Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993 TAG: 9311180183
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I wanted to play tennis," Milligan said, "but I never got my eligibility."
Milligan's highest grade at Radford was a "C," but that gave him the credits he needed for an associate's degree at Northern Virginia Community College.
One year later, Milligan is handling kickoffs and kicking extra points for Maryland. Ostensibly, he also kicks field goals for the Terrapins - if they ever attempt another one.
Milligan has been at five colleges since he graduated in 1989 from Bishop O'Connell, where purportedly he attracted the interest of Penn State and West Virginia before he collided with a plate-glass window and required 408 stitches in his calf.
Milligan subsequently played for one season at the University of the District of Columbia, a Division II program that was forced to give up football when it received the "death penalty" from the NCAA.
Milligan transferred to West Virginia and was on the depth chart as a punter and place-kicker during the spring of 1991, but his academic progress wasn't as satisfactory and he returned home to Northern Virginia Community College.
"I got my grades up," Milligan said, "but I was two credits short [of a degree] when I transferred to Radford. I needed an associate's degree to play tennis."
He left Radford, which does not have a football team, and was driving heavy equipment in South Dakota when he learned that Maryland had lost its place-kicker, junior-college All-American Lonnie Calichio.
"I was thinking about trying out for the Redskins as a punter," he said, "but I had all these schools fed