The self-satisfaction of knowing that you've done your best is worth something, too, so I'm going to try to react now with as much class and dignity as I've had during my tenure here no parting shots or anything," Clark said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "The only thing I feel worse about is just the coaches, and I'm sorry we weren't able to finish the job," said Clark, whose team fell to a 4-11-1 record this year after winning the NFC Central Division in 1983.

Lions' owner William Clay Ford also fired Clark's eight assistant coaches. Asked what went wrong with the Lions this season, Clark said, "You have your statement," and hung up the phone. Ford said the team has made no decision on a replacement for Clark, who through seven seasons coached the Lions to a 43-61-1 record. "All avenues of both professional and college football will be explored," Ford said. "We have enough time to make a wise decision, and I can assure you that we will select only the best man for the job." The Lions' five-person scouting group would be retained "to assure continuity in preparation for the 1965 draft," said team spokesman Brian Muir.

"I think Monte is probably the hardest working man I've ever been around in football," said fired defensive coordinator Ed Beard. "He certainly put in a lot of hours and thought. It just didn't work out." Offensive tackle Chris Dietrich said he was sorry to see Clark leave. "I didn't want anybody to replace him," Dietrich continued. "He treated everybody fairly.

He gave everybody a fair shot. I feel Bke he gave everybody their big chance in the NFL." Clark, 47, learned of his firing Wednesday in a meeting with Ford, Muir said. The meeting was requested by Clark "to clarify his standing" with the club after he set a team record by coaching his 105th game, a 30-13 loss Sunday to the Chicago Bears. "I don't really have any plans yet just to spend Christmas with my family right now," Clark said. "I have three years remaining on the contract, so from that standpoint it's not a big concern." Muir declined to say how much money the firing would cost the Lions, who in 1982 signed Clark to a five-year contract extension.

The 1984 season was the worst for the Lions under Clark since 1979, when the team finished at 2-14-0. In 1983 the Lions finished the season at 9-7-0, equaling Clark's 1980 season, his best after becoming Lions' coach in 1978. He spent the 1976 season as head coach of the 49ers and made his coaching debut in 1970, running the offensive line for the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula. As a collegian, Clark captained the Southern Cal football team and lettered three years, playing both offense and defense. He was a fourth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers before the 1959 season and played three seasons before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys.

Kansas City nose tackle stabilizes aggressive line taken in last year's draft, was an All-America defensive tackle at Pitt. He was switched to noseguard by the Chiefs, a switch he accepts, but doesn't recommend to anyone who won't take Des tureoi By DAVE GOLDBERG AP Sports Writer NEW YORK Bill Maas, the most aggressive lineman in Kansas City since the days when Curley Culp was helping the Chiefs to a Super Bowl triumph, was named today by the Associated Press the National Football League's defensive rookie of the year. ipite missing two games with a hairline frac- his left leg and playing in pain for a half- season more, Maas' strength at nose tackle forced opponents to double-team him and freed defensive ends Art Still and Mike Bell to roam. The combination helped the Chiefs opponents to an average of 20 yards less rushing per game than in 1983 and only three men rushed for 100 yards or more against them as they improved from 6-10 to 8-8 by winning their last three games. The balloting by three writers or broadcasters representing each of the NFL's 28 teams was close and spread out.

Maas received 19 votes to 13 for safety Don Rogers of the Cleveland Browns. Others with significant support included Maas' teammate, cornerback Kevin Ross; safety Tom Flynn and end Alphonso Carreker of Green Bay; linebackers Carl Banks and Gary Reasons and cornerback Perry Williams of the New York Giants; corner- back Terry Taylor of Seattle, linebacker Eugene Lockhart of Dallas and tackle Rick Bryan of Atlanta. The 6-foot-4V 2 265-pound Maas, the fifth player punishment. "Nobody takes on as many double-team blocks as the noseguard," he says. "I like the definition of a noseguard it's like being a fire hydrant at a dog show.

A good way to punish your son is to let him grow up to be a noseguard." In fact, Maas wasn't overly satisfied with his season, primarily because of the injury. "Unfortunately, I fell a little short of what I wanted to do this year," he said. "The injury was especially hard to take because I had never before missed a game due to injury. When I missed those two games, I could hardly stand to watch the Chiefs play on television." But if Maas is displeased, Coach John Makovic isn't. "We could not have selected a better player with our first draft choice than Bill Maas," he says.

