The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, October 25, 1993 - 3
Calloway
The former Michigan receiver discusses
the Wolverines and his life in the NFL
Along with fellow wideout Greg
McMurtry, Chris Callowayhelpedpro-
vide the Wolverines with a strong pass-
catching threat. Calloway hauled in a
six-yard touchdown pass from.
Demetrius Brown in the third quarter
of the 1989 Rose Bowl to help Michi-
gan defeat USC, 22-14.
Following a solid career as a
flanker for Michigan, Calloway was
selected in thefourth round of the 1990
NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers
with the 97th overall selection.
Recently, Daily Sports Writer Tim
Smith talked with Calloway about his
life in the NFL as well as his career
with the Wolverines.
Daily: What are your general feel-
ings about your NFL career to date?
Calloway: I think my career has
been good. This is my fourth year and
I'm still feeling good. I'm relatively
healthy and that's all you can ask for.
Just to stay healthy and play as long as
you can.
D: Was it difficult to make the
transition from college to the NFL?
C: No, not really. It wasn't too
hard. I started off there in Pittsburgh
and I had some good mentors, or
people in front of me, to learn from.
They helped me along with it so I
don't think it was too tough.
D: What are the major differences
between college and the pros?
C: Well, the pro game is run at a
much faster pace. There are bigger
athletes as well. The game is a lot
more complicated.
D: What was it like to play under
a coaching legend like Chuck Noll in
Pittsburgh?
C: It was pretty unique. He really
didn't communicate too much with a
lot of players. We kind of knew who
he was and knew what he accom-
plished, so we respected him.
D: What is it like playing for the
New York Giants, one of the most
storied franchises in pro football?
"C: It's nice, especially when
you're winning. Then it's real nice.
'D: How do the coaching philoso-
phies between Ray Handley and Dan
Reeves differ?
C: Dan Reeves has been around a
lot longer than Ray Handley, but Ray
just didn't get a chance to prove him-
self. He probably would have been a
good coach but he just didn't have a
chance because of the fans and the
press and everything.
Dan, the players have a lot of re-
spect for him. We know that he's been
around for a long time and that he's
been to the Super Bowl.
He gets down to business and the
players respect that and want to play
well for him.
D: How has the team's overall atti-
tude changed since last year?
C: With the new coaching staff,
and with Dan coming in, we felt like
we were kind of in disarray last year.
We needed a little more discipline
and Dan has brought that in. I think
we have responded to him.
D: Is the team already talking about
York have on a team when it is strug-
gling like the Giants were last year?
C: I don't listen to the radio station
or the press or what not. I try not to pay
attention to all that media talk. How-
ever, it definitely has an effect on the
team and the coaches, but you try not to
listen to it.
D: What was your best game in
the NFL so far?
C: Probably against Kansas City
last year. I made four or five catches.
D: What defensive back or safety
do you fear the most?
C: Well, of course, Ronnie Lott.
He's still tough. (Steve) Atwater from
zip on them. You don't see an age
factor there at all.
D: What's the worst thing that's
happened to you, football-wise?
C: Probably last year's season. It
was so difficult to get through with
the losses and not making the play-
offs.
D: Your were a Plan B free agent
when you signed with the Giants.
Why did you choose to come to New
York?
C:I worked out with several teams,
but I felt I had the best chance to really
play in New York.
D: What are your present goals in
the NFL? What would you like to
accomplish?
C: First of all, I'd like to play as
long as I can. Ultimately, to play in
the Super Bowl, to be on a Super
Bowl-type team, is another goal. Just
to be the best player I can for as long
as I can. Hopefully, I can go another
eight or nine years.
D: What do you want to do after
football? Do you have any plans?
C: Hopefully, to get into the com-
munications field, film or television.
Some of the behind-the-scenes-type
work.
D: On the other hand, looking
back, what was it like to play for Bo
Schembechler?
C: It was a thrill. When I look
back on playing for a legend like
that, at first it was hard. When I first
came from high school to college,
he was on me about my grades. But
I grew to like him. And I think he
liked me.
D: But do you wish your college
offense was a little more receiver ori-
ented?
C: Most definitely. Sort of like it
is now with the Giants. If I had gotten
a lot more balls and maybe I would
have gotten to a college all-star game.
