Success in Football Is Merely Warm-Up Drill for This Athlete

Jay Walker, who threw for 3,635 yards and 24 touchdowns as Howard University’s starting quarterback this season, is a political science major with high ambitions on the field and in politics.

Walker, from South-Central Los Angeles, hopes to play in the NFL next season. He spends summers in the Angels’ minor league system, wants to go to law school, hopes eventually to win a city council seat in Los Angeles and wind up with Dick Riordan’s job.

Walker is seeking to follow a rich Howard tradition of political involvement. Outgoing New York City Mayor David Dinkins, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, and current Washington, D.C., Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly all attended the university in Washington.

“I want to be on that list,” Walker said.

From quarterback to politician--it sounds a lot like Jack Kemp. “But he’s a Republican and I’m a Democrat,” Walker said.

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Wild scene: Why did the Philadelphia Phillies trade relief pitcher Mitch Williams to the Houston Astros, even though he wanted to stay?

Baseball America columnist Paul Hagen presents this possible scenario had “the Wild Thing” remained a Phillie:

“Opening day at Veterans Stadium next April, 60,000 people in the stands. Top of the ninth. Phillies leading the Rockies by one run. Manager Jim Fregosi brings ‘Wild Thing’ in for the save . . . and he walks the first batter.

“Just imagine.”

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Trivia time: When was the last time neither Arizona nor UCLA had at least a share of the Pacific 10 men’s basketball title?

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Giant choices: Chris Mortensen of the Sporting News points out that General Manager George Young’s search for a coach of the New York Giants last off-season produced some quality candidates.

Young, who was criticized by the New York press during the search, narrowed his choices to Tom Coughlin, Boston College coach; Dave Wannstedt, Dallas Cowboy defensive coordinator, and Dan Reeves, whom he hired, former Denver Bronco coach.

Coughlin is on several clubs’ short lists of candidates for next season. Wannstedt, who was hired by the Bears, is an NFC coach-of-the-year candidate, as is Reeves.

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Poll proposal: Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese told the New York Times that he will recommend eliminating sportswriters and announcers from voting in college football polls.

“At the end of this year, because the polls have become such a factor in determining who plays in what games, the media has to be removed,” Tranghese said.

“The media’s job is to report the news, not make it.”

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Trivia answer: In 1985, when Washington and USC tied for first.

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Quotebook: Rony Seikaly of the Miami Heat, on seeing 7-foot-7, 225-pound teammate Manute Bol match up against 7-7, 315-pound rookie Gheorghe Muresan: “It was the first time ‘Nute looked small. When he was behind Muresan, you couldn’t see him. Two Manute Bols, you get one Gheorghe.”