The Marion Star from Marion, Ohio • 14

Page 14 Friday, January 1, 1993 The Marion Star 2 plays enough for Pickens Voting for the 1992 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as selected by a nationwide panel of the media: 7 1 Like Pickens, his stock dropped on draft day and he was not chosen until 21st in the first round. Finishing third was placckicker Jason Hanson of Detroit with eight votes. Tackle Troy Auzenne of Chicago had six, followed by quarterback David Klinglcr, Cincinnati, placckicker Lin Elliott, Dallas, receiver-kick returner Desmond Howard, Washington running back Rodney Culver, Indianapolis, running back Amp Lee, San Francisco, tight end Johnny Mitchell, New York Jets, and running back Tommy Vardell, Cleveland, 1. Ineligible for the award was Rickey Watters, the 49crs' rusher who did not play last season while injured. However, league rules classify Walters as a first-year player, not a rookie.

The 1991 winner was New England running back Leonard Russell. Major teams gain OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) The 1992 season was the 124th for college football and the NCAA reported a gain of one team in Division 1-A, which is the category for major college teams. year. There's only been two big plays the catch and the punt return.

Other than catches on normal 5- and 6-yard routes, that's about it." But he displayed enough to impress the voters and his coach, Dave Shula. "He has shown the ability to make spectacular plays," Shula said. "I believe he'll just get better." A second-round draft pick from Tennessee the Defensive Rookie of the Year, Dale Carter of Kansas City, also played for the Volunteers Pickens had 26 receptions for a 12.5-yard average and the one score. He averaged 12.7 yards on punt returns. "With the recruiting classes we've had in the past 10 years, it's hard to see why we haven't won the national championship," he said of Tennessee.

"It's big-league football. This is the next step. If you play at Tennessee, you don't have to take that much bigger of a step to get to the next level." Pickens is the second Cincinnati player to win the award. Receiver Eddie Brown took the honor in 1985. Ironically, Pickens got a chance to play with Brown out for the season because of a neck injury.

Dunbar rushed for 589 yards and three touchdowns for New Orleans. By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) Carl Pickens, a receiver and kick returner for the struggling Cincinnati Bengals, won The Associated Press 1992 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, announced today. In a season lacking for major contributors among rookie offensive players, Pickens beat running back Vaughn Dunbar of New Orleans 22 votes to 20 in balloting by a nationwide panel of media members. Nine other rookies also received votes. Pickens' season was highlighted by two plays: a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 24-23 loss to Green Bay, and a 22-yard touchdown catch in Chicago on Nov.

8. Pickens, 6-foot-2, outjumped 5-9 comerback Lemuel Stinson to catch Boomer Esia-son's desperate lob on fourth down to tie the game 28-28 with 59 seconds left. Jim Breech's field goal won it in overtime. "Basically, that's the only thing that I've done," Pickens said. "I haven't made any key catches, as far as it being third-and-long and we've got to have it.

I don't think I've been in that situation too many' times this Carl Pickens Cincinnati 22 Bengals Vaughn Dunbar New Orleans 20 Saints Jason Hanson Detroit 8 Lions Troy Auzenne Chicago 6 Bears David Kllngler Cincinnati 3 Bengals Lin Elliott Dallas 2 Cowboys Desmond Howard Washington 2 Redskins Rodney Culver Indianapolis 2 Colts Amp Lee San Francisco 2 49ers Johnny Mitchell New York 1 Jets Tommy Vardell Cleveland 1 Browns Carter named top rookie By The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. Four years after he dropped out of college and took a job at a fastfood joint, Dale Carter is The Associated Press defensive rookie of the year. "It looks like I made the right decision to go back to school," said Kansas City's first-year comerback-kick returner. "If I hadn't come back, would I be here now? No, I don't think I would. "Man, this is better than dropping fries and washing dishes." While helping the Chiefs maintain a tradition of top-flight secondary play, Carter has rarely looked like a rookie.

