ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997 TAG: 9702270044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
Allen joins NFL's elite ball carriers
Terry Allen, whose 1,353 yards last season set a Washington rushing record, re-signed with the Redskins on Wednesday in a deal that will make him one of the NFL's highest paid running backs.
The four-year, $14.8 million deal includes a $2.4 million signing bonus and base salaries of $2 million in 1997 and $2.6 million in 1998. He'll make $7.8 million over the final two years of the contract as long as he makes the team.
``I knew if I was going to come back, I definitely wasn't going to sign another one-year deal. I'm getting a little too old for that,'' the 29-year-old Allen said. ``This is where I want to finish up my career.''
While Allen gets $4.4 million this year, just $2.6 million will be counted against the Redskins' salary cap because the signing bonus is spread over the life of the contract.
Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith currently are the only active running backs with bigger average contracts.
Allen led the NFL last season with 21 rushing touchdowns and broke John Riggins' single-season rushing record of 1,347 yards.
In other NFL news:
* The St. Louis Rams signed four free agents, including quarterback Will Furrer.
Furrer, who was out of football last season, played in seven games for the Houston Oilers in 1995. The four-year veteran out of Virginia Tech completed 48 of 99 passes for 483 yards and two touchdowns.
BASEBALL
* Former major-league outfielder Cal Abrams died Tuesday of heart failure. He was 72.
Abrams, who would have turned 73 on Sunday, batted .269 with 32 home runs and 138 runs batted in during 567 games with five major-league teams from 1949-56. His best season was 1953, when he hit .286 with 15 homers and 43 RBI with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
AP Hector ``Macho'' Camacho (right) pushes Sugar Ray Leonard's arm away during a news conference in Atlantic City, N.J., on Wednesday. Although the 40-year-old Leonard has not fought since he lost a one-sided decision to Terry Norris on Feb.9, 1991, he is a 7-5 favorite to take the IBC middleweight crown from Camacho on Saturday night.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB