SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tim Brown struck the Heisman Trophy pose on stage at the urging of a fan after putting on his new College Football Hall of Fame blazer, then moments later, Steve McMichael playfully rushed past emcee Mark May like he was about to chase down a quarterback.
Both drew appreciative cheers from the crowd gathered for a rally to see the 24 former players and coaches who were being enshrined Saturday. The biggest cheer, though, was for Chris Spielman, with nearly 100 people in the crowd wearing his No. 36 Ohio State jersey.
“This is how we do it at Ohio State,” Spielman said to another loud cheer.
Even former Southern California coach John Robinson drew applause despite being in the backyard of rival Notre Dame.
“It’s nice to be in South Bend and not get booed,” Robinson told the crowd.
Among the others being honored were former Miami quarterback Gino Torretta, who won the Heisman in 1992; Penn State running back Curt Warner; West Virginia quarterback Major Harris; and Dick MacPherson, who coached at UMass and Syracuse.
• Nate Montana is one of the 11 Notre Dame athletes who were among 42 people arrested on misdemeanor charges of underage drinking at a party Friday night.
Smith having memory issues
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina coaching great Dean Smith is dealing with memory loss.
His family sent a letter to former players and coaches, discussing the 79-year-old Hall of Famer’s health after generally declining to comment for privacy reasons. Smith’s condition was described as a “progressive neurocognitive disorder that affects his memory.” “He may not immediately recall the name of every former player from his many years of coaching, but that does not diminish how much he cares about them,” the letter said.
Smith retired in 1997 after 36 seasons in Chapel Hill as the winningest coach in Division I men’s basketball with 879 victories, a mark passed a decade later by Bob Knight at Texas Tech.
McCarron leads Reno-Tahoe Open
RENO, Nev. — Scott McCarron rattled off four birdies and an eagle on the front nine on his way to a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Reno-Tahoe Open.
• Former NFL quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver leads the American Century Championship in State- line, Nev. He fired a record 33 points in the modified Stableford scoring format.
• Lion Kim defeated David McDaniel 6 and 5 to win the 36-hole final at the U.S. Amateur Public Links in Greensboro, N.C.
Footnotes.
Free-agent center Brad Miller has agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract with the Houston Rockets.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas signed a free-agent contract with the Miami Heat. Terms weren’t disclosed.
• Serena Williams needs surgery on her right foot after cutting it on a broken glass at a restaurant.
