European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 36 the stars and stripes sports Friday August 26,1994wheatley injury tightens race by Thomas Otoole. Scripps Howard news service maybe Michigan tailback Tyrone Wheatley should have turned pro after All. Wheatley Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier and Urcla wide receiver . Stokes All considered leaving school Early for the nil last Winter. But when they decided to stay they became the leading contenders for the Heisman trophy. At least until wednesday. That a when Michigan announced that Wheatley generally considered the Early front runner had suffered a separated shoulder in practice and could miss the first two games. That Means he might sit out the sept. 10 showdown at notre Dame a game that could have Given his candidacy real Luster. Of course Wheatley was hardly a lock for College footballs highest Honor. The wolverines schedule also includes Colorado Penn state and Ohio state. They open sept. 3 against Boston College which returns most of its defense. And if Zeier steam flops again and Stokes draws triple coverage the Heisman Winner could come from Blacksburg va., or Madison wis., or Seattle or virtually anywhere else. Then there a the ubiquitous notre Heisman hopefuls �?T94 Dame candidate this year in the person of re Lee Becton. All of these candidates would have been virtual footnotes to this years race had two players who decided to go to the nil stayed in school one More year Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler and san Diego state tailback Marshall Faulk. The top candidates Stokes 6-5, 223, senior seventh in last yearns Heisman total three firsts 37 seconds 48 thirds 1,005 receiving Yards and 17 touchdowns extremely difficult to cover one on one because of size and strength has made at least five catches in 14 of last 15 games scored four times against Washington including a 95-Yard-er set Rose bowl record with 14 receptions key game at Nebraska sept. 17. Wheatley 6-1,226, senior eighth in Heisman voting last year 1,005 Rushing Yards in nine games missed two and was hampered in others with injury if he stays healthy hell break Michigan records for Rushing Yards All purpose Yards and scoring will not be helped by the loss of four starters on the offensive line key game sept. 24 is. Colorado unless he can play against notre Dame sept. 10. Zeier 6-2, 205, senior needs 1,530 Yards to become the All time leading passer in Southeastern conference 10th in Heisman voting last year holds 61 Georgia and 11 Sec passing records threw Only seven interceptions in 425 attempts player Ever to throw for More than 500 Yards in one game key game at Florida oct. 29. Becton re 6-0, 191, notre Dame senior 1,044, Yards Rushing last year ended year wit school record six straight 100-Yard games then added 138 in Cotton bowl against Texas a amp a carried career High 26 times for 122 Yards against Florida state including a 26-Yard to run key game Florida state in Orlando nov. 12. Brent Moss re 5-9, 205, Wisconsin senior big ten map third in nation in Rushing with 1,479 leading returning rusher led Wisconsin to 10-1-1 record and carried 36 times against Urcla in the badgers first Rose bowl Victory key game at Michigan oct. 29. Maurice Deshazo a a 6-1, 201, Virginia tech senior sparked 9-3 record Anco Independence bowl Victory Over Indiana set school record with 22 touchdown passes last year directed offence to a school record 400 regular season Points twice threw four to passes by game at Miami oct 29. Napoleon Kaufman re 5-9, 185, Washington senior Only player to be ranked in top 25 Rushing scoring Kickoff returns and All purpose Yards last year second Huskie to turn in consecutive 1,000-Yard Rushing seasons averages 6.9 every time he touches the Ball needs 441 Rushing Yards to become school All time Leader seventh in Mcaa Rushing 1,299 last year key game at Miami sept. 24. Rob Johnsonb 6-4, 220, Southern Cal senior outstanding to interception ratio of 26-5 while throwing for 3,285 Yards last year completed 30 of 44 for 345 Yards and three ads in 28-21 Victory Over Utah in Freedom bowl igniting Heisman candidacy key game sept. 3 at Home against Washington. Curtis Johnson re 5-10, 208, North Carolina Junior Power Back in Johnson amp Johnson attack numbers wont reflect value because Leon Johnson also figures to gain 1,000 Yards second in acc Rushing with 1,034 last year including 90ard to run against Maryland longest in school history Only acc player Ever to have at least three runs of 75 Yards or longer key game at Florida state sept. 24.Zeier Steps Opas no. 1 pro Prospect file photo former Heidelberg High Star Eric Zeier has More than a passing Chance at winning this years Heisman trophy. By Dave Kindred the sporting news five seconds to play in a big game and you Are trailing 35-26. You Are 12 Yards from a touchdown that can beat a team much better than yours. A Victory turns your season around. A coach signals in the play. He wants the smash game. The Call is 272. You have thrown the Ball 64 times. Even