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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1983)
12 First Cswn txilm Uon-U-f, Ac 23, j 3DS :-feW-.(D! LI .Llv3 U - : Ey 'JACK DZNXER fthd GEEQ LOCIH Di:iy fJcbrask&n end D5!y Cotton Sports Writers n ast spring Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker closed the door on 1 his collegiate career by sisniM a million dollar contract with the New Jer sey Generals of the USFL. When Walker gave up his last year of eligibility, it opened the doors for many ether college, football players. These new doors are to the entrance of the New York Downtown Athletic Club, where once a year the best player in college player is awarded the Heisman Trophy. ' - : ' With Walker gone, a slew of other play ers are now in the running for this pxt season honor. " . .. Some of those contenders win be on both sides of the line of scrimmage when Pcnn State meets Nebraska in the inaugural Kickoff Classic. Nebraska's candidates are mainly all from the backfield. . Last season the Cornhusker backfield, consisting of quarterback Turner Gill, I Back Mike Rozier, fullback Mark Schellen and wingback Irving Fryar, accounted for 37 touchdowns or the equivalent cf 222 points. , . Y "They are all real good guys and we get along real well together," said the over shadowed Schellen, of his backfield mates. "Each one of them has their own personal ities and they are all cocky, but playing football is really easy for them to do." Schellen said it will be an honor to block for perhaps the best all-around quar terback in NU history (Gill), the best I back (Rozier) and one of the two best . wingbacks in Cornhusker history (Fryar). . "Rozier, Gill and Fryar are among the most talented players we've had," NU coach Tom Osborne said. Rozier, a consensus Ail-American selec tion as a junior in 1S33, is considered to be the leading candidate to win the Heisman this season. Last year Rozier finished ICth C;rc3 llzlrzzi l'.zlz.zx Trc-h c..JIl:zi. y . ( - , ' ' H in the balloting for the Heisman, but all nine players ahead of him have either .. graduated or gone hardship. "It (the Heisman) is a great award for somebody to get,". Rosier said. "But I don't think about it on the .field. I let everyone else worry about the Heisman. I'm just happy to play ball and have fun with the fellows." Gill, Nebraska's two-time all Big Eight quarterback, was called the early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy by ABC tele vision broadcaster Beano Cook. "Well, I guess it is really nice to know that someone considers me a Heisman . candidate," Gill said. "But as far as my self, I won't let it effect my play." Ironically, though, Gill doesn't consider . himself a Heisman candidate, because he does not have the eye-catching, passing statistics. "This could be a quarterbacks year to win the Heisman," Gill said. "But for a quarterback to win it they must have high passing stats." . Fryar too would like to see the Huskers throw the ball more this fall, because then it would enhance his chances f winning ' the Heisman. ,.-, "I don't get the ball enough to win the Heisman," Fryar said. "But if we throw the ball more this season and I break a few punts, then maybe so." Since Fryar is such a proficient punt returner (15.4 yards per return last year) and a wide receiver, many people have begun comparing him to Nebraska's only Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers, who was also a wingback. , "Johnny Rodgers was one of the first receivers to win the Heisman and he was a great player," Fryar said. "But I don't think about the comparison, because I do what I do and he dees what he does." On the Lions side of the field, AU-Ameri-can Kenny Jackson seems to be one of the premier receivers in the country. .!!) i 3 Kn ft 1 r Penn Sista's AM&tr.zriczn fiar.kr Kinssy Jsskson strxsfcs dsssn 8ha rht eld'na for tha end zona in the P.'lt zrr. test yssr. Jaekssn's tsachisssn c;vt Vta Lb."3 a 13 7 lzz Jackson holds 22 Penn State receiving records with the biggest one being 17 career touchdown lecepticns. Almost all pre-season polls label Jack son as a repeat Ail-American and Penn State receiving coach Docker Brocks is one cf the first vouchers of this prediction. 1 CX ttzzzZ:i L;l i'zzt. n;r Ij cr.)l1 - V. J "Without a doubt," Becker Brocks said of Jackson's candidacy for the Heisman. "He hzs extreme cpickEs and should be a first round draft pick." Erccks said Jackson's statistics really ;'; do not indicate the seder's talent This season may be even mere dlfHcult for statistics. When quarterback TcdJ , Ebekledge gave u? bis last yesr of el;il ity, that epered the spot for an ir.x perienced signal caller to tzl:s over this year. - Juniors Doug Strang and Dan Lcnsrgsn are bc'Ji vykg for the tcp r pot, but Drccks said the winner zhi have r.o prcllem. "I have all foith ev:r'JJr.g x:zA cut, Erects said. : Another prctlci the South River, UJ. resident may have is with czt . nertscks. After v.iz All-Aeriera sta te', Jsdsta tscc:3 a msrkcd rr n ca a. Aaa'- ' -j - Pcnn Siste Kd Ccch Jce Psterr.3 zzli J-tliT-oa can overcome Izzzlzs (rkn c;r sizrAs. 4J "I Ci:;k Kcr.y i3 a zrzit pbycr :trJ re hsv cc.T.3 ether r--:-'2 ta til:e e.3 prcs-s-e t'J cf hi;," F-t:rr.3 zz:i "It :i d hr qly eur cTcnciv llr.2 1- i cur c--rlertacks ccr.a t::r.g. I fciri t!;it v,.J t!2 Ley ta h:v r;rch success IZzrry can have." Abrg with Jac!r:. t::i:ck Jen V::i 1.S hr.s to t3 c.'.::.r:d 3 cul:; shct for the HcL-n:3. V.MII-s, a seder, r.evcd lz:'i to tz'.l-fc-ck .ls year frc:a il'-zli, L ;t r-i.T-rtir.t!y, I? v.::i t2 rr.tvir c tcf t" r As a c;: rre WCis tlr.r; j cr: "t p;r-2 v;h;!3 iicl;;r3 rl Y-;r it t:n n 113 carries.