THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 2, 1995 TAG: 9511020500
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Aaron Sparrow's second-degree separation of his nonthrowing shoulder will not keep the senior quarterback out of Norfolk State's season finale at North Carolina Central Saturday.
Sparrow leads the CIAA in passing and is second in Division II in total offense. He separated the shoulder in the first quarter of the Spartans' game with Johnson C. Smith Saturday when Bulls defensive lineman Tyrone Dimery tackled Sparrow after the quarterback scrambled for a 9-yard gain. He missed the remainder of the game.
Sparrow threw on the sidelines at practice Tuesday and Wednesday and was expected to take part in a full practice, or at least most of one, today.
``He's had 12 weeks of practice and he knows the game plan,'' Norfolk State coach Darnell Moore said. ``Missing practice time shouldn't hurt him.
``Aaron's a tough kid. He's had bumps and bruises before that he's never complained about.''
A FASTER ROE: All-American Norfolk State wide receiver James Roe will begin training with Norfolk State men's track coach Steve Riddick following the completion of the football season to improve his speed and his chances in the NFL draft.
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Roe already has 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash. Riddick believes Roe's physical makeup lends itself to faster clockings.
``We figure if he can run a 4.4 (at the NFL combine) that's amazing and if he runs a 4.3 that's blazing,'' Riddick said. ``We will work with him on short sprints and have him work out with some of our sprinters, who are world-class. God gave James some speed. Now he has to learn how to do it right.''
IN PASSING: Norfolk State's rushing attack has been much improved over last season's, when the Spartans barely averaged 50 yards per game.
This year, the Spartans are averaging 99.2 yards per game and have gotten four individual 100-yard rushing performances, two by John Quinerly and two by Jerry Davis.
``I expected to run for 140 yards a game,'' Moore said. ``We're under that, but we're throwing for more than I expected (359.6 per game). It balances out and if you get in the end zone you get in the end zone.''
LONG RUNS: In a bizarre twist, Norfolk State's 55-14 victory over Johnson C. Smith was peppered with two defensive returns for two-point conversions Saturday.
Spartans linebacker Antonio Britt picked up a fumble by Bulls quarterback Charles Young and rumbled 98 yards for two points. Britt had a 10-yard lead on the field as he started downfield, but tired near midfield, needed a block near the 20 and dove into the end zone as a Johnson C. Smith player caught him from behind.
Quipped one member of the Norfolk State staff on the sidelines, ``If he gets a copy of that on video tape and wants to show it one day to his kids, he better run it in fast-forward.''
Following the game's next touchdown, the act was repeated, this time by the Bulls' Michael Brown, who gathered a blocked Nathan Plattler extra-point attempt and raced the length of the field.
BRIEFLY: Norfolk State quarterback Robert Morris was named newcomer player of the week in the CIAA after coming off the bench and passing for 217 yards, three touchdowns and running for another following Sparrow's injury. Other players of the week included: Norfolk State's Ken McDaniel (offensive lineman), Roe (receiver), Virginia State's Rodney Granger (offensive back), Norfolk State's Chris Hall (defensive back), Bowie State's Vincent Young (defensive lineman) and Livingstone coach Rudy Abrams. . . . Virginia State's CIAA title is its first in football in 23 years. by CNB