Page 7
SPORTS
Heels^ defense must
fill the ^%lack holes
By JAMES ALEXANDER
Sports Editor
It’s always been prophesized that
glimpsing into the past wiU not do much
for your future, but in the case of Carolina
football looking back can’t do any harm.
It was only a short year ago that the
Tarheel grid squad posted an &-2-1 regular
season record on the way to an ACC title
and a Liberty Bowl (Memphis) berth.
Three black seniors on last year’s squad
were very instrumental in Carolina’s
accomplishments, and all three received
significant pro recognition.
Of the three defensive linemen. Dee
Hardison was the only one to stick with an
NFL club, but the other two (Alan Cald
well and Rod Broadway) despite being
released are still candidates to be picked
up by some team before the season gets too
old.
Hardison was a first-round choice of the
Buffalo Bills, and is currently playing with
them as a starting defensive linemen.
Broadway had chronic knee problems
throughout his Carolina career, and this
may have been injurious to his chances as
a professional player.
He originally went with the Miami
Dolphins, but was eventually released.
After being dropped by the Dolphins he
later joined the Kansas City Chiefs until
being released there.
Caldwell (Winston-Salem) was not
picked up in the draft, but was signed as a
free agent insted with the Los Angeles
Rams.
After the tryout there as a defensive
back he was also released and his pro
interests (or offers) are uncertain right
now.
This season is also destined to produce
some pro prospects, and two in particular
are noseguard Dave Simmons and
defensive lineman Bunn Rhames.
Rhames is slated to fill the void left by
Hardison and Simmons returns to play the
same position which he has made quite
famous.
Other Carolina defensive lineman ex
pected to figure in an stopping opponents
this season are soph Donnell Thompson at
the tackle spot, and reserve linebackers
I.awrence Taylor, Travis Freeman, Harry
Stanback, and Paul Davis.
Taylor and Freeman are also
sophomores, Stanback is a junior and
Davis is a senior.
The defensive backfield returns Ricky
Barden, Francis Winters, and Bobby Cale
as starters along with Steve Streater and
Tyress Bratton as backup help.
Barden (senior) was an all-conference
performer last season, and was the main
threat in the Tarheel defensive backfield
until being knocked out of commission in
the final regular season game against
Duke.
As a result he missed the Liberty Bowl
match with Nebraska, and it was evident
that he was sorely missed.
Cale has been a consistent performer the
past couple of years, and wiU definitely be
a stalwart in the second this season.
Sophs Bratton and Streater played very
sparringly last season, but both showed
signs of being very capable defensive
backs and seem to have good futures here
at Carolina. They are destined to receive
quite a bit of playing time this season.
From this corps of performers, there
could be a serious list of all-conference
candidates, realizing that Carolina sported
one of the best defenses in college football
last season.
The NFL season is only 3 games old and
there have been more surprises on the
field than are in every package of Cracker
Jacks.
The biggest surprise (or shock) is that
Baltimore has made one of the quickest
tum-arounds seen in the NFL.
Preseason ratings had them in the top
class of the league’s contenders, and many
experts also believed that this was going to
be the Colts’ year after several years of
playoff frustration. But coach Ted Mar-
chibroda has had to weather the storm
without such instrumental players as
quarterback Bert Jones, top lineman
George Kunz, defensive back Norm
Thompson and primarily without Lydell
Mitchell, who has been the Colts’ backfield
workhorse the past few seasons.
All of the aforementioned players (and
even a few more) are out due to injury,
while Mitchell is no longer with the Colts
following a contract dispute which
resulted in his being traded to San Diego.
Colt fans may find this a fine time to
switch allegiances, but that may not be a
wise thing to do.
No team can be truly competitive
without seven or eight of its top players out
of the lineup.
On top of trading Mitchell, the Colt
management also traded away top
receiver Raymond Chester, in addition to
suffering a few more injuries to its key
players.
Nevertheless, the Colts will just have to
overlook their management mistakes and
the injuries, and try to make what they can
of the season, because before too long
they’re going to make it back ... to the
top.
