128 - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - September 28, 1998 .College football great Doak Walker passes away at the age of 71* DENVER (AP) - Doak Walker, the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner who starred on two NFL championship teams and was paralyzed in a ski- ing accident earlier this year, died yesterday at 71. Walker died at Routt Hospital in Steamboat Springs, the ski resort about 100 miles from Denver where he had lived. The hospital said the cause of death was complications from the paral- ysis, which he had fought with the same deter- mination he showed on the football field. Walker was injured Jan. 30 when he hit a change of terrain, was thrown into the air and slammed to they ground. The injury made it diffi- cult for him even to talk. He had regained some of his ability to talk through rehabilitation, during which he received thousands of letters and faxes from well-wishers and fans worldwide. "His eyes would come alive, his expression was wonderful, he was able to talk in short phras- es," said Rod Hanna, a family spokesperson. The accident that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs was especially tragic for a Hall of Fame football player known for his breathtaking scoring runs. Walker, born and raised in Dallas, ended his football career in 1956 after a legendary four years at SMU and six years with the Detroit Lions. He is immortalized by the annual Doak Walker Award, which honors the nation's top col- lege running back. "I don't think he had any peers. He was the last of the great single wing tailbacks," said Jim Sid Wright, who also played at SMU in the '40s but not with Walker. "He was the best all-around tailback that I ever saw." Walker did everything, playing running back, wide receiver, quarterback and defensive back in college and the NFL. He also punted and returned punts and kicks. In his very first college game, Walker scored a touchdown against Texas and he seemed to come up with a spectacular play every time he walked on the field. The moment that best summed up Walker's college career came against Texas Christian in1947. With the Mustangs trailing 19-13 and 1:40 to play, Walker returned a kickoff 75 yards to set up his touchdown reception that preserved SMU's undefeated season. That captured the hearts of SMU fans, who began flocking to see the Mustangs and forced the school to move its games from Ownby Stadium to the 47,000-seat Cotton Bowl in 1948. By his senior season, the Cotton Bowl, then expanded to seat 75,000, was called "The House That Walker Built." He remains the only SMU player to win the Heisman. "You just had to see him to believe what he could do," said Raleigh Blakely of Dallas, an SMU tight end from 1946-48. "No one ever questioned his leadership. He'd kneel down and say, 'OK, we've got to do this,' and everybody would just bust their butt for him." Walker carried his greatness into the NFL, where he was an All-Pro four times and helped Detroit win two NFL championships. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. In his spare time in college, Walker was a substitute on the SMU basketball team and played outfield for the baseball team. "Other than golf, I never really tried a sport that, inside of 30 minutes, I couldn't play pretty good," Walker once said. Besides being an incredible athlete, Walker touched people with his modesty. In 1949, he tried to turn down an All- American selection by famed sports writer Grantland Rice because injuries prevented him from playing the whole season. And Walker was always willing to help out friends with public appearances. He once auto- graphed photos for 10 hours to help promote a service station that Blakely had invested in. After his playing days, Walker took a public relations job with a construction company and later married Skeeter Werner, a former Olympic skier from Steamboat Springs. Steamboat's pri- mary peak, Mount Werner, is named after Skeeter's brother, Buddy, who died in an avalanche in Switzerland in 1964. Walker's career path had been plotted from the day he was born on Jan. 1, 1927. When his father, Ewell Walker, was asked if he wanted his son to grow up to be president, he said, "No. He's going to be an All-American football player." And he was - three times. For his college career, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, 16.7 yards per catch and completed more than 50 per- cent of his passes. Walker averaged 15 yards on punt returns and 29.1 yards on kickoff returns. After leaving SMU, many people doubted whether he could make it in the NFL. At 5-foot- 11 and 173 pounds, he was considered too small and too slow. He quickly proved the critics wrong. As a pro, he ran for 1,520 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry; caught 152 passes for 2,359 yards and 21 touchdowns; averaged 39.1 yards on punts, 15.8 yards on punt returns and 25.5 yards on kickoff returns. What he did best was score, tallying 534 points on 34 touchdowns, 183 extra points and 49 field goals. He retired with the third most points in NFL history. Walker's NFL career reunited him with boy- hood friend Bobby Layne, the Lions quarterback. The two played together at Highland Park high school in Dallas and both planned to play college ball together at Texas, before Walke decided to play for hometown SMU. L.ayne onc( called Walker "the greatest clutch player I have ever seen.' In the 1952 NFL title game against Cleveland, Walker had a 67-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 14-0 lead in the third quarter. Detroit won the game 17-7. In the 1953 champi- onship game, also against Cleveland, Walker scored a touchdown, kicked one field goal and two extra points in the Lions' 17-16 victory. Walker abruptly ended his career after the 1955 season to concentrate on his business inter ests that could make him more money thana NFL career. "No, I don't have any regrets about quitting football when I did," Walker once said. "I'm not sorry because I've got all my teeth, both knees - and most of my faculties." He is survived by his wife, four children and four grandchildren. I U I Sosa's city weathers Georges to root him on * Natural air conditioning. Great views. Smiling cus- tomers. And 550 trails on over 10,000 acres of world- class skiing and snowboarding at your disposalFreeofI charge. It's all yours with any one of the thousands of jobs .81 now