Miami’s Sileo Is Not the Strong, Silent Type

Dan Sileo, University of Miami defensive tackle, wasn’t recruited by Penn State out of Stamford, Conn., and he hasn’t forgiven the Nittany Lions.

“They gave me the runaround,” Sileo told Tom Verducci of Newsday. “They told me I wasn’t their type of player, that I’d give them a little more trouble than they wanted. I truly hate Penn State. I even like Oklahoma more than Penn State. You’re not able to be your own person at Penn State. It’s like 95 clones. Their players are like a bunch of wind-up mechanical dolls.”

The teams meet Friday night for the national championship, but Sileo said: “Penn State’s not even the best team we’ve played. We think the best team we’ve played is Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma is more my style than Penn State. A bunch of loudmouths with a lot of ability.”

Add Sileo: He started his collegiate career at Maryland, then transferred to Cincinnati before transferring to Miami. He was described as a disciplinary problem by an assistant coach, then at Maryland. “Don’t even mention his name,” he said.

Miami requested to wear white uniforms in the Fiesta Bowl, and Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said it was fine with him. The Nittany Lions will wear blue.

“I’m a very unsuperstitious guy about everything but hard work,” Paterno said. “We don’t play any better whether we’re wearing white or blue. We’re flashy either way.”

Trivia Time: If Miami wins Friday night, Vinny Testaverde will become only the second quarterback in history to play on a national championship team and a bowl winner the same season he won the Heisman Trophy. Name the other one. (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: Michigan had never met Arizona State in football before today, but Vern L. Orth of Canoga Park, a Miami (Ohio) alumnus, recalls that Bo Schembechler was a lineman on the Miami team that faced Arizona State in the 1951 Salad Bowl at Phoenix. Miami, coached by Woody Hayes, won the game, 34-21.

Arizona State was led by NCAA rushing champion Wilford (Whizzer) White, father of Dallas Cowboy quarterback Danny White.

Add Forgettable Quotes: Said University of Alabama President Joab Thomas last week: “My coach is Ray Perkins and I expect him to be the coach next year. He said he had not been contacted by Tampa Bay and did not expect to be. I don’t think he expects to hear from Tampa. I think he is happy where he is.”

Said San Diego Socker Coach Ron Newman, when Branko Segota refused to sign a six-year, $1.2-million contract, thus canceling a news conference last week: “Branko thinks he’s upset. I’m the one who had to shell out $7.50 to dry clean my suit for this bloody news conference.”

Freeman McNeil of the New York Jets, on the difference between quarterbacks Ken O’Brien and Pat Ryan: “It’s all the same except their voices. When Pat calls signals, he barks like a dog. I haven’t decided the pedigree.”

Trivia Answer: Davey O’Brien of Texas Christian in 1938. In the 1939 Sugar Bowl, TCU defeated Carnegie Tech, 15-7. Note: Notre Dame quarterbacks Angelo Bertelli in 1943 and Johnny Lujack in 1947 were Heisman winners who played for national champions, but they did not play in bowl games.

Quotebook

Chicago Bear Coach Mike Ditka, confessing he has trouble chewing out Doug Flutie on the sideline: “It’s just like hollering at Bambi. I get letters from schoolteachers all over the country not to do it.”