Pressure, Not Defect, Caused Collapse

An engineering firm blamed abnormal crowding conditions for the railing collapse at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium that sent nine Army cadets and prep students crashing to the ground during the Army-Navy game.

The engineers from HNTB Sports Architects of Kansas City, Mo., reached the same conclusion Thursday as the city Department of Licenses and Inspections: The railing gave way because there was too much pressure against it, not because it was defective.

“They indicated from their visual examination that there was no sign of any rust, corrosion or structural defect and the incident was caused by too much crowding and pushing,” Mayor Edward Rendell said.

*

Defensive end Inoke Breckterfield of Oregon State and offensive guard Yusef Scott of Arizona are winners of the Morris Award, given to the outstanding linemen in the Pacific 10.

The award is unusual because starting offensive linemen in the conference vote for the defensive award and starting defensive linemen vote for the offensive award.

*

Nebraska running back DeAngelo Evans spent nine hours in the Seward County jail in Omaha this week after an arrest for driving with a suspended license.

Evans sat out the last six games of the regular season because of a bruised tailbone. His status for the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl remains undetermined, but he has said he expects to play.

Authorities discovered a warrant had been issued for Evans after he was involved in a minor traffic collision Monday in Belleville, Kan., as he drove back to Lincoln from his hometown of Wichita, Kan.

*

Emporia State’s Brian Shay, who quietly outran Ricky Williams of Texas this season to become college football’s career rushing leader, won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II.

Shay beat out Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey by a record 185 points.

Shay finished his career with 6,958 yards rushing and 9,301 all-purpose, both NCAA all-division records. He was largely overlooked in a year in which Williams garnered all the headlines while setting the Division I-A rushing record with 6,279 yards.

“Division I football, they make all the money, sell all the tickets,” Shay said. “But the people in Division II know who I am and what I’ve done.”

Shay led Division II in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards this season, averaging 205.9 yards on the ground. He owns five NCAA records and 12 Division II marks.

*

University of Hawaii Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida declined to reveal the salary of new head Coach June Jones, but said the package won’t include any public funds.

However, published reports in Honolulu and San Diego on Friday said Jones agreed to a five-year deal worth $400,000 annually with an option for a sixth season.

That is the highest salary ever paid an athletic coach at Hawaii. By comparison, university President Kenneth Mortimer last year earned $162,000 and lived rent-free in a home.