2B - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, January 29, 1996 SUPER BOWL XXX Often overlooked, Brown takes MVP :1h The Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. - Twice, Larry Brown waited in the Dallas second- ary with the Cowboys needing a break. And twice he provided it with game- turning interceptions that made him the Super Bowl MVP in the 27-17 victory over Pittsburgh last night. Larry Brown? On a team bulging with big name stars like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders, Brown was an unlikely hero, a mostly anonymous guy working in the sec- ondary. Brown was an NFL longshot right from the start, a 12th-round draft choice out of Texas Christian in 1991, the 57th defensive back chosen that year. He was only a two-year starter at TCU but earned some attention with 75 tackles and 10 passes de- fended in his senior year. When he was MVP of the Blue-Gray game, it made him a prospect. Twelfth-rounders don't usually stick around very long. Brown not only stuck but by the fourth game of his rookie year, he was a starter on a rebuilding Dallas team. And he's been in place ever since, there when the Cowboys won two, Super Bowls un- der Jimmy Johnson and still there last night when they captured their third in four years. During the season, Brown tied for the team lead with six interceptions, pushing his career total to 13. He added a big one in the NFC championship game, when his late pickoff of Brett Favre helped seal the Dallas victory. None, though, will be remembered as well as the two he made last night. With Dallas leading 13-7 in the third quarter, the Steelers started from their own 36 and were near midfield, facing a third-and-9. Neil O'Donnell went into a shotgun formation and threw the ball straight at Brown, sta- tioned at the Dallas 38. "I think he just had a bad read," Brown said. The Cowboys defender returned the pass 44 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the Pittsburgh 18. Two plays later, Dallas was in the end zone, extending its lead to 20-7. The Steelers simply wouldn't go away. though. They cut the lead to 20- 10 on a 46-yard field goal by Norm Johnson, then recovered an onside kick and drove to another touchdown to trail 20-17. The Cowboys seemed to be reeling. With 4:15 left to play, Pittsburgh took over again at its own 32. On second down, O'Donnell, working on a string of I1 completions in 12 attempts, went to the shotgun again, throwing this, time for Corey Holliday. Again, though, he found Brown, this time at the Steelers' 39. The cornerback brought the ball back to the Steelers' 6-yard line. "They had been running slants at me and I got the jump on it and made a play and took it as far as I could," Brown said. Two plays later, Smith was in the end zone and the Cowboys' victory was safe. Brown became the first defensive player to win the MVP award since Richard Dent of the Chicago Bears did it 10 years ago. Brown knew he was an unlikely MVP. "We've got so many stars, I just want to go out and play hard," he said. "My career has always been based on one or two plays." This time they weren't just plays. They were game-turning intercep- tions. SUPER BOWL Continued from Page 18 his yards came on the third play of the game. But it was the defense that did it, led by Brown. "We were prepared for overtime. It's fortunate we won in regulation," said the man who prevented that from hap- pening. The defense registered four sacks, one by Charles Haley, who was playing his first game since undergoing back surgery seven weeks ago. Haley, who was on two champions in San Fran- cisco, became the first player ever to win five Super Bowl rings. That rush, plus some slippery footing may have been responsible for Emmitt Smith celebrates Dallas' 27-17 win over Pittsburgh - the Cowboys third Super Bowl win in four years. O'Donnell's problems. He finished 28 of 49 for 239 yards and three intercep- tions, the last on the game's final play. "Neil got us here. Without Neil O'Donnell we wouldn't be playing at the last of January," coach Bill Cowher said. "Look at the big picture. Don't look at the small picture. He had a heck of a year." Heck of a year or not, the Steelers probably would have gotten to what Cowher called "the top of the moun-. tain" had O'Donnell not thrown those two balls to Brown. Dallas, 13 1/2-point favorites, con- trolled the first half, with help from O'Donnell, who was high and outside most of the time. But while they scored on their first three possessions, they could convert those only into 13 points, leaving the Steelers within striking range, even with O'Donnell struggling so much. Then the Steelers, as they have so often, scored in the last two minutes, to make it 13-7 at halftime. But while the Dallas offense fizzled, the defense didn't, particularly Brown, whojoined M iami's Jake Scott 23 years ago as the only other defensive back to win a Super Bowl MVP trophy. And that was enough for the Cowboys to join San Francisco as only teams to win five Super Bowls. Pittsburgh, which won four Super Bowls during the 1970s, lost for the first time in five appearances. Dallas' victory also bailed out Switzer, who took over from Jimmy Johnson last season after Johnson and Jones had their well-publicized divorce. Switzer thus joined Johnson as the only coaches to win both college and pro championships de- spite a season of gaffes that left him labeled "Bozo the Coach." Pittsburgh, which scored with 13 sec- onds left in the first half to cut it to 13- 7, came right back in the second half and reached the Dallas 33. But on fourth and 8, Cowher elected to punt and Rohn Stark's kick carried into the end zone, giving Dallas the ball on the 20. Dallas didn't move on offense, but then the defense turned the game. On a third and nine from the Pitts- burgh 48, Dallas' Bill Bates blitzed, both Steelers receivers turned inside, and O'Donnell threw outside, right to Brown. He returned it 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18. M takes down Illnitie s Wildcats. By Wit McCaMl Daily Sports Writer Bigger is better, as the saying goes. And if there's one statement that has heldtrue forthe Michigan wrestlingteam, that one has to be it. AlthoughtheNo. 