European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday saturday december 25/26, 1992 sports sex Dukie Mccaffery likes being main Man at Vanderbilt the stars and stripes a Page 25 by Tim Layden new Day Nashville Tenn. A nobody understands. Probably nobody Ever will. Not the to Guys who said right away that Bill Mccaffrey left Duke because he wanted someday to play Point guard in the Aba. Not the writers who said he wanted More playing time pure and simple. Not the people who will Stop him even now As he walks across the Vanderbilt Campus and ask him did no to you miss playing on a National championship team like it or not a and he does no to by the Way a Mccaffrey is the Guy who left Duke. And in the often murky realm of College sport academics and All around Honor among youth Duke is perceived As Olympus. It is where basketball players go to play in final fours every year graduate and take away some Small slice of a tradition that is clean and positive beyond logic. People done to leave Duke people dream about going there. Not that Mccaffrey missed the experience. When we last saw him in a wide Public Light he was a 6-foot-4 Sophomore guard standing in the Middle of a densely packed locker room in the bowels of the Hoosier dome after scoring 16 Points off the Bench in Dukes 72-65 Victory Over Kansas in the 1991 Mcaa championship game. He was the difference that night the Star. A the Banner that a hanging Here from that season has a piece of Billy in it a Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said last week. A the was very much a key. I Hope he identifies with  but even As Mccaffrey addressed wave upon wave of questioners that night in Indianapolis he had pointed himself toward leaving Duke. It would be the most difficult decision of his life More difficult than choosing Duke or any other College after High school because there would be no parents or coaches or Slick recruiters to blame. Sixteen Days after the championship game Mccaffrey announced he was transferring. One month after that he chose Vanderbilt. The response was universally incredulous. A the had to put up with a lot of crap a said Mccaffrey solder brother de a second year wide receiver with the new York giants who went to Stanford. A there were so Many negative things said about Bill and he a too solid a kid to say this but people judged him because of the decision he  it is nearly two years later and Bill Mccaffrey is eligible again after sitting out the requisite year required by the Mcaa for transfers. He is starting at a yup a Point guard for Vanderbilt although he plays both guard positions and is averaging 19.4 Points for the 6-1 commodores. But the Duke experience and the experience of leaving have left a Clear imprint on Mccaffrey. Unobtrusive by nature he is guarded and fearful of discussing the Duke chapter of his life. Even Back then the scope of what seemed a visceral decision surprised him. A a it a amazing once you get into the decision making How Many people it affects Quot Mccaffrey said. But Why Why leave of for Nashville a i understand Why people ask a Mccaffrey said. A what i really sought and what i really wanted was consistency. I think a player likes to know that he can be counted on for certain things every night. That show i get pleasure from the games. The big reason for me leaving was to enjoy the games More even if that meant losing More of  Mccaffrey roomed with Bobby Hurley for two years and they still Are close friends. A the explained it to me after that season a Hurley said. A the Felt that he wanted to get out on his own a Little bit More out of the Shadow of Guys like me Christian laettner and Grant Hill Guys that really command a lot of the spotlight. And in a sure part of him wanted to handle the basketball  understand that Mccaffrey did play. A lot. In his Sophomore year he averaged 24.8 minutes a game third behind Hurle and laettner. But typical of his year was the final four 14 minutes against Nevada Las vegas in the semifinals 23. Against Kansas in the final. Quot playing a key Factor in some games very minimal in others a Mccaffrey said. A my role probably would have been the same if i had stayed. I Felt i could do More. I needed More Security. To enjoy the game  it is something of a flip Side at Duke Billy Mccaffrey Transf Rcd to Vanderbilt after scoring 16 Points to help Duke Bent Kansas for the 1991 Mcaa title lies Vandyn a leading scorer with 19.5 Points a game. So much Talent so few minutes. A writer suggested to Mccaffrey that for All anybody knew Antonio Lang Dukes fifth Best starter this year might be a great player a a the is by the Way a Mccaffrey said a except he is hidden among the likes of Grant and