Sports
University Daily Kansan / Thursday, November 2, 1989
2
Former KU player gets chance in NFL
Cornerback leaves school to join Chiefs
By Gene King
Kansan sportswrner
Peda Samuel was a student at Kansas until Tuesday afternoon. Now he is a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Samuel played football from 1986 to 1988 for Kansas. In his first two seasons, he was a wide receiver, but in his final season he switched to cornerback.
Jim Fender, Samuel's agent,
received a call earlier in the week
from the Chiefs and then called
Samuel.
While at Kansas, he earned second-team all-Big Eight honors in 1988. He was fifth in the conference that year with four interceptions and was ninth on the team in total tackles with 60.
Samantha. "I got the call at 3:30 Tuesday," Samuel said. "I was pretty surprised."
Samuel joined the developmental squad of the Chiefs yesterday. All 28 National Football League teams have a developmental team used to call players up in case of injury to an active player.
Fender said that Samuel would earn $1,000 a week just like all other developmental players, "no more, no less."
In the event that Samuel is called up to the active roster, he will earn an amount already set out in his contract.
"It is a one-year contract with no option." Fender said.
The Chiefs have rights to Samuel through the end of this season. They can call him up to the active roster, release him or keep him on th developmental squad. After this year
Samuel is free to choose his own course of action.
After finishing his eligibility at Kansas last season, Samuel stayed in Lawrence to continue his education. Samuel said he had just 12 hours left before he earned his degree in film.
"I'm hoping I can take a correspondence course while I'm playing with the Chiefs," he said. "I'm so close now."
Although hearing from the Chiefs was a surprise to both Samuel and his agent, the team has seen the cornerback perform before, when Samuel tried out for the squad in early May.
"I had a pulled groin since December, and I was only about 85 percent. Plus, I had 19 hours last semester, and finals were coming up," Samuel
"I figured I should go ahead and finish school."
samuel said he had entertained thoughts of trying out for clubs in Canada or even becoming a student assistant under Coach Glen Mason next year for the Jayhawks.
Fender said that playing in Canada, or even more likely in Italy, were both possibilities open to Samuel.
"In Italy you play both offense and defense," Fender said. "Since Peda had played both at Kansas, the coaches were looking at him."
Samuel said he "never gave up hoop" of playing in the NFL.
"It has always been in the back of my mind," he said.
Yesterday was the first day of practice for Samuel. Afterward, he said he was tired but not exhausted.
"I kept in decent shape just in case," Samuel said.
Peda Samuel is practicing with the Kansas City Chiefs. He is on their developmental squad
KANSAN file photo
N.C. State might get light slap
The Associated Press
"The committee could decide that they are very sincere and concerned about correcting problems, or they could decide they are just there putting on a show," he said.
"I think they (committee members) have an opportunity to judge the people who come before the committee and get a feel for how credible these people are," David Didion told The Charlotte Observer in a telephone interview.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina State could receive a light sentence for violations of NCAA guidelines by the basketball program if the school proves it's sincere in making changes, an NCAA representative said.
N. C. State was charged with eight violations of NCAA guidelines during an eight-month investigation by Dillon, an enforcement representative. The most serious of those violations involved the sale of shoes and tickets by players.
NU adviser says questioning led to firing
Four N.C. State officials — basketball coach Jim Valvano, interim chancellor Larry Monteith, interim athletic director Harold Hopfenberg and legal counsel Becky French — are scheduled to have a hearing tomorrow with the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which will decide what sanctions will be placed on the Wolfpack program.
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — A former University of Nebraska academic adviser yesterday told a federal jury that she was fired because she notified the faculty senate of irregularities in at least one football player's transcripts.
Mary Jane Visser is seeking damages from lost wages and related emotional stress as well as reinstument to her job. Her lawsuit claims she was fired in September 1988 for continuing investigations into the academic status of student athletes at the university.
But an attorney representing the school in the civil lawsuit filed by the adviser said she had a vendetta against her supervisor and once told a co-worker she was "going to get" him.
She told the jury she went through the proper channels to report her concerns to her supervisors. She also explained her concern for the athletes who were placed on probation, dismissed from school and then readmitted.
A light sentence is possible considering that the university requested the investigation.
Visser testified yesterday her main concern was whether student athletes "were really getting an education or just being used and abused."
In 1986 in Georgia, Jan Kemp won $1.00 million in a lawsuit charging she was fired for protesting preferential treatment for athletes at the University of Georgia.
Visser's attorney, Thom Cope, said the trial could take nine days. Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne is expected to take the witness stand Monday.
Friday, during questioning from her attorney, Visser said she found irregularities on at least one football player's high school transcript.
The transcript had the wrong race and had written senior-year grades on the computerized form, she said. Most of the grades for the first three years were C's and D's, but the handwritten grades included A's and B's, she said.
Visser, a university employee for 19 years, said her termination followed several disciplinary reprimands that started about the time Osborne complained about a football player's high school transcript that "was floating around on campus."
