ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 1996 TAG: 9609090124
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: AKRON, OHIO
Virginia Tech's 15th-ranked football team outran Hurricane Fran to get here.
Nonetheless, the Hokies couldn't shake the other black cloud tracking them as they gear up for tonight's season opener against Akron.
As the Hokies worked out Friday afternoon, most of the discussion at the Rubber Bowl concerned a claim by a Tech track athlete that he was beaten by 15 to 20 members of the school's football team in a Blacksburg brawl last weekend.
In his first public comments on the matter, Tech athletic director Dave Braine said he is investigating the incident along with Hokies football coach Frank Beamer. Braine said any disciplinary measures, if necessary, will be levied next week.
No Tech football players had been charged or arrested as of Friday afternoon in regard to the melee that broke out at 2 a.m. last Saturday at Squires Student Center.
Braine said Friday he has talked with Hilliard Sumner III, a Tech sprinter who suffered a broken collarbone in the fray. Sumner said he was hit, kicked and beaten with a cane by football players. Sumner said a friend, Jonathan Nelson, suffered bruises in the skirmish.
``I talked to the young man [Sumner] and told him I've been around long enough to know there's two sides to any story,'' Braine said. ``Until I hear both sides, that's all I'm going to say.
``I will say we're not going to cover up anything. Whomever's at fault will be punished, I guaranteed it.''
Braine said he has talked with Beamer, whose program has been hit by an inordinate run of off-the-field problems recently.
``There's not a college coach in America more cognizant of what a player should or should not do,'' Braine said. ``I am not going to let people blame our coaches for actions of one player or whatever.''
Beamer said Friday he wouldn't comment on the matter ``until the appropriate time.''
A source close to the team said Beamer has talked to 12 players who allegedly were involved in the fracas.
Following Tech's short workout Friday, Beamer appeared somewhat downcast.
``All this stuff is eating Frank up inside,'' one of Beamer's close associates said.
``I don't think he can believe that this can just keep happening.''
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Braine. color.by CNB