Hey, Norm, Maybe You Should Look for Another Line of Work

Kicker Norm Johnson of the Steelers, a former UCLA player, told Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he doesn’t relish pressure situations:

“I’m not one of those kickers who will tell you I want every game to come down to my kick at the end. Those guys aren’t truthful. I don’t want this in every game.

“I don’t want to die early from stress or a heart attack.”

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Trivia time: What was California’s record from 1960 to 1962, when Bill Walsh and Mike White were assistant coaches at the school?

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Inflation: Frank Luksa in the Dallas Morning News on Deion Sanders: “A $12-million [nearly 13] signing bonus? Founding Cowboy owner Clint Murchison Jr. paid $650,000 for the franchise. Sanders will get almost 18 1/2 times its original value up front. Can he possibly be worth it?”

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Add Cowboys: John Crumpacker in the San Francisco Examiner: “Instead of giving Deion Sanders all those millions, Cowboy owner Jerry Jones should invest in a plan to convert that silly Texas Chainsaw Stadium from artificial turf to grass.

“Surely that hole in the roof would let in enough sunlight for real grass to grow.”

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What, no clowns? Dan Rooney, president of the Pittsburgh Steelers, on not being involved in the Sanders sweepstakes: “It’s a circus. We play football here in Pittsburgh. We’re not in the carnival business.”

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Everyone’s MVP: Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “We’re guessing that a player from Campbellsville [Ky.] College is an indispensable member of the soccer team. His name is Scott Necessary.”

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Setting it straight: An advertisement for USC University Hospital in Monday’s sports section identifies Dean Schneider as a fullback who threw a dramatic touchdown pass in a 21-7 upset of UCLA in 1949.

Schneider was actually a reserve quarterback and he threw two touchdown passes, not one.

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Trivia answer: Cal won four games, lost 24 and tied one. Marv Levy was the head coach.

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Quotebook: Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins on a recent turnout of 2,742 for a game against Detroit at the Metrodome: “It was so quiet I could hear people’s hearts beating.”