DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997                TAG: 9704200195

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: ASHBURN                           LENGTH:   67 lines

SKINS' TOP PICK IMPRESSES LINE COACH DEFENSIVE COACH EARL LEGGETT ON KENARD LANG'S WORK EFFORT: ``HE JUST WOULDN'T QUIT.''

Washington Redskins defensive line coach Earl Leggett loved what he saw Kenard Lang do recently on a sprained ankle. Now, he can't wait to see his team's new No. 1 draft pick bust a gut.

``We went (to Miami) to work him out and he twisted his ankle a little bit,'' Leggett said of his newest student, a 6-4, 277-pound defensive end for the Hurricanes. ``You could tell it was really bothering him. But he just wouldn't quit. Nowadays, you're going to get nicks and bruises and you've got to play with them some. He got back in there and finished those drills. And that really impressed me.''

There's a lot about Lang that's impressive. There are his bloodlines. Both his father, Calvin, and uncle played at Florida A&M. His father went on to spend two years with the Cleveland Browns.

Then there's Lang's high-school credentials. He was a football All-American, a star in both baseball and basketball.

Finally, there's his career with the Hurricanes. Last season, he was an All-Big East selection and led the team with 11 1/2 sacks. In Miami's Carquest Bowl victory over Virginia, Lang recorded six tackles, one for a loss, a half-sack, and four assists.

``My leadership is my most impressive asset,'' Lang said by phone. ``I believe actions speak louder than words. You've got to be able to back it up. My mentality is to go out and give my best on every play.''

Leggett, a longtime NFL player and assistant coach, is among the most-respected line coaches in the game. After Green Bay's Super Bowl victory over New England, Packers' defensive end Sean Jones credited Leggett with converting him from a college project to a Pro Bowl choice.

That's pertinent only because Leggett sees some of Jones in Lang.

``He's a combination of some players,'' Leggett said. ``He has the ability to rush the passer as well as Greg Townsend. He can play the run as well as Sean Jones. I know I'm putting him in some fast company now, but he has the ability to reach that level.''

Leggett's assessment sounded good to Lang, who fancies himself something of a historian. Asked if he knew anything about the Redskins, Lang rattled off the names of some of his favorite blasts from the past.

``I remember Gerald Riggs, Doug Williams, Dexter Manley, Charles Mann, Darrell Green,'' Lang said. ``Those are the guys they had when they were going to Super Bowls. And the Smurfs. Hey, I followed the Redskins a lot growing up.

``I'm going to come in there and help plug up the run. I'm going to start, and if I don't, I'm going to maintain a very positive attitude, do anything I can to help them improve.''

Lang appeared to be ecstatic about being chosen by the Redskins, calling it ``the best feeling I've ever had in my life. I still can't believe it. . . . Unreal. . . . A tingling feeling.''

Asked about how difficult he thought it would be to hammer out a contract with Washington, Lang sounded as though he'd pay them for the right to play.

``The worst thing I could do is hold out and get behind,'' Lang said. ``I need to get to camp, learn the scheme, so I can play the first year.''

Leggett said that response is indicative of Lang's attitude and leadership.

``When things are rough and tough on the field - maybe you're behind - someone has to step up and make a play,'' Leggett said. ``At Miami, he was the one who did that.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kenard Lang of Miami, left, is part of a sack on Temple quarterback

Henry Burris during a game last November. The Redskins, who drafted

Lang in the first round, hope to see him do more of that during the

NFL season.

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