17Wolverinespulled off an upset of No. 8 Illinois and tied No. 18 Northwestern,the lower weight classes often put Michigan in deep holes going into matches at the heavier weights. The Wolverines(l-1-1 BigTen,1-4- overall) started off both meets losing three ofthe first four matches. Against Illinois, the only victory below the 150-lbs. class belonged to freshman Corey Grant, who scored a 3-I decision over Jason Pero.* Going into his match at 150, sophomore Bill Lacure found the Wolverines down 10-3. Lacure immediatelyput Michiganback in the meet by gaining a major decision worth four points over Scott Benson. Fifth-ranked sophomore Jeff Catrabone, wrestlingat 158 insteadof his usual 167, pinned No. 3, and defending national champion, EmestBeniontoboost the Wolvernesintoaslim lead.Catrabone. continued his domination of Benion, de feating him for the third time in as many matches. After losses at 167 and 177, including an unusual lossby the Wolverines'senior captain, No. 3 Jesse Rawls Jr., senior Lanre Olabisi pulled Michigan within a point withadecision. Heavyweight Airron Richardson, ranked seventh, decisioned No.8 Seth Brady to give the team a 19-17 victory in the seesaw affair. "We won where we shouldn't have won and lost where we shouldn't have lost," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. "(Catrabone's) was a key match for us, and (Olabisi) put us in a position to win. Events unfolded similarly against Northwestern, the sole exception being a win by freshman Chris Viola over Wild- cat Dominic Caruso at 118. Catrabone delivered another strong performance at 158, but losses by Josh Young and Rawls at 167 and 177, respectively, put the Wolverines in a tight spot once again. With Michigandown I6-l0afterRawls lost to No. 4 Rohan Gardner, Olabisi and Richardson were called on to bring the Wolverines back for the second consecus- tive day. Olabisi handily defeated Jason Case to cut Northwestern's lead to three points, and Richardson's overtime win over Rob- ert Chicoine evened the score at 16, sav ing Michigan from dropping below .50' in conference competition. The Wolverines will have only three days to rest up before facing their big- gest conference test so far, as No. 4 Michigan State comes to town Wednes- day night. Becker takes Aussie title over Chang,--. The Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia - As far- fetched as it may have seemeda few year ago, and as much of a longshot as it map be even now, Boris Becker truly believes he has a chance at a Grand Slam this year. He is the only man who can do it after winning the first major of the year, the Australian Open, beating Michael Chang 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the final Sunday. Up next are the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. "It's a dream of mine," he said. "It depends on many things. At the French, you need a good draw, you need goo4 weather, you need certain things which happen your way. I'm going to chase it." Monica Seles, the women's champion, might have a better chance of achieving a sweep of the four majors that has been accomplished only twice in the Open era - by Rod Laver in 1969 and by Steffi Graf in 1988. Seles doesn't want to think that fa ahead, but Becker doesn't mind fantasiz ing a bit. "I do know that I'm able to play great in Grand Slams again," he said afterwin- ninghis first major in fiveyears. "I proved it last year, and I've proved it now. So the confidence level is so much higher going M-PACT gives student-athletes chance to help out By Susan Dann Daily Sports Writer Michigan students areknown forkeep- ing busy schedules. Looking around any lecture hall, it is not hard to catch sight of students pulling out Franklin Planners to organize their lives. Classes, meetings, appointments, even mealsare recorded-penciled in, though, just in case something else comes up. While every student juggles obliga- tions, some students on campus hardly havetime to think ofwhattheirday holds, let alone write it down in an organized manner. A large chunk of their day is permanent, what most of us would con- sider a "penned-in" obligation. Student-athletes at the University bal- ance the same academic and social obli- gations as other students. However, add tothe already short day, practice, training tables, travel and games. A few student-athletes are pushing the limits of the 24-hour day. They are dedi- cating part oftheir time to a peer advising and community service program. The Michigan Athletic Department and the University's Counseling and Psycho- logical Services have combined their ef- forts to provide athletes an opportunity for involvement, while at the same time providing a valuable resource extending beyond those of the Athletic Department and the University. "There was an unbelievable number of student-athletes who were involved in (Students Against Drunk Driving) and other programs in their high schools," Michigan Athletic Depart- ment special adviser Greg Harden said. "We realized there was no vehicle in college for those student- athletes. As we started to research it, we began to identify that these students were