European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday november 27, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 College rivals Mcmillan Jackson top nil rookies by Barry Wilne rap sports writer Back in the big eight Keith Jackson and Erik Mcmillan got to know each other pretty Well. Now pro football ans Are becoming familiar with them. Jackson he All America Light end from Oklahoma has been the nil Premier offensive Rookie this sea son a first round selection by the Philadelphia eagles All Jackson has done through 12 weeks is Lead the league in receiving. Mcmillan also is a league Leader As Well As the Jackson nil s Best defensive Rookie. Taken on the third round out of Missouri by the Newyork jets Mcmillan was handed the free safely Job and made the most of it his eight interceptions Are tops in the league. Despite what Many scouts and personnel directors termed a weak crop the draft has produced dozens of Rook ies who arc playing significant Roies for their teams. Jackson and Mcmilla Naren t the Only important first year players on their clubs the eagles have Eric Allen starting at com crack the jets use James Hasly at that Posi Tion. Other rookies who have made big impacts arc running backs icky Woods of Cincinnati John Stephens of new England and Thurman Thomas of Buffalo receivers Mie Haci Irvin of Dallas Aaron Cox of los Angeles and Anthony Miller of Sun Diego guard Randall Mcdaniel of Minnesota line backers Chris spic Man of Detroit and o Brien Alston of Indianapolis an dds Jarvis Williams of Miami and Brian Washington of Cleveland. Then Iacre Are the disappointments including Lorenzo while of Houston and Rickey Dixon a pair of All americans who hardly play and tackle Dave Cadigan of the jets who has missed All but four games with an ankle injury. Jackson has filled a Villa need in Philadelphia a tight end who can gel deep. Even with pro bowl receiver Mike Quick sidelined Wilh a Brokenleg the eagles have moved the Ball thanks Greally to the Randall cunning Ham Jackson combination. It s great to have a receiver like Keith coming out of the tight end spot Cunningham says. He s a big play player he wants the Cunningham makes sure Jackson gels it. Jackson has 66 receptions for 687 Yards and five ads outlandish buddy Ryan the eagles coach might complain that the Rookie does t get enough yardage on his receptions Buthe s the Only one making any disparage jets Erik Mcmillan. Leads nil in interceptions ing remarks about Jackson. I m not surprised that i m catching the Ball Jackson says. I m All excite about catching so Many. Bui i m no excited thai they Are so Many Short Luis griped that Jackson in t turning every 5-Yard turn in pattern into 50-Yard scores. Then again Ryan has been known to complain about Al most everything. Wilh the kind of offence we run my role is what you be been seeing Jackson says. If buddy wants me get Ling deep More he has to come up with some plays for it. They Haven changed the offence for Ryan said it took Jackson about 30 minutes to become a he has called the 6-Fpot-2,250-Pound Jackson a wide receiver in a lineman s body and never has groused about Jackson s blocking. V. I m trying to please my teammates and myself Jackson says maybe i la please buddy someday Mcmillan certainly has pleased eve. Crone involved with the jets. His aggressive style and cocky Altitude have made him popular among his team mutes and the coaches like his he s a go getter a Guy who knows where to be and Geis involved in Ever play Bud Carson the jets defensive coordinator says. He s an outstanding athlete and very smart. Erik has All the qualities you look for in a free safety physically and mentally Mcmillan whose father Ernie was an All pro tackle with the cardinals incautious about his performance thus far. To play safety you need to have a lot of Confidence and we have that he says of himself and fellow Rookie do James Hasty and John Booty. You re going to have plays where you get beat and plays where you come through. But you have to forget the bad ones let them slide out of your Rrt fld and go you keep thinking about when you do something wrong or get beat you la always repeal those mistakes. Thai s the worst thing a defensive Bacican the Best thing he can do is pick off a pass. Mcmillan has been sensational Atil even returning two interceptions for touchdowns but i be also dropped some he cautions. I m not doing everything Woods and Stephens have been the key players in the resurgence