fran Tarken ton never did that at your school. You have completed 36 for386yards. You need 12 More Yards. Four receivers go wide two on each Side. The outside men run a hitch straight downfield and turning to face you. The men inside run a Flag breaking toward the end zone Comers. You like the play. But you have used the formation before. It can be no Surprise. In the huddle you say 272. And you say lets run it a new Way. A a a a we Are talking quarterbacks with Eric Zeier the Heisman trophy candidate from the University of Georgia. He already belongs in Southeastern conference Tore with Archie Manning and Kenny Stabler Joe Namath and Heath Shuler. Zeier 21, is a career military Many a son. He is a portrait of bubbling Energy eager to get at life a next play. We Are talking quarterbacks with a Good one who is answering questions with bursts of words that leave the visitors notebook a scribble mess when All the visitor did was ask about building the perfect quarterback. A Haik Many a drop a Zeier says. A a Marinous release. Montana a knowledge and feel. Elway sarm. Johnny Unitas rat a Tat Tat. Zeier says he will name quarterbacks he has seen. But he went Back 35 years for Unitas because he knew the stories. A Unitas broke his nose in a game and kept on playing a Zeier says. A the just stopped it up with a Bunch of mud. That a toughness and leadership. Getting up in main you re hurting and you say a lets do you re Urt but you done to stay Down. You get up and Lead your team to a v. A a a before his 65th pass against Florida Zeier read the coaches signal for smash 272, and then told the inside receiver on the left Side lets change routes. No Flag. Make it a Post. Zeier hoped Florida a defender would be late to cover even a heartbeat late. Zeier would turn his eyes to the outside. A a a hard look a he called it hoping to persuade the defender the Ball might be thrown out there a heartbeats indecision. A then we be got him beat a Zeier says. The Ball left Zeier a hands. And he says he thought he heard a whistle. A a a a a .7" some folks in Georgia get buried wearing red and Black the University a colors. College football Means a lot to a lot of people. Older than basketball in More places than big league baseball it fills stadiums with More people than live in any but some states larges College football �?T94 two or three cities. Sanford stadium holds 86,117 Georgia worshippers Many of whom fall to All fours and Woof in the manner of Uga the bulldog Mascot. Such behaviour was perfected during Vince Dooley a 25 seasons particularly in 1980 when the team won a National championship on Herschel walkers running. Dooley a successor Ray Goff recruited Zeier out of suburban Atlanta a Marietta High school chosen by the Zeiters for the quarterbacks last two High school seasons the first two were in Heidelberg Germany. In his sixth season Goff needs to be Good after last seasons 5-6 record. And for Georgia to be Good it needs Zeier to be great. We know he can throw. We know he is Joe Montana a size a 6-feet-2,205 pounds. But we also know Montana works with instincts and quickness that make possible the unlikely. Whether Zeier has such gifts we will soon find out. Last Winter wondering about the pros Zeier canvassed 14 nil teams and decided he was a third round draft Choice at Best. So he returned to Georgia for his senior season. The Atlanta Roumal Constitution reports that nil scouts now rate Zeier the country a no. 1 quarterback Prospect. I Quot Stiro it ving motion is pure Beauty a says Dexter Twood his High school coach. Florida coach Steve Spurrier himself a Heisman quarterback says Zeier throws 9i a Cen ca\c4j5le Bill Curry of Kentucky on How Seldom Zeier is intercepted a a that a the kind of stuff Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas used to a whistle no one stopped playing. The defender held his ground for an instant just As Zeier hoped. He had him beat j he quarterback did no to even look at receiver Jerry Jerman. He a Here he would be. A perfect pass. Touchdown. Only there had been a whistle. Georgia receiver Anthone Lott had called timeout an instant before the snap. No play. Some teams find ways to lose. A he Ard the Thistle right before i threw a Zeier says. Quot i didst do any celebrating. A still five seconds to play. Another pass. Interference. One More play no rime on the clock. Zeier a 65th pass. Income Ere. Their linebacker made a Good play a Zeier says. A i had nowhere to throw it where it could be caught. A a a a a a. Are talking quarterbacks with the Only passer in it i for 500 Yards in a game. He is also on y player to throw for More than 400 Yards Ian once doing it three times last season. What most a see theory on film and take it to the Field where he makes it real for his team. Only quarterbacks get to do that. So a visitor asks Zeier one More question. Would he like any other position As much Zeier tries to say yes he is a football player and he would play anywhere. A but one says eager to make a play on this Day of Montana and Unitas and Aikman �?o1 love being a