She said the atmosphere in the general studies advising office where she worked changed after she was reprimanded by supervisor Donald Gregory.
But on cross-examination, university attorney David Buntain said the atmosphere actually changed after a March 30, 1988, meeting with Gregory. He said Visser came out of Gregory's office and told a co-worker she was "going to get" Gregory.
Visser said that she whispered the comment to co-worker Michael Shada but that it was not loud enough for others to hear.
for others of her Visser said she brought the questionable transcript and other problems with student athletes' academic performance to the attention of her superiors as well as the Faculty Senate because she was concerned for student athletes. She testified that she had been concerned for them since at least 1985.
"I really kind of felt sorry for them. Each semester the same athletes' files would be on my desk," she said. "I noticed that their grades were just below average.
with the cream of the crop and having a difficult time. It was just destroying their self image." Visser said.
Buntain has rebutted Visser's charges and said she was dismissed because of performance problems.
In his opening statement Monday, Buntain said Visser was regularly late to work, occasionally left early and took long lunch breaks. She also conducted personal business while at work and sometimes disappeared without explanation to perform personal errands, he said.
"There they are, being thrown in
She said her colleagues also reported late for work, made personal calls and had personal visits during the working day. She also said she filed more than one grievance with the university's affirmative action officer about alleged sex discrimination.
Visser said yesterday that she had asked Gregory to let the office use flex time so she could wait with her 9-year-old son at a busy school bus stop on U.S. Highway 34 near their rural Lancaster County home.
Robinson chosen top AL coach
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Frank Robinson, who guided the Baltimore Orioles to one of the greatest turnabouts in baseball history, was selected American League Manager of the Year yesterday.
Robinson took the Orioles from last place in the AL East, with a 54-107 record in 1988, to second place and an 87-75 mark this year, only two games behind Toronto. It was the third-best one-season turnover ever.
He got 23 of 28 first-place votes and
125 points on a 5-1-3 scoring basis
from a panel chosen by the Baseball
Writers Association of America.
Cito Gaston, who managed the Blue Jays to first place in the AL East, finished second with three first-place votes and 62 points.
Tony La Russa, who guided Oakland to the AL pennant and World Series title, was third with two firstplace votes and 51 points.
California's Doug Rader finished
fourth with 13 points, and Kansas
City's John Wathan got one point.
Robinson was also The Associated Press' Manager of the Year.
The Orioles rebuilt this year around a mostly rookie pitching staff and only one proven star, shortstop Cal Ripken. They almost became the first team to go from last place to first in one season.
Robinson, a Hall of Famer who played with the Orioles from 1966 to 1971, was promoted from coach to manager in 1988 after Baltimore began the year with six straight losses under Cal Ripken Sr. They went on to lose their first 21 games, the worst start in baseball history.
This year, the youthful Orioles played like confident veterans, and Robinson — impatient and temperamental — led the transformation
Rookie pitchers Gregg Olson, Bob Milacki, Pete Harnisch and Dave Johnson kept the Orioles winning, while catcher Mickey Tettleton had an All-Star season. Baltimore set a record for the best defense in a full season, and the fans appreciated the effort by setting a Baltimore attendance record.
A couple of days after the season, the Orioles and Robinson also got a parade for their efforts.
pardon for the season ended. Just after the season ended, the Orioles announced that Robinson would be back next year.
The Orioles' record equaled that of the 1982 San Francisco Giants as the best for a team managed by Robinson.
Robinson, 54, who became baseball's first black manager in 1975, has a career record of 649-706. Before taking over the Orioles, he managed in Cleveland from 1975 to 1978 and in San Francisco from 1981 to 1984.
San Francisco Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 after a 21-year playing career in which he hit 586 home runs. He was the National League's Rookie of the Year in 1956.
Next week, the baseball writers will announce the rookies of the year.
Sport briefs
AXED CHIEF RE-SIGNES: Defensive end Bruce Chiff, who was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs Friday, resigned with the National Football League club yesterday.
The Chiefs also sought waivers on safety Kenny Hill, who had nine tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in eight games. Hill signed during training camp after being released by the New York Giants,
Clark, who has played for the New Orleans Saints, has appeared in four Chief games since signing in September. He was waived when running back Tommie Agee was taken from the injured reserve list.
Fellow Americans Michael Chang and Aaron Krickstein moved into the third round. Chang ripped through the game against Henri Leconte of France, 6-3, 6-2, while Krickstein gained a victory against qualifier Ronald Agonel of Haiti, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Also in the second round, Stefan Edberg of Sweden, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, edged Olympic gold medalist Miloslav Meicr of Czecho-
with whom he spent five seasons.
MOENRCOE WINS: John McEnroe struggled to a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Jonas Svensson of Sweden in the opening round of the Paris Open tennis tournament yesterday.
slovakia, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, and Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland beat Martin Jaite of Argentina, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Chang is headed toward a quarterfinal meeting with McEnroe, who must win his second-round match today against Hirst Skoff of Austria.
