He’s Driven but Doesn’t Have to Drive

Houston Oiler Coach Jeff Fisher sleeps in his “office,” a makeshift storage closet at the team’s practice facility.

“Actually I can’t wait to come to work every morning,” Fisher told Bill Plaschke of The Times.

Comment from John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Examiner: “Uh, Jeff, you are at work.”

Trivia time: Who was the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy?

Home alone: John Yale, a former Northwestern football player, recalling how it was with the struggling Wildcats in the 1980s to Melissa Isaacson of the Chicago Tribune:

“It was difficult to play on Saturdays and look up and see so many empty seats. The most difficult was scoring a late touchdown and no one cheering at all because they had already left.”

Yogurt preferred: Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News commenting on the trade that sent 76er Shawn Bradley to the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Coleman:

“And for those of you who complained that Bradley was an empty sheet, an athlete with the personality of vanilla yogurt, Coleman has enough attitude to make Ricky Watters sound like San Diego Padre good guy Tony Gwynn.”

Fear of traveling: The Denver Broncos have a 7-6 record and a chance to make the playoffs. But tight end Shannon Sharpe said his team isn’t of playoff caliber.

“To be honest, right now I’d be afraid if we went on the road in the playoffs, we wouldn’t make a good showing.”

He might have something there. The Broncos have a 1-5 road record.

Come again?San Diego Charger Coach Bobby Ross gave his Yogi Berra imitation in describing his team’s chances of making the playoffs with a 6-7 record:

“It’s only too late when it’s too late. And it’s not too late until you’re mathematically out of it, and we’re not yet.”

You tell us: Washington Redskin owner Jack Kent Cooke on being asked recently about Coach Norv Turner’s job security for the second week in a row:

“Why would I change in two weeks? What the hell kind of effervescent, fairy-like creature do you think I am?”

Looking back: On this day in 1981, USC’s Marcus Allen won the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 2,342 yards, an NCAA single-season record at the time.

Trivia answer: Davey O’Brien of Texas Christian in 1938.

Quotebook: Toronto Maple Leaf Coach Pat Burns on the flat terrain of Winnipeg: “It’s the only town where you can watch your dog run away for three days.”