The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 4, 1998-13 Steinberg stresses role model values in new book about sports agents By T.J. Berka Daily Sports Writer In a few months, Michigan football players such as Tai Streets, Sam Sword and Marcus Ray will be in front of their televi- sion sets, watching the NFL Draft and won- dering where and when they will be select- ed. Sports agent Leigh Steinberg has dealt with many players in that situation. But usually, his players know where they are going before the first commerical break. Steinberg has represented six of the past 10 top draft picks, including Troy Aikman and Ki-Jana Carter. Although Steinberg gets his share of studs, he also takes a look at how the play- ers will interact in the community. In his new book, "Winning with Integrity," Steinberg goes over his approach to being an agent, adding anecdotes to boot. "We only pick athletes who understand the process of role modeling," Steinberg said. "We want athletes who will trace back their roots to high school, college and the professional ranks and who will help those communities in the same way that the com- munities helped them." While Steinberg talked about morals and values in athletes, he also said that ath- letes who ran into problems in college aren't necessarily in bad shape. For players such as Ray, who was sus- pended for six games for receiving improp- er benefits from an agent, there is ample opportunity to reassert themselves for the draft. The NFL Draft "is a projection for the next 10 to 12 years, not a merit badge for conspicous college activities," Steinberg said. College prospects get their professional merit badges from three different tests, starting with regular season games, contin- uing through bowl and all-star games and ending with the predraft combines. The combines are the human version of a meat market, as athletes are poked, prod- ded and subject to various tests of strength. speed and flexibility. "Senior workout days are when players mbteorically rise and fall throughout the draft," Steinberg said. "For example, the prospects of a wide receiver or a defensive back depend on their 40-yard dash times" In that case. Streets better wear Ois lucky shoes, or at least be sure not to eat an excessive turkey dinner hours before he has to run. Steinberg also expressed an opinion on a problem which runs rampant on college campuses - players who take benefits from agents while still in school. Steinberg said that there is no reason that a player should have time to deal with agents. "There isn't a great need for players to interact with agents in college," Steinberg said. "Players have to deal with school, ath- letics and social life before even thinking about dealing with agents. Besides, most players that become too obsessed with the NFL tend to play at a lower level. Tal Streets has made a lot of key *catches this sea- son for the Wolverines, but hIs NFL draft sta- tus may rely more on the speed of his feet than the skill of his hands. WARREN ZINN/gaily 'exas tailback Williams is Heisman favorite for all finalists :Quarterback The Associated Press trio of McNown, Bishop and Couch to join Longhorn in New York r Who will win the Heisman Trophy? Just ask three of the Heisman's final four, who say it's no contest: Ricky Williams in a runaway. "As many times as he carries the ball, he's just as strong in the fourth quarter as he is in the first quarter," Kentucky's Tim Couch said. "He's an amazing player. I'd give him my vote." So would Kansas State's Michael Bishop and UCLA's Cade McNown, who along with Williams and Couch were invited Wednesday to New York for the Heisman presentation on Dec. 12. Williams +had a tough time making a choice, but that may have been because he was the final layer to answer the question posed during a con- erence call. "I don't think I could pick one person," Williams, Division I-A's career rushing record holder with 6,279 yards said. "We played against Katnsas State and UCLA and they both tore our defense apart. "Cade would check at the line, drop back and the next thing you knew the crowd was going wild and they had touchdown. Against Michael, he'd go back on a third-and-15 and throw a bomb or scramble. It was kind of frustrating to sit there and watch. "Tim, he just put up great numbers." Williams, who ran for 2,124 yards this season, topped Tony Dorsett's record of 6,082 career yards during last week's 26-24 win over Texas A&M. Needing 11 yards for the mark, he went 60 for a first-quarter touchdown, breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage and then carrying a defensive back into the end zone. "He did a great job, had great numbers and broke that record. You have to give him his respect," Bishop said. "If I had a vote, it would go to Ricky." McNown, who has met Williams on several occasions, said the running back was the main rea- son the Longhorns went 8-3 in coach Mack Brown's first season. "I think he's trying to put it on the rest of the team, but they asked him to carry the load and he The Heisman Trophy's final four __a ._b r II'iL %. Y' - /. dersy i i. : Player Michael Bishop Tim Couch Cade McNown Ricky Williams Team Kansas State Kentucky UCLA Texas Position Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback Running back t ., . . responded," McNown said. "When teams focused on him, he managed to break off long runs. There are not too many guys who are more valuable to their team than Ricky. "I'd put Ricky up there." The contenders have spoken. Now, it's the voters' turn. If the reactions of his competitors are any indica- tion, Ricky may carry a Heisman Trophy back from7 New York City next weekend. AP PHOTO .--ImmmmlLri i 4CERS onnued from Page 12. is the only one on the schedule for this weekend. So Miami can spend all of its energy, since it has just one game this weekend. And Bowling Green will be able to kick back with the remote control today and enter tomorrow's game against the Wolverines refreshed. Mazzoleni doesn't see it as that much *an advantage, though. "Our full energy is always (focused on) the first night,' Mazzoleni said. "We're going to approach this as if we're playing on Saturday also" Tomorrow, Michigan must beware of a Bowling Green team that outplayed it in the teams' first encounter, Oct. 30 - a 5-2 Michigan victory at Yost Ice Arena. "They're going to be real hungry for ," Michigan's Dale Rominski. "They obably believe that they should've walked out of here with a victory, and we took it away from them." After a devastating, turmoil-filled 1997 season, the Falcons have rebound- ed. Before the season started, Bowling Green coach Buddy Powers vowed to prove that last year "was an aberration," and that '98 would be different. So far it has. The Falcons have com- piled a 5-5-1 CCHA record, and could start to pick themselves up from con- ference mediocrity with an emotional victory over Michigan tomorrow night. "Anytime they play Michigan, they'll have a good game,' Berenson predict- ed. "It's another Michigan-Bowling Green game." And if the RedHawks and Falcons take it to Michigan in the upcoming ames, this weekend could be for the irds. READ SPORTSMONDAY AND FIND OUT WHERE THE MICHIGAN FOOTBALL TEAM WILL BE ON JAN. I. ___ __ ___ __ ___ __ __ * " -- - . - IY *1 DAVID ROCHKIND/ Daily Geoff Koch and the Michigan hockey team get to tour the scenic Buckeye State this weekend, as they travel to Ohio to play Miami and Bowling Green. SCORE WITH MADE-TO-ORDER SUBS! 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Liberty St. * 741-2567 Caw Ifmo (04 Cfvdaitnuw Camnpuo Chapdt C[A6 &Eposation jaait& and tReaoam N 6 f Soudt L and ge t SIVc30 snidptwa &taw. 69VAf"i Sund4 ' 4 wl ril l l Ol ll r i I ETA KAPPA NU ASSOCIATION The Eta Kappa Nu Association is the International Honor Society for Electrical and Computer Engineers. Outstanding persons elect to Eta Kappa Nu primarily from the junior and senior classes, but also from graduate school. Eligibility depends on marked ability, as; evidenced by scholarship, personal character, useful voluntary services, and distinguished accomplishments, all of ich indicate that the candidate will be or is a success in his or her profession. Eta Kappa Nu members are marked people, sought after by the best com- panies for employment. We, the officers of the Beta Epsilon chapter of Eta Kappa Nu at the University of Michigan, would like to congratulate the following students for meeting the membership requirements and completing the initiation process, thus becoming active members of Eta Kappa Nu: :. ::::- 4 "t 4 #y .I