European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday Jain by 16, 1993 sports the stars and stripes b Page 29 in by sue Harper it staff writer Chad Hennings a former air Force fighter Pilot turned Dallas Cowboy de scribes this year As his a dream year come true.�?�. A. A Quot in a playing my first year on a team that has a Good Cnance of going to the super bowl a Hennings said in a Telephone inter View wednesday night from the locker room at cowboys Headquarters in Irving Texas. Last year the Rookie defensive end was stationed at Raf Ben Waters England flying a10 wart hogs with the 92nd Tacti Cal fighter Squadron a a tour that included escort missions for planes carting Relief supplies for the iraqi kurd during opera Tion provide Comfort. Hennings dream year continues sunday at 10 . Get on an when he and the five Point underdog Dallas cowboys step closer to the super bowl when they Battle the 49ers for inc National football conference championship. Sunday the Elberton Iowa native expects to be be covering kick offs and punts and relieving some of the starters like defensive end Tony Tolbert who is on the right Side of the television screen when facing the line he said. A i Hope its when he plays the first Quarter on a kick return a he said. The 27-year-old Hennings is on the youngest defensive line in the nil with an average ago of 25. This season Hennings has 10 tackles on special teams and three As a defensive end cowboys spokesman Dave Pelletier said. But to add More tackles to the tally in sunday s game might be Tough. A they the 49ers have a potent offence a Hennings said. A they pass the Ball More than any team we be f other than beating the �?T49ers and going on to the super bowl Hennings goals Are to play More and earn a spot on the defensive line. A inside on the line is More comfortable for me. Its the position i primarily played in College Quot Hennings said. College was the air Force Academy where he was the 1987 All America Ana outland trophy Winner. Dallas grabbed him in the 11th round of the 1988 draft. He finally joined the cowboys on May 25, 1992.in 1987, Hennings set a Western athletic conference record with 24 sacks to earn wac defensive player of the year honors. Against Wyoming m the season opener Hennings had seven tackles three sacks one Fumble recovery one forced Fumble and three batted passes including one that was intercepted. A. For a amps Russell Chi Yna Aii sport London former a-10 Pilot Chad Hennings has gone from flying High Over Iraq during operation provide Comfort to playing with the High flying Dallas cowboys in sunday s pfc title game against the 49crs. Hennings won the 1987 outland trophy at air Force Academy. After playing his freshman season As a 220-Pound tight end Hennings moved to the defensive line in 1985 and. Earned honorable mention All America and second team All wac Honorias a Sophomore. He warranted first team All wac recognition in 1986, while again being named honorable mention All America. His 40-Yard-time of 4.75 seconds in the preseason makes Dallas More comfortable with him on the end. Hennings said staying in shape was easy in the air Force its part of the Job. But staying in touch with football was not easy. White he did play some intramural softball and basketball Hennings did not play or coach football in his four year tour. He did t have the time to play. The air Force needed his 6-foot6, 275-Pound Frame to steer the roughly 25-ton Jet used primarily for defense against tanks mis Siles and other ground based fire. Hennings said getting in and out of the cockpit Wasny to difficult because the a-10 cockpit is one of the biggest cockpits in military jets. And though flying at 400 plus Miles per hour is fast it did no to prepare him for the Pace of pro football. A the Speed of the game after essentially five years of not playing football was a big adjustment a Hennings said. Hennings had also lost some of the football Groove. A i had to retrain my body for something that used to be second nature a Hejinio. A a it a a continual process. I Learned a Lorfn the five preseason games. In a still learning things but it comes a lot More natural has been a year of big adjustments for Hennings he said. He went from being an air Force lieutenant housing with his wife Tammy to football training Camp. A it was was Tough. It was Rimini scent of Basic now he is a Rookie on a two year $600,000 contract. He went from escorting planes that were bringing supplies to Northern iraqis kurd in operation provide Hope Back to England and then to the states to being just a. I it in football Gam ing alleys to playing in them. A with Turkey then Back to England and then to the states. Then getting adjusted to civilian life and a hew occupation a its been a year of big adjustments but the air Force training comes in. I step Back and take one Day at a time. A i wont be Able to take in All the changes until after the season a Hennings said. Game away from the super bowl Ife went from watching football games at the bowl dolphins Bills ready to renew bitter rivalry by Barry Wilner Miami a the schedule comes out and Dan Marino searches for one thing Buffalo. This season he a gotten a Bonus Buffalo times three. On sunday the Miami dolphins and Buffalo Bills renew their bitter rivalry in a unique setting. They play for the acc championship and a spot m the super bowl. During the season each team beat the other on the Road. A it seems about right that its them Marino and us a Marino said wednesday a we Tiow when we re facing the Bills its going to be for the acc East most of the time. This time its for a lot not Only do Marino and his teammates seek their first shot at the nil title since 1984, but they want to Stop Buffalo from equating their record of three consecutive trips to the big game. The dolphins lost after the 1971 season won after 1972 and 73 the Bills dropped the 1990 and �?T91 games. A the important thing and in a sure Buffalo feels the same Way As us is we re in the game understanding the other team has earned the right to be there a coach Don Shula Aid. A that its Buffalo is almost fitting. They were the acc representative the last two years. If you picked a team to beat to get into the super bowl it would be or Miami if you re looking at it from 1,500 Miles to the North and it Vest. A definitely Over the years they Are a team that has become a big rival for us a said Jim Kelly who appears ready to return at quarterback for Buffalo. Kelly worked out wednesday for the first time since injuring his knee in the season finale. A each year when you look at the schedule you know Miami or Buffalo is going to win the Abc of Guys. Now take the gloves off lets hear about the hatred the passions that flow when you meet lets talk about the history of the series with Miami winning 20 straight a every game in the 1970s a an nil record. And the Bills taking 11 of the last 13, including five of six at Joe Robbie stadium. A a we re at the top of their list and they re at the top of ours a Bills linebacker Darryl Talley said a a it a going to be a very emotional football game a a it seems like its a grudge match a dolphins All pro tackle Richmond Webb said. A i done to know How it got started a it was a Long time before 1 got Here a but these two teams done to like each other a a it a like the game of the year every time we play them. It Means a lot More when its Buffalo. A but this really is the game of the adding further spice to the matchup Are the antics of dolphins safety Louis Oliver in october he intercepted three. Passes returning one for a 103-Yard score in a 37-10 Romp at Buffalo. Oliver was very us vocal after that game. He was t so loud when the Bills won 26-20 at Joe Robbie stadium in november but he came up with the idea of sending to shirts to the Houston oilers before their regular season finale with Buffalo urging them to beat the Bills and give Miami a Chance to win the division. When the dolphins took new England and the oilers subdued the Bills Miami had its title its Bye week and plenty of satisfaction. The Bills had something else to Sioke the rivalry. A i guess he had the Money to waste on to shirts a Bills tight end Keith Mckeller said. A but we re not a team that does things like that. We try to win our championships. We done to want to depend on another team to control our destiny now is in both teams hands. What belter Way to Settle this seasons score
