??????????????? m Danny Moore mwmiinimmmmmmimiimMitmmmiiiimiimiiiiiiiiiiHi While Moore has been a first team all-ClAA center through his first two seasons, this year has posed some nagging problems. Moore sustained an ankle injury early in the season that would have prevented most people from even walking. But Moore refused to stay out of the lineup. As if that I. 1- > _1 ? t - V / wasn i cnuugn, ne aiso nun nis arm. "He played two or three games with a broken arm," says Hayes. "We didn't even know that he was hurt. 1 . sent him to have it looked at and the. doctor said his arm had been fractured. . 'That's what the players really respect about Danny," Hayes says. "He's a leader because he's going to be there when 1 need him. I never have to worry about whether or not Danny Moore is going to play up to his potential. Injured or not, he's always going to do his best." Moore has also had to adjust to a change in position this year. The Rams . lost all-CIAA guard Alvin Powell to graduation and Hayes needed a strong David Parker already within 1,200 yards of the NCAA passing record. However, i>ecause of rainy weather and Bishop's increased emphasis on its running game, Parker hasn't thrown as much as he once did. ' Still, instead of making a big deal of going for the passing record, he has been contentwin football games. "We've had a lot of different circumstances this year," says Parker. "As long as we're winning, 1 don't care about how many yards I throw for. Winning comes first." What's more, Parker says, he's enjoying this season more than previous ones. "We're winning this year," he says. "Why bother with passing the ball0 I'm not going to do anything different than what's been working for us. I just want iw u y aiiu imcuuuuu lug same type ui performances that I've had in the ~ gaittcs-weN^ wtm ihis'sroon ^ At this stage of his passer's career, Jones says, he couldn't be more pleased with Parker. And, while there are plenty of talented quarterbacks in black college football, Jones says, he rates his hard-throwing signal-caller second to none. I1'David has done a super job for us," says Jones.. "He's, a good kid that's worked hard and done everything we've asked of him. He's developed into a leader for us. What I like about him is that he's matured a IBM From Page 11 blocker who can pull when the Rams t run outside. Hayes^asked for t volunteers and Moore was quick to i step in. ?^ i "He piciced it up in a matter of 1 minutes^ Hayes says of Moore's tran- 1 sition to guard. "Once he found out 1 wno ne was supposed to block it became second nature for him. It's the j easiest transition I've ever seen anyone < make." I For Moore, it was simply a matter of helping out the team. < "As long as I'm helping the team it ' doesn't really matter what position I ( play," says Moore, who had been a center since the 11th grade. "I knew a lot of the things that a guard has to do, I so it wasn't that bad making the ( change to guard." < It might seem that, since he's a cinch I to earn all-ClAA honors for the third 1 straight year, Moore doesn't have anything left to prove. However, I Moore insists there's still room for im- < provement. "I have to put out more effort now i * From Page 11 lot and he's doing what it takes to win p games. 1 'David knows our system as well as s the coaches do," Jones says. "In one s of our games this season, he kept ( audibling at the line of scrimmage and i pvwv Hm#? hp Hirl it u/ArlrpH I aclrpH him why and he said, 'You told mc that" when the linebackers do this I'm sup- \ posed to change the play.' That show- ( ed he's thinking on the field and reacting to the other team." While Willie Totten of Mississippi Valley is widely considered to be the y class of the black college quarterbacks, Jones says Parker is better in some areas. 9 "I've watched them (Mississippi c Valley) on cable television and I think David has a better release and he's big- a ger than Totten," Jones says. "We j don't have the personnel to do what f Archie {Mississippi Ycllev Coach Ar chre Cwtey) does.'Bui-it wmikH>c^r?^ good war between Totten and David." r Despite playing for a Division III ^ school, Parker believes he stacks up favorably with any quarterback in the country. "They put on their equipment the F same way I do," says Parker^ "I feel I i can play with anybody." ^ Already this season Parker has led ( Bishop to victories over NCAA Divi- S sion I-AA Prairie View, two Division I II schools and highly-touted Texas Lutheran. That ought to impress,the F kCr f CLt ECt s han ever before," he says. "You have :o come in with the attitude that you iren't the best and there's always soneone else out there better than you. Hight now I'm making myself work lard because you have to work hard to ceep yourself on top." In doing so, Moore hopes that he'll get his chance to fulfill one of his dreams ? to make it as a professional football player. "That's probably in the back of ;very college athlete's mind," he says. 'I would like to get a chance to play in he pros." There are other goals as well. "I'd also like to get my degree," Vloore adds. "Hopefully I can use my legree to get a job working with han 4IVap|JVU VllllUICil. 1 vc WUI NCU Willi landicapped children on and off since before I came here to school." Helping others is important to Vloore. A shy, reserved young man, he operates on his inner feelings. In fact, he chose to attend WinstonSalem State because of the way he felt IWWHHWMtHWHHIIWHMmmMHUimmillHHimimilHWIM >ros, say Parker and Jones. "Somebody's going to give him a 1 i ,, 1 _ _ ?? II1K kainkt nui, says JUIICS. nc uas IIIC ucigiu, peed, weight and range to make it. )nce he learns the system that's used, t shouldn't be too hard for him to nake it." If he gets the chance, Parker says, ie'll do his best to make it as a pro quarterback. "Ever since I was a little kid I've MMMNmNNNNaHNaimNmiNIM?MmiHMNINMNNmMMNIN? Virginia Union HimiiMwwHiwwwmwiiHuiHitimmiiHuiiiiiinnummum rippling injuries. 'We've had 17 players, on offense done, miss at least a game with an inury." says Taylor. "We average about ? our or nve missing a game.'' Things got so bad against Norfolk egulars, David Robinson and Keith foung, to the offensive line. "I didn't like doing it," said Taylor Tt was out of necessity." While the offense has been disapK>inting, the defense has remained mflinching under coordinator Richard dcFee. In fact, middle linebacker Sam jrooms rates right up there with Herb >cott and Malcolm Barnwell as one of Jnion's all-time greats. Still, as the losses mount at Union, 'anther alumni have begun talking fCCTJ BtVKH arlv in mu parwr if I |#wa VM? *J III 111J VIM VV I II A came here (to WSSU)," he says. "It was a decision I had to make and I knew what I wanted." Apparently so. In addition to earning all-CIAA honors for the past two years, Moore has played on Ram teams that have gone 16-2-1 at this writing. He's also performed well in the classroom. To add a new twist to the old James Brown lyric, Moore is "Talking a little and saying a whole lot." always thought about that," he says. "I've been playing football since 1 was about 10 years old and it's always been ?rthere. "I really want to get my shot at it. I'm going to try to do my best. I know that, once I get started, it won't tate me long to learn the formations and plays. I'm going to be all about studying and being serious because professional football is a business." From Page 16 < season as head coach at Howard. No one doubts that Taylor was dealt a weak hand at Howard, but his 1-10 record is still there as an eyesore on the resume, i.i -.? .h. r j-y-irnr- I " Taylor was dismissed after that one season, and replaced by Willie Jeffries, one of the top coaches, black or white, in America. Jeffries produced a I-AA powerhouse at South Carolina State, and went on to compile an excellent record at Wichita State in the I-A t ranks. So, what now? What does the future hold for Union's proud program? Was this a fluke season, one overloaded with injuries and mitigating Please See Page 21 1994-Page 17!