12B - The Michigan Daily - September 6, 2000 - SportsWednesday

UCLA backup quarterback takes
advantage of golden opportunity

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The season
was j ust beginning, and backup quarter-
back 'Ryan McCann was watching on the
UCLAsideline, waiting for an opportunity
he knew might never come.
It came faster than he possibly could
have imagined.
Cory Paus, named the Bruins' starting
signal-caller 12 days before the Bruins
faced Alabama, separated his throwing
shoulder on the game's first play.
Paus stayed in for two more plays before
the Bruins punted, and Alabama's Freddie
Milofs returned the kick 71 yards for a
touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a
quick 7-0 lead.
Entr McCann, who guided the Bruins
to tyre straight touchdown drives,. and
late-hrew a 46-yard scoring pass to Fred-
die Mitchell to put UCLA ahead for good
in a 35-24 victory Saturday at the Rose
Bowl.
"o find the helmet and get loose,"
McCann said Monday when asked his first
reaction to Paus' injury. "The blood starts
punping. That helps you get loose a little
bit.
"I felt immensely prepared. You've got
to stay focused, plan on playing as a back-
up each week. I think I played OK, I didn't
do as many things as I'd have liked. I'm
looking forward to next week, getting
more preparation''
McCann completed 14 of 24 passes for
194 yards and one touchdown with one

interception. The starting job is his for
now, since UCLA coach Bob Toledo said
he expects Paus to miss at least three
games starting with Saturday's contest
against Fresno State at the Rose Bowl.
Toledo praised McCann's effort against
Alabama, but added: "Ryan needs to con-
tinue to improve, he needs to pull the trig-
ger, he needs to work on his accuracy.
He's a very coachable kid, he does have
a whole lot of potential and athletic abili-
ty."
McCann expressed sympathy for Paus,
but said he hoped to keep the starting job.
"It's a devastating blow, anybody would
be upset," McCann said. "It's an unfortu-
nate way to get the job. I wad fortunate
enough to be ready and take advantage of
the situation."
McCann said he expects a quarterback
controversy of sorts when Paus returns.
"Cdry's going to be like a bad cold, he's
always going to come back," McCann said.
"I just have to be at the top of my game."
Toledo, who said he thought Paus was
injured on a late hit by an Alabama
defender, sidestepped the issue of a quar-
terback controversy.
"Right now, we're going to go with
McCann and then (Scott) McEwen," he
said. "Right now, McCann's the quarter-
back."
Toledo said he was pleased with just
about every aspect of his team's perfor-
mance against the Crimson Tide, but

emphasized it was time to move forward.
"They key thing now is we put it behind
us," he said. "We worked too hard to not
enjoy the victory, (but) it's my job now to
make sure we put it behind us, starting
with a team meeting at 3 o'clock today."
Unranked entering the season, UCLA is
No. 16 in this week's Associated Press
poll. Alabama is 13th, down from No. 3.
"The poll thing really baffles me," Tole-
do admitted. "I'm pleased we moved up in
the rankings, but are you going on last
year, or are you going on this year'?
"When you beat somebody, you should
be ranked ahead of them."
The Bruins rolled up 396 yards in total
offense against a defense that allowed an
average of 100 yards less last season. The
Crimson Tide, meanwhile, gained 265
yards against UCLA, which gave up 444.6
yards per game last year.
"I had said we had the best defensive
group since I've been here," Toledo said.
"They didn't score any points on our
defense in the second half.
"Offensively, we controlled the clock.
Our offensive line, our tight ends, our full-
backs, we were knocking guys off the ball.
They were very physical, (DeShaun) Foster
was very physical."
Foster, plagued by a sprained ankle
much of last season, when he gained only
375 yards, had a career-high 187 yards on
a school record-tying 12 carries against
Alabama.


,.

AP PHOTO
UCLA is dealing with a backup quarterback just like Michigan -and loving it. Ryan McCann helped
propel the Bruins to an upset victory over then-No.3 Alabama this past weekend.


