Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 37

Wednesday, September 2, 1987 Hattiesburg AMERICAN 5D Newly-signed Sain ready for real action I ti yj A 1 'V 1 i I I Sheldon Andrus, free agent wide receiver Jimmy Teal and the team's best pass rusher, defensive lineman Jumpy Geathers. Geathers underwent knee surgery Tuesday morning and will be out for the season. Knight said he was unhappy with the timing that made it appear he was signed to replace Geathers. "You never want to come in on any kind of a bad note, whether it's bad for you or it's somebody else's misfortune," he said. "I didn't want to come in on a tragedy." He said he had not talked to any of the coaches, didn't know what their plans for him would be, but would be able to play in limited roles against Cincinnati on Friday, if given the chance.

Mora said he had not decided whether Knight would play on Friday. If Mora decides to use Knight, another player would have to be cut or put on injured reserve to make room on the roster. "I certainly could play," Knight said. "The only situation I could see them using me in on Friday would be in a passing situation late in the game when the second or third string was in, and just letting me go loose." "I've got five weeks of work to catch up on fast," he said. "I'd be lying if I said I could go in and just play.

I took home a list of the blitzes, but I'd have to think about it for a while before I knew what to do. That comes with repetition," he said. Jason Buck, Knight's teammate on the defensive line at Brigham Young, was drafted by Cincinnati with the 17th pick of the first round, six picks after Knight went to the Saints. Buck was also holding out and is also being represented by Leigh Steinberg in his negotiations. Knight said he was nervous about beginning practice with the Saints.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Defensive lineman Shawn Knight ended a month of running plays against lawn furniture and took the practice field with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, five weeks behind on his training and $1,675 million richer. Knight, the 11th player taken in the NFL draft, signed a four-year, no option contract with the Saints Monday evening, ending the 38-day holdout that ranks as the longest ever for a Saints first-round draft choice. Last year's No.l, offensive tackle Jim Dombrowski, held out for 14 days, and Archie Manning held out for 12 days in 1971. "I'm excited," Knight said Tuesday. "It's been a very stressful time since camp started.

"Every day it was, maybe in a couple of days; maybe in a couple of days; maybe in a couple of days. It caused me some gray hairs." "Literally, it's been five weeks of he said. Knight, wearing a beard he grew while waiting, said it was the atmosphere in which negotiations took place lhat stalled agreement so long, rather than any reluctance by either side to bargain. The demise of the USFL took away leverage that players enjoyed for several years, he said. "On the other hand, the traditional thing has been to raise salaries about 10 percent a year," he said.

"You come to the climax with two opposing forces working." The Saints cut free agent wide receiver Stacey Dawsey Tuesday morning, put four players on injured reserve and got a roster exemption for Knight to get down to the maximum of 60 players. Coach Jim Mora said Knight will not count against the roster for two weeks, unless he is used in a game efore that. Put on Injured reserve on Tuesday were veteran wide receiver Eugene Goodlow, free agent nose tackle t- AP Photo SHAWN KNIGHT, the New Orleans Saints first-round draft choice, answers questions after he ended a 38-day holdout by signing with the NFL club. Patriots deny Holloway's trade union-inspired NFT roundup right tackles Shelby Jordan and Henry Lawrence, and left guard Chris Riehm. The Detroit Lions waived nine players, Including 12-year veteran Leonard Thompson, and acquired veteran tight end Derrick Ramsey from the Indianapolis Colts.

Tight end Tony Hunter and linebacker Steve Busick were among 10 players released by the Los Angeles Rams. Still recovering from knee surgeries they underwent after injuries suffered last season, both veterans were unable to pass their physicals. In Irving, Texas, meanwhile, newly acquired offensive tackle Ron Essink told the Dallas Cowboys he was retiring because an elbow injury makes it impossible for him to play. The Cowboys will lose an undisclosed 1988 draft pick because the trade with Seattle was not conditional on Essink making the team. Dallas also released two kickers, Luis Zendejas and David Trout, after acquiring veteran Rolf Benirschke from the San Diego Chargers on Monday.

And they put eight players on injured reserve. By The Associated Press Left tackle Brian Holloway, a three-time Pro Bowler, was traded by the New England Patriots and a club official says his union activities had nothing to do with it. "It's a combination of a lot of things coming to a head at once," New England General Manager Patrick Sullivan said Tuesday. "Our objective is to piit a winning football team on the field, and whatever we have to do we will do." Holloway, who had been told early Tuesday that he could either retire or be traded, was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders for an undisclosed draft choice next year. But Gene Upshaw, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, said Tuesday that Holloway's tenuous position with the Patriots was union-inspired.

