Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 15, 1995 TAG: 9506150029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Colquitt, who averaged 45.1 yards per punt for the Thundering Herd in 1994, has signed a free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills.
+r ``I think I'm going to stick up there,'' said Colquitt, who signed a non-guaranteed, one-year contract worth $119,000. ``I'll either be the second- or first-string punter and they're also going to look at me on kickoffs and as a holder.''
Colquitt, nephew of former Pittsburgh Steelers punter Craig Colquitt, said he's been told that Buffalo will take only two punters to camp. Holdover Chris Mohr, a five-year pro from Alabama, averaged more than 40 yards last year but was vicitimized by three returns for touchdowns.
Colquitt said Washington and New England expressed the most interest in him before the NFL draft and that the Redskins may have had a part in directing him to Buffalo. He did not expect to be drafted.
``Of course, I didn't know what to expect,'' he said. ``I still don't. The Redskins guy told me that everything was going to be OK, no matter what happened. So, I just had to wait it out.''
From what Colquitt heard, the Redskins may have allowed Buffalo to negotiate with Colquitt as compensation for another transaction.
``I've been told that I'm going to start in the first preseason game against Dallas; then, Chris Mohr is going to take over after the first four punts,'' Colquitt said. ``They say they're going to keep two punters.''
ANOTHER SPARTAN: Salem High place-kicker Lee Updike, a second-team All-Timesland selection, will prep for a year at Hargrave Military Academy. Updike converted 11-of-14 field goals in his career, with a long of 42 yards, and was 55-of-61 on extra points.
NOT GOING FAR: All-Timesland wide receiver Shane Beamer from Blacksburg has decided to play football as a walk-on at Virginia Tech, where his father, Frank, is the head coach.
Also headed to Tech are Blacksburg quarterback Greg Shockley and offensive guard Ryan Baird. Their Indians' teammate, All-Timesland center Tim Schnecker, plans to enroll at Tech at mid-year.
MOORE SIGHTING: Virginia quarterback and two-time ACC player of the year Shawn Moore will make his first appearance for Ottawa of the Canadian Football League on Saturday in a preseason game in Baltimore.
TECH COACH MOVES ON: Dean Keener, a member of the Virginia Tech men's basketball staff since Bill Foster's arrival in 1991, has resigned to become a full-time assistant at Southern Methodist.
Keener, 29, was a part-time assistant for two years at Tech before being designated as a restricted-earnings coach, a position in which his salary was limited to $12,000. The restricted-earnings coach at SMU is Robert Lineburg, formerly a volunteer assistant at Tech.
Keener, who played collegiately at Davidson, said he became emotional Monday when he informed Tech coach Bill Foster of his decision. ``It's as good a group of people [at Tech] as I'll ever work with,'' Keener said.
EX-HOKIE REBOUNDS: Delwyn Dillard, who began his college career at Virginia Tech, has signed with East Tennessee State after spending the 1994-95 season at Allegany (Md.) Community College. Dillard, a 6-foot-5 forward from Sussex, played sparingly for Tech two years ago as a redshirt freshman.
RADFORD MOVES: Radford men's basketball coach Ron Bradley said Wednesday that point guard Damian Ingram, the Highlanders' assist leader in 1993-94, has been dismissed for a violation of team rules.
Bradley said he expects to sign at least one more player with the scholarships that became available with the departure of Ingram and Johnny Watkins, who withdrew from school. Watkins played in every game two years ago.
Ingram was redshirted with Bradley's blessing when the Big South lost its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this year. His dismissal resulted from a pattern of behavior and was no sudden development, Bradley said.
HIGHLANDER HERITAGE: One-time Radford University golfer and former Water's Edge assistant golf pro Chris Gibson will marry former Roanoke Times & World-News sportswriter Andrea Kuhn on Saturday. Radford records reveal that Gibson was ``pretty decent,'' sports information director Mike Ashley reports.
NON-REVENUE: Virginia pitcher Pat Daneker was named freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine, which also gave second baseman Ryan Gilleland honorable mention on the same team.
Gilleland, a former Timesland baseball player of the year from Jefferson Forest, reached base in 20 consecutive games during one stretch and batted .297 with a team-high 10 stolen bases.
Roanoke College has two incoming men's soccer players who received Division I interest, midfielder Billy Renfroe from Charlotte, N.C., and striker Eric Redpath from East Amherst, N.Y. Renfroe and fellow Roanoke recruit Sam Starkweather prepped for a year at Bridgeton (Maine) Academy.
Roanoke's men's lacrosse recruits include David Van Morlegem, a goalie from the same Montclair, N.J., high school that produced Maroons' coach and ex-goalie Bill Pilat. Pilat's top recruit appears to be midfielder Brian Fleming, an All-American from Summit, N.J.
Washington and Lee attackman Scott Mackley and defenseman Shaun McKenzie played for Generals' coach Jim Stagnitta, whose South team lost by one goal in the Division III North-South All-Star Classic.
Alex Jacobs from Roanoke was named a third-team All-American in men's lacrosse at Denison University. Jacobs, a May communications graduate, was first-team All North Coast Athletic Conference.
by CNB