Thomas Hill and Cherokee Parks. Crawford Palmer a 6-8 Forward who averaged 10 minutes a game in 1990-91, also transferred to Dartmouth. A kids want to play a Vanderbilt coach Eddie Fogler said. Transfers Are becoming More prevalent All Over the country. They seek Freedom and the system allows them Little. Mccaffrey had to sit out an entire  Krzyzewski said a Billy could have played in our program. He played in our program. He Felt that a More prominent role in another program would be better for him and nobody should attach some stigma to him for  in 1991, Krzyzewski was weighing an offer from the Boston celtics. A How could i Tell him he  leave if i was thinking about it a the Aba remains a Distant dream. A the would have had a Chance to play in the Aba if he stayed Here a Hurley said. A look at All the exposure we  Hurley surmised that a player from another school with the same Talent As Dukes 6-7 Brian Davis probably would not have been drafted last Spring in the second round As Davis was. A a in a like to play in the Aba but that a not Why 1 transferred a said Mccaffrey an economics major who expects to earn his degree by May. Maybe the Aba really does no to matter. Maybe Comfort and pleasure both of which Mccaffrey has found at Vanderbilt Are enough. Freedom too a rare commodity for College athletes. He no longer is one of Many Good players he is the Best player. A i done to regret leaving Duke a Mccaffrey said. A i cherish those memories. The regret would have been if i finished out there and asked myself a what if i had left 1 wonder How it would have been a i think that a hard for people to  it is. And it   Young counts on namesake walk on by Bob Mims Provo Utah apr Down to its last quarterback and with a walk on As the backup Brigham Young is looking for a Miracle to beat Kansas in the Aloha bowl. But who better than Sophomore Tom Young the great great great grandson of Yum a mormon Pioneer namesake to make the Christmas Day clash in Honolulu a merry one for Cougar fans Young whose older brother is former by quarterback Steve Young of the a Fly a san Francisco 49ers, was listed As the cougars no. 4 quarterback this fall. When Tom leads by 8-4 against Kansas 7-4 in the Aloha bowl hell be Mak Tom Youn Aloha bowl ing his first collegiate Start. A i always knew i could play at this level. I think in a ready for it. But no i never dreamed that it could happen a said Young whose name appears last in the by player Media guide biographies a right next to the Cougar fight song. Within the first four weeks of the season shoulder injuries sidelined starter John Walsh and then no. 2 quarterback Steve Clements. Reserve Ryan Hancock started the final eight games leading by to a first place Western athletic conference tie before suffering a knee injury nov. 21 against Utah. Lavell Edwards whose 191-66-3 record makes him the no aah a third winning est Active coach in his 21st year at by can to recall such a run of bad Luck As this seasons rash of quarterback injuries. A a it a been an unusual year to say the least a he said. A this really is a gut Check for to coming into a bowl game. But he a a Good athlete has a Good Arm and can run Well. The problem he has is he a never really played very rarely  if Young should go Down against the big eight s third place Jay Hawks Edwards can Only turn to Chris Gulstad a a walk on Sophomore who had left the team this fall after being listed no. 7 on the quarterback depth Chart. A the actually quit and decided to concentrate on pitching baseball a the coach said. A when Walsh and Clements got Hurt he came Back and asked if he could help us  if Tom Young is inexperienced Cougar fans at least Are used to seeing the family name on the roster. He is the third of the Young Brothers to take snaps at by. In addition to Steve 1981-83mike Young a now a medical student at the University of Utah a had a less Stellar stint As a backup quarterback 1985-87. A Mike was More of a pure Drosback passer a Edwards remembers. A Tom can run and scramble around a lot like Steve although maybe not with the same Speed. They Veall got Good  Tom Young enjoys being compared to his older Brothers a to a Point. A Steve and i Are both running quarterbacks but Mike was probably the Best passer a he said. A i get compared to Steve a lot. But i m Tom  still Steve Youngs youngest brother Isnit too proud to take All the advice his pro sibling can offer. The two Are close and when Steve returned to Provo this summer to resume Law school at by they lived and played together. A we talk a lot keep each other going. Neither of us is married so we done to have wives to fall Back on. Its Nice to have a brother who knows what in a going through a Young said