1995_08 The Daily Collegian August 1995

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THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN
Monday, August 28,1995
Sports
Sports Editor: Brian R. Fisher
Telephone: (209) 278-5733
Athletes' guide book has the potential for misuse
Interim athletic director doesn't want
athletes to take the easy path.
By Brian R. Fisher
Sports Editor
When Fresno State's Vice Presi¬
dent of Administrative Services
Benjamin Quillian Jr. took the job
as the interim athletic director ear¬
lier this month, he undoubtedly was
hoping that it would be a smooth
ride.
Unfortunately for Quillian
though, collegiate athletics is a
complicated thing.
According to an article in the
Fresno Bee, the FresnoState athletic
academic program has already
found itself in a not-so-appealing
spotlight.
The item in question is a 17-page
booklet that has been used for the
better part of a decade, which rates
classes and professors and enables
athletes to select courses that are
more conducive to their demanding
schedules.
The Fresno Bee reported that the
booklet, which mainly focuses on
genera] education courses,'went as
far as to rate some of the professors
as "boring" or "rude," one as "a fun
teacher," and even referred to one
class as one that is "easy to get a
good grade."
The problem, according to
Quillian, was not with the guide it¬
self, but rather its contents.
"There's no question that stu¬
dent-athletes should be advised
when it comes to course selection,"
Quillian said. "They have two huge
demands on their time with school
and their respective sport, so estab¬
lishing an educational path for them
that works well with what they have
going on in other areas of their life
is all right."
"However, at the same time
though, they should not be led down
the easiest path with no real regard
for a quality education," he said. "A
publication like this gives athletes
the potential to do such a thing."
It's no surprise that some profes¬
sors are more willing to work with
an athlete's busy travel schedule
than others and that some educators
will allow absences and make-up
assignments and tests, while others
will not.
"I can't believe this thing has be¬
come so big," said sophomore tight
end Warren Fortier. "The booklet is
simply their way to alert an athlete
about the teachers and courses and
help them choose what is best for
their schedule.
"It's not a giveaway, though. It's
not like teachers are going to give
an athlete an 'A' because the
person's an athlete. You still have
to work for your grades like every-
oneelse."
Steve Mooshigian, who was the
former Fresno State football recruit¬
ing coordinator and recently was
named the new head coach at
"There's no question that
student-athletes should be
advised when it comes to
course selection..."
— Benjamin Quillian Jr.
Interim Athletic Director
Fresno City College, agrees with
Fortier.
"It's for advisers when making
recommendations to athletes," he
said. "The book was drawn up long
ago to make life a little easier for
advisers."
"Some instructors on campus
don't like athletes, so [the athletic
advisers] look for those who under¬
stand the athletes' needs and sched¬
ules."
Assistant Athletic Director Bob
Knudsen, who oversees athletic
academic advisors, said he has used
the booklet in the best interest of
the students.
Knudsen said that he didn't want
the athletes, when making their cur¬
riculum selections, to become "ka¬
mikaze pilots" or to "commit aca¬
demic suicide." Instead, he said that
the job of an adviser is to establish
a less demanding course load dur¬
ing the athlete's season, and then
balance things out in the off-season.
Knudsen went on to say that it was
only during the structuring of a
schedule that the book was spoken
about.
When Quillian was asked about
the quality of the job that Knudsen
Please see BOOK, Page.ll.
Football preview
Top rated recruits enter
Bulldog ranks
Sports Information
Within yards of history. Charlie Jones, last season, caught 54
passes for 971 yards and six touchdowns.
Saturday's probable starters against NLU
WR 24 Charlie Jones
LT 78 Chris Conrad
LG 67 Brian Malcom
C 58 Gary Osmunison
RG 76 Scott Mueller
RT 64 Dan Han
TE 46 Warren Fortier
QB 10 Richie Donati
TB 34 Michael Pittman
—FB 4 Reggie Brown
WR 3 Brian Roberson
PK 18 Johan Lyssand
LE
96
Danny Williams
LT
95
Lumumba Neal
RT
91
Shatony Sargeant
JIE
57
Steve Casner
SLB
54
Andre Griggs
MLB
13
Gene Smith
WLB
17
Chris Love
CB
NA
Steve Wilson
FS
5
Omar Stoutmirc
SS
26
Bernard Finlcy
CB
31
Antonio Pratt
P
NA
Jeff Roberts
By Brian R. Fisher
Sports Editor
After a miserable 1994 football
season marred by injuries and in¬
experience, the Fresno State Bull¬
dogs and head coach Jim Sweeny
have every intention of returning to
the familiar spot a top the Western
Athletic Conference standings.