not atypical." M-PACT (Michigan Peer Advisors Creating Trust) was developed to meet the unique needs of the University of Michigan. "I was part of a peer-counseling group in high school and it was a big success," said golfer and M-PACT member Shan- non McDonald. "I know the athletic com- munity needs the support of other ath- letes. These programs are a good way to meet other people and learn from others." The program took form last year when members of the Athletic Department and student-athletes attended a seminar in Palo Alto, Calif. The Apple Program conference provided models for devel- oping a program specific to the needs of Wolverine student-athletes. The resulting M-PACT program of- fers student-athletes two ways to be- come involved. The Peer Support Team has allowed students to develop their skills as peer advisors for other ath- letes. M-PACT Squads provide yet an- other avenue through which student- athletes can serve the athletic and gen- eral communities. Program participants undergo a rigor- ous training process. All M-PACT mem- bers attended two basic-training sessions informing them of University resources, such as Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. Members of the Peer Support Team have continued their train- ing by attending frequent meetings on more specialized peer advising skills. "In developing the Peer Support Pro- gram, we didn't want to limit (M-PACT) to alcohol and drug abuse," Counseling and Psychological Services staff member Vicki Hays said. The Peer Support Team has worked on developing confidentiality and listening skills in a series of presentations by coun- seling professionals. Student-athletes seeking help from the Peer Support Team can approach mem- bers for referrals or, if they feel more comfortable, call the team's voice mail. "We've learned about signs of depres- sion and the things we can do to help," said Peter Pusztai, a tennis player and member of the Peer Support Team. "We've learned how to be comforting and show respect." The team has also become educated on the services offered by the University. "We've had presentations from SAPAC, Career Planning and Place- ment and other campus organizations," Hays said. "If (the Peer Support Team) can't handle the student-athlete's prob- lem, we can share our knowledge of University services with.them. We are trying to extend services to a popula- tion that hasn't used them much in the past." Though well trained, the peer advisers have yet to truly test their skills. "We monitor the voice mail on a daily basis, but we really haven't had a re- sponse yet," Hays said. "We just think that the athletes still don't know a lot about our services. We hope that this will spread within the teams. We are still getting around to the teams, working on getting people involved." Student involvement makes the pro- gram attractive to other athletes. "it is easier to talk with (members of the Peer Support Team) because we are all athletes, so you are talking to people you have something in common with," Pusztai said. Harden agreed that at the heart of the advising program is peer counseling. "We have great administration and coaching available for these students, but (the administrators and coaches) really don't know what's going on (in the lives of the student athletes)," Harden said. "We hope those closest to the athletes, their peers, will add another layer of sup- port." Hays indicated that the Support Team members, though qualified, are not pro- fessionals. "They are not counselors, but some- body who knows about what the other student-athletes are goingthrough," Hays said. The M-PACT Squads are focused on three themes. Student-athletes can par- ticipate in education, public service or publicity. The specialized squads promote inter- nal education among Michigan athletic teams, promoting M-PACT programs, Peer Support Team services and Univer- sity resources. Public service activities, such as read- ing to elementary school children and alcohol-free activities for University stu- dents, allow Squad members opportuni- ties to create a positive image of Michi- gan athletics to the community. The two-fold purpose of the M-PACT program is fulfilling the needs of busy student-athletes. Despite a slow start to the program's pilot activities, both Harden and Hays predict M-PACT will make an impact on the lives of those involved and those the program can help. As student-athletes have proven, time can be an enemy. And although they are especially pressed for time, student-ath- letes at the University find extra time to become involved. "We knew we could trust the athletes that if we gave them a door, they would open the door and see the new land- scape," Harden said. "It's just a matter of time. Over time, the student population will be aware of another resource, an- other layer of support, a safety net." The Peer Support Team voice mail can be reached at 764-8200 or by e-mail at mpact-pst@umich.edu. Student-athletes wishing to apply for NI-PACT should contact Greg Harden through the Athletic Department. University of Wisconsi --- n-Pla ttevzile "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -Henry David Thoreau I EYE EXA MIS & EYE G LASSE Learn Your Way Around The World " Study abroad in Seville, Spain, or London, England, for a summer, for a semester or for a full academic year * Courses in liberal arts and international business * Fluency in a foreign language nt required * Home-stays with meals * Field trips ti :-/4 bLo ~RALPH LAUREN GIORGIO ARMANI CALVIN KLEIIN , e y e w e a r I STUDE N T DISCOUNTS I2, * .* Stte (B lo D ke DuS) S -14 747-9400 1220 S. 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