Thursday, April 16, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Michigan quarterback's stock gains value as NFL draft nears
The Associated Press
PONTIAC, Mich. — He has the blood lines. He won the Rose Bowl and a share of the national championship. As a result, Brian Griese finds his stock rising as the NFL draft approaches this weekend.
Washington State's Rvan Leaf and
stronger than Griese
Tennessee Peyton Manning—who also was born with quarterback genes—will be the first two taken in this draft. Both are bigger and
But the Michigan quarterback has a record of leadership and championships that cannot be overlooked. As a result, several teams, including the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, are interested, and Grise could move up to the third or fourth rounds.
"I think Brian Griese has a lot of "i think as a football player," Detroit Lions coach Bobby Ross said yesterday. "His passes are very well timed. He's a leader. The qualities are all
there."
Griese, who decided to return for a fifth year of eligibility, is the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese. Even though his father was an All-American at Purdue, Brian Griese enrolled at Michigan and went out for football as a walk-on.
Last season, Griese completed 193 of 307 passes for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In the process, he broke the Michigan attempts and completes records held by Todd Collins. Only Collins and Jim Harbaugh threw for more yards in a season for the Wolverines.
But they did not win a national championship. Griese did — at least a share of it. Michigan was won No. 1 in the AP writers'队; Nebraska won the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
Lee Corso, ESPN analyst, called Griese "the glue that holds the Michigan team that team."
That was especially true in the Rose Bowl game. Griess out-dueled Leaf in Pasadena, hitting 18 of 30 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including 53 and 56-yard bombs.
"I know I don't have the talent that we plan to play in the NFL."
do," Griese said before that game.
"I'm pretty realistic. There are guys who can throw harder and run faster.
"I have my strengths, and I play to them."
The factors working against Grieese are size, strength and speed. He is listed on the NFL profile sheet as 6-foot-1, 206 pounds with a time of 5.0 in the 40-vard dash.
By comparison, Leaf is 6.5, 254, with a super-strong arm. Manning is 6.5, 230 pounds and drills the long outs with tremendous velocity.
"Brian is probably lacking a little bit in athleticism," Ross said. "I think there's a little bit of a tendency in our league to go that way. But I wouldn't say he won't go in the first or second round. He has a lot to offer."
If nothing else, Griese has a bit of history on his side. There is a growing list of Michigan quarterbacks — taken in the lower rounds — who are doing well in the NFL today.
The Chicago Bears raised some eyebrows when they made Harbaugh a first-round pick in 1987. Elvis Grbac was the San Francisco 49ers' eighth-round pick in 1993. Collins was taken in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in 1995.
New coach drafts Raiders lineup
Oakland searches for star players,not first draft choices
The Associated Press
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders are proof that building a team with top draft choices does not ensure a winning club.
They had 18 first-round picks on their rcaster last season, including three players who were the top overall selection in their drafts, but the Raiders finished 4-12 and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
"How you put your team together is critical in terms of chemistry," said Jon Gruden, the new Raiders coach. "I don't think you have to be a top-five pick or a first-rounder to be effective."
The Oakland roster last season featured six players who were selected in the first five picks of their draft and 11 who were top-10 choices.
Unless they trade away the fourth pick, the Raiders will add another top-five selection Saturday. Desperately in need of cornerbacks, Oakland is expected to pick Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson if he is available.
"He's an extremely confident individual. He's just what you want in a cornerback," Gruden said. "He's a great player, and he's going to have a great career in this league."
Woodson also returned punts and
made cameo appearances as a wide receiver at Michigan. The Raiders have former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard to return punts.
The Raiders have a tradition of signing first-round picks who flopped with the team that drafted them. Of the 18 first-rounders on the 1997 roster, fewer than half were drafted by the Raiders.
Defensive end Aundray Bruce was the No. 1 pick in 1988 by Atlanta, and
defensive tackle Russell Maryland the top pick in 1991.
Although the Raiders have taken on other teams' mistakes, Oakland also has had mixed success with its own first-round selections in the 1990s.
The Raiders' first-round picks in 1991 (quarterback Todd Marinovich) and 1993 (safety Patrick Bates) are gone. The Raiders chose Marinovich, who quit football at age 23, instead of Brett Favre.
And 1982 first-rounder Chester McGlockton also may leave the Raiders soon. The Raiders have made him their franchise player. However, they have been trying to trade him or hoping he will sign an offer sheet with another team so they can get compensation.
The team also faces uncertainty with six-time Pro Bowl cornerback
Eric Allen, who was traded to Oakland by the New Orleans Saints for a draft pick but has said he may retire rather than play for the Raiders.
Allen said he told Saints officials he wanted to be traded to a contender and he questioned whether the Raiders were such a team. He has met with Oakland officials since the trade, but his status has not been resolved.
Gruden said he was preparing for the draft with the assumption that Allen would join the Raiders.
"We are very optimistic this thing is going to work out and he is going to be a key part of this defense." Gruden said. "This is, I believe, a great opportunity for him. We've won in the past, and we're very confident we're going to win again. We need his leadership and his spark on defense."
In addition to cornerbacks, the Raiders are looking for a fullback and a linebacker. They also may seek a backup quarterback in the draft, though they already have auditioned candidates such as former New York Giants starter Dave Brown.
The 34-year-old Gruden, going into his first draft as a head coach, has been arriving at the office before sunrise to study for this weekend.
"This is an exciting time for me, not only for a young head coach but for any coach in this league. We know this is a huge day for our futures, and we're confident something is going to happen," he said. "We want to try to acquire chemistry and depth and young men that can be the lifeblood of our team for years."
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GRADUATION
ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS
**positions available**
GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL
STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
If you have a genuine interest in improving the quality of graduate student life across the University. The Graduate and Professional Students Association (GPA) has 3 staff positions you should consider:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Duties include serving as liaison between the GPA and other University offices, including the Chancellor, Provost, and Deans, as well as Student Senate. Incumbent must be willing to actively advocate for a variety of graduate student concerns. Knowledge of University governance and campus programs helpful. Experience in directing meetings preferred.
Duties include managing the GPA budget and handling all disbursements for the organization. Also, processing spending allocation requests for 40 graduate student organizations (GSOs). Must plan and deliver training workshop for GSO Treasurers. Must have budgeting/accounting experience. Familiarity with State Purchasing rules desirable.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR
Duties include compiling and editing the Graduate News Paper (GNP), maintaining the GPA homepage on the WWW, taking and distributing meeting minutes, maintaining e-mail distribution lists for various graduate student constituencies, and sending electronic and surface mail communiques. Layout experience required, as well as knowledge of PageMaker and HTML.
ALL POSITIONS REQUIRE EXCELLENT VERBAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS,
AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE
ACROSS A VARIETY OF CONTEXTS. ALL POSITIONS ARE 12 MONTH (7/1/98-6/30/99),
50% APPOINTMENTS WITH STAFF RATES. EOF
Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter plus three letters of recommendation to Bill Stuart, Position Search Chair, Graduate Executive Committee, 400 Kansas Union, Lawrence, KS 66045.
Deadline for applications is 5pm, Friday, April 24, 1998.
If you have any questions about the application process, call 785-864-9895, or inquire via e-mail at bstuart@falcon.cc.ukans.edu