»S weeny's first step toward im¬
proving' on a 5-7-1 record was rec¬
ognized nationally when three re¬
cruiting publications rated Fresno
State's 1995 incoming Junior Col- ■
lege class as one of the best in the
country. The JC players will help
in all areas, but coaches say espe-
ciaUy on the defensive line.
The recruiting success enabled
Sweeny, and Defensive Coordina¬
tor Leon Burtnett to switch to a 4-3
defensive scheme in the off-season.
Sweeny made it clear that that
his only real concerns heading into
the season are with the secondary
and punter.
"We've got a lot of talented kids
back there [in the secondary],"
Sweeny said. "But they're young in
terms of age and playing time and
so developing some continuity
among themselves will take time."
Sweeny wasn't as optimistic
about the punting situation.
"We've got a real problem
there," he said. "One of those kids
[referring to three possible candi¬
dates] is going to have to step up,
because that is obviously an impor¬
tant part of the game."
On the offensive side of the ball,
the picture, as is the norm with
Fresno State football, looks much
clearer.
The incoming JC players figure
to contribute big in- the areas of
quarterback
ing depth to what will be one of the
most exciting offenses in the WAC
this season.
It speaks volumes about the tal¬
ent and depth on the offense when
last season's leading rusher (Jerome
Oliver- 1,106 yards, eight touch¬
downs) most likely will not see a
whole lot of playing time. Incum¬
bent quarterback Richie Donati
(2,254 yards, 11 touchdowns) has
also found himself in the peculiar
position of competing for a job with
JC sensation Jim Arel lanes out of
LA Valley College.
Here is a position by position
breakdown:
Quarterback: In what is clearly .
a two-man race, Donati and
Arel lanes are expected to split time
as the team's signal caller through
the first two or three games of the
season, giving Sweeny game expe¬
rience as the final evalua-tion.
However, a source close to the
team said that in recent practices
Arel lanes has looked sharper and
that his arm strength is "unbeliev¬
able".
Still, Donati\s experience should
enhance his chances of winning the
starting job. The number three slot
is being competed for by junior
Larry Haney, redshirt freshman
Lane Kiffin and freshman Bill
Volek.
Wide Receiver: Long a tradition
of excellence at Fresno State, this
season will be no different. The unit
as a whole was ranked as fourth best
in the nation by The Sporting News.
Senior pre-season Ail-American
candidate. Charlie Jones, will oncc-
again team with junior Brian
Roberson to form one of the
nation's deadliest combinations.
ii^^edalOTip catches and
775 receiving yards to overtake
Henry EUard as Fresno State's all-
time leader in those categories. He
needs just 27 receptions to pass
Larry Willis' eleven-year-old
school record.
Behind Jones and Roberson are
two former JC All-American's—
Jahine Arnold and incoming trans¬
fer Greg Minnatee out of Sacra¬
mento CC. Also expected to con¬
tribute is JC transfer Dominique
Waltower and redshirt freshmen Ty
Mann, Anthony Tucker and
Roderick Ward.
Tailback: Imagine the dilemma
that running back coach Kelly Skip¬
per was faced with when he had to
ohoose a starting tailback between
senior Jerome Oliver, who was an
All-WAC second teamer with over
l.TKX) yards rushing, or redshirt
sophomore, Michael Pittman, who
SweenyVdescribes "as the biggest
and strongest tailback" the Bulldogs
have had since Aaron Craver.
Pittman will get the nod after
missing all but three games last sea¬
son due to a collarbone injury suf¬
fered in the third game of the sea¬
son. JC transfer Morell Ollis is
listed third on the depth chart and
redshirt freshman Carl Riley is be¬
ing counted on for the future.
Fullback: The WAC's leading
touchdown scorer from a year ago,
Reggie Brown, returns to complete
what could be an awesome
backfield. Although he was ham¬
pered for much of the season by
hamstring problems and only
started the final two games of the
season, Brown managed tc
goal line 16 times while rushing and
Please see PREVIEW, Page 12.