ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 30, 1996 TAG: 9612310040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: ORANGE BOWL NOTES
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
He was one of the last Virginia Tech players to straggle out of the tunnel at Pro Player Stadium on Sunday for Orange Bowl media day.
As he slowly trudged toward the proceedings, a horde of converging media flies began sticking to him like he was a no-pest strip.
Cornell Brown, Tech's undeniable Mr.Cool, might as well have been in Utopia. The Hokies' resident maverick - he's an All-America defensive end, too - had the reporters and cameras right where he wanted them.
``Hey, Cornell, what do you have to say?'' the first reporter asked.
Brown, hiding behind a pair of Deion Sanders-like Oakley wraparound sunglasses, cackled loudly and repeated his two-month-old line.
``No comment,'' he said.
``C'mon Cornell, you've got to talk,'' the next reporter demanded.
``I ain't got nothing to say,'' said Brown, punctuating his response with another loud cackle.
Brown, playing the scene to the max, then stopped and turned his head to the masses. After more prodding, he relented. Slightly.
``I'm old news,'' he said. ``There's plenty of other guys to talk to.''
C'mon Cornell. You must have more to say.
``No comment,'' he said. ``It keeps me out of trouble.''
BANKS SHOT: Cornerback Antonio Banks, a charter member of Tech's ever-growing ``no-comment'' club, held court Sunday for the first time in two years.
The senior from Newport News then proceeded to torch the media.
``I know you all are doing your jobs, but I don't like the way the media treats the athletes,'' Banks said. ``Something bad happens and they're bashing you and putting you all over the front page. When everything is going good [the media] treat you fine, but when things go bad they're bashing you.''
CON JOB: While he doesn't apologize for what he said, Hokies center Billy Conaty acknowledged he could have handled his well-publicized verbal bashing of Brown last week more diplomatically.
Conaty ripped Brown, plus took shots at suspended teammates Brian Edmonds and James Crawford, during Tech's Orange Bowl news conference in Blacksburg.
``I hate it when people think they're bigger than the program,'' Conaty said.
After the story broke, Conaty said he realized he had made a mistake.
``I should have gone to the players first before I went to the media,'' Conaty said. ``That's my biggest regret about the whole thing.''
Conaty said he sought out Brown and apologized the next day.
``I felt a little bad,'' Conaty said. ``But I said the stuff. That's how I felt. But I just wished I had talked it over with them first.''
INJURY REPORT: Sixth-ranked Nebraska trails No.10 Tech in one important department. While coach Frank Beamer said Sunday his Hokies are ``healed up for the most part,'' Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne's report wasn't as positive.
Nebraska's top runners - I backs Ahman Green (stress fracture in left foot) and DeAngelo Evans (groin pull) - still are not at full speed, Osborne said.
Green led the Huskers in rushing with 917 yards during the regular season, and Evans was second with 776, plus a team-high 14 touchdowns.
``It's a concern,'' Osborne said. ``I think both have a chance to play, but it may be rather limited time.''
``I'm going to play,'' Green said Sunday. ``I'm about 85 to 90 percent.''
Evans said: ``I've still got two days left. Hopefully, I'll be ready.''
Senior Damon Benning (465 yards, seven touchdowns) could end up with most of Nebraska's running load, Osborne said.
``I really don't believe it makes any difference with those guys,'' Beamer said.
PUZZLING SPREAD: The professorial Osborne has no answer as to why the Cornhuskers (10-2) remain a 17-point favorite over the Hokies (10-1) for Tuesday night's game.
``I continue to be amazed at the perception that we're two or three touchdowns better than [opponents] like Texas and these people,'' Osborne said. ``It may be a residual feeling that we're the same team as we were last year. In many ways we are similar, but we're different, too.''
ORANGE SLICES: Backup defensive tackle Nat Williams didn't make the trip for Tech. The redshirt freshman was suspended for a violation of team policy before the Hokies headed south. Nebraska sophomore linebacker Jay Foreman is the son of former NFL running back Chuck Foreman. Want numbers? Look at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers' media guide lists 186 players on the team roster. Nine are listed with the same jersey number, while 38 more have duplicate numbers. Nebraska brought 120 players to Miami and will dress 95. Tech, meanwhile, brought 92 players and will dress 65.
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN Staff. Virginia Tech's Cornell Brownby CNB(right) may not have had much to say to the media Sunday in Miami,
but he enjoyed himself.