The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 9, 1998 - 29 Ohio State investigates academic problems Buckeyes' athletic director responds to Cooper as players remain academically ineligible .COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio support unit would mean that the athletes ing about everybodv" in in a few football players. was put State athletic director Andy Geiger would have their own special place and it Asked who in particular did the mis- in jeopnrdy because the academic coun- rsponded sarcastically yesterday to, would become even more elite and more calculation. Cooper said, "Quite a few eling department misinterpreted a Big ach John Cooper's suggestion that exclusive and more incubated than it is people. I don't know who exactly is Ten rule regarding credit hours. Those tball players' classes, meals and prac- now," Geiger said. responsible for that." athletes were cleared after the confer- tces be set up at the team's practice facil- The subject came up when Cooper Kirk's family blames the academic cncc's compliance committee looked ty. was asked about his players' recent aca- counselors and has hired an attorney to into the situation. "Yeah, we could have the dorms and demic problems. Butkus Award-winning look into appeals. Family members say "There is no ongoing problem in aca- be dining halls and the classrooms and linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, first- he was only taking the courses he was demic counseling," Geiger said. "And Ae study hall all at the Woody Hayes team All-Big Ten safety Damon Moore told to take. Kirk said it was "a total making them the scapegoat in this situa- Athletic Center" Geiger said yesterday. and second-team all-conference offen- shock" he couldn't play. tion is grossly unfair." Cooper said the "We could be the University of the sive guard Rob Murphy all passed sum- Geiger said the athletes were responsi- recent academic problems should open Woody Hayes Athletic Center football mer-school classes to maintain their eli- ble, not academic counselors. everyone's eyes. am." gibility for the current season. "In neither case could the student-ath- "I hope this is a wakeup call for all of At his weekly news conference But a pair of important backups - lete have been eligible if a counselor us," he said. "I know this, I'm going to ionday, Cooper said Ohio State has a freshman defensive tackle Paris Long acted any differently," he said. do a better job as a head football coach oblem because services for athletes are and junior inside linebacker Chris Kirk Geiger said academic counselors are doing more to make sure this doesn't ot centrally located in the massive prac- - were surprised to find out they were not happy. happen again. Because I don't want to go I* facility a short distance west of cam- not eligible in the days leading up to "If the staff makes an error, it is in try- through another summer like we went . Saturday night's 34-17 opening-game ing very, very hard to service the kid and through." Geiger said he didn't want to, "Ideally for us, you come over to victory over No. 1I West Virginia. service the coaches and trying to make either. Woody Hayes, you practice, you go to Geiger and Cooper both acknowl- the guys eligible," he said. "We don't "Without question, what we created study hall, you eat and then you go edged that Long's academic advisers have a situation where there's we-they. for ourselves was a cruel shock for the hbme," Cooper said. incorrectly counted his credit hours. There may be now, after John spouted youngster and a public relations problem But Geiger said it was important for "Everybody that has anything to do off yesterday. I've got a pretty unhappy for ourselves, because it wasn't recog- ,athletes to mix with the student popula- with academics is concerned about those group of people here" nized earlier," he said, referring to the n and for students to have much the two instances," Cooper said. "Both of He said the counselors work hard to two players' academic problems. "The same academic and social opportunities those kids thought they were going to be get athletes "out of bed in the morning coaches are surprised. And none of us as as athletes. eligible. First of all, Paris Long, we just and get them to go to class." A year ago, human beings deal particularly well with a"Having a centrally located academic miscalculated. When I say we, I'm talk- the eligibility of 57 Ohio State athletes, surprises." AlPIHTO No. I Ohio State has found It more difficult to make the grade in the classroom, than In the polls. The Buckeyes host in-state rival Toledo on Saturday. Adversity is old news for QB I AP PH gthme Penn State coach Joe Patemo Is getting closer to No. 300. This Is Patemo's 49th season In py Valley. Saturday the Nittany Lions host Bowling Green. ao v 'Aterno one vctoy fro-m 3 00 TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Born with feet that turned inward and saddled with leg braces, Chris Wallace was not expected to walk on his own. Maybe that's why the prospect of playing top-ranked Ohio State on Saturday doesn't faze the Toledo Rockets' record- setting quarterback. "I like to defeat the odds," Wallace said yesterday. "I've defeated the odds all my life. I've had no choice." Wallace was born with club feet, a deformity that turns his feet toward each other. His feet also were green because blood never reached them. Doctors told his parents not to hold out much hope of seeing their son walk. Doctors broke the bones in his feet and put them in casts the day after he was born. Braces came next. But his mother, Reda, didn't give up, taking off the braces and massaging his feet, hoping for a miracle. It came when Wallace was nine months old. He got up and started to run. It took many more years of therapy before he could trade in his orthopedic shoes for tennis shoes, but he hasn't stopped running since. HOTO "My parents were great" he said. "I didn't know what faith n was at that age. I didn't know what confidence was. They instilled that in me." His confidence and leadership has shown on the field. Wallace had a record year for the Rockets and was the Mid- American Conference's top quarterback last season. He set a school record with 27 touchdown passes, including five in a game against Bowling Green. in The 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior threw for 2,955 yards and t rushed for 232 more in his first season as a starter. He's also the guy the offense turns to when the game is on the line. th "He's one of the best leaders I've been around," Toledo coach Gary Pinkel said. "I would bottle him and take him the rest of my career." Wallace credits his outlook to his early years. it. "That experience kept me humble and helped me under- stand people," he said. "It kept me open-minded, and I know anything can happen." Wallace will lead the Rockets (1-0) into Ohio Stadium for 21 the first time in school history. The Buckeyes are coming off a 34-17 victory at West Virginia in their opener. One of Wallace's best friends will be on the other side of his the field, Ohio State's starting wide receiver Dee Miller. They were an unstoppable combination at Springfield South High School. Growing up two houses apart, they also were nearly GET OFF YOUR CHAIR AND INTO THE ACTION. WRITE FOR DAILY SPORTS. CALL647,-3336. STATE COLLEGE (AP) - Even though Saturday's opponent may only be struggling Swling Green, Penn State coach Joe Paterno ys he still doesn't have time to consider the, tory at hand. 'I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful Alat we're going to have an opportunity to win 10 games," said Paterno, who would become must the fifth coach to reach that plateau. "I 't want to sound like a big phony up here. 4o feel good about it, but I really don't have ine to say, 'Boy, oh boy!' -"You haven't got time. You fight for min- ves now to look at one more detail, one more pe, get one more thing done," he said Tuesday. aterno, 71, improved to 299-77-3 with last ekend's win over Southern Mississippi, but dIed be remiss to stop preaching "team, team, inam" to celebrate his impending milestone victory. Do that, he warns, and the Falcons - com- ng off a 37-0 drubbing to Missouri - may lst delay the party. '-"That Missouri game, you've got to be :eful," he said. "Nobody knows how good ,souri is. They may be an outstanding foot- team. They were just a little bit better n Bowling Green last Saturday in most :cas."h Ntt://www-pub.um ch e ,~ < He's talking Bowling Green, not No. 300 the locker room, and the players said they'r trying to avoid getting distracted. With all the hoopla around Paterno's 300t win, it certainly makes it harder for players. "He's told us in a couple of meetings to focus on our plan," quarterback Kevin Thompson said. "We just have to downplay Playing Bowling Green is a lot easier than trying to get Paterno's 300th win." Penn State jumped four spots to No. 9 in the polls with its 34-6 defeat over then-No. Southern Mississippi. Paterno figured out who his starting quar terback is, watched a solid performance by1 offensive line and saw a bevy of inexperi- enced backs step up. His defense held the Golden Eagles to nit yards rushing and stopped the big passing plays. But Paterno wouldn't be a coach if he wa n't still concerned. He knows the big test is two games away: No. 1 Ohio State at Columbus on Oct. 3. "I'm just as concerned, because regardles of what somebody does in one game, that doesn't get you home free. I'm still concern about the fact.that we don't have any experi ence," Paterno said. WomenrS Rvgby 9 Mass MeetIng Actively Recruiting Athletic Women. No Experience Necessary Tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 9 5-7 PM Anderson B Michigan Union. Free Food & Door Prizes. faculq! taff S deots! lI Frustrated bq traffic cong eson? Coocered about the environment? I ( iroi " sve*mo*e*? Share your ride to U of M by participating ne Is- s ed - inseparable. "I could look out the front door and talk to him," Wallace said with a smile. They still talk on a weekly basis, but their conversations have avoided this week's showdown. Miller still takes inspiration from the hardships Wallace faced in school and the difficult time he had with the braces in school. With each step, there was a clank and a thump. The other kids stared, not knowing what to think. It wasn't until the third grade that he got rid of those clunky shoes. "He used to come to school with these braces on his legs and real hard shoes on his feet, "Miller recalled. "Being kids, we didn't know what it was about back then. But now, it's something I thank the Lord that he got over." eduldaily I Student Activities Buildi 1998 Student lob Fair The offices of the S.A. need you! - Academic Multi-cultural Initiatives - Admissions Career Planning & Placement Housing New Student Programs in the AATA RideShne program. .,:,. ,. You'll travel wie sm~oothly and Easily. Yull help to reduce air pollution. And you could save hundreds of dollars a year. Pck up ai RideaSbare application at the 1 !" We offer jobs that are on campus. pay well. look aood on a resum Cr j>'R ,.5 p4 g MkicrinOilon Inforinotion Center, the )Iori i 1c m .................