He said the objective is "to break up the union" and said the union was considering legal action to protect Holloway's rights. Holloway, an NFLPA vice president, appeared on Tim Fox, who played in the Pro Bowl while with the Patriots in 1980, and wide receiver Tim Smith, who caught 83 passes for 1,176 yards for the Houston Oilers in 1983 and 69 more for 1,141 yards in 1984. The Browns also released veteran fullback Major Everett (from Mississippi College) and placed their long-time placekicker, Matt Bahr, on the physi-cally-unable-to-perf orm list. Bahr, who suffered a knee injury, won't be eligible to return until after the sixth game of the regular season, leaving the kicking duties to rookie Jeff Jaeger. The Browns put former USM tight end Robert Ray Stallings on the injured reserve list because of a bad ankle.

The Los Angeles Raiders cut 18 players, including ex-Ole Miss receiver Timmy Moffett and three veterans former Super Bowl record holder Kenny King, safety Mike Davis and quarterback Ed Luther, the former backup at San Diego and Indianapolis who had been given a strong shot to make the roster this summer. The Raiders also placed four veteran players on injured reserve Tuesday: quarterback Jim Plunkett, national television Monday night and presented the union's side in a contract dispute with the NFL Management Council, which represents club owners. Earlier in the day, the union set a strike deadline which wasn't revealed. Tuesday morning, Patriots coach Raymond Berry told Holloway he was convinced a change at left tackle was needed, according to a club statement. Holloway, whose on-field performance has declined, has said he will retire after this season and the Patriots drafted two promising offensive linemen this year.

Also, tackle Steve Moore appears to have recovered from a broken ankle. In other NFL training camp news, several veterans were involved in moves as teams got down to the limit of 60 players. They must cut to the season limit of 45 by next Tuesday. Cleveland cut two veterans, 11-year veteran safety Crimson Tide workout good one ana College Football Gurry remembers 'Bear' TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Bill Curry remembers well when he made his college football coaching debut seven years ago against the late Bear Bryant, whose job at Alabama now is held by Curry.

"We went out to warm up, and I tried to find him to talk to him, but he wasn't where he was supposed to be, leaning against that goal post. I couldn't find him anywhere. "So I went back to my team and got involved in warmups when I kind of sensed something coming my way. I turned, and there was a mass of photographers surrounding Coach Bryant, who was coming my way. And he wasn't wearing the right hat; he was wearing a white coaches hat.

"He came up and grabbed me by the front of my pants and said, 'You can't come over and say hello? "I said, 'I looked for you, but you weren't where you were supposed to be, and you're not wearing the right He said, 'That hat's too hot. It's about 1,000 degrees out I think that was to start me thinking. Then he said, 'You're trying to play games with me. Coach (Bobby) Dodd (former Georgia Tech coach) put you up to that, didn't "I told him I hadn't talked to Coach Dodd, and that I didn't think I was smart enough to play games like that, anyway. "All this time he's still got me by the front of my pants, and he's jerking me around.

Then he starts telling jokes, still holding me by my pants. I just knew my pants were going to come off. "He did a good job of intimidating me that day." of the 11 games last year, more than any other returning player. Reality sets in for Archer First-year LSU football coach David Archer said Tuesday that being a new head coach "didn't set in for the first time until yesterday. I returned to my office and had 33 phone messages, flowers and plants.

I sat at my desk and said, 'hmmm, it's really here. It's this Saturday Archer was chosen in January as successor to Bill Arnsparger, who accepted the athletic director's post at Florida after his Tigers won the Southeastern Conference championship. Any advice for Archer about Saturday's game against Texas coach Jackie Sherill said, "If I were Mike, I'd be anxious." Archer, who was Arnsparger's chief assistant and defensive coordinator, inherited a team that has lost almost none of its offensive power. That includes sophomore quarterback Tom Hodson, who completed 15 of 21 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown against in Hodson's first appearance in a college game. Florida-Miami CORAL GABLES, Fla.

The Florida-Miami football game is especially important this season because it will be the last meeting between the Gators and the Hurricanes until 1992, Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson said Tuesday. Earlier this year, Florida decided to discontinue the annual rivalry and play only four games in the next decade against the Hurricanes. From AP Wire Reports TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Coach Bill Curry, who put the University of Alabama football team through a Vk hour workout, said the team had a "good day's work." Curry said the practice was normal for a Tuesday. He said it included "a lot of hitting, inside smashing-type work, a lot of polishing and any new wrinkles we might want to look at for the next opponent." Much of the practice session was spent in the indoor practice facility.

