European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 b the stars and stripes wednesday january 8, 1992 very few expected Kramer to become Pride of Lions by Jim Litke Pontiac Mich. A to say sunday was the biggest Day of Erik Kramer a otherwise undistinguished career does not begin to Tell the whole Story. Because even the one pass he purposely threw away managed to win him another fan for life. And that Only hints at the kind of Day it was. Quot most mornings on game Days i Wake up with butterflies. But this morning there weren to any jitters a he said after Detroit levelled the Dallas cowboys 38-6 and moved to one Victory for the super bowl. A i done to know Why. I got up 1 went to breakfast i kept waiting and nothing happened. For some reason i was pretty Calm the whole Way through. But i done to know How to explain precious few people expected the much travelled 27-year-old to step Forward at this time and in this place. Sure he had enjoyed some Success since taking Over from the injured Rodney Peete in late october. But when the first kick of sundays game tumbled end Over end beneath the translucent roof of the Silver dome he was a Long Way from being mentioned in the same sentence As Tobin Rote who replaced the injured Hall of Famer Bobby Layne and led the Lions to their last playoff win 35 years ago. And with Good reason. Before sunday the Quot big games on Kramer a resume were something called the potato bowl which he played in while attending Junior College. And the peach bowl which he lost while quarterbacking North Carolina state. Worse yet he sneaked into the nil As a strike breaker in Atlanta a few years Back then made a Side trip to the Canadian football league. Only afterwards in 1990, did he find his Way into the Lions Camp. Neither fact endeared him much to the faithful in Detroit where Union sensibilities run wide and deep and most of the things imported from the great while North nearby come Over a Cable. That May explain Why the cowboys spent much of last week reminding people in these parts of those very facts a the last Lime 1 heard of Erik Kramer a said Dallas defensive tackle Tony Cassillas who was with the Falcons when Kramer crossed the picket line a the was the Scab quarterback in Atlanta. A now from what i hear he seems like he a getting a Little cocky. I guess Well find out this week. Most of the time he just hands the Ball off to Barry Sanders and gels out of the Way a Erik Kramer a Casillas fairly unlikely hero Erik Kramer leads his Lions to the pfc title game sunday. Snorted a is not going to beat Casillas May have been the most vocal of the cowboys but Wasny to the Only one thinking that Way. Virtually ignoring Kramer s Arm Dallas defense was arrayed to Stop Sanders Quick feet. The linebackers played close enough to the Ball to be confused with linemen and the safeties played where the linebackers normally would. Even the cowboys cornerback were party to the insult giving Detroit receivers 5-or 10-Yard cushions. A but that a the Way my careers gone for a Long time a Kramer said. A people done to expect much from perhaps. But no one Kramer least of All could have expected what followed. The cowboys went three and out on their first Possession and this was the Lions opening sequence Kramer pass to Herman Moore for 11 Yards Kramer pass to Mike Farr for 13 Kramer pass to Willie Green for 13 Kramer a pass to Sanders dropped Kramer pass to Green for 31 and a touchdown. Then it got better. Kramer who was supposed to be the Decoy was already 18 for 22 and 195 Yards at the half. And because Dallas stubbornly refused to adjust its defense Lions coach Wayne fonts went Over to Sanders who had just four carries for eight Yards and told him he was going to keep playing the Decoy. And it got better still. Some 10 minutes into the third Quarter after five straight completions Detroit was leading 17-6. Kramer was standing at the Dallas 23 and find anybody open so he fired the Ball into the first Row of seats behind the end zone. Two plays later Kramer threw it to a teammate again Green again for 9 Yards and his third touchdown of the afternoon. Lbs was so impressed with Kramer a marksmanship that soon after it ran a graphic showing the number of catches by Lions receivers and listed at the Bottom was Quot Guy in the stands with one. And that Guy in the stands 39-year-old Jack Whitney of suburban Detroit was even More impressed. A ten years. Ten years in be had these seats