European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday january 24, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 19 commentary Grogan dreams of getting the nod Orleans the score is close. The final minutes lick away in lie biggest game of the year. He watches from the Bench his hands sweating even Hough the last Lime he touched inc football was in pc game drills lie winces As a crunching a Klc puts the Star tiny quark crack to the ground and out of the Garni. The head Couch looks is Way and poin Stoward the Field. In t ills every Rookie s dream perhaps it s just that quarterback Steve Grogan is no Rookie. It has been 11 years since Grogan had visions of himself As a first year player making plays that would make him famous. Those were inc Days when he believed things could Only get belter when victories would pile up. Those were inc Days when he could scramble out of trouble and run for a first Down or Complete a puss on a broken Field play. Those were the Days it Hill taken Gro gun ii years to gel where he wanted i Long years to move from just another football player watching the super bowl from his Home to one who will Euit up to play in the game every player dreams about. The dream never changed but the game has taken a toll on the former Kansas state Star. Five knee operations have slowed him. And Tony Eason has taken his starting Job. Twenty five years from said Gro Gan. Ill be talking to my inn kids telling then i played at super bowl xxx. They re going to ask what did you do 1 Don t want to say. All 1 did was stand on the sidelines " it was t Long ago thai Grogan place was on the Field instead of the Periphery. Eason who was Given the Starling assignment by coach Raymond Berry during training Camp suffered a separated shoulder in came t. On came Grogan to Lead his team to a 14 j Victory Over inc Buffalo Bills and even the pals record at 3-3. That s when new England shifted from a mediocre wait into a Victory disco. With Grogan directing the offence the patriots ran off five straight victories. Then adversity found Steve Grogan. Adversity was named Ben Rudolph whose hit put Grogan out of the game. New England loss 16-13 in overtime to the jets Grogan lost his Job "1 can t explain Why these things said Grogan wednesday at a news conference. All i can do is get Well. All i can do is look for a Silver Grogan at first figured on a Short Wail. Wiur Terbuck state or Oren. A great feeling to be a Patriot "1 had the knee taped up Annj figured i was going Back in the game pc try soon. Then the doctor came Over and started to move my knee around and 1 could Sec something was Loose Loose us in separated. Loose us in broken. Part of Bone had broken off said Grogan. They put two Metal screws in there 0 put it Hack in with one hit from one player Grogan changed from healthy to injured from participant to onlooker from student to teacher "1 Don t know How much i be taught Tony. 1 think he s Learned a lot just by watching me in those Sis games. 1 think he gained a better perspective of the game."1 just Lold him three things i take charge out there 2 thai he s got to be laugh. That he s Gullo step up in the pocket throw the Ball and Lake the hit 3 if you Sci Ike Chance 10 Call the plays Call them Grogan said Eason la advice. The result a 3s-3i Triumph Over Indiana Polit dec. 1 Grogan has watched Lason and inc pit riots accomplish a lot since the jets Ujj Simc. He As they qualified is n wild c ird in the american football conference. He watched As the rolled Over he jets raiders Imp dolphins in Succes Sion to bring them to the Doorstep of the game he always dreamed about. It would have been a Loi tougher for me to be Here right now if i had t contributes anything said Gro uan. Lizul i m proud of every minute 1 played in i Hose six weeks. And it s a great feeling these Days to be Able to say. I m one of the patriots " it was t always that Way. Until this season. New England had never won the acc title. Many Patriot fans blamed Grogan and Lei him know it. "1 once had Beer thrown on me As 1 walked Down the corridor toward the dressing room at Wilf time. My family has been in the stands when i be been booed unmercifully. But fans expect a lot. And when you Don t give it to them you re going to hear about winning football changed the tears to cheers. They be waited so Long for this to a Iid Grogan. People on inc Street honk and wave. I m glad just to be Able to finally give them Whai they want. Boston has had other winners the celtics and the Bruins. But with the patriots it s just that it s been so Long i was talking to a Gas station attendant the other Day and he said you know this Winter really seems Short because of you Guys " those Guys arc the patriots. Grogan still feels like one of them although he rates his knee us Only "90 or 95 "1 can play he said. I can t outrun anybody. But it s been a Long time since 1 could outrun an body it was t always that Way. Back in the Early Days he could outrun most of his opponents. With the super bowl Only a few Days away. Gro Gan can Only Hope thai time and injuries Haven t put too Necat a distance Between him and a Liri i Strahi ticket less fans in new Orleans turn to begging by Dave Walczak staff writer new Orleans the game is sold out prompting some fans to take out classified ads begging for tickets. Others stand outside the super Doc every Day asking anyone who strolls by if they can buy a ticket. Be Orleans expects More than 65,000 visitors for the game sunday to spend an average of $250 per Pason per Day. Most fan Are booked into hotels for at East four Days. Both teams play their Home games outdoors prompting questions about the effect of indoor play at the sup Rome. It air conditioned for the fans but not inc players said new England s Jui iut Adams. Well win no matter where we play added Adams. I think it s one of the Best places to play a super bowl because you Don t get Muddy and the fans Don t get wet. It does t matter. I love playing in the mud when i came into the league we used to throw a Little dirt at Guys. But now sin there is so much astroturf you can t do asked if quarterback Tony Eason would have to Roll out to avoid the bears pass Rush. New England coach Raymond Berry replied you re asking about secret plays. Well Well be practising our secret plays this afternoon and everyone s invited to new England can take Comfort in the fact that the acc has won 12 of 19 super bowl. Bui pfc teams have won three of the last four. Souvenir shops have sprung up throughout the City Selling a variety of super bowl Memorabilia supposedly endorsed by the nil. One item that s sell ing Well is the to Meltc imprinted head band. The headband has not been sanctioned by the nil. Chicago quarterback Jim mama Hoa. Who made the headband famous is the Media favorite. More than 2.000 Media representatives Are covering the game and Mcmahon outshines every player in the number of people trying to inter View him. One of the keys to inc patriots improvement this year is the offensive line. Last season. New England quarterbacks were sacked 66 times. The patriots Cut that figure to 39 this season. Asked about the history of using William the refrigerator Perry on of sense. Bears coach Mike Dilka said he got the idea after watching Perry run sprints and figured the 300-Pound lineman might be useful for five Yards. We discussed using him a Little later and figured that 100 years from now no one will remember what we did or Why we did bears safety Gary Fencik who spends much of the off season travelling around the world talked about his poit nil career. Maybe i la open a travel Agency said Ilie 10-year Veteran then i could travel at a bears assistant coach buddy Ryan architect of inc 46 defense has been one of the most talkative of the coaches but he had a terse no comment about re ports that he s talked to the saints about the head coaching Job in new Orleans. There la be no rest for weary new Orleans City officials. The first of a series of Marti gras parades is scheduled Jan. 31. Larry s younger brother is the same sort of Bird. 11 4.i._ Luik-11 a. Rom to Iii
