European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. September 10,1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 saints Falcons May join fight with 49ers, rams by Eric Prewitt san fran Cisco apr the san Francisco 49crs won their fourth division Lilic in six years the hard Way playing Haf Oflas season i Ghoul Quarter Back Joe Montana. But ii s Seldom easy in inc National football con Ference West the four learn group silo including the los Angeles rams Allan la Falcons and new Orl Cuns saints. Moreover the Falcons and saints show signs of jumping into what has traditionally been a iwo Way Flohl Between he rams and 49crs. In acc Cal years we re been splitting with each other. The learn that wins the title is the one that wins outside the division says 49ers coach Bill Walsh i he Only nil coach to win two super bowls in the 80s. San Francisco finished the Jos i regular season with a 10-5-1 record overtaking the rams 10-6, by beating them 24-14 in the final game. Within the division the49ers were 3-2-1, los Angeles Tost 19-7 to Washington in the pfc wild card game. A week later the new York giants look their first step toward the super bowl title by crushing Walsh s icam 49-3, indicating that the a fewest had fallen far Down Pic nil s prestige ladder. Bui Roger Craig the 49crs fullback says i be got the menial Altitude we can go Al hic Way and Strong safely Carllon Williamson adds if we keep everyone healthy we can be a super bowl learn  nose tackle Michael Carter the top performer in the defensive line on san Francisco s 1981 championship team and former pro bowl com crack Eric Wright were among the 49crs suffering significant injuries fast season Montana who underwent Buck surgery in sep tember passed for 2,236 Yards but Only eight touch Downs in his eight regular season games Montana gained id pounds in an off season conditioning program and according to Walsh is deter mined to have a Greal season. Wide receiver Jerry Rice is probably the Busl at his position in the league he Jed inc nil with 1,570 Yards and 15 touch Downs receiving last year. The pfc West also has the league s defending Rush ing Champion Eric Dickerson of the rams whose 1,821 Yards gave him 6,968 in four pro seasons. Reu Ben macs of new Orleans led the nil s Rookie run Ning backs with 1,353 Yards and Atlanta s Gerald Riggs had his third straight 1,000-Yard Rushing season gaining 1,327 Yards. One of the 49crs major goals for 1987 is to improve the running game. Craig was the 49crs" top rusher last year with 830 Yards 220 less than he gained in 1985. Veteran Joe Cribbs returns after Rushing for 590 Yards in his fir is season with the 49ers. And the team is High on iwo Rookie running backs first round pick Terrence Flagler from Clemson and free agent Doug Dubosc from no Straska. The 49crs look Flagler with their second pick in inc first round. They had made Harris Barton a lineman from North Carolina the lop pick. Barton is expected to serve As a backup to 14-year Veteran tackle pc ii Fahnhorst. Fahnhorst is part of an offensive line that has played together since 1979. But John Ayers the longtime left guard was released before Camp opened. The new starter is third year Man Bruce Colli. The new backup ii Awerback is Steve Young the former Brigham Young All american acquired from pfc West preview Tampa Bay. And other newcomers on offence include Lormor Dallas wide Center Tony Hill. Los Angeles rams John Robinson is heading into his fifth year As head coach of he rams. Jim Mora is Back with the saints after posting a 7-9 record in his firs season and Mari on Campbell takes Over tin Atlanta learn that finished 7-s-l last year. Campbell was also head coach of the Falcons from 1974 to 976. All three Are trying to improve their passing attacks. The rams have changed starting quarterbacks is often As any nil team during the 1980s, but in Sec Ond year Man Jim Ever Cal they have a passer who should stay on the Job Welt into the 1990s, tic rail became the starter Laic last season and passed for 1,018yards and eight tix Emic Zampese a former assistant with pass Happy san Diego has taken Over As offensive coordinator and the aim is Clear. In order to contend for the nil champions ii we have to maintain a balanced offence Robinson says. The los Angeles defense yielded an average if .104 Yards per game fifth Best in inc nil with the Maud Oul performers including three pro bowl pick line Backer Carl Ekorn and cornerback Jerry Cray Andl Croy Irvin. Linebacker Mark Jerue will miss the Mart of inc season because of the training Camp injury. But inc pass Rush could use help and the rams Hope Donald Evans their first pick in the second round of new orca it Ruben mint. Leading Rookie rusher in nil  ear a photo san Francisco s inc Montana is healthy. 