Wife CjiarlottE $osit
Spoils
HALL OF FAMER/6C
U.S. Business Hall of Fame
inductee Earl Graves talks
about Black Enterprise
magazine, fame and
where he'd start a new
business today. Graves will
be inducted to the hall
today at the Westin
Charlotte.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26,2007
SEaiON C
Success
with or
without
Woods
Wachovia
growing in
Tour stature
By Herbert L. White
herb.whrte®thechariot1epostcom
Who needs Tiger Woods?
The Wachovia
Championship, which tees
off for its
fifth year
next week at
Quail Hollow
Country
Club, has
nine of the
world’s top
Woods 10 players.
Woods, No. 1
in the world rankings, may
yet commit - the entry
deadline is Friday.
“We don’t see which way
he's leaning,’’ said Mac
Everett, general chairman of
the tournament. "Like
everybody else, he’s got
until Friday to decide.’’
With or without Woods,
the Wachovia is already sold
•out and the purse is a hefty
$6 million. Although not a
major tournament, the
Charlotte stop is one of the
most lucrative on the PGA
Tour.
“Our tournament is a sell
out,” Everett said. “There are
a lot of stops on the tour
that aren’t. With nine of the
top 10 committed and 27 of
the top 30, we feel we've got
a great field. Obviously,
Tiger Woods brings a lot to
the field.’’
Tickets for the entire tour
nament - at $ 140 per book -
are long gone and there's
now a waiting list for next
year. A Mulligan program,
where fans can turn in their
tickets if they can’t catch the
afternoon rounds, is avail
able at Carowinds through
out the week. Proceeds will
go to local charities, includ
ing Teach for America and
First Tee, which teaches golf
in underserved communi
ties.
“The Charlotte communi
ty has really embraced the
tournament," Everett said.
"We have 2,600 volunteers
who take an ownership
stake in making the tourna
ment a success. And the top
reason the players come is
for the golf course. We have
a great course and the other
things are just gravy."
Charlotte
tops W-S
in golf
FROM STAFF REPORR
Charlotte topped Winston-
Salem in a Senior Golf
Association tournament in
Winston-Salem.
The Charlotte squad
topped Winston-Salem 20-4
at Winston Lake Golf
Course. The Charlotte team
captained by James Black
was paced by Leroy
Roseboro’s round of 71, fol
lowed by Darryal Watts’ 71
and Richard Degree at 72.
The Winston-Salem group
captained by Joe Johnson
was led by four golfers with
75; Robert Bertha, Gene
Williams, Hiawatha Bertha
and Richard Thomas.
Richard Williams added a
76.
A Best in class
Hampton linebacker Kevin Durant, (top) a three-time Sheridan Broadcasting all-America’from
Florence, S.C., is near the top of a deep class of defenders.
Florida quarterback
Chris Leak, a Charlotte
native who led the
Gators to the Division I
national championship
in January, is projected
to be a second-day
selection. Leak’s SEC
rival, LSU’s JaMarcus
Russell is expected to
be the first quarterback
taken.
Hampton LB among best on defense
■' By Rick Freeman
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Notable players in this week
end's NFL draft, grouped by pro
jected NFL positions. All are
seniors unless noted.
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Position outlook: Despite the
numbers, the class is
kind of weak, with
only a feyv top prospects and
some projects.
GAINES ADAMS, 6-5, 260,
Clemson: Quick and dangerous
as an end rusher, he also has
shown a knack for batting down
passes with his agility and leap
ing ability. Has good escape
moves if he doesn’t beat his man
with speed or explosiveness.
Could fill out some. He’s agile
and can change directions
quickly, though he doesn’t shed
blocks as often as he should.
JAMAAL ANDERSON, junior. 6-
6, 279, Arkansas: An excellent
• prospect when he plays with the
proper amount of aggression. He
reads plays well and can run
down ballcarriers on running
plays. His Achilles’ heel is his
speed off the snap, which is not
that good.
JARVIS MOSS, junior, 6-6, 251,
Florida: A talented, nimble ath
lete who needs to add some bulk
and learn to use his hands better
to keep linemen at bay. More of
a finesse rusher than a power
one. His height and quickness
help him tip passes.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Position outlook: NFL DTs need
to do more than just clog up the
middle. The elite ones are the
kind who can occupy two block
ers, freeing their teammates to
wreak havoc, or pressure the QB
themselves.