of the running game in Cincinnati and new England. Woods has rushed for 610yards and 10 touchdowns. Stephens who had three successive 100-Yard games has 851 Yards behind Only Eric Dickerson in the acc. It s a thrill for me that the team has decided it we a to run the Ball a lot says Stephens a first round Choice out of Northwestern Louisiana state. Just give me the Ball. If the holes Are there i la get us the yardage. I la gel us Down inc Ticlad. Thai s Why they drafted me right. Right. And it s Why the bengals drafted Woods although they wailed until the second round when Stephens White Chicago s Brad Muster the rams Gaston Green and new or leans Craig Hayward were gone that despite Woods leading the nation in Rushing at Nevada Las vegas last year. There Aren t quite As Many Quality rookies on defense this year one of the biggest surprises has been the Colts Alston a Lola Rounder out of Maryland. Selecting someone in the 10th. Round is like throwing darts Colls coach Ron Meyer says. We certainly were on target with the one that brought us o Brien. He s big Lough and v i did t think i d move right in Alston says. The Colls were probably my last Choice As a team 10 play for since they had Strong linebackers in Johnie Cooks Barry Krauss Duan Bickell and Cliff Daht. I came in determined to show what i could do i Given the Opportunity. When the coaches said play,11 did exactly plenty of rookies have been told to play this year. A weak draft the re sults this season say s Carole Merle. Wins despite starting 25th Merle nobs cup opener Schlad Mino. Austria a car Ole Merle of France took advantage of a faster course As she won the season open ing world cup super a skiing race sat urday from the 25lh starting position. It was the second career Victory formerly who won a giant slalom in Jan uary in tines France starting from 20th,saturday Merle swept Down the 1,961-Yard planar course which drops1,551 feel in one minute 25.36 seconds the track had 41 Gates. My goal was to finish in the top five but this Victory is great for the morale Merle said. Austria s Ulric Mair was second in1 26.01. Olympic combined Champion Anita Wachter of Austria and Regine Mocsan Leehner of West Germany lied fort Hardin 1 26.26. Super a olympic Gold medallist Sigrid Wolf of Austria was fifth in 1 26.38. Traudi Hae her of West Germany was sixth 26.38, Jusi ahead of defending Overall world cup Champion Michela Wigint of Switzerland,1 26.79, the course became faster after the first group of 15 had finished with Mair in the Lead after coming Down third. Merle took advantage of the Slicker conditions posting the fastest intermediate Lime of 55.15 compared to Mair s 5s.74. -. Americans Fletcher and Diann Rolfe skied off the course and did not finish. Chantal Knapp of under fill Center vt., was the top american in 3lsl but Edith Thys of san Landro calif., finished 34th in 1 29.38 despite a cast on her hand. A die men race a super a sunday moved Here because of Lack of Snow in France last week. Crisp hammers his Way into boxing Copenhagen Denmark pm Borg s James Crisp devastated Austri an National Champion Sascha Jar cubic on saturday to gain the middleweight final in the Copenhagen International boxing cup. Crisp unleashed barrage of Hooks and crosses in Ich caused the referee to Stop the bout 24 seconds into the second round. The Norn Borg Boater had staggered his opponent into a standing eight count at the end of the first round and quickly ended things after the second round Bell. Crisp joined Mannheim Light Middle weight Mark Landon who advanced by Walkover on Friday As the Only Ameri cans in sunday s finals As Light heavy weight Hopes Randall Crippin of Wiir Burg and Marlon dropped decisions to Tough East bloc foes. Crippen after Aii impressive first round showed the effect of a Lack of a , team training Camp in losing s-0 to olog Sabalot sikh of the soviet Union and Simpkins lost a razor thin 3-2 Deci Sion to Sabine Lange of East Germany. Both fighters along with Bamburg s Rickey Nunn Wilt receive Bronze med als sunday s opponents for the remaining americans arc olympic Champion Enri co Richter of East Germany for Landon and cuban Champion Lino Ramirez for Crisp. The Quality of the Gold medal foes reflects the difficulty of this tournament in which reigning olympic heavyweight Champion Ray Mercer had to Settle Tor Silver last year. An sports radio pro football Cleveland at washing ton 7 . Sunday and los Angel srams at Denver 10 pan. Sunday