and this is the first Ball in be caught a he said pulling the trophy from underneath his shirt. A i heard about the great old Days and i always thought deep Down wed do All right again. But there were so Many lean years i was starting to wonder. A and then out of nowhere a Whitney said grinning Quot along comes this Guy Lewis gets top Job at a. Tech Atlanta up a Bill Lewis named the United press International coach of the year after taking East Carolina to an 11-1 record this season monday was hired As head football coach of Georgia tech. Lewis 50, returns to Georgia tech where he served As secondary coach from 1971-72. He replaces Bobby Ross who resigned dec. 31 to become head coach of the san Diego chargers. Quot this is one of the happiest Days of my life a said Lewis who guided the pirates to a 37-34 Victory Over North Carolina state in the peach bowl. Quot this Opportunity is one of the remaining goals of my career to coach at an institution that believes in the concept of the student athlete. A Georgia tech has been a National Leader in that area for a Long time and i believe that collegiate athletics in the nineties Are headed in that in three seasons at East Carolina Lewis compiled a 21-12-1 record. His first pirate team finished 5-5-1 in 1989, the first non losing season for East Carolina since 1983. His second ecu team posted a 5-6 Mark and this years club set a record for wins 11earned its first bowl invitation since 1978 and was ranked no. 9 in the final up poll. A Bill Lewis is an excellent Choice As techs ninth head football coach a Georgia tech athletic director or. Homer Rice said. A Bill has an outstanding football background. His record Speaks for itself. But what really sold me was his ability to prior to arriving at East Carolina Lewis served As secondary coach at the University of Georgia for nine years. He was also the bulldogs defensive coordinator for the final eight years of his stay. Lewis was also the head coach at Wyoming where he had a 13-21-1 record in three years. He has worked As an assistant at Arkansas Wake Forest Pittsburgh and East Stroudsburg his Alma mater. Lewis will take Over a program which has enjoyed a great amount of Success Over the last three seasons. Georgia tech was 7-4 in 1989, before Ross led the yellow jackets to an 11-0-1 record and the up National title in 1990. Georgia tech was 8-5-1 this season including a Victory Over Stanford in the Aloha bowl. Clemson tackle turns pro Clemson . A Clemson defensive tackle Chester Mcglockton said monday he wont return for his senior season and will apply for the nil draft. Mcglockton a 6-foot-5, 325-Pounder, wound up third at Clemson in career sacks with 20.5. Mcglockton a red shirt Junior was a first team a Atlantic coast conference selection this Bay owner seeks Media s help Tampa Fla. Apr things Are so confused in Tampa Bay that owner Hugh culverhouse is asking reporters to give recommendations on the next coach for the buccaneers. A list of choices supplied by the bucs last week included Sam Wye he buddy Ryan and Floyd Peters who have been interviewed for the Job. Others included fired Green Bay coach Lindy Infante former Seattle Mentor Chuck Knox and three College coaches a Dennis Erickson of Miami Dennis Green of Stanford and Howard Schne Llenberger of Louisville. Quot it was a Broad based Canvas of Tampa Bay sports Media to get their general opinion of the candidates a bucs spokesman Rick Odioso said. A in general the results were what you might expect. The thing i was most impressed with was there was a lot of support for most of the names on the list particularly the three candidates interviewed or who will be less than two weeks ago culverhouse offered former new York giants coach Bill Parcells $6,5 million Over five years but announced at a news conference that he had been spurned. It seems unusual that the bucs would consult reporters Given their tense relationship with reporters in the past. San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren who was scheduled to be interviewed by owner Hugh culverhouse on tuesday also was on the list. Writers and broadcasters were asked to list their top three choices in order of preference. Results of the poll have not been released. A everybody always says the Media wants so and so so we were trying to quantify who the Media likes Odioso said. A it was my list of names. It does not mean or. Culverhouse will not consider names that Are not on the
