DATE: Thursday, May 8, 1997                 TAG: 9705080570

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   80 lines

DISGRUNTLED PLAYERS ACCUSE ECSU OF RULES VIOLATIONS THE SCHOOL'S LOOKING INTO THE CHARGES, WHICH TARGET THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

About a dozen Elizabeth City State University football players have had their scholarships rescinded or reduced for next season. In turn, some players have alleged that the program has violated NCAA rules.

University chancellor Mickey L. Burnim has asked athletic director Edward McLean to investigate the allegations. Burnim said initial findings indicate that the allegations are false. A final report is due today, he said.

``Even though I find those charges pretty hard to fathom, when a student-athlete comes to me to say these things happened, I have to take them seriously,'' Burnim said.

McLean was asked to determine whether the team exceeded NCAA guidelines of 20 hours of practice time during the season and eight hours per week in offseason conditioning.

``I have found no evidence that those guidelines were exceeded,'' he said.

Four players - junior nose guard Tony Mann, senior fullback Lamont Avent and two others who asked not to be identified - said that the team practiced more than 30 hours per week during the fall and that players were required to work out 10 hours or longer with the track team.

They also say head coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris took scholarships away from players because they refused to join the track team this spring.

``I signed a scholarship to play football, not run track,'' Mann said.

While not a violation of NCAA rules, Burnim said he would not approve of rescinding scholarships under those circumstances. However, McLean said he's found no evidence that anyone was forced to run track.

Harris, a Norfolk State graduate and former Green Run High School head coach, vehemently denies requiring anyone to run track. He said he required players to participate in workouts with the track team, but only four days per week.

``Nobody was required to join the track team,'' he said. ``We had an off-season conditioning program. We're a small university. It made sense to use the facilities with the track team.''

Harris, a first-year coach, instituted a series of changes that university officials acknowledged caused discontent among players and coaches.

He asked players to turn in their car keys during summer practice so they would not be tempted to go off campus, told them they could not wear hats indoors and had to wear ties when traveling with the team, and chided them for missing practice.

When absences at practice became a problem because of class conflicts, Harris began 5 a.m. practices. He also fired some assistant coaches.

``I made changes that were necessary,'' Harris said.

Burnim said he was aware that the changes caused dissension.

``Any time a new coach comes in with a new system, you would expect some friction and difficulty,'' Burnim said.

Burnim said he met with Mann on Tuesday to discuss his concerns. Mann, who had his scholarship rescinded, has been an unofficial spokesman for a disgruntled faction of players in meetings with McLean and other officials.

Mann said his scholarship was rescinded because he failed to run track. Mann said he had an Achilles' heel injury that prevented him from running back.

He also accused Harris of using a double standard in disciplining players. He said he was suspended from a game for not wearing a tie on the team bus, while other players were not suspended for infractions such as fighting.

He also said defections were so prevalent that spring practice was canceled.

``I think coach Harris lost control of the team,'' he said.

McLean said spring practice was indeed canceled because there weren't enough players, but he said the numbers were down because so many players were seniors and because many others were excused to concentrate on academics.

Harris said Mann was suspended for ``being disrespectful to a coach,'' as well as not wearing a tie.

Harris said he harbors no ill will toward players who criticized him.

``It was unavoidable that there would be some people who would be disgruntled simply because of the changes that we had to make,'' he said. ``Nobody likes layoffs in any profession. Any time that happens, people get their feelings hurt. It's a hard things to do.

``I wish Tony and every player who was with us the best. But I'm trying to do what's best for our program, even if that means making tough decisions.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Coach Elisha ``Cadillac'' Harris came under fire after about a dozen

scholarships were reduced or rescinded.

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