His seven interceptions are one shy of the Chiefs' 30-year-old rookie record. He stepped in for injured Albert Lewis, a perennial all-pro, and performed with the skill and daring of a savvy veteran. His 36-yard touchdown return of a John Elway pass Sunday helped the Chiefs (10-6) lock up their third straight playoff berth. He took the first punt he returned in the NFL 46 yards for a touchdown in the 24-10 season-opening victory at San Diego. As a kick returner, he has also committed some eye-popping boneheaded plays.

But his athletic talents almost never had a chance to blossom. Academically ineligible at all the major college programs who recruited him out of Covington, he wound up at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he had 1 1 interceptions his first season and was named to several junior college All-America squads. But when he wasn't on the football field, Carter found little excitement in the community of about 5,500 north of Des Moines. "The small town got to me," he said. "A lot of things were going through my mind.

So I packed up and left one night." He went home to Covington and got a job selling burgers and fries. About a month later, a call came from Fran Sisco, wife of then-Ellsworth coach Lloyd Sisco. "She said, 'You really need to get AP USTOMER ILL DALE CARTER NFL's best rookie defender back and maybe free safety, from a physical standpoint the toughest place to be as a rookie is comerback." While providing seven interceptions and expert protection at the vital left comerback position, Carter has also made a couple of the most bone-headed plays of the year on kick returns. Against New England and Denver, he foolishly ran up to kicks that were skittering along the ground and let the ball touch him, each time creating a turnover. "On balance, I would suggest there's 27 other teams that would take him in a heartbeat," Schottenheimer said.

"He's a tough, competitive guy, and characteristic of a lot of great athletes. For the longest time they did whatever they wanted to do. Their athletic skills were such that they didn't have to do anything technique-wise or fundamentally-wise exactly perfect. "That's obviously not the case in this league." Carter's kick return miscues have gotten him in trouble with teammates as well as coaches and fans. But he's never been apologetic.

"I made a bad decision," he said. "You've got to take chances. If you don't, you won't be successful in life. Good things happen when you take chances. Bad things happen when you take chances.

And the result is a couple of good things happened and a couple of bad things happened." Carter received 22 votes to 19 for Tampa Bay defensive end Santana Dotson in balloting by a nationwide panel of media members. I will be collecting for the month of January on Thurday Friday, between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. I would appreciate it if you could pay me for the entire month of January at this time. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. This will save us both valuable time by preventing me from having to attempt to catch you at home every week.

(Any credit may be deducted off next month's billing.) CARRIER DELIVERY MOTOR ROUTE DELIVERY 1227 0103 0110 0117 0124 0102 0109 0116 0123 0130 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.10 1227 0103 0110 0117 0124 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 0102 0109 0116 0116 0130 10.50 total for January 10.75 total for January Thank You Your Marion Star CarrierDOES NOT EFFECT P.I.O CUSTOMERS 1088 MT. VERNON AVE MARION 389-5242 back in school," Carter said. "My mom was nagging me all the time about it. Plus my brother." Carter's brother, Jake Reed, is a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. "My brother went to Grambling, and he kept telling me I had to get back in school, I had to get back in school," Carter said.

"So I said, 'OK, I'm out of Back at Ellsworth for the 1989 season, Carter set a school record with 17 career interceptions and returned six kickoffs for touchdowns. Stepping up in class, he played the next two years at Tennessee and immediately became a consensus all-Southeastern Conference free safety. The Chiefs made him the 20th selection in the 1992 draft. But it was in Dallas last Oct. 18 when he began to feel his confidence rise.

The Chiefs lost the game, but Carter drew rave reviews for the way he covered All-Pro Michael Irvin. "After the Dallas game and playing Michael Irvin, I thought if I can guard those guys, I can guard anybody in the NFL," he said. "Any position is tough for a rookie," said Chiefs coach Marty Schot- All Sales Final nventory Voting for the 1992 fpfJlfi- NFL Defensive (xSsw'' Rookie of the Year as selected by a nationwide panel of the media: Dale Carter Kansas City 22 Chiefs Santana Dotson Tampa Bay 19 Buccaneers Marco Coleman Miami 11 Dolphins Robert Jones Dallas 8 Cowboys Chris Mims San Diego 6 Chargers Darren Perry Pittsburgh 3 Steele rs Troy Vincent Miami 3 Dolphins Steve Emtman Indianapolis 2 Colts Terrell Buckley Green Bay 1 Packers I Coupon Special Clearance I I Coupon Saturday Sunday Only Bev's Gift Boutique regular II tF white tag price Off regular white tag price Mo- I II El A of all Items in II Hardware not II already on sale. of any 2 items in Gift Shop AP Hundreds of items throughout store, marked with special clearance signs. Valentine merchandise not included.

