4 Page 12 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 15 Jumbo , 1988 Giant: Elliot hopes to bolster New York offensive line By DAVID HYMAN They come in all sizes. Large, larger, and jumbo. Recently they have been big, around 300 lbs. big. They are known as the men of the trenches, the offensive linemen of the N.F.L. John Elliot, a right tackle for the New York Giants fits the third category. A 1987 graduate of Michigan, Elliot was nicknamed unbo. At 6 ft. 7 in., 310 lbs., iot earned All-American honors hile proving to be too mammoth for defensive players who tried to make their way into the Wolverine backfield. To the Giants surprise, Elliot hadn't been selected in the first round ofthe 1987 draft so they nabbed him with their second pick. The Giants knew it was a steal since Elliot was ranked as one of the top offensive linemen in the draft. THEY COULD not be happier with a farm-fresh, Grade A, jumbo linleman in the second round after already selecting Indiana's offensive tackle, Eric Moore, in the first round. New York needed to patch up its offensive line after injuries plagued the Giants' during the 1987 campaign. The year before in Super Bowl XXI, the Giants were propelled by their offensive line. It sprang Joe Morris to 1,500 yards rushing and allowed Phil Simms to finally emerge as one of the league's top auarterbacks. was held in the hot, humid weather of a New York heat wave. Like some of his teammates, Elliot suffered heat exhaustion, losing nine liters of water. He had to be taken to the hospital where he stayed overnight, unhappy not to be on the field preparing to play. Elliot returned to the two-a-day practices, taking it easy at first, Jamie Morris. But as he demonstrated against the San Francisco 49ers, Elliot still needs time to learn the pass block. Elliot received his first assignment in the pros when Nelson went down with a sprained left ankle. Elliot got the call at right tackle in the battle against the 49ers. He played well. He contained his opponent on running plays, but 'This is a business here compared to that of college. As long as you don't screw up too much in your personal life. It's your own thing. It's up to you.' -Former Wolverine John Elliot running each morning to lose weight and to build up his endurance. "I've come along pretty good since then," said Elliot. AFTER GETTING out of the hospital, the hardest thing Elliot was going to have to adjust to was the length. of training camp. "At Michigan,. we had two weeks to prepare whereas here we have already been here for six weeks and still have another two to go," said Elliot. "You've got to have the right mental attitude to stay with it because camp is so long. You have to keep going." And Elliot has done just that. In the second preseason game, Elliot went up against former All- Pro Mark Gastineau, limiting the sack-dance crazed lineman to zero sacks and zero tackles. Together Elliot and Nelson cancelled Gastineau's dance lessons. Elliot has shown lots of progress but still has had some problems with his pass blocking. "(In the N.F.L.) you do a lot more passing and see many more defensive sets than in college. The plays here are a bit more complicated and you need to learn the different blocking adjustments." looked tentative. He was called for a couple of penalties but it came as no surprise. Rookie linemen always take time to adjust to the changes from the college ranks to the pros. But he has received help from other teammates and coaches just as he did when he arrived in Ann Arbor. "Everybody on the line has been good in pointing out things to me to try and help me like Bo helped while at Michigan," said Elliot. "(Bo) really took care of you as far as school and athletics and if you had a personal problem, he would try and help you as much as he could." BUT THE pros are different and Elliot knows that "This is a business here compared to that of college. As long as you don't screw up too much in your personal life. It's your own thing. It's up to you." Said Elliot, "The whole team is working really hard this year. They have the right attitude to win." Elliot also has the right attitude. He knows that hard work and staying on the right track will help him to perform in the N.F.L. "The coaches are doing what they have to and I just have to be ready when they call upon me." DAVID HYMAN /Daily Michigan grads John 'Jumbo" Elliot (left) and Chris Godfrey take a breather at the Giants training camp this summer. Elliot made the team but Godfrey was cut. Eight Men.Out:*Story 1919 Black Sox scandal of , Elliot entered training camp as the backup to Karl Nelson, a member of the 1986 offensive line, who has recovered from both Hodgkin's disease and right shoulder surgery. Watching Nelson return after his setbacks, Elliot has seen what hard work can do. "It's amazing how he has come back the way that he has," said Elliot. ELLIOT knows he too must work hard to stay in the game but even before Jumbo could worry about adjusting to the N.F.L., he had to get out of the hospital. Giants' coach Bill Parcels wanted Elliot to report to camp at 297 lbs., so Elliot still had to lose some weight. The first morning practice I went to Eight Men Out hoping to see a good baseball movie, as one is usually hard to come by. What I got for my $7 was much more. Eight Men Out is not just about baseball, but about life. It tells the story of the Black Sox - the team which intentionally lost the 1919 World Series. Each team member involved in the scandal was carefully portrayed in the movie, enabling viewers to understand the motivation behind each player's actions. For example, pitcher Ed Cicotte, agreed to the fix because he was angry with team owner Charles Comiskey, who had promised him a $10,000 bonus if he won 30 games. Cicotte won 29, but was held out of five starts by Comiskey to supposedly rest his arm. Cicotte needed the money because he was at the end of his career, and was hoping to one day send his daughters to college. Doug in Deep ,, BY DOUG VOLAN Finally, the movie illustrated the frustration of Hall-of-Fame catcher Ray Schalk. Schalk, who had no idea that his teammates were throwing the games, WHILE AT Michigan, Elliot had become an expert at run It looks as though the Giants did blocking, opening up holes for pick a Grade A, Jumbo lineman. CICOTTE WAS not the only player angry with the penny-pinching Comiskey. Several others joined in. They figured the scandalous plan to lose the Series would be the best revenge to get back at their owner. After all, Comiskey had promised them a bonus for winning the pennant and all they got were some bottles of flat champagne. Then there was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, undoubtedly a Hall of Famer if not for his involvement in the scam. Jackson gave into the appeals of his crooked teammates because of his intense desire to win their approval. The movie further delved into each player's psyche by vividly portraying the turmoil each of them was going though during the World Series. Cicotte, for example, backed out of the scam after blowing his first two starts, and pitched superbly in his third appearance against the Reds. The case of third baseman Buck Weaver was even more gut- wrenching. Weaver was caught in the middle, trying his best during the games despite knowing that some of his teammates weren't playing on the level. WEAVER was being torn apart throughout the movie as he watched his teammates give away games they were favored to win. Often times, he didn't know who was trying and who wasn't. I played his heart out, only find others acting nonchalantly. The poor guy couldn't understand why his pitchers kept throwing fastballs when he was calling for curves. As a historical event, I could never understand why the players involved would ruin the entire season by fixing World Series games. But through the realistic and accurate portrayal of each of these individuals, I gained a better insight into the character of each player and his personal agony. Although the movie doesn't condone their actions, it certainly explains their motivations. 4 i ":,° z : i ; r ANXIETY ATTACKS? Do you have agoraphobia or sudden attacks of fear, apprehension or anxiety? If you experience such attacks at least 4 times a month and are between 18 and 40 years of age you may be eligible for FREE evaluation, treatment and $250.00 pay in a major U of M research study directed by George C. Curtis, M.D. If you believe you are eligible call: U-M Anxiety Program 936-7868 IMOM w*