The Biggest Little Highlight in Texas

Defensive tackle Doug English of the Detroit Lions, asked the highlight of his career at the University of Texas, said it occurred in his senior year when teammate Earl Campbell blocked a punt.

“The ball fell right in my arms, and I ran the length of the field for a touchdown,” English said.

How far was it?

“Three yards,” English said.

They’re trying everything in Washington to put more weight on 7-7 Manute Bol, but he’s only up to 205 pounds.

After a recent game, as he waited impatiently for Bullet publicist Chuck Douglas to take him to dinner, he said: “Hurry up, Chuck. I’m getting skinnier just standing here.”

Trivia Time: Who holds the NCAA individual football record for most points scored in a game? (Answer below.)

Auburn sports information director David Housel isn’t one to conduct high-powered publicity campaigns, but when Bo Jackson rushed for 233 yards against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, he couldn’t resist calling Grant Field, “The House That Heisman Built.”

Georgia Tech’s stadium was built in 1913, when the coach of the Yellow Jackets was none other than John Heisman.

Fran Tarkenton, on Iowa quarterback Chuck Long: “I think Chuck Long is better than any other quarterback in college and that he should win the Heisman Trophy, and I hope he does.”

Jim Leyland, new manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, said he realized he wasn’t a household name when he called the homes of his new players.

“When their wives answered, and I identified myself as Jim Leyland, they usually said, ‘It’s too close to the holidays for any home repairs,’ ” he said.

From Todd Phipers of the Denver Post: “His playing performance has been satisfactory, but premier rookie Patrick Ewing isn’t winning any fans in the Knicks’ public relations department, the media or some of the public with his offcourt attitude. The only thing Ewing signs, the Boston Globe reported, is his paycheck. In fact, he even refused to autograph a basketball that had been signed by all other members of the 1984 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team.”

LSU basketball Coach Dale Brown, on 7-footer Tito Horford, who was sent packing at Baton Rouge, La., and now may surface at Houston in January: “Regardless of what problems we had, Tito is the third-best basketball player I’ve ever seen. The first two were Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”

Trivia Answer: Jim Brown of Syracuse, 43 points against Colgate, Nov. 17, 1956, on six touchdowns and seven extra points.

Quotebook

Portland Trail Blazers Coach Jack Ramsay, on Julius Erving: “Hey, we’ve always had 44 different ways we could stop Julius Erving. The problem is, he’s always had 45 different ways to score.”