D: What was your fondest memory
of your play at Michigan?
C: Probably my touchdown my
junior year in the Rose Bowl against
USC.
D: Have you stayed in contact
with any of the players on the Michi-
gan teams you played on?
C: Yeah, I still talk a lot with
(former Wolverine tight end) Derrick
Walker. He's out in San Diego with
the Chargers. And with Desmond
Howard; I spoke to him when we
played against the Redskins last week.
KEN SUGIURA
Close But No Sugiura
Thompson, BCA off
the mark on Prop. 42
ALstahmember of the Black Coaches Association (BCA), Georgetown
basketball coach John Thompson has been a spokesperson for many of
the race-related issues central to college basketball.
Most of them are definitely on the mark.
He feels that there are not enough Blacks in the collegiate coaching ranks,
and he is right. The percentage of Black athletes dwarfs the percentage of
Black coaches in the game. Most teams have at most one Black coach; often a
token assistant who can provide Black recruits the appearance - based in
truth or not - of a racially-harmonious club.
Thompson also correctly believes that NCAA cost-cutting measures
currently on the board to reduce the scholarships from 15 to 13 and eliminate
graduate assistant positions are counterproductive. While athletic departments
are in financial straits, the way to save money is to reduce the administrative
bureaucracy, not take away opportunities from students.
Another contention is that at a time when coaches are often one of the only
positive influences on players, NCAA restrictions are also limiting contact
with both recruits and players.
This is no way to compete as an influence against the evils of society, not
when drug dealers and other malevolent forces can have immediate access to
the kids without repercussion.
Last Tuesday, Thompson and 44 other BCA members met with the
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in Washington D.C., to discuss these
issues and hopefully affect change in college basketball.
In meeting with the CBC, the roughly 3,000-member BCA boycotted last
week's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) issues forum in
Charlotte, N.C., and threatened further action, such as a "Black Saturday," in
which Black basketball players and coaches would be encouraged to sit out
one Saturday of the basketball season in protest.
Thompson and others voiced their frustration with the lack of progress the
NABC had previously made in responding to the Black coaches.
"We'd rather go to Congress to find a way to get this thing changed,"
Thompson said.
Almost all of these proposed changes merit the support of every college
basketball fan. One does not.
He and the BCA, whose membership includes former Michigan assistant
and now Detroit-Mercy head coach Perry Watson and Minnesota head coach
Clem Haskins, believe that future NCAA academic requirements for
incoming freshmen will severely penalize disadvantaged minorities like the
inner-city Black youths that have proved a fertile recruiting ground for
basketball coaches.
The new rule, Proposition 42, requires that incoming freshmen who fail to
earn a 2.5 GPA in high school core classes and fall short of preset test scores
sit out one year and pay their own way.
The BCA says that tighter measures will eliminate inner-city kids' chances
for scholarships and, without a coach to be a positive influence, will leave
them vulnerable to the harms of the city. The new rule should be rescinded,
and maybe even lowered, the BCA contends.
This does not deserve support.
Philosophically, it is wrong. By complaining that the tighter measures will
hurt inner-city kids, and then pushing for the current or lower standards, the
same troubled message that those kids have been pinning their dreams on all
this time is reinforced - that basketball, not books, is the ticket out.
The same argument of racial bias was made with Proposition 48 - which
sent students who could not surpass a certain SAT or ACT score to the
sidelines for a season and took away a year of eligibility.
True, the percentage of Black athletes fell, but it has since returned to the
previous standard. Borderline student-athletes put books before basketball and
managed to buckle down enough in class to pick up the extra test score points.
There shouldn't be any reason why the new standards won't do the same.
And if coaches are so interested in maintaining current rules to rescue
these future all-stars, why aren't they going to bat for the players' friends, the
ones who can't dunk or hit three-pointers?
Until John Thompson heads over to the Georgetown admissions office and
demands that it admit every applicant, his plea will appear very self-serving.
And along those lines, why is it that Thompson, Haskins and his Division I
coaching brethren need to be the guiding influence?
Proposition 42, scheduled to take effect in the fall of 1995, will apply only
to Division I schools. What is so wrong with spending a year at a Division II
or III school or a junior college and then transferring? Is the BCA worried that
See SUGIURA, Page 7
I.v
going to the playoffs or even the Super
Bowl?