available at Vail Resorts ski areas-Vail Breckenridge, Keystone and Beaver Creek! Paychecks, great benefits, and free health and life insurance are part of the package. Plus, our resorts offer more affordable staff housing than any other North American ski resortmCubicles, deadlines, ruh hour..eave thembehindindefinitely. Meanwhile, work at one of our beautiful offices. And join the fun. To find out more about job opportunities, benefits and other information, call the toll-free Vail Resorts Employment Information Line 1-888-SKI-JOB-1. Screen tests for illegal drug use are required as a condition of employment EOE/AA/Disabled. EYSTONE RESO~R ~ORADO BRFCUKENRIDGE SKI RESORT Vai. SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, Dominican Republic (AP) - Christian Vallenilla picked up a wooden stick, then smacked his third home run of the day in the stadium where Sammy Sosa used to play. "This one's for Sammy," the 11-year-old boy said. Hurricane Georges nearly destroyed the stadi- um in Sosa's hometown of San Pedro de Macoris. Light towers twisted to the ground and girders stretched skyward where a roof used to be. In the bleachers, soiled laundry dried. Still, the town that watched Sosa grow up some- how kept up as its favorite slugger tried for the home-run record and a postseason berth. No matter that Sosa, the Chicago Cubs' slugger, failed to homer in the Cubs' 4-3 loss to Houston Sunday, even as St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire raised his home-run record to 70. Sosa's hurricane-ravaged hometown of San Pedro de Macoris celebrated his remarkable season, one that has produced 66 home runs. "We can't ask for any more, because he's done a lot already. He's broken a lot of records," said Arizmendi Nunez, a 22-year-old bartender. "I feel proud because now our flag is raised high." Hundreds in this baseball-crazed city scrambled to find places to hear Sosa's final regular-season game on radio. It wasn't easy. The lone TV station broadcasting in the Dominican Republic had a movie about a hurricane on, and without batteries to power their radios, most residents didn't catch the game. - Men craned their necks into taxis stopped at street corners for radio updates. Some crowded into sports betting parlors around the city. The only place in San Pedro where the game was televised was a bar, where a group TV net- works covering fan reaction set up a live satellite feed. Drinking plenty of Presidente beer, the crowd of 100 people jumped up and down and chanted, "Sammy! Sammy!" every time Sosa batted. Sosa still has at least one more game, a playoff woith San Francisco tonight, to decide the National League wild card. The Giants lost to Colorado 9-8 minutes after the Astros beat Chicago. The children playing a pickup game in the sta- dium outfield all lived in houses heavily damaged by Georges. But they still found time to play, giving Sosa's trademark two-fingered salute. Sosa's seven-bedroom house had little damage - a few broken windows and a toppled yard fence. His kid brother Carlos, 21, said the Sosa family was thinking about those less fortunate. The storm killed more than 200 Dominicans and made thou- sands homeless. "I know what the poor masses are. I was one of the poor masses and I know what it is to have a house one day and the next not have anything," Carlos said. Sammy, he added, felt the same way and planned to help San Pedro get back on its feet. Georges' eye passed over this city about 40 miles east of Santo Domingo, and most homes sus- tained moderate to severe damage. Eduardo Torreano, 32, said he used to shine shoes and wash cars with Sosa when they were kids. Torreano, who lost his home to Georges, still does. "We are his people. He hasn't forgotten us," Torreano said of Sosa. "Sammy will come back soon, and he will help." I Ski us on the net at http://www.snow.com Visit our Open House & Keystone B Friday, Oct. 16, 1pm-4pm Friday Saturday, Oct. 17, 10am - 4pm Saturda, at Keystone Conference Center at the E Friday, Oct. 30, 1pm - 4pm Friday Saturday, Oct. 31, 10am - 4pm Saturday at Keystone Conference Center at the E Friday, Nov. 13, 1pm - 4pm Vail Saturday, Nov. 14, 10am - 4pm at Keystone Conference Center Sunday at the *6Vail Resorts GREAT POSITIONS TO .1 IN. Job Fair reckenridge y, Oct. 23, 1pm - 4pm y, Oct. 24, 10am - 4pm Bergenhof Restaurant , Nov. 13, 1pm - 4pm y, Nov. 14, 10am - 4pm Bergenhof Restaurant /Beaver Creek y, Oct. 18, 10am - 3pm eBeaver Creek Hyatt AP PHOTO Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa must try to concen- trate on baseball, despite the fact that his hometown was ravaged by Hurricane Georges. i OCTOBER 15. FACEOFF HITS THE STANDS. The UM School of Music 1998 HALLOWEEN CONCERTS Sunday, October 25 at Hill Auditorium 4:30 PM & 8:00 PM I Number your preferences (from 1 to 6) so if your first choice is unavailable, we can fill your order with your next choice. If you do NOT indicate any other choices, your check will Be returned to you if your first choice is not available. All ticket requests will be filled in order of receipt. Limit 10 tickets per order. 2 Make your check payable to the University ofMichigan. One check or money order per order, please. Sorry, no credit card orders. 3 Include a self-addressed STAMPED envelope so we can mail your tickets to you. If both concerts are sold out, we will use the envelope to return your check to you. 4 Mail your order form, payment, and self-addressed stamped envelope to: Halloween 0 ai Tickets, League Ticket Office, 911 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265. ONLY mail orders will be accepted. Please allow TWO WEEKS to process your order. 5 9 C In-person sales for any remaining tickets will begin on Monday, October 19 at 10 AM at the League Ticket Office. Orders will not be accepted by phone. 7 All tickets are reserved seating. No one will be admitted without a ticket, including all children, regardless of age! 1998 Halloween Concerts Mail Order Form Mail Orders will be accepted September 28 through October 9! i Name Phone 1 1Qiii\. I aafjL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (-) Please send me ESPN The Magazine at the special student rate of 26 issue for 13.- (Wow. that's only 50 cents an Issue!) I - E LIMIT 10 TICKETS PER ORDER FORM! PERFORMANCE LOCATION number in order of reference # TICKETS $ TOTAL SUNDAY Main Floor o$7.00 MATINEE - 1in f ... I Is