The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • J6

-Composite Proof 0:00 0:00 THE NEXT LEVEL By BUDDY PINKSTON In a season when bright spots have been all too rare for football team, Stephon Heyer had a huge hand in one of the shining moments of Terrapin history. The junior offensive tackle from Brookwood was instrumental in clearing the way for a 20-17 upset of then-No. 5 Florida State on Oct. 30. Despite a sprained right knee, Heyer played 74 of 78 snaps at left tackle and earned ACC offensive lineman of the week honors with the highest blocking grade up front, including two pancake hits.

think I came with my Heyer said. key was firing off the ball full bore. We knew they like to get in your face, so we made sure we got after them first. I think we surprised them. They know what hit Considered best pass blocker, Heyer shielded the blind side of quarterback Joel Statham, who completed 21 of 40 attempts for 333 yards and a touchdown, with one interception and two sacks.

feel like pass protection is my said Heyer, 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds. like to get the jump pass and keep after them. I want to dictate the game. Not a lot of tackles will get in your face like I Heyer played in 13 games as a freshman during an 11-3 season that included a 30-3 Peach Bowl win over Tennessee. He started every game last year when Maryland went 103, beating West Virginia 41-7 in the Gator Bowl.

He said he is growing into a leadership role as an upperclassman. weight is on my shoulders he said, all right to take on that task. We are a real close-knit group. The other offensive linemen are like a second family to While Maryland (4-5; idle this weekend) has slipped this season and followed its highlight victory with a loss to Virginia, the luster of knocking off FSU will remain. Maryland set the tone with its first possession, driving 68 yards in eight plays for a 43- yard Nick Novak field goal.

On their way to 387 total yards, the Terps also produced drives of 53, 68, 78 and 64 yards before the defense finally stiffened midway through the third quarter. From there, Maryland managed to protect a 20-10 lead. believed in our Heyer said. knew if we did our part, they could hold THE NEXT LEVEL is an occasional feature that recognizes athletes from Gwinnett who are competing in college, pro or advanced amateur sports. Readers are asked to send suggestions to Bob Giles: or (fax) 770-263-3011.

THE STEPHON HEYER FILE College: Maryland Position: Offensive tackle Year: Junior Size: 6-foot-6, 295 pounds High school: Brookwood, 2002 Major: Criminal justice Highlights: ACC lineman of the week after 20-17 win over FSU on Oct. 30 second-highest-graded lineman in 2003; called for two penalties in 737 plays 365-pound bench press, 555-pound squat, 32-inch vertical jump. Brookwood grad taking leading role at Maryland University of Maryland Stephon Heyer was named ACC offensive lineman of the week after the Terps upset Florida State. SUNDAY JASON ELAM, Denver Broncos placekicker As hard as it may be to believe, veteran NFL kicker Jason Elam had just one Division I scholarship offer awaiting him after a brilliant career at Brookwood High School. The University of Hawaii was the only school that saw enough in the Snellville native to make a hefty commitment.

Now in his 12th season with the Denver Broncos, Elam has 1,380 career points, tying him with Jim Bakken for 17th place on the all-time scoring list. Elam, 34, equaled Tom NFL mark for the longest field goal six years ago when he was good from 63 yards out against Jacksonville. He holds the record for the most consecutive successful point-after tries (371). Elam, a three-time Pro Bowler and perhaps future hall-of-famer, recently spoke with staff writer John Hollis. What made you want to be a kicker in the NFL, and did you ever dream things would work out like they have? has always been something I really enjoyed doing.

I knew it was something I knew I could do. I kind of knew I had that God-given ability to have that sure swing. But I never dreamed anything like this would ever happen. been kind of a storybook deal. been a little more than six years since you matched Tom record with that 63- yarder.

Do you still think much about that record and possibly trying to break it and get the record all to yourself one day? I think a lot about the record, but I also think there are a lot of kickers who could do it. just getting the right opportunity and the right circumstances. love to break it. I came close when I tried a 65-yarder against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football 10, It had the distance, but went just left. It made me sick.

But I want that record to define my career. rather be remembered as a guy who made the kicks he was supposed to, and when the game is on the line, my teammates have confidence in me. been two years since you relinquished your kickoff duties to Micah Knorr. Was it hard to come to that decision and have you noticed a difference since? I did for 10 years. The thing about kickoffs is that really a thankless job.

got to run very hard just to get the ball to the goal line. never felt better since I been kicking off. I thought up would bother me, but I missed it at all. How hard is it for a kicker to enter the game with three or four seconds left in the fourth quarter with the game tied or your team behind and the game rests in your hands? tough, but the reason you play in the NFL as a kicker. Sooner or later, going to get situations like that.