C: Well, it's still early. We're just
taking it one game at a time and we'll
wait and see what happens.
D: Why have the Giants played so
well this season?
C: We had a very good offseason.
With the new system coming in the
defense is playing well. They don't
have to think as much, they can just
react. The offense has also quick-
ened. I think it's a combination of all
those things.
D: What effect does a 24-hour
sports station such as WFAN in New
FILE PHOTO
Denver. He's a hard hitting safety.
D: Who is the best quarterback
you've ever played with and/or
against?
C: Probably played against, gee,
there are so many -- probably either
Dan Marino or John Elway. But I've
played with some good quarterbacks,
notably (Jeff) Hostetler and (Phil)
Simms.
D: How does Simms look to you
this season? Does it look like he's 37
years old to you?
C: He's done very well. You don't
see a 37-year old throwing the ball to
you. The balls are there and they have
THE SPORTING Views:
With no one in their path, Jays the team of '90s
By RAVI GOPAL
FOR THE DAILY
The Toronto Blue Jays' vanquish-
ing of the Philadelphia Phillies in six
games to win their second consecutive
World Series brought to mind an inter-
esting thought. Could the Blue Jays be
the major league baseball dynasty of
the '90s?
This year, the Jays were involved in
a dogfight in the American League
East, with New York, Baltimore and
Detroit all vying for the chance to play
ball in late October. Toronto prevailed,
primarily because of its incredible hit-
ting. Led by the triumvirate of John
Olerud, Paul Molitor and Roberto
Alomar, the Jays swatted their way to
the division crown.
Early in the year, the buzz around
sports circles was of the Detroit Tigers,
and of their Murderers' Row lineup -
but as the year wore on, Cecil Fielder,
Kirk Gibson and Co. were nowhere to
0 be seen. Anearly-seasonfluke?Likely,
giyen the incredible competitive na-
ture of Gibson. He fired up the teamin
theearly going, butcouldn'tdoitallby
himself.
Meanwhile, BlueJays general man-
ager Pat Gillick was busy adding new
elements to his already powerful for-
mula - acquiring Rickey Henderson
from the Oakland Athletics for the
stretch run strengthened an already for-
midable lineup.
On the mound, the Jays are led by
Juan Guzman and Dave Stewart.
Guzman had an incredible year, going
14-3 with a 3.99 ERA. Stewart, at the
ripe old age of 36, had a subpar year,
sporting a12-8recordwith a 4.44ERA
but was till tough in the playoffs.
Speaking of the Giants, what hap-
pened to them? How do the words
"one-man team" sound? Barry Bonds,
Mr. Everything in Pittsburgh in his
years there, came to San Francisco
with a mucho contract and supplied
mucho energy to a franchise that was
almost playing in St. Petersburg, Fla.
this year.
Bill Swiftand John Burkett compiled
great seasons after years of mediocrity.
Bonds carried the team the entire season,
but eventually ran out of gas.
The team that overtook the Giants in
oneofthenostmemorablecomebacksin
major league baseball history -the At-
lanta Braves - was rejuvenated by the
acquisition of 1992 home-run king Fred
McGriff fromthe San Diego Padres. Ron
Gant and Dave Justice also contributed to
the Atlanta effort.
Much was made about the "five
aces" of the Braves' pitching staff:
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve
Avery, John Smoltz, and Pete Smith.
Where were they in the Philadelphia
series? Where was "Crime Dog?" The
Phillies shutdown Atlantain six games,
and the Braves will have to consider
this season disappointing, after all the
preseason expectations.
The Phillies will not return to the
Series next year. Full of atypical base-
ball players like John Kruk and Mitch
Williams, the Phillies remind me of a
sideshow at a circus - full of novel-
ties, but it will never be the same the
second time around. They somehow
managed to win the pennant. Call it
luck; I will.
With rivals like these, manager Cito
Gaston and the Blue Jays are sitting
pretty. Their only major obstacles in
the future will be to somehow keep all
their talent under the same roof, since
their payroll approaches $50 million.
But if Pat Gillick hands out the cash,
then AL President Bobby Brown will
be handing him the World Series tro-
phy in October, 1994.
r
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