"We had a good day's work. Sometimes on Tuesday there's a little lapse in concentration because of some different things that we add just to look at as a game-plan thing," Curry said. The coach said after he looked at the day's practice film "some of them we will drop out and we'll keep depending on how they looked today and what effect they had on the squad. "Tomorrow will not be as long or as rigorous," Curry said. "We're working to get their legs up under them, so they will be fresh by Saturday." Decision at Georgia ATHENS, Ga.

Coach Vince Dooley and offensive coordinator George Haffner admit they have a problem at fullback as the Georgia Bulldogs get ready for their football opener against Virginia Saturday. Which of three quality players will start? Junior Randy Jackson, sophomore Hiawatha Berry and freshman Alphonso Ellis all want the job. "We've got to look at execution. the 1987 Gaines Pet Foods Corp. mm mm am mm mm mm mm MANUFACTURER COUPON EXPIRES NOVEMBER 30, 1987 fo-n-.

1 01 during his news conference Tuesday. "Right now, I'm No. 1 on the depth chart," Ellis said. "I've been assured I will get the opportunity to play. I'm not concerned about starting as I am with doing well." Starting cornerback Greg Williams suffered a severely bruised hand in the practice.

He started nine We want to see their performance and how they execute their assignments," Haffner said. Dooley said he will announce the starter just prior to kickoff "Randy Jackson might start, but Alphonso Ellis has been the most consistent of the bunch. We'll just have to wait and see," he said mm til A A Alabama waiting for playoff money jb I BEEF BUfiGERSf OH DOGS rm ton 1 1 nrto a in ADl Tha Thin nlovore nortiMnator! caiH rncicrnnHnn nf onarh Han A Kirk. nrnnU ho "nlnunno nour trrminri" mm i. Ala.

(AP) The ble players participated," said resignation of coach Dana Kirk. would be "plowing new ground" RETAILER Quer mn tpmbursp 'ot thp tare wine of this 5 lilt! nisrAIMSA. coupon when because he has been drafted by a David Berst, enforcement director for the National Collegiate Athletic au ruiea arcO'UncF itf our redemplir pe i Copy aautw upw fwj'jfilp nPM'iPts nnrt In Qudfcf CMK MiG Sprmfer lomWd W.liW LIMIT I COUPON Ptlt IMRSACnON Void it transited orVopied GooH only A by la Cash value 0OK Gamt-s Pet Fuodi Cotp EXPIRES NOVEMBER 30, 1917 MANUFACTURER COUPON EXPIRES NOVEMBER 30, 1987 i i Alabama officials remain confident, however, of a favorable ruling. "I think, given the current situation with agents, we have a strong case," said Athletic Director Steve Sloan. "We feel like they will understand what happened." Alabama has not decided whether to file an appeal with the NCAA on behalf of McKey.

Coach Wimp Sanderson said Tuesday it could be weeks before the results of the discussions between the university, the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA are known. The director of enforcement for the NCAA, Steve Morgan, has said that granting McKey eligibility NCAA is withholding $633,616 due Alabama from last season's basketball championship because two Crimson Tide players were ineligible to play, officials said. The money was put on hold after junior center Derrick McKey and senior point guard Terry Coner admitted in April to accepting money from a pro sports agent, the Birmingham Post-Herald reported today. McKey, who was declared ineligible to play his senior season, is considering an appeal that could restore his eligibility. "The issue is whether the funds should be forfeited because ineligi professional team.

McKey, last year's Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, has enrolled for the fall semester at Alabama. The 6-foot-9 native of Meridian said he wants to finish his collegiate career if Sanderson and school officials can find a way. McKey, who led Alabama to the SEC championship as a junior, was declared ineligible for his senior year after he admitted accepting a loan from New York agent Norby Walters. McKey was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft by the SuperSonics. ANY 72 oz.

Association. Alabama won two games in the NCAA Championship before it was eliminated in the Southeast Regional semifinal. Its case will be reviewed in December by the NCAA Executive Committee. "They could decide to forfeit part of the money, all of it or award Alabama the full amount," Berst said. Memphis State was the last team to have its NCAA tournament money denied.

The Tigers lost its winnings from the 1985-86 tournaments in the wake of a scandal that forced the GaineS'buraers BUMFRS FOR flflM Ioo I CM CO I CM Hf Ullft Qu-mpr "-tmou'sr fi-u Im flsf Aliif (it this rouunty slus Hi LIMII 1 COUTM fit IMMKIIM "'J Mn A.ii.ii m-a (nl i Mi.