"He came right in here and made a difference in our defense." Maas is married to the former Cindi Marino, sister of the NFL's offensive player of the year, record-breaking quarterback Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. Maas and Marino were college teammates at Pitt. "Just imagine the football talent that marriage could produce," says Chiefs scout Les Miller. Plunkett gets chance to lead Raiders again RUNNING INTO THE PLAYOFFS Washington Redskins running back John Riggins rolls for yardage against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday at Robert F.

Kennedy Brigham Young's defense sacks offensive domination By HERSCHEL NISSEiNSON AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO All right, class, here's today's college football quiz: Q. What happens when Brigham Young's offense doesn't have the ball? No, they don't go home. Give up? A. The Cougars play gasp! defense. "Defense that's what sets this team apart from some of our other good teams, the fact that we've had a good defense all year long," says Coach LaVell Edwards.

When the average fan, brainwashed by years and years of reading about the pass-happy Cougars, hears about their defense, he might think it's Dee Fense, some new quarterback prodigy, or perhaps Edwards has learned that someone knocked down de fence around de practice field. Now hear this: BYU ranks 10th nationally in scoring defense (13.8 points a game), 32nd in total defense (321.3 yards a game) while Michigan, Friday night's Holiday Bowl opponent and traditionally a defensive power, is only No. 42 and 27th in pass defense (159.5). "Over a given season, that's where you win championships and big games defense. That and the kicking game," says Edwards, whose 12-0 Cougars are ranked No.

1 and face their biggest game ever Friday night. In Lee Johnson, BYU has one of the nation's best placekicker-punters. Johnson averaged 50.6 yards on 24 punts a year ago he didn't have enough atempts to qualify for the title and finished seventh this season with a 45.5 average on 57 boots. He also converted 43 of 46 extra points and 13 of 17 field goals. "Our offense, from a statistical standpoint, is not where we were a year ago," Edwards says.

"This year, the defense opened the season playing great against Pitt and they played that way all year long." No. 12 Maryland tunes up for Sun Bowl date with Tennessee By JUDY GIANNETTINO Associated Press Writer EL PASO, Texas Maryland's Greg Hill thinks it's the nature of the game for wide receivers to sometimes be overshadowed by quarterbacks. And that's fine by him. "My position typically is ignored when the big plays are talked about. Everyone always remembers the quarterback who threw the pass and not the person who caught it," Hill said Wednesday.

"That's good if I'm not talked about a lot, the other team won't know to defend me." But it's unlikely that Tennessee won't be looking for Hill when the Volunteers clash with No. 12 Maryland in Saturday's Sun Bowl. The 5-foot-ll. 165-pound senior this season had 51 receptions for 820 yards. His four-year total at Maryland stands at 97 recep- tions for 1,721 yards to make him the Terrapins' all- time pass receiver.

Coach Bobby Ross said Hill's speed and agility attribute largely to his success as a receiver. Hill has about 4.59 speed in the 40-yard dash. But he said speed isn't everytning. "Being fast helps. If you can outrun your defender, you have a big advantage," he said.

"But I think technique is the most important thing in receiving. You can't just run, you've got to know how to run the play. That's when you make the big plays." This year's Sun Bowl is a rematch of the 1983 Citrus Bowl, in which Maryland was defeated, 30-23. In last year's Florida bowl game, Hill caught two passes for 17 yards. "I sure hope I do better this year," he said.

And if his record of playing on the rebound is any indication, he probably will. By JOHN NADEL AP Sports Writer MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. It appears that Jim Plunkett, who has guided the Raiders to a pair of Super Bowl championships in the last four years, will have a chance to make it three. Plunkett, who has played less than three quarters of a game since being injured Oct. 7, will start at quarterback for the Los Angeles Raiders in the American Football Conference wildcard playoff game at Seattle this Saturday.

"I feel Jim's experience is vital," Coach Tom Flores of the Raiders said Wednesday at his weekly meeting with reporters. "I just feel, at this stage, he would be the best to go with even though he is still a little rusty." Plunkett suffered a torn abdominal muscle in the first quarter of the Raiders' 28-14 victory over Seattle at the Los Angeles Coliseum and was replaced by Marc Wilson, who started his team's final 10 games of the National Football League season. Los Angeles won six of those 10 games. Among the losses was a 17-14 setback at Seattle on Nov. 12.

