COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

Purdue quarterback Drew Brees won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around player. Other award winners included Texas Christian’s LaDainian Tomlinson (Doak Walker Award as the top running back); Tennessee defensive lineman John Henderson (Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman); Florida State’s Chris Weinke (Davey O’Brien Award as the top quarterback); Pittsburgh’s Antonio Bryant (Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver); Wisconsin’s Kevin Stemke (Ray Guy Award as best punter); Wisconsin cornerback Jamar Fletcher (Jim Thorpe Award) and Miami linebacker Dan Morgan (Bednarik Award). . . . Josh Heupel was named Associated Press’ player of the year.

Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson will be named coach at Texas Christian, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. . . . Florida running back Robert Gillespie underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee to repair cartilage damage, leaving the Gators’ top rusher questionable for the Sugar Bowl. . . . The Rev. Jesse Jackson is seeking to meet with officials of the NCAA to discuss what he says is an “unacceptable” number of black head coaches in major college football. With the firings of Bob Simmons at Oklahoma State and Jim Caldwell at Wake Forest, Division I-A football has only four black coaches out of the 115 total, or about 3.5%. “This is unfair and it is unacceptable,” Jackson said. “College football thrives on the blood, sweat and tears of black players and there has to be opportunities beyond the playing field.” Jackson said he hopes to meet with NCAA executive director Cedric Dempsey next month.

A sports memorabilia company in Boca Raton, Fla., postponed a telephone auction of Billy Sims’ 1978 Heisman Trophy, saying the former Oklahoma running back must first make overdue child support payments. “We want to do everything by the book,” said Scott Goodman, president of Sports World Inc. “We had no idea he owed any child support.” Goodman said the company was notified of the situation by the state of Oklahoma.

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BOWL LINEUP, D14