European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I Page 28 the stars and stripes sports saturday. November 13.1993 on in a photo former Heidelberg High school Star Ron George terms his Rookie nil season the Best year of my  by Walt Morrisset Especial to the stars and stripes _ Atlanta Halfway through Ron George s Rookie season in the nil it truly is the Best of times and the worst of times for the Heidelberg Stanford  s the Best of times for Ron George the football player playing regularly on the Atlanta Falcons special teams and in the Back up linebacker rotation. But it s the worst of times for George s team which is a schizophrenic 2-6 Good enough to beat the saints in new Orleans 26-15 but bad enough to fall four touchdowns behind the Tampa Bay bucs at Home before a rally fell Short 31-24. George is also nursing his second minor knee sprain. The Falcons returned to practice wednesday follow ing a five Day break during the Bye week. They play the rams in Anaheim calif.,  m playing regularly on special teams George said. My role is sort of up and Down. Against the  and Pittsburgh an viewers might have gotten a glimpse of him during the 45-17 monday night Mas Sacre  three fourths of the game. But i m taking More of a secondary role while my knee heals he said. We have a rotation among Back up linebackers. I rotate with Ken Tippins. He s playing Little More now until my knee gets better. Being in the nil is still a dream come True George said. I m living my dream. Playing in the us per dome beating the saints Down there in front of those screaming fans it was so loud you could t hear the player next to you it does t get any  on monday night playing on Soldier Field in Chicago staying in the Best hotels playing with Deio Sanders this is the most exciting year of my life. Being in the nil is awesome beyond what you could be imagined. But i was on a winning team at Stanford. We were in the top 10. I miss the exhilaration of winning. It hurts to be 2-6." George said As a competitor practice in t fun any More because you have to work so hard in practice to Correct the  endures More than mental pain at Falcon practices. The nil recently released a study that con firmed what Many had already known As fact that artificial turf causes More injuries than grass. George Saches and pains Are a testament. At the end of a game on natural grass your body literally aches less. After a game on artificial turf we have to scrub out the turf Burns. Your Knees and joint literally take a pounding on astroturf. You stick to the surface for an instant in those baseball Type cleats we Wear but you could get hit in that instant. Although he s just a Rookie George is already laying the groundwork Lor life after football he plans to get an off season Job with a local company through of internships to get leads for a Job when my career  hell also enrol  school at Georgia state in downtown Atlanta where the league has a continuing education program. George plans to go after a master s in risk manage ment to go with his economics degree from Stanford. This does t last forever George said about his nil playing Days. I Hope it lasts a Little while longer but i m doing what i can to make sure i Don t miss beat when my career is  another Heidelberger could soon join George in the nil ranks. Georgia Junior quarterback Eric Zeier has thrown for 11 touchdowns in the last fou games to Lead the bulldogs from a 1-4 Start to bowl con tender. In the process Zeier has gone from nowhere Tono. 3 in the Scripps Howard weekly Heisman tracking poll. If Charlie Ward of Florida state stumbles today a notre Dame Zeier could sneak up on the Heisman. Zeier s dad former army major Rick Zeier has re tired and opened a sports bar in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta called Zeier  George says it s his favorit hangout. Morrissr is form Star and strip it Porter. Air Zeier turns bulldogs into frequent fliers  Auburn Ala. A Brian Robinson knows hell be in for a workout today. When someone throws it 65times, you be got to be in shape said Robinson free safety for not Auburn. You know you better be on your Sand   9-0 Are visiting Georgia the school where Ray Goff the quarterback threw 74passes in three years during the mid-1970s. Now with Ray Goff the coach Junior Eric Zeier has thrown almost three times As Many passes in the past four  the bulldogs last Outing a 33-26 loss to Florida Zeier aired it out a school record 65  might throw it a time or two against Auburn Goff quipped. We re definitely not going to run it 75times. But we might just throw it 75  after throwing 137 passes in the first five games Zeier has attempted 194 in the last four his numbers Are staggering 30 of 47 for 544 Yards and four ads is. Southern Mississippi. 25 of 35 for 379 Yards and four ads is. Vanderbilt. 31 of 47 for 425 Yards and three ads is. Kentucky. 36 of 65 for 388 Yards and two ads is. Florida. Overall the Junior quarterback has completed 207 of331 passes 63 percent for 2,771 Yards and 20 touch Downs with Only five  s a lot of anxiety when you know a team is going to throw it 65 times Auburn coach Terry Bow Den said. You just hold your breath and Hope the cornerback does t slip Down because if he does it s going to be a big  that can t happen Robinson  know we re not going to Stop Zeier he said. But we have to contain  Calvin Jackson has a cornerback s mentality. He figures the More passes he gets to see the better. That gives you 65 chances to get an interception Zeier s last four games 30 of 47 for 544 Yards and four ads is. Southern Mississippi. 25 of 35 for 379 Yards and four ads is. Vanderbilt. 31 of 47 for 425 Yards and three ads is. Kentucky. 36 of 65 for 388 Yards and two ads is. Florida. Ftfe Phitt Eric Zeier is 207 of 331 for 2,771 Yards and 20 ads. Passes Down. You be got look Atit like it s a Challenge an Opportunity to prove  the last time Auburn faced passing offence like this was oct. 16, when an unbeaten Florida team came to Jordan Hare stadium and rolled up 560 total Yards including 386 through the air. But Auburn also sacked Gator quarterback Danny Wuerffel four times and came up with two critical interceptions. Jackson re turned one for a 96-Yard touch Down and Chris shelling ran the other 65 Yards to set up a score in a 38-35  said the tigers will need another Effort like that against Georgia 4-5 to keep alive their Hopes of perfect season and the outside Chance of a National championship. Obviously if we give up big plays and we Don make big plays and we Don t get to the quarterback they re going to throw at will he  ranks fourth in the Southeastern conference in pass defense allowing 162 Yards per game. But the tigers have been burned for 12 touchdown passes Sec Ond most in the league. That does t Bode Well against Georgia which has thrown for More Yards than any team in the Sec 2,798. Zeier has been nearly unstoppable since the bulldogs ditched their running game and began to rely almost exclusively on the  Lack of interceptions considering the number of attempts is remarkable Bowden said. A defense i looking to pick off about one in 20  Zeier s interception ratio is 1 in 66. There Are some differences Between Florida s fun a gun offence and air Zeier according to Jackson. For one thing Georgia does t have a running Back the Cal Ibre of Florida s Derrict Rhett. For another the Bull dogs rely heavily on the screen pass using it almost like running play. � Ftp we Dermi Tely have to tighten up Jackson said. We can give them All the Yards they want but when they get in the red zone inside the 20we be got frn i Ftp a in. A _. T i he said. If you can t get an interception with 65 throws to put the clamps on them. We can t let them get in die. Well you should a least be Able to Knock some end  6