St. Patricks, Easter and candy excluded. Water heaters excluded. I i tenheimer. "But other than quarter- Johnson, Valentine hired by Cincinnati All Christmas Merchandise Bear Necessities Special Clearance Rack Slightly Irregular Values to 19.99 By The Associated Press 99 Vour -3 Choice Off regular white tag price Off regular white tag price of all Items in Gift Shop.

60 Off aarat75 XJ manager in any way, that's fine." He told Bowden during his managerial interview that he'd accept another job with the Reds, but wouldn't feel comfortable as an assistant coach. Johnson didn't want speculation that he was waiting to take over as manager. "I thought it would be more difficult to coach because the manager might feel threatened and I didn't want anybody to feel threatened by my presence," Johnson said. "If they didn't want me for that (managing) position and had any other position I could help them in it was not 'Just give me a job' I told him to please feci free to call me. Valentine, 42, spent llA seasons managing the Texas Rangers, who fired him last season.

He'll be an advisor on player moves and will be responsible for scouting upcoming opponents on the Reds' schedule. 4 AO 0ff I Pa regular white I II tag price all Includes all cards, gift wrap party goods, Valentine cards and merchandise and candy. St. Patrick and Easter merchandise excluded. TOYS Off regular white tag price Winter Clothing Car Seats Strollers High Chairs Baby Accessories All Crafts All School Supplies All Stuffed Animals Pillows Photo Albums Picture Frames 30 Special Chip-N-Dent Tables Off regular white tag price all Plasticware, Rubbermaid, Trash Cans etc.

CINCINNATI Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine, who unsuccessfully interviewed for the Cincinnati Reds' managing job, were hired Thursday in scouting and advisory roles. Johnson, the former New York Mets manager, was named the Reds' major league consultant, a job that will include scouting teams during spring training. Valentine, the former Texas Rangers manager, was named advance scout and advisor for player personnel. They were in the group of seven candidates interviewed for the managing job that went to Tony Perez. Two other candidates Ron Oester and Dave Miley were hired for his coaching staff.

Johnson, 49, also interviewed for the Seattle Mariners' managing job that went to Lou Piniella. Reds general manager Jim Bowdcn later called him and offered him the consulting job. Johnson hasn't coached or managed in the major leagues since the Mets fired him during the 1990 season, four years after he led them to the World Series championship. He was a part-time scout last year for the Minnesota Twins. "I'd love to manage.

I think that's where I'm best used at," Johnson said Thursday, in a telephone interview from his home in Orlando, Fla. "But if I can assist a manager or general rrBowling: Seasonal Merchandise Sale Thanksgiving, Halloween etc. CfiO Off regular JJ white tag price 20 Off regular white tag price all Small Appliances Coupon- Coupon i Sat Sun I I C0LJPn I COFFEE KLATCHERS Dianne Schwilk 228-539, Marijane Brown 193-547. Cathy Larch 191, Deb Coy 535. Wonder Whats 813-2329.

Anne Reiff 5-6, Marge Gukfer 6-7-9-10, Coy rolled an all spare game score of 1 83. BC FUN BUNCH Bob Agnes 241-678, Maynard Snyder 240, Gerald Cook 227-625, Earl Cottrill 608. Ben Brown 5-6-1 0, Cook 5-6. ROUSH HEATING PLUMBING Teresa Scott 215, Ruth Hecker 214-572, Stacy Burchette 200-564, Helen LeVan 542. Peacock's Water Conditioning 825, Mahek's Trophies 2408.

Helen Crissinger 6-7-10, Hecker 5-8-10. Only no I i Off 1 Only Off regular white tag price Any Aeriel Items low red tag All clothing Off regular white tag price Any Barbie IU0 12 II II I I 2 I I I I many already reduced by 12. 75 off rack clothing excluded Items..