The way I approach it is, if I swing like supposed to, going to make it more times than I miss. So you just trust your swing. Having a short memory is a must for any kicker, but is it easier said than done? Yeah, not always easy, but I just try to stay level-headed. I never get too high when things are going well and never get too low when going bad. How long do you see yourself playing, and have you given much thought to possibly trying to become the all-time leading scorer? I see myself playing as long as still fun.

I feel like kicking well, but I ever want to stick around to the point when coming up short on 40-yarders. As far as the scoring record, I think be pretty tough, especially with what Gary and Morten have done lately. Do you have favorite stadiums in which you like to kick? Any domed stadium is just fine with me. You sleep a lot more the night before knowing not going to be any wind the next day. But Denver, when the weather is nice, is a great place to kick.

You want to try to avoid the Green Bays and the New Englands in the later parts of the year. How much pride do you take in being the longest-tenured Denver Bronco on the roster? more surprising than anything else. gone by so fast. It seems like I was just a rookie last year. But been a whole lot of fun and been able to play with a whole lot of great, great players: the John Elways, the Terrell Davises.

BRYAN KELSEN Associated Press Placekicker Jason Elam a Brookwood High product, is in his 12th season with the Denver Broncos. trust your GOLF Local players vie for Tour By MIKE BLUM For the Journal-Constitution Three Gwinnett golfers will compete in the finals of qualifying for the 2005 Champions Tour, which begins Tuesday in St. Augustine, Fla. Duluth native James Mason was exempt into the finals of qualifying, while Bob Flanagan and John Cochran both advanced through first stage qualifiers. Flanagan, a runner-up in the 2003 Georgia Senior Open at the Georgia Club, tied for fourth in his first stage qualifier at a different course in St.

Augustine, posting a 72-hole total of 284. Cochran, a mini- tour player, made the qualifying cut in Orlando with a 294. Area players who failed to get past the first stage included Brady Miller and Brian Taylor of Duluth. Mason, who now lives in Dillard, has played on the Champions Tour the past three years as a result of his victory in the 2002 NFL Classic. But after falling to 57th on the money list this year, Mason will have to at least finish in the top 15 in the qualifying finals to retain his status on the 2005 Champions Tour.

The top seven qualifiers are fully exempt for next tour, with the next eight getting conditional status for Mason finished around 40th on the money list in both 2002 and with combined earnings of more than $900,000, but fell out of the top 50 this year with just under $257,000. Mason had six top-20 finishes in but never cracked the top 10, with almost all his best efforts coming in the first half of the season, when he was able to compete in only three of the first 11 events on the schedule due to his nonexempt status. PGA Tour qualifying Two second-tier qualifying events for the 2005 PGA Tour wrap up this weekend, with another four beginning Wednesday. Six Gwinnett golfers are among 21 Georgians competing in second-stage qualifiers, with about 20 players from each qualifier advancing to the finals in early December at PGA West in southern California. Competing this weekend outside Dallas, are Ian Hessels a member of the Hooters Tour, and Michael Pearson a former Brookwood and Georgia Tech golfer now living in Alpharetta.

Tim Weinhart will play in St. Augustine beginning Thursday along with former Norcross resident Reid Edstrom who now plays and lives in South Florida. Lawrenceville native Rob McKelvey now of Conyers, plays in a second stage qualifier in Kingwood, Texas, and needs to reach the finals to retain his status on the Nationwide Tour. Also in that qualifier are Nationwide Tour players Kevin Durkin and Troy Matteson of Alpharetta, along with Bryce Molder and Matt Weibring both teammates of Matteson at Georgia Tech. Duluth resident Scott Dunlap is playing in California, and will be looking to return to the PGA Tour after a two- year absence.

Dunlap is exempt for the 2005 Nationwide Tour thanks to a victory late in the season. Gwinnett Sports CONTACT US. SCOTT BERNARDE, GWINNETT SPORTS, 6455 BEST FRIEND ROAD, NORCROSS, GA 30071. PHONE: 770-263-3863. TO REPORT SCORES: FAX, 770-263-3011.

PHONE, 770-263-3862. James Mason was exempt into finals of qualifying. RZJ1114OJ6FZJ1114OJ6 Sun. Gwinnett 6J 6J RR RR BlueRedYellowBlack Blue RedYellowBlack J6 Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.