49crs look to his leadership again the draft can be the Man who will help pressure the quarterbacks. Atlanta Falcons Allan la scored 280 Points and yielded if satin1 number in 1986.Campbell says it s no secret we have to St Are More Points plus we can do a lot More on defense David Archer is the returning starter at  Falcons made Oregon quarterback Chris Miller Luicir top draft pick hut he s a contract holdout. Allan la ranked 25lh in inc league in passing Ian year but was third in Rush ing. On defense Campbell is looking for More pressure on opposing  used a Rookie Tony Casillas at nose tackle last season. The Veteran Lin backing corps i led by buddy Curry team Leader in tackles for seven Consec live seasons and All starters return in the defensive Backfield. New Orleans saints new Orleans Morten Andersen made 26 of 30 held goal attempts Lasi year and punter Brian Hansen aver aged 42.7 Yards for the saints making the saints very Strong in the kicking department. But David Wilson the pro season favorite Over Bobby la Ebert for the starting quarterback Job threw for Only 10 ads and was intercepted 17 limes last season. The lop receiver Mike Jones gained 625 Yards. Lonzell Hill a High draft pick from Washington is Cape died to Challenge for a Starling wide receiver position. The new Orleans defense intercepted 26  in 1986, but Mora says. We need qua Illy and depth inthe  four defensive backs were drafted led by third round pick Mike Adams of Arkansas state. The offence is led by 1 to bowl linebacker Rickey Jackson and Uniec Clark considered one of in league s strongest defensive ends. Prop 48 casualty survives Frosh sidelining b Owen can held Norman okla. A Nigel Clay was just like thousands of other High school slide nos Nulion wide when he did l gel terrific scores on his american College testing exam last summer. Unlike Many of his Peers however Clay was a major College football pros pct. And when the j-foot-4. 250-Pound tackle decided he would attend Oklahoma a newly adopted Rule stipulated he would study nol play. Nigel Clay was a victim of proposition 4b. Clay was one of 11 Oklahoma freshmen last year who were nol eligible under proposition guidelines. The new Rule required Hal incoming freshmen have at least a 2.0grade Point average in Core curriculum classes such As math and English plus score 15 oui of 36 on the act or 700 out of 1,600 on  Clay had a 2.8 Grade Point average in High school us Fontana calif., but the act did him in. He s kind of a hard one 10 figure out because he made Good grades in school did not do very Well on the act but got in Here and is doing Fine said Jin Brown head of academic counselling for All Oklahoma ath letes. He s had excellent grades Here and m Sirai til academic courses. He has taken nothing that is in any Way an lift ii course while Clay has made the Mast of his ear without football Here was plenty of uncertainly when he received news of his Racli Gib Lily. He gave serious thought to staying clo Serlo Home by enrolling Al a school on the West coast. He eventually changed his mind and came to Norman where he passed 14 hours of courses each semester. He took another three hour class this sum Mer. As a proposition 4s casualty. Clay was not allowed to or Alibi to or work out with the team. Any work in Ito cig he room had lobe done on his own. Every kid who s a is is actually a two year penalty said coach Barry Switzer. I f he does t prs Titre for j car does t go through fall and up nip practice he in t going to male your football learn in the fallow his second year. In s going to end up Rcd shining  Clay said he thought it was unfair no Grace period was allowed after i Typo Union 48 was instituted perhaps a year or two warning. Still he says he is in favor Ofa Manda tory Redshirt year for freshmen und also believes he made the most of a  limes difficult situation. I look advantage of the studying of Portuni pics 1 had he said. I me no doubt i la be Able to handle no Trull an school this  academic adviser Brown said sturies Tike Cla s show the positive Side of proposition 48, he came in proved himself in the classroom and now he gets a Chance to prime himself on the football Field Brown said. I think he s what it s All