ALAN BRANCH, junior, 6-6,
Please see ELITE/2C
LSU’s Russell a franchise quarterback
By Rick Freeman
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
QUARTERBACK
Outlook: After the much-h'yped
JaMarcus Russell' and Brady
Quinn, there’s one polished
player from a mid-
OFFENSE rn3jor and a lot of
QBs who look like projects right
now. Charlotte's Chris Leak, who
led Florida to the national cham
pionship, is projected as a sec
ond-day pick.
JAMARCUS RUSSELL, junior, 6-
foot-6, 263 pounds, LSU: The
mammoth Russell has incredible
arm strength and above-average
accuracy, especially on long
throws. Makes good decisions,
both pre- and post-snap, but
occasionally will force balls into
coverage.
BRADY QUINN, 6-3, 226, Notre
Dame: Having thrived the past
two seasons in a pro-style
offense, Quinn’s draft stock
solidified. He’s put up good
numbers, except in games when
his offensive line left him scram
bling for cover.
KEVIN KOLB, 6-3, 220,
Houston: Good arm strength and
accuracy, his mechanics are
almost perfectly sound. He saw a
lot of action in college, starting
for four years and racking up
numbers in a short-passing sys
tem.
JARED ZABRANSKY, Boise
State: The folk hero of the Fiesta
Bowl could be a flyer pick at
best, due to his inconsistency
and lack of big-school pedigree.
He could be a dangerous scram
bler and runner.
RUNNING BACK
Outlook: They have to be able
to run routes, pick up blitzes, get
open on broken plays, sell play-
action and, oh yeah, tote the ball.
Please see WIDEOUTS/2C
Panthers can’t afford to miss this year
By Herbert L. 'A/hite
hertD.wtTife@fhechartotteposf.com
When you're 8-8, there’s no
good reason to stand pat.
That includes the Carolina
Panthers, who have the 14th pick
in Saturday’s NFL draft. The
Panthers have glaring needs:
safety, middle linebacker and
defensive end on defense: offen
sive tackle and tight end on
offense.
Here’s a wild card: Receiver.
OK, Carolina has the game’s
best at that position in Steve
Smith. But Keyshawn Johnson
can’t stretch defenses and Keary
Colbert and Drew Carter don’t
provide enough balance.
So, don't be surprised if the
Panthers go that route. Georgia
Tech’s Calvin Johnson won’t be
available, but if Ohio State’s Ted
Ginn is, he fixes immediate
needs for the offense and a
returner on special teams.
After that, there’s defense,
which is what this franchise is
staking its reputation on. But
gamebreakers are priceless.
Regardless, a potent draft class
puts Carolina over .500.
Anything less could be a mess.
[ALFRED WILLIAMS
Hometown; Jackson, Miss.
Events fished: 104 (12 years)
Tournament wins: 3.
Top 10 finishes: 10.
Career earnings: $95,338
DEREK JONES
Hometown: Chicago.
Events fished: 73 (nine years).
Top 10 finishes; Five.
Career earnings: $64,646
WAL-MART FLW SERIES PHOTOS
IrOBERT PEARSON
Hometown: Herndon, Va.
Events fished: 44 (nine years)
• Largest day’s catch: 15 pounds,
13 ounces.
Career earnings; $15,250.
Alfred Williams (from top), Derek
Jones and Robert Pearson are in the
field of 400 anglers at the National
Guard Open Bass tournament at
Lake Norman.
Payday on
the line-
and scales
Lake Norman bass
tournament worth
$1.5 million
By Herbert L. White
hefb.whtte@ttiechoriortepost.com
Big bass means big bucks at Lake
Norman this week.
The National Guard Open, which
opens today and runs through Sunday,
is the richest fishing tournament in
North Carolina history with a $1.5 mil
lion purse, with $200,000 going to the
winner.
The tournament is part of the Wal-
Mart FLW Tour, the largest bass fishing
series in the U.S. More than 400 anglers
from 37 states and three foreign coun
tries will compete.
Big catches are the norm at Lake
Norman, which is large enough for
anglers to spread out.
“Lake Norman is abig and fairly shal
low lake,’’ said David Cooke, a tour vet
eran in a statement. "I think with even
Please see BIG FISH/2C