South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • 45

BROWARD NHL 1M2 1 NFL GOLF 17 1 COLLEGES IMI HIGH SCHOOLS 21 1 BOXING 22 1 HORSE RACING 24 1 FOR THE RECORD 25 iT ortsbunoi Ji South florid a sun-sentinel Sunday December 2003 section JUAN CONE; VLAD COMING? I he Marlins trade right fielder luan SPACE-AGE HEADGEAR Many Dolphins are wearing technologically im- roved helmets designed to prevent concussions AGE 16 v.3 be named- Meanwhile, sources predict outfielder Vladimir Guerrero will si with MrU.F PANTHERS RALLY, TIE The Panthers come from behind to tie the Predators 2-2 after two Nashville goals are reviewed and one is disallowed by the video replay judge. PAGE 10 par.K Heisman Trophy Division i-aa Semifinals: Colgate 36, Florida Atlantic 24 I- II Dominant Raiders endFAU's playoff run Colgate controls clock, makes final COMEBACK: Jason White, who almost quit football after a second knee injury in 2002, stands with the Heisman Trophy. AP photoJulie Jacobson Award goes to White Oklahoma QB edges Fitzgerald BYJOSHDUBOW THE ASSOCIATED PRESS new york Jason White capped a remarkable comeback with college football's most prestigious award, winning VOTING. 3C the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night a year after an injury nearly ended his career. BYTEDHUTTON STAFF WRITER FORT LAUDERDALE Florida Atlantic's extended season ended Saturday, a week earlier than the Owls would have preferred, but the loss did little to diminish FAU's remarkable run to the semifinals of the Division I-AA playoffs.

Colgate (15-0) remained undefeated and ran its winning streak to 21 games by beating FAU 36-24 at Lock-hart Stadium to earn a trip to Friday's Division I-AA national championship game against "WearehaDDV Delaware. FAU fin if in the fact that our team did the near impossible." ished the season 11-3, but when the season began back in August nobody expected the Owls to be I I I 'A kS Minn i im, m. r. The Oklahoma quarterback, who almost quit football following his second major knee injury in September 2002, beat out Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald by 128 points for the award. "Last year about this time, I was sit- Howard schnellenberger FAU COACH I HEISMAN CONTINUES ON 3C one of the final four teams.

This was FAU's third year of existence, and the team was coming off a 2-9 season. But the Owls finished the regular season 9-2, got an at-large bid into the playoffs and won their first two games before running into a Colgate team that used a combination of power, ball control and superior technique to blunt FAU's speed. The Owls' offense had the ball for a total of 17 minutes and 18 seconds. FAU also contributed to its demise with penalties and errors that cost it precious time and points. Although there were tears on the faces of many FAU players as they walked off the field, FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger wasn't going to dwell on the loss.

"We're so damn proud of what these guys have accomplished," he said. "We are happy in the fact that our team did the near impossible." LEONARD HAMILTON AP file photo Single- minded: FSlfs Hamilton deflects attention away! from himself upon return to Miami. Saturday game was the FAU CONTINUES ON 5C OWLS FALL BACK TO EARTH: FAU defensive linemen Brett Konchak, front, and Dimitri Jacques can't watch the final minutes of Saturday's loss to Colgate in the Division I-AA semifinals. Staff photoMark Randall "WE'RE YOUNG, WE'RE AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND WE DRIVE AROUND IN NICE CARS, HAVE NICE HOUSES, AND PEOPLE STILL LOOK AT US EVERY DAY LIKE 'WELL, IS HE A DRUG DEALER? IS HE A RAPPER? HE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING 1 ILLEGAL' RANDY MCMICHAEL, DOLPHINS TIGHT END RACE ISSUES CONTINUE TO SHADOW TODAY'S ATHLETES 3fi By Josh Robbins TALLAHASSEE BUREAU Leonard Hamilton spent a decade coaching the University of Miami basketball team. He holds fond memories of Coral Gables.

He took a moribund program and eventually guided it to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Just don't expect him to wax nostalgic this afternoon, when he returns to South Florida to lead Florida State against the Hurricanes. Never mind that Hamilton has not coached a college game south of As the topic keeps popping up, some black Dolphins say they are perceived differently when the uniform is off. BYETHANJ.SKOLNICK STAFF WRITER davie Sometimes, when James McKnight shops for cereal with his two sons, he senses they are the ones getting checked out. He isn't wearing his uniform, so no one knows he plays receiver for the Dolphins.

Nor would they know the 3 1-year-old has a wife, college degree, financial stability and numerous business interests. They only know he is black. And that his sons, ages 1 1 and 2, are too. "You walk by people, they look at you, they clench their purses," he said. "People are looking at my boys like they are going to take something, because their purse is sitting on their shopping cart.

I get a little offended. Not because I'm an NFL player and I have money, but just that it's a stereotype. And my boys don't know what's going on, but it's just the fact that 1 know. So I just tell them, let's go, and we'll just leave from wherever we're at." Maybe you assumed modern black athletes, most wealthy DOLPHINS CONTINUES ON 15C EAGLES AT DOLPHINS Monday, 9 p.m. Line: Dolphins by 2 HEAD COACH PURGE I COACH CONTINUES ON ISC 3.