Miami of Ohio was an opponent on the
Tarheel grid schedule for the 1976 season,
and it was deemed as an important en
counter because of the Redskins’ abilities
as an upset team at that time.
But this season, when the teams meet in
Keenan on Oct. 7, it will be a game of a
different kind because new Carolina coach
Dick Crum will be facing the school where
he built a winning tradition.
It was also two seasons ago in Kenan
that the Heels (then under Coach Dooley)
pulled a trick play the swinging gate play)
out of the bag to turn back the Miami, Ohio
Redskins Z(then under coach Dick Crum).
Think there’s any chance of a trick play
being pulled this time?
Walter Sturdivant: Gets chance to prove his real worth. Sports Infornuitloa Photo.
Sturdivant gets big wish,
a chance to prove his talent
By JAMES ALEXANDER JR
Sports Editor
The pdising was of the Bill Dooley era,
that spanned 11 years of slow, trudging
' (but winning) football that included most
recently several ACC titles and bowl
games.
Dooley was easily identified with the
Carolina football program, and his
departure and Dick Crum’s arrival has
sparked new shock waves for this season
among all involved in the UNC football
program.
That change has not only affected fans
and the entire athletic program, but it has
had an effect on one player in particular,
sophomore Walter Sturdivant, who after a
year of frustration and a loss of confidence
is now getting the break he has desired and
deserved; a chance to prove he could play
college football.
The 5’9” 191 pound halfback spent his
entire freshmen season on the jayvee
squad, not ever playing or travelling with
the varsity team.
It was frustrating for him to be a highly-
recruited high school back and spent daily
practice sessions as a member of the
“scout squad” or the “B” team, being
utilized for the first team defense to
practice strategy on.
Now that new coach Crum has arrived
on the scene, along with his veer offense,
Sturdivant has become a key figure in the
multi-talented Carolina backfield.
Plans this season call for him to man the
top reserve spot behind flashy run-
ningback Amos Lawrence, and he is
destined to receive alot of playing time.
If Sturdivant shows any signs of being a
capable performer like he did in spring
drills, he could be a real challenge for a
starting assignment and even more
playing time.
Coaches labelled him as the most sur
prising back in spring practice, and not
only do they admire his quickness and his
blocking ability, but his attitude and in
telligence as well.
Sturdivant played varsity high school
football at Richmond County High for
three seasons, and during that time nished
for more than 3,000 yards as a tailback. At
one time during his senior season, he was
. the leading rusher in the state.
He also starred in basketball and track
in high school, and was a member of the
East squad in the East West All-Star
football game.
While at Richmond County (4-A), he lead
them to three conference titles, and one
Eastern Division (of the NCHSAA)
championship.
“During my senior year we were 13-1,
and that’s when we were the Eastern
division champions,” said Sturdivant.
“Kansas and Tennessee were the only
other schools that I considered coming to,
but I came here (Carolina) because of the
winning tradition, the tremendous
program and the academic requirements
and prestige.” he added.
I>ast season, Sturdivant’s best per
formance came in a jayvee encounter with
Fork Union Military Academy in which he
rushed for 107 yards.
In addition, he netted 51 yards on 8
carries in the annual spring Blue-White
game, which averages to better than 6
yards per carry.
He is somewhat undecided on a major,
but is currently interested in English or
RTVMP (Radio, Television and Motion
Pictures) as a possible choice.
Speaking about the recent coaching
change, Sturdivant commented, “Coach
Dooley’s .staff was good, and they did a lot
for Carolina football, but changes are
.sometime necessary just for change’s
.sake.”
“Coach Crum makes the game more
enjoyable and not just business-like, and
he is a fair and compromising person,” he
added.
Sturdivant also noted that the change
was definitely beneficial to his career
because it gave him a chance to prove
himself from scratch and gain a
significant spot on the Carolina roster.
“People just can’t imagine what I was
going through last season. It really got to
me wl^n the team would go out of town
and I would still be here, and also in
practice, until I finally lost confidence in
my ability and began to question whether
or not I was capable of playing college
football,” said Sturdivant.
Sturdivant is a Hamlet native, and en
joys music and poetry in his spare time.