Plunkett returned to action on Dec. 10, playing the final 10 minutes of the Raiders' 24-3 victory over Detroit. The 37-year-old quarterback completed three of his four passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. After Wilson hit on only five of his 13 throws for 45 yards in the first half against Pittsburgh last Sunday, Plunkett came on in relief and connected on nine of 20 passes for 123 yards and the only Los Angeles touchdown in a 13-7 loss to the Steelers. Plunkett guided the Raiders to a 38-9 triumph over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII last Jan.

22 and a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV on Jan. 25,1981. The Raiders, then playing in Oakland, won their championship four years ago despite being a wildcard team, meaning they had to win three games to get to the Super Bowl. They'd have to do the same thing this year, but there's a significant difference they'll be playing the wildcard game on the road, whereas four years ago they entertained Houston in the wildcard contest. The Seahawks have beaten the Raiders in three of the last five games between the teams, but Los Angeles won a 30-14 decision in the AFC Championship Game at the Coliseum last Jan.

8. "There are no mysteries involved," Flores said. "We've played them twice this year and three times last year. We know what they do, they know what we do. In a short week, that helps.

"They haven't changed since we played them in Seattle. They're excellent on special teams. Their defense thrives on turnovers. They get more than their share. A lot of their turnovers don't happen by accident." The Seahawks won eight straight games before being trounced by Kansas City 34-7 and Denver 31-14 in their final two games to finish at 12-4.

Stadium in Washington. The Redskins captured the NFC Eastern Division title with a 29-27 victory. (AP Laserphoto) Stopping Dickerson Giants' obvious goal By TOM CANAVAN Associated Press Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Members of the New York Giants defense say their obvious goal in Sunday's playoff game is to stop Eric Dickerson, but they say they can't afford to ignore Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jeff Kemp, either. "He has not thrown the ball that much, but he has the talent," said Giants safety Bill Currier.

"Every time I have seen him, he has thrown the ball well." The Giants, 9-7, and Rams, 10-6, will meet for the second time this season on Sunday in the National Football Conference wildcard game in Anaheim, Calif. Kemp threw only 17 times on Sept. 30 when the Rams routed the Giants 33-12. The son of U.S. Rep Jack Kemp, hit only eight passes that game, including a two- yard touchdown toss to Drew Hill.

Dickerson has drawn most of the attention from opposing defenses, gaining a single-season record 2,105 yards rushing this year to snap the old mark set by 0. J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills. Currier said Dickerson's success has opened things up for Kemp, who has completed 143 of 284 passes for 2,021 yards and 13 touchdowns after taking over for the injured Vince Ferragamo. "Kemp's passing is a threat in that you are not expecting it," Currier said.

"You know every time they throw you are kind of surprised because you are trying to stop the run so much." The Giants defensive secondary will be without All-Pro cornerback Mark Haynes, who is sidelined with a strained knee and will be replaced by Kenny Daniel. However, Currier said the Ginats defense won't give up much with Daniel playing. "I think Kenny is a tremendous cornerback," said Currier. "He has some of the best feet I have ever seen, as far as movements go. No one is going to totally replace Mark." Besides Dickerson's running, Kemp also benefits from an outstanding offensive line, said Giants nose tackle Jim Burt.

"I don't know about being the best, but they are one of the top ones in the league," Burt said. "They are just like Dickerson." Burt added Kemp also helps himself with his quickness by not making mistakes. "His mobility is good," said Burt. "He is very fast but he can outrun the containment very easily. He is very elusive, that's his forte." Dickerson said Kemp's passing game is progressing.

"He's throwing the ball a lot better and his confidence is better," said Dickerson. "I think we are throwing the ball more than we have in the past few games." But the running attack is the Rams main threat on offense and Giants Coach Bill Parcells said he thinks there is no one better at it than Dickerson. "You may be looking at the greatest back to ever play the game," said Parcells. "Now the jury is obviously still out. but if he maintains 2,000 yards a year and he can play 10 years Parcells said the Giants cannot afford to fall behind the Rams and he adds the young New York team will not be awed by the playoffs.

"This will be our 2lst game this season, so they've been out there in pressure situations and with their backs to the wall," he said. "I'm not concerned with the effort they will put out.".

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About The Paris News Archive

Pages Available:
395,105
Years Available:
1933-1999