The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 21, 1982, Page 7, Image 9
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(JSC defensive tacklo Andrew Provence
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Rogers ad
From Staff Reports
Former USC running back George
Rogers has admitted to using cocaine
during his rookie season with the New
Orleans Saints.
The 1980 Heisman Trophy winner
from Duluth. Ga.. told a Dress con
ference in New Orleans this past week
he has completed a drug
rehabilitation program.
"I am soiry for what I did," Rogers
said in his first meeting with the press
since reports indicated he purchased
more than $10,000 worth of cocaine
during the 1981 football season.
"I am human and 1 did make a
mistake, and 1 can live up to that. It
will never happen again. That's as
honest as I can get.''
The National Football League
Rookie of the Year checked into the
Palm Beach Institute in south Florida
July 7 and was released two days later
after undergoing an extensive
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drug dependency, according to
Rogers' attorney, Edward "Punky"
Holler.
Tests found no evidence of drug
dependency and showed Rogers was
physically and emotionally healthy,
Holler said. Rogers engaged only in
"recreational" drug use and did not
take any habit-forming drugs since
January, Holler said.
"Physicians concluded George will
not engage in the use of cocaine or any
other habit-forming drugs in the
future since these drugs are not
compatible witn nis gooa moral
character," Holler said.
The news conference was called to
stop rumors about Rogers and other
Saints players' involvement with
drugs, according to Saints coach Bum
Phillips.
"I'm certainly not a believer in
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(70) led the Gamecocks with 157 tackles
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drugs," Phillips said. "But I am a
believer in people. If it comes out like
I think it will, you'll give him
(Rogers) an opportunity to prove he
doesn't believe in drugs either. I am,
in my mind, convinced it's over and
done with."
A gag order was placed on everyone
involved in the trial of former Saints
running back Mike Strachan, who has
been accused of selling cocaine to
NFL players and others.
Rogers and other Saints who admitted
using cocaine may be called to
testify in the trial.
n
FORMER USC pitcher Joe
Kucharski is off to a good start in his
first month of professional baseball.
Kucharski, a rising senior who gave
up his final year of eligibility at USC,
is pitching for the Class A Hagerstown
(Md.) Suns of the Carolina League.
The 6-3, 225-pound righthander has
a 2-1 record with a 1.38 ERA. In 13
innings, he has struck out eight and
walked seven, while giving up 11 hits
and two earned runs.
After winning his first two decisions
in relief appearances, Kucharski lost
this past week to the Durham Bulls.
Kucharski, who was 11-3 with a 2.97
ERA and 93 strikeouts in 122 innings
for Carolina in 1982, is considered a
starter in the Suns'five-man rotation,
according to a Suns spokesman.
Kucharski was scheduled to start
Tuesday night against Lynchburg.
LI IJ LI
FORMER LADY Gamecock
basketball player Suzanne Woolston
tinues through Aug. 1* Playoffs begin Aug.
IUC
iriority for senior d
|il^j By Todd Shealy
Andrew Provence. Football player. Big,
| tough and mean. Likes to hurt people.
Provence wants it known he is primarily a
s * W,. student at USC who just happens to be on the
* ? football team. What he won't tell you is that
a he is one of the nation's top college defensive
tackles and a good bet to be named an AllAmerican
by the year's end.
A stalwart on USC's defensive line for the
past two years, Provence is gearing up for
his final season with unusual modesty.
"Right now my main concern is getting
through summer school," Provence said.
Rut hp addpd that hp is lifting wpiehts and
B running several times a week in preparation
for fall practice, beginning next month.
When asked about the possibility of being
named an Ail-American, he said, "I'll play
the best I can possibly play and do the most I
* *Hammond can do for the team. I try not to think about
i last individual awards."
Whether or not he thinks about them,
g cocaine H
has been named assistant women's MKCICW
basketball coach at the University of l|jjj
Woolston, a graduate of Columbia's yK
Spring Valley High School, played at Wife
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to Old Dominion University following |gw
her sophomore season. ,,$&
This past season, Woolston was a
starter for the Lady Monarchs, a
team that recorded a 22-6 mark.
Woolston will assist Hawaii head |g|
coach Jerry Busone, who was for
merly an assistant at Old Dominion.
USC'S MEN'S basketball team will
have a slightly better chance of seeing
post-season play during the upcoming V
season, as the National Collegiate
Athletic Association has tentatively
approved 52 teams to compete in its p
Division I playoffs.
The decisions, which were made by ^
the Division I basketball committee,
must be approved by the NCAA
Executive Committee at a meeting
next month.
The expansion from 48 teams re##1
was announced this past week. ??-W
Also, the NCAA awarded the
Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans
the 1987 semifinals and championship
and gave Kansas City's Kemper
Arena the 1988 Final Four. New
Orleans was the site of the Final Four
this past March.
The NCAA said it will retain the
present 48-team bracket for the 1983
cnampionsnip. n,igni 01 me auiomauc
qualifiers will engage in a pretournament
elimination round at
neutral sites. The four winners will Former USI
move into the regular brackets as the used cocaine
No. 12 seed in each of the four Saints
regionals.
|jg| Chemcocks, No'B
* Rain played havoc with the top teams in
the latest men's and co-rec intramural
^ Softball poll.
The No. 1 team in the men's poll, the S.C.
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as were the No. 2 Exterminators (4-0), the
No. 3 Norton's Nookies (5-1) and the No. 5
4 Runnin Rebels (4-1-1).
Fourth-ranked CSD Abends defeated the
& m Mudsliders 8-3 in the first game of a double
.*W header and tied 5-5 in the second to hold or
>. l, to their fourth-place spot in the poll.
No'Bility (6-0) moved into the No. 1 spot in
^'"v * the co-rec poll despite being rained out.
Second-ranked Leviathon (7-1) split a
double-header with the third-ranked J
School Nice Guys (8-1-1), losing 5-4 anc
winning 7-0.
The fourth-ranked Absolute Zeros (7-1 i
defeated the Muckrakers 14-7 and 11-5. The
Dogs maintained their No. 5 ranking bj
defeating the MBAs 15-5 and 15-0.
Regular-season play continues througl
Aug. 1. Teams with a winning percentage o
60 percent or better qualify for the playoffs.
3. Teams making the playoffs should send j
efensive tackle
awards quite possibly will come his way.
The senior from Savannah, Ga., led the
team in tackles in 1981 with 157 stops, and
his experience and physical stature make
him an unofficial overseer of this year's
squad.
The key to Provence's success may be his
dedication in the weight room (where he
bench presses 500 pounds), on the playing
field and (equally important to him) in the
classroom. Provence will graduate in May
1983 with a degree from the College of
Journalism in advertising-public relations,
completing his degree in four years.
As for employment after graduation,
Provence probably won't have to look for a
job. Professional football teams will
probably want his services, and Provence
said he'll be more than happy to supply
them.
"Plavine Dro ball has been a dream of
mine for a long time," he said. And oni.e
again showing his modesty, he added, "I'll
give it my best shot. It would be nice to go
high in the draft."
^Ir*
.V.v
I running back George Rogers has admitted he
during his rookie season with tho New Orleans
ility top polls
representative to a meeting at the Blatt
Physical Education Center at 5 p.m. Aug. 2
in Room 110.
Playoff competition begins Aug. 3.
For daily reports on intramurals, call 777
'.WZ t>.
Men's Poll
1. S.C. Bookstore Chemcocks
2. Exterminators
3. Norton's Nookios
4. CSD Abends
5. Runnin' Rebels
Co-Rec
1. No'Bility
2. Leviathon
3. J School Nice Guys
4. Absolute Zeros
5. Dogs
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