Bears’ Carrier Stays Loose, Puts Hammer on Opponents

Chicago Bear safety Mark Carrier, who skipped his senior season at USC, was named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year last week. Carrier was recently the subject of a Chicago Sun-Times “Sports Profile,” by Dan Pompei. Among the quick categories and responses on Carrier’s mini-dossier:

“Nicknames: ‘Young M. C. The secondary guys call me Loose Booty because when I backpedal, my butt moves from side to side.’

“If I never made it to the NFL: ‘I would probably be working on my teaching credentials.’

“If I were President I’d: ‘Change the color of the White House. That plain white just doesn’t cut it.’

“Most irrational thing I’ve done: ‘Got drunk the night before a college game. Luckily, we blew the team out and I didn’t have to do much. It was the worst day of my life.’ ”

Add Carrier: Two more responses:

“Friends like me because: ‘I’m easy to get along with.’

“Behind my back they say: ‘I’m a nerd.’ ”

Trivia time: Name the last Division I-A college basketball team to go through the regular season and the NCAA tournament undefeated.

On the house: Jerome Stanley, the agent for Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics, recently negotiated a five-year contract extension with the Celtics worth $16.5 million, with 40% of the money deferred over 15 years. Combine that with a slam ‘n’ jam shoe commercial, and you might forgive Stanley for waxing poetic.

The agent told Alan Goldstein of the Baltimore Sun: “Brian Shaw is the straw that stirs the Celtic drink. Larry Bird is the glass that holds them together, but Reggie is the ice that keeps them cool.”

Playing dirty: After Wally Backman signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, Marty Noble of Newsday wrote: “The Partners in Grime have been reunited; Lenny Dykstra and Wally Backman are teammates again.”

Bare minimum: Happy fifth anniversary to a piece of sports terminology that looks as if it’s here to stay.

On this day in 1986, NCAA schools voted to adopt Proposition 48. Under the rule, to be eligible for NCAA competition, an incoming freshman athlete must achieve a 2.0 grade point average and score 700 or more on the Scholastic Aptitude Test or a 15 on the American College Testing program.

Short-list: Boston Globe columnist Michael Madden recently offered some perspective on the possibility that Raghib (Rocket) Ismail will forgo his senior season at Notre Dame and declare himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Shortly before the New England Patriots named Dick MacPherson as their new coach, Madden wrote: “Unless the Patriots can acquire five offensive linemen, three running backs, two tight ends, three defensive backs, a few linebackers, two or three defensive linemen, one head coach and nine assistant coaches with that first pick of theirs, there’s no discussion. Rocket Ismail is the choice.”

Start packing: More news from New England, where wide receiver Irving Fryar, who had a career-high 54 receptions in 1990, recently told reporters that he will tell Sam Jankovich, the Patriots’ new chief executive officer, that he wants out.

Said Fryar: “It’s time to go (because of) a lot of bad feelings, a lot of bad luggage.”

Trivia answer: Indiana, which went 32-0 in winning the 1975-76 national championship.

Quotebook: Golden State Warrior Coach Don Nelson, on 7-foot 2-inch, 285-pound Louisiana State center Shaquille O’Neal: “I can’t get my eyes off him. I think I’m in love.”