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Sports Fairy for W By Tracy Helms Staff Writer Sometimp Hurinu (hp off season, Wake Forest lost its glass slipper and football's 1979 fairy tale came to an end. Last year's rag-to-riches performance may not have won the Deamon Deacons an Academy Award, but their 8a ?i ? i t i clui u ? unci iwu consecutive one-win seasons ? did award Wake with its first bowl bid in 30 years. The Tangerine Bowl tabbed the Deacs right after last year's USC Wake clash. Unfortunately for the folks from Winston-Salem, N.C., that won't happen this season. Unlike a vear aeo ^ ?cy - y the bowl scouts will only be eyeing the host team when the Deacs confront Carolina Saturday in the Gamecocks' 1980 home finale. "1 don't know why we aren't doing so well this season," ponders Wake quarterback Jay Venuto. "Last year we won the close ones, but this year we U 'i iicjvtrn i. "I think we are a better football team than last year," continues the 1979 ACC player-of-the-year. "We have got better balance, particularly on defense." TIIE DEACONS have lost some heartbreakers this season. After a 27-9 loss to North Carolina, Wake fell prey to three more ACC foes ? Maryland, Virginia and Clemson ? by no more than three points. Boosted by a late-game rally, the Deacons downed Duke 27-24 Saturday to end the four-game skid Column Why G? With two games remaining ir two questions are looming fon Gamecock fans. Those two questions are; wh< Bowl? and will George Rogers v As far as USC's Dec. 29 Ga your guess is as good as mine. In response to the second q George Rogers will win the 19H in my mind, I believe he deser\ Unfortunately, when the Heisn ?u;<- i ....... ?:?i..-J?i 11 1*) wci:iv, i wiia iiui uiciuufu list. . There are three simple reas< Heisman; 1. George Rogers player in America today, 2. Hi necessary to win the trophy, an player deserves the award mor As you may have detected. I the USC runnine h;irk lint aft* on the gridiron for the past f possible to retain any sense c Rogers has done what the critic Skeptics said, "wait till he g< show him what big-time coll Rogers survived the Troja remained, however, and they 1,1 r . _ ! A ^ n wuuiu penoriu againsi i*ig i again, Rogers silenced the criti Til Kit K WKltK TIIOSi: who proper amount of exposure I candidate needs. The list of s have visited Rogers in Columbi World Series...New York Ti Illustrated, The Washington I Sports, ABC, Newsweek.. .the featured the USC superstar. Hut there is another aspect makes him a sentimental favor 220-pound senior is a true-to li i 1 caie ei ake F< 'It could be a Ion< they will throw a* came at us with ai front, then we 'II thi and raise the season mark to 4-5. "I think we showed everyone what we can do when we play 60 full minutes," reflected Venuto, who threw for 291 yards against the Blue Devils. The 6-0,202-pound senior has now completed 160 of 329 attempts for 1951 yards and 15 touchdowns in the present campaign. Carolina Coach Jim Carlen is well aware of Wake's pass-happy offense. "They do the things that we are not very good at defending ? and that s the throwing game," cites Carlen. "I think that Wake Forest is better on defense and throwing the ball than last year. "It could be a long af ternoon. I know they will throw all day, and if they come at us with an eight- or nine-man front, then we'll throw more, too." THE ABSENCE of USC dfifensivp hnrk Rnhprt Perlotte, who suffered a knee injury against Citadel and is out for the season, may prove costly against Wake's air-oriented attack. "He's the best player I've ever lost at a key position," jorqe R< <* M i USC's 1980 football season, ^most in the minds of many ) will USC play in the Gator vin the Heisman Trophy? tor opponent is concerned. uestion, my verdict is yes, *) Heisman Trophy. At least /es to win the coveted prize, lan ballots were mailed out on that prestigious mailing ins why Rogers deserve the ic tho /?/\I Inrtn (Vv/\tkoll ?u VIIV MVOV I \f\ f L I /Cl I J t* has received the publicity d 3. No other college football e than George Rogers, am slightly partial towards ?r watching Rogers perform our years, it is nearly im>f impartiality. Repeatedly, s said he could never do. its to Southern Cal ? they 'll ege football is all about." n ambush. Skeptics still waited to see how Rogers Pen power Michigan. Once cs. said, he would never get the :hat a legitimate Heisman ports media, however, that <i i I'uiia iirvi" |ti oh hjvv til lilt" mes. Daily News. Sports *ost. Sporting News. Inside ise and many more have about George Rogers that ite for the Heisman. The <>-2 fe rags to riches story. His mds orest N g afternoon. I know || fl day, and if they F i eight or nine man row more, too.' B - Jim Car/en H says carlen of the f>-(), 170- Impound junior. r The Deacon defense which p? yielded 545 yards (469 P passing) to Duke also has a L harsh assignment: stop pf George Rogers & Co. | ^ "No one has really stopped il| Rogers," says Wake Coach ||| John Mackovic, the ACC ?