Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 12, 1993                   TAG: 9308120035
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

TECH RECEIVER HAS FINGER PROBLEM

Still, a sophomore wide receiver on the Virginia Tech football team, had a portion of his right pinky cut off Tuesday by a pile of weights while he was spotting for a teammate. The fingertip - severed at about the middle of the nail, Still said - was reattached.

Still said he's expected to miss only a couple of weeks - if the finger heals. If the reattachment does not take, he said, he will be out longer.

"The thing about it, it didn't even hurt," said Still, who appeared at Tech's media day Wednesday in uniform and with a bulky gauze wrap around his finger.

The Richmond native, who caught four passes last season for 70 yards and a touchdown, backs up Antonio Freeman.

\ EXITS: Redshirt freshman Dave Tolan, a scholarship quarterback from Manasquan, N.J., quit the team, Tech coach Frank Beamer said Wednesday. Tolan, 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, is Manasquan High School's career passing leader (2,529 yards). He did not see much action for Tech even in spring scrimmages.

Offensive tackle Mike Cox, a Roanoke Times & World-News top 25 pick and a potential starter this fall, has been ruled ineligible, Beamer said.

Assistant head coach Billy Hite said senior fullback Mike Hodges, who underwent surgery to repair a thigh muscle torn last season, is "not responding to treatment so far," casting doubt on Hodges' chances of playing.

\ WHO'S AT CORNER? All-Big East cornerback Tyronne Drakeford has no partner for the time being. Tech's preseason roster was released with a blank spot at the corner opposite Drakeford. Defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian said several players could start there: redshirt freshman Okesa Smith, redshirt sophomore William Yarborough or fifth-year senior Scott Jones. Another candidate might be DeMatha High School's Korey Irby, one of Tech's top recruits.

"There is a spot that is absolutely wide open and could be taken by a freshman," Elmassian said.