In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling.
NFL's COURT VICTORY: A federal appeals court today ruled in favor of the NFL in its free agency dispute with the players association.
'Old' players slide into new baseball league
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The boys of fall took the field yesterday for the inauguration of a new league, one dedicated to the proposition that you never grow too old for a head-first slide, a chew of tobacco and the smell of a leather glove.
crow of totes.
Rick Rorrow, the president of the Senior Professional Baseball Association, was racing from one opening day event to another when he paused to reflect on the chances of his league, which features some of baseball's big names from the past.
The Associated Press
"When these guys told me at the beginning of camp that they'd all go in with their splikes up, slide head first, and the managers said they'd win 72 games, I was skeptical," said Harrow, a Harvard lawyer. "After watching today's game I have no doubts that we've created the boys of fail."
have no injuries.
The new league is for players 35 and older,
although some excerptions have been made. The
72-game season will run three months with eight
teams, all based in Florida and with rosters
stocked almost exclusively with former major
Tickets for the games will cost between $4 and $10 and they will be played at stadiums often used for spring training. But some players were grumbling about the buildings.
bung about the buildings,
"This is like a little league stadium," said St.
Lucie Legends' outfielder Bobby Bonds, referring to Pompano Beach's Municipal Stadium.
Dick Williams, manager of the West Palm Beach Tropics, said he did not expect the league to be dominated by power hitting.
"I look for defense and pitching to be the big factors in the league," said Williams, for years one of the top managers in the big leagues. "If you have that, you'll survive."
league players.
Survival will be the name of the game for the fledgeling league.
Horrow was optimistic when he talked about the first name in Fort Myers.
"There appeared to be more than 3,000 paid," he said. "We were lines at the ticket office, crowds were genuinely enthused and all of those I talked to indicated this would be the first of many games
thev would see."
they would see. Jim Morley, owner of the St. Petersburg Pelicans, conceived the idea while vacationing last winter in Australia. He recognized the pitfalls of the league, to the point that he provided oversized uniforms he had to shrink later.
The investors plunked down about $1 million for franchises and have lured big names such as Graig Nettles, Luis Tiant, Bert Campaneris, Rollie Fingers and Dave Kingman to the league.
The founders of the league hope to duplicate the success of other senior events such as the Senior PGA Tour and Masters tennis.
PGA Tour and tournament. The senior league's three-year cable television package involves 30 games each season. Prime Sports Network, which Morley said reached about 24 million homes nationwide, will two games a week, including a Sunday afternoon telecast that will start an hour before the major networks begin coverage of the NFL.
COVERAGE IN THE HOME
The teams have a salary cap of $550,000, with salaries ranging from $2,000 to $15,000 each month.
Rosters are limited to 24 players.
Missing Gators spoil coach's first practice
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Don DeVoe run the Florida Gators through a fast-paced first practice yesterday, although two starters from last year's squad stayed away.
"If the team wants to get better, we need the leaders here," DeVoe said.
Senior center Dwayne Schlintzus and junior forward Livingston Chatman didn't attend the team meeting or the first practice session with DeVoe, who was named interim head coach Tuesday after the sudden retirement of Norm Sloan.
but a little more effort. He said he would attempt to talk to the two players later yesterday.
"They're not here because they elected not to be here today." DeVoe said. "I'm not surprised, but a little disappointed."
At a news conference, DeVoe said that he hoped to be offered the job on a permanent basis.
san.
DeVoe, 47, who was forced to resign as coach at Tennessee at the end of last season, met with the team and then immediately launched into practice.
ing allowance of $10,000 and a car.
"I'm qualified for this job, and I hope I'm qualified for the full-time position," said DeVoe, who was given a six-mouth contract that includes $80,000 in salary, $15,000 for television appearance, a liv
glowance or 10%.
"The University of Florida should have the best basketball coach it can get, and I'm hopeful I can be that basketball coach," DeVoe said. "I'm number one today, and I hope to be number one next year at this time."
DeVoe said he would run the program by himself until he can hire some assistant coaches.
Sloan's assistants, Monte Towe, Kenny McCraney and Phil Weber, were asked to resign and are no longer part of the program, athletic director Bill Asparaguer said, adding he thought DeVoe should be able to choose his own assistants.
DeVoe completed a 204-172 record in 11 seasons at Tennessee, which hired him in 1978 after he had coached five years at Virginia Tech and two at Wyoming.
Although he had a reputation as a disciplined, defense-minded coach who ran a clean program of nCAA sanctions, he apparently didn't produce enough victories to satisfy Tennessee officials, and he was forced out on March 21.
DeVoe turned down an offer from Mercer and was lukewarm to overtures from several smaller colleges, insisting he had graduated to the big-time level of the Southeastern Conference or some other comparable league.
"When you are a coach, 'you make quick adjustments,' he said.