| coach-of-the-year in 79. I "He's big, fast and strong, | and just Ixmnces off of |?j tacklers. We must do an (( effective job of stopping I?8 Rogers to stay in the game." Venuto continued the compliments. "George is a heckuva hack," he said. "Some of his | runs are unbelievable. "South Carolina is a great football team," added Venuto. "We watched the Goorei.l nnri Michiaan garner on film and saw just how powerful they are." Mackovic has seen that, too. "They are every bit as good as any team we have played." Now in his third season as Deacon mentor, Mackovic i joked about always playing j the Gamecocks in Columbia: "We've played there so L? often, we have our own spot on the scoreboard." ogers dej V ' background is common knowlcdi one more time. wnen ueorge was six, his r divorced. Later, Rogers' father v He served nearly eight years in tiary. George and his family struggle small Georgia towns. Around the up in Atlanta where he rarely attc to running around with a street ga Before his sophomore year in h to Duluth to live with his aunt < tending Duluth High School, dream to play football. The rest is KQl-AI'I'Y IMIMUvSSIVK as from the (ieorgia ghettos, is Koj ball, on the Heisman, and on life. "I'm a blessed person," Koge ordinary for a guy to come out <i and accomplish the things I have i "I don't like to be self centered. ?f tu,. /.II,,... if i ? 11. ?t i/i mi- wuifi ^uys. ii I win (lit* fit Twenty-two guys will have it, not < But even if Rogers doesn't win m 1 11 Wlllf ' I , I|'|l,' "|" l' " ll' l|"l| 'tmy< | >. Mfe- "" . ?5^BB8BBBBEi8B3^^^B^^BMK^^^PMcfj- ^ ^K:- \T ^SmEBS*!* % x j Mwf ? Wg^wm .r*iB K. * HK,.. "vSHnUBi Jen George Rogers, (JSC's jersey officially retired di Wake Forest game Saturc The event will honor th rushing records and was last year. Rogers will become on/ retired, and the only living late great Steve Wadiak Johnson, an offensive ce i,io /w~ IIU I VI/. I (7til CU I UlIU Wll Rogers presently has 4 leading rusher currently, ranks fifth on the NCAA native has rushed for ovt by John Parnell) serves t Mike Chibbaro iports Editor r * f\ u..# ;> Iww. ma u iiLMift i I'pt'ciiiu^ not her and father were i-as convicted for murder, a Georgia State penitencl to survive in a string ot ! age of 15, George wound 5 mded school and admitted igh school. George moved Ottella Rogers. While at jers was captivated by a history. Iiis remarkable escape ?ers' persDective on loot rs likes to say. "it's not if a background like I did iccomplishcd. 1 wish they'd talk to some ?isman, it's for the team im> " liailnrc cii/l 1 the Hcisman. it won't he j; HHHBHHHSHHSHHHHnKKBK '; v'j,; . .' ?ey to be retired Heisman Trophy candidate v I ring ceremonies at half time fay. e 6-2 220-pound Rogers, wh r the school's first ever cons y the third South Carolina pi a y g player so honored. The num was the first number ever n nter who became ill prior to hi ig his death in 1965. , 746 career rushing yards. Ht uvcritjymy lijj.u y atfJtJT I all-time career rushing cha, v 7 00 yards in his last 19 str, 1 T T c ne neisr the end oi the world because he is player. To a lot of young kids. K< title the modest Rogers would p lortable with, hut it's a title whicl following story helps to illustrate n AKTKK THIS I*AST Saturday's viiiino hnvt lho\ li> l\?> ->K 7 #*# T VIIVT unruvvi 11/ ?/V HI/ old, were in the IJSC locker room ( wearing a Carolina jersey with (ie of the kids were seeking Big (ieorg As the two boys were introduced that they were a little nervous to 1 hero. Hut in a matter ol seconds mirers at ease The eyes ol tl scoreboards when (Jeorge began t< The scene was not uncommon seems to have time to sign autog kids. And to me. that s what being NCAA Leading Rust Car Yds Rogers. SoCaro 231 143( Allen. So Cat 287 127 Mitchell Citadl 238 141* Walker. G<> 222 133' Redwine. Neb ; 26 934 Crtchfeld, lowaSt 23 7 116 Brooks. Auburn 222 1 14i McNeil. UCLA JS1 885 Wysocki. Md 266 110 Lawrence VaTech 24 1 109 ' ''i^jHp' JRH flf- ;^J * " I * r ..f'^ '* : x ' .x-5f: :< v/// /7a ve /i/s no. 38 of Saturday's USC o holds all of USC's ensus All-American er to have his jersey ber 3 7, worn by the 3tired at USC. Mike ;s junior season , had ? ts a/so tne nation s game. Rogers a/so rt. The Duluth, Ga. aight games. (Photo i ||| | nan more than just a fool ha II \ ngers is a hero That's a robably never I eel com 1 he truely deserves. Thr ny point ? i ('itadel game, a couple ol out seven or eight y?\ir)ne of the youngster^ ,iorge's number on it Roth e's autograph ? to Rogers. 1 could detect >e in the presence ol then j , (leorge put the two ad le two kids lit up hk< >chat with them. ; lor Kogers He always ' raphs or to talk with In* a hero is all about ] wrs ' A vg Yds pg ' s 6 2 159 6 5 4 4 159 4 I 0 5 9 156 7 ! ^ 6 0 148 2 \ 7 4 133 4'. | 5 4 9 129 4 S 5 2 127 3 5 5 7 26 4 5 4 2 7 22 S 5 4 5 1217 \