The Oshkosh Northwestern from Oshkosh, Wisconsin • Page 9

Sports Aug. 1 2, 1 98 1 The Northwestern 9, It I- 1 ill a. 7 A i i 7 i 1 i 1V II jf Neenoh-Menasho Northwestern photos by Tom Woodrow Packers just kids at heart Rookie quarterback Rich Camp the locker room at Lambeau bell 1 9) and Terdell Middleton Field. At right, James Lofton does I (34) exchange amenities with the some fancy riding while his youngsters, offering autographs young admirer eagerly runs or the right to carry their helmet alongside. in exchange for a bicycle ride to Youngsters find practical way to worship their Packer heroes After mutual handshakes, high fives or whatever, the youngsters turn right around and head back down the hill to pick up a second, and sometimes even a third group of players.

After all the players are cycled to the lockerroom, the youngsters share a moment of braggadocio who rode on who's bike and then head their separate ways home to boast to mom and dad, After each day's practice sessions at the Oneida Street Practice Field in Green Bay, a weary bunch of Packers must trudge several hundred yards up a concrete slope to the team dressing rooms. The walk, after a two hour practice session and wearing football shoes can be somewhat agonizing. Thus, at the end of each practice session, the enterpris GREEN BAY Some youngsters must worship sports heroes from afar, while others are fortunate enough to be able to see their idols in person and collect autographs. But for one group of young Green Bay Packer fans, an ordinary autograph simply will not do. After all, simple scratchings on a ragged piece of paper pale in comparison to the thrill of having a James Lofton, a Lynn Dickey, or a Rich Wingo ride your bicycle.

ing youngsters greet the players as they leave the practice field and offer up their bicycles as a token of their obvious admiration. Many of the Packers each day take the youngsters up on the offer of a ride on a bicycle up the concrete slope, and it is not unusual to see 20 players astride all manner of bikes riding Up the hill with the vehicle's owner jogging alongside. injury shakes up defense Jolly's someone in there, and I suppose it gives him some sort of advantage. But we are going to be looking at a number of different things with respect to that position before we make a Fichtner conceded that Murphy is likely to get as good a shot as anyone at winning the position, but he noted that a number of other players are in the running for the job as well. He also noted that under no circumstances would Johnnie Gray be moved back to free safety because of this crisis.

Gray was moved to strong safety when Steve Luke, who held the position for six years, was traded to Atlanta earlier this year. "Johnnie will not be moved back unless we face some kind of extraordinary circumstances," Fichtner said. "John is better suited for strong safety, he is working very well there now, and that's where we want to keep him. "There are some other guyslhat we may try at free safety. For example, we could try Estus Hood there, and I'm sure that we'll look at all the new guys more carefully now.

"It's a real setback to lose Mike Jolly at this point, because he was playing real well. He had not looked real good in practices early in the training camp, but he played exceptionally well at Dallas, and he was playing like we had hoped he would, like we were sure he could. "Now, we're scrambling again. We wanted to achieve some sort of stability in our defense, and we were approaching that. The only decisions we had left were at comerbacks and at backup positions.

Now we have to do some quick scrambling around to fill Mike's (Jolly's) position." Fichtner noted that a decision will be made shortly, perhaps within a week, whether to go with Murphy, Hood, a newcomer or trade for another safety. "We will definitely be watching the waivers from other teams," said Fichtner. "That's how we acquired Mike Jolly, and you never know when some other team might release some player that you'd like to have. "Whatever happens, we are going to have to make a decision very soon. Whichever player we pick, that player has to have time to adjust, and the rest of the secondary 'has to adjust to him.

The regular season is only three: weeks away, and that's not much time." 7 Newcomers to the team who might be considered for; the free safety post are rookie Bill Whitaker, the Pack's, seventh-round draft pick this year; Frank Reed, came to Green Bay as part of the Steve Luke trade, and free agents Scott Perry and David Petway. Perry was 7' signed as a free agent after having tryouts with three other clubs, and Petway is a rookie out of Northern II- linois. According to Fichtner, Murphy may start Saturday's game against Oakland in Milwaukee. "Right now I'd say that Murphy will probably start, but that decision is up to John Meyer (defensive coordinator). I'm sure that he will play quite a bit one way or another.

