Foot Injury May Ground Zereoue

West Virginia tailback Amos Zereoue, the nation’s third-leading rusher, re-injured his foot when a scout-team defender fell on him, and may not play in the Carquest Bowl, Coach Don Nehlen said.

The extent of the injury was unknown.

“It’s just a freak thing,” Nehlen said. “A sprained foot is a sprained foot. If you’re a running back, I don’t suppose that’s good.”

Injuries have plagued Zereoue, a sophomore, throughout his two seasons.

In 1996, he suffered a turf toe injury midway through the season that hampered him the rest of the year.

He injured the foot during a loss to Syracuse this year and missed one game. On his return, he rushed for a career-high 234 yards against Notre Dame and finished the season with a school-record 1,505 yards, along with 16 touchdowns.

West Virginia (7-4) and Georgia Tech (6-5) will meet in the Carquest Bowl on Dec. 29 in Miami.

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Colorado senior quarterback John Hessler was arrested on a warrant for failing to complete a sentence imposed last year after driving away from a University of Colorado patrol officer who was writing him a parking ticket in August 1996.

Hessler was arrested and released on bond from the Logan County Jail on Saturday, Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Ron Ballas said.

Ballas stopped the quarterback for speeding 10 miles west of Sterling in eastern Colorado and discovered the outstanding warrant for failing to complete a community service sentence. In the 1996 incident, Hessler was charged with reckless endangerment for putting the officer’s safety in danger.

The quarterback pleaded guilty in exchange for charges being dropped. But as part of the deferred judgment, Hessler agreed to complete eight hours of community service.

“He fulfilled every other requirement but the community service,” his attorney, Peter Schaffer, said. “He will do his community service on Monday.”

It’s unlikely the university will seek disciplinary sanctions against Hessler since the school rarely takes action on off-campus arrests, said Ron Stump, the school’s vice chancellor of student affairs.