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Vick goes
(U-WIRE) BLACKSBURG, Va. -
Michael Vick stepped back in the pocket,
cocked his arm backward and threw a
perfect spiral into the hands of a receiver
down the field.
Another clip from the Michael Vick
highlight reel'? Hardly.
He was seven years old.
Before his days of running circles
around college football players, the All-
American quarterback grew up like a
typical boy his age, playing video games,
hanging out with friends and, of course,
tossing around the pigskin.
The young Vick was much like the
same 20-year-old he resembles today. His
friends and family say even the fame
hasnt changed him.
[lis youth is a prime example of that.
"When he was five or six years old he
would come home and do bad things,"
said Brenda Boddie, Vicks mother. "I
would act like lim leaving, he would be
looking for me and I would be laughing.
One time he glued his eyes shut. We now
laugh about all that stuff"'
" Ookie' as his parents have atlection-
ately nicknamed him, still carries that
childhood innocence to this day. lowev-
er, he has also developed into a man

from Ookie to Heisman hopeful

thanks in large part to his redshirt year on
the Tech football team.
",t was the best thing Ive ever done,
Vick said. "It kept me relaxed and adjust-
ed to be a college student and player."
For a student who has a tough time
walking around campus without being
mobbed by people, home is a welcomed
blessing.
Newport News, Va., is Vicks lifelong
home. When he returns to Newport
News for summer vacation, he said
heads to a local fishing hole, plays with
his Nintendo system and finds time for
his family.
His mother has always played an
important role in his life. They talk about
things like school, girls, football and
behaving.
Although Vicks father, Michael Bod-
die, had a job that sometimes kept him
from home, he has tried to instill in Vick
the importance of being a good kid and
having good manners.
Mr. Boddie said his son never got into
trouble or ever got involved with drugs.
"I like the way he has developed, not
only as a player but as a person," he said.
The outside of Vicks Newport News
home may look similar to the way it did

more than a decade ago, but inside the
house one can tell something is definitely
different.
It is the makings of a champion.
Almost 30 trophies surround the top of
the mantle. Nearly all the memories of
Vicks progression of an athlete are there.
Mrs. Boddie cleared a space on the
familys stereo to place Vicks ESPY,
ESPNs award for college footballs player
of the year.
Could the Heisman be next:?
For now, his parents are thrilled by
what has become of their son. They just
worry about the risks.
In his first game for the Hokies last
September against James Madison, they
found just how frightening watching their
son play can be.
With the ball a few yards from the end
zone, Vick looked for an open receiver
but found no one. He raced to the goal
line, leapt into the air, got hit and somer-
saulted, landing awkwardly on his ankle.
The sprained ankle cost him the next
game, but he was back on the field for
the following game.
"(Watching the play) was very tough,"
Mrs. Boddie said. "I closed my eyes and
put my hands on my face. I told him not
to jump like that again."
Ifis father was equally troubled by the
play.
"It was a serious tumble;' Mr. Boddie
said. "Im glad the injury wasnt as bad as
it could have been. I know college foot-
ball is a big-time play; guys careers end
on one play. I pray he can finish the game
in the same shape."
Vick had the same intensity and fear-
less emotion even before high school.
Mrs. Boddie said he hurt his knee
once but continued to practice despite the
pain.
Vick once went to the emergency
room, and she said she told him not to
play an upcoming game.
Shortly after, he returned to the field.
Even as a kid, football ran through his

veins.
"Ever since he learned to throw a foot-
ball, lies always liked throwing a ball,
Mr. Boddie said. "Its just in his o
His 6-foot-1, 214-pound frame and
arm strength are major assets. His 4.25-
second 40-yard dash is what a team
wants from a top receiver.
His footwork and speed resemble that
of the best running backs. His instincts
resemble those of a fifth-year senior.
Vick said it wasnt difficult to deal with
the change from high school to college
football.
After last season, who could argue?
His mother said residents of his home-
town had difficulty catching passes
because he threw so hard.
A few weeks ago, at a Tech football
practice, sophomore wide receiver
Shawn Witten broke his left pinky finger
while attempting to catch a pass from
Vick.
Where did he learn his moves and
playmaking abilities?
It was from high school football
coach, Tommy Reamon.
Reamon provided Vick with such tute-
lage; the two have become nearly insepa-
rable. The player-coach relationship
became almost like a father-son relation-
ship.
"We were very close -- not just as
coach; I love him like a son," Reamon
said. "It was both fun and challenging to
coach him. With that kind of potential, he
works as hard at what he does. I can see
that from him."
He said Vick has changed from a quiet
leader to a vocal leader because of the
role he was thrust into.
So as Vick continues to defy the odds,
who will be the next Michael ick?
The answer may lie in the same blood-
line.
Marcus Vick, the 16-year-old brother
of Michael Vick, is on a path similar to
his brothers. Mrs. Boddie said she thinks
Marcus is like a "mini-Ookie."

Sheri L. Szuch, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
-- *Eating Disorders
*Dep ression
*Relationship Issues
*Grief & Loss
Individual « Group" Family Therapy
Supervision and Consultation
Phone and Fax 734-741-8584
425 E. Washington " Suite 101 F * Ann Arbor " Michigan " 48104
Office:, 1/2 block fro mcampus; client parking available

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