Beating the Drums for Manute

In the beginning, he was regarded as little more than a freak, but apparently, 7-7 Manute Bol is going to become a force in the National Basketball Assn.

“Manute already is the greatest shot-blocker in the history of the NBA,” Washington Bullets General Manager Bob Ferry told Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post. “Barring injury, he could end up the greatest defensive player who ever lived.”

Said teammate Jeff Ruland: “Someday, he’s going to block 1,000 shots in a year.”

The record is 456, held by Utah’s Mark Eaton.

In his 22 starts, Bol is averaging 6.9 blocked shots a game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has blocked more shots than any player in history, averages three a game.

Ruland said Bol has rivals shaking their heads.

“Hell, they’re still looking for him after they come out of the game,” Ruland said. “You see guys back on the other team’s bench still looking over their shoulder and giving head fakes.”

Trivia Time: Doak Walker is the fourth graduate of Southern Methodist to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Name the other three. (Answer below.)

Hall of Famer Paul Hornung likes to tell this one on his former coach, Vince Lombardi: “One night after a long day, Lombardi came home late and tumbled into bed. ‘God,’ his wife said, ‘your feet are cold.’ And Lombardi answered, ‘Around the house, dear, you may call me Vince.’ ”

Now that Buddy Ryan has defected to the Philadelphia Eagles, how will the Chicago Bears fare on defense?

Said Mike Ditka: “The Bears played aggressive, challenging defense in the ‘60s, ‘50s and ‘40s. It didn’t start when Buddy came here, and it won’t end because he’s left here.”

As for the players who say it won’t be the same without Ryan, Ditka said: “The guys who can’t face the challenge will move on. Those who do will stay on.”

Add Ditka: When the late George Halas hired him as head coach, he did not allow him to select his own defensive coordinator, insisting on the retention of Ryan.

Asked who would be involved in the selection of Ryan’s replacement, Ditka bristled and said: “It could be a collection of 16 housewives from Orland Park. It doesn’t make any difference.”

Orland Park is a suburb of Chicago.

Last Add Ditka: After he said no one was indispensable, someone asked about Richard Dent.

“I put no man above the team,” he said. “Who got the quarterback sack for the safety Sunday? Do you remember his name? Remember his number?”

Someone said it was Dent’s backup, Henry Waechter.

“ ‘Nuff said,” Ditka snapped.

Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel, on the NBA: “It’s an 82-game exhibition season before the Celtics play the Lakers for the championship.”

Oops Dept.: Said University of Miami basketball Coach Bill Foster after the school landed Tito Horford, the 7-1 center from the Dominican Republic: “He’s quite a suspect.”

Foster quickly corrected that to prospect.

Trivia Answer: Raymond Berry, Forrest Gregg and Lamar Hunt.

Quotebook

Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka, asked when he’d start thinking about next season: “I guess, the first time I three-putt.”