'This could be a tremendous opportunity for Murphy, and he would be wise to look at it that way," Fichtner added. "This is how a lot of players get their big break, their start, and it could happen to Murphy." TOM WOODROW Northwestern Sportswriter GREEN BAY Serious Injuries suffered by starting players have jinxed the Green Bay Packers for the past several seasons, and while it may seem that lady luck might give the Pack some relief from this problem, it appears that there is none in sight. In the first pre-season game Saturday in Dallas, free safety Mike Jolly suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for the entire season, and already the Packer coaching staff is facing the problem of having to find an adequate substitute for a fallen starter. When the Packers took to the practice field Tuesday, second year player Mark Murphy was working at free safety with the starting defensive unit, but no one is saying for sure that the job is Murphy's to lose. "Murphy has been playing in the second group all along and is the logical choice to move up to the first unit, but I wouldn't go so far as to say now that it is his job to lose," said defensive backfield coach Ross Fichtner Tuesday.

"Right now he is there because we have to put Getting his shot Murphy is ready 1 I 1, A-'- Y- 7- team to fill the hole for the time being, but since I am with the first team it is a chance to show what I can do and to earn a starting job. The pre-season games will determine how long I stay on the first team." According to backfield coach Ross Fichtner, Saturday's game in Milwaukee County Stadium may decide that. Murphy may not get more than a one-week look, since the Packers must find a competent starter before the regular season begins. "The way I look at it," said Murphy, "I'm getting the first shot at the job, and that's all I could possibly ask at this point. Heck, I was the eighth defensive back on the team last year, so I am in a much better position now.

It's up to me now." Murphy is probably not as well-prepared to be a starting free safety in his second year out of college as a lot of other players. His college career is already the source of a trivia question. Murphy played his college ball at West Liberty State College, and the trivia question is, where is West Liberty State College? The answer is that it's in West Virginia, and it's not exactly a football factory. "There were an awful lot of techniques that I had to learn coming out of West Liberty," said Murphy. "Other guys coming out of big football universities had several excellent college coaches to work with.

At West Liberty, we had student teachers working in some of the coaching positions. I knew I wasn't going to be drafted, and I figured I'd be lucky to catch on with a pro team. When I broke my wrist last year, that could have been the end right there, but the Packers kept me on injured reserve. TOM WOODROW Northwester! Spertswriter GREEN BAY Mark Murphy, free safety, stands at the threshold of his NFL career. Due to the knee injury suffered by starting free safety Mike Jolly in Dallas Saturday night, the Green Bay Packers are now ready for Mark Murphy.

The question is, is Murphy ready to start for the Green Bay Packers? When the Packers took to the practice field Tuesday, the totally bald-headed Murphy was moved up from the second team to the first team, and immediately became the center of media attention. Murphy was just barely able to handle the pressure of the media Tuesday, and it remains to be seen whether he can handle the pressure and responsibilities of the first team defensive secondary. He is not likely to have more than a week to prove himself worthy. Awestruck by the immediacy of his opportunity. Murphy was at least able to recognize that he does indeed have that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when he was interviewed Tuesday.

"I have to admit that it scares me a little, said Murphy. "I was on injured reserve last year with a broken wrist and I have been working with the second team this year just hoping to make the team. Now, I'm looking at a chance to make the first team, to be a starter. That's a little frightening. "I do think that the starting free safety job is mine to lose.

I don't know if the coaches ftel that way or if they just put me in with the first which I figured was a break." Packer coaches describe Murphy as a quick learner who has improved vastly from his rookie season and who is fast enough (4.6 speed in the 40) and hard-hitting enough to stick in the NFL. i "I guess I've shown that I can stick, because I made it last year and if I was a total loss they wouldn't have invited me back this year. I know my assignments, and I know my responsibilities. What I need right now is a very good week of practice and a very good game against Oakland." While Murphy can play either strong or free safety, he is better suited to the free safety position. The strong safety in pro ball has to be able to go man-on-man with a pass catcher, must be able to read quickly and force running plays, and must be physical enough to mix it up with linemen and runningbacks.

That sounds like a Johnnie Gray. The free safety, on the other hand, must be able to make quick reads and be fast enough to get to where the action is. He has to be quick enough to react to help out a teammate who is in trouble in the secondary. Whereas a strong safety may line up over a tight end or a third wide receiver, the free safety will often line up over a runningback and make his reads from there. "I can do all that, and I think I have good range," said Murphy.

"I have been working at strong safety, but when Steve Luke was traded to Atlanta I started working at free safety. I concentrated so hard on just making the team that I guess I didn't Centinntd page II, cel. 1 Mark Murphy gets chance to start. Northwestern photo Mark Murphy of the Green Bay Packers will get last Saturday. Murphy's bald head is not his a chance to start in the place of Mike Jolly, who trademark by choice.

A childhood disease killed will be lost for the season following a knee in- the roots of his hair-jury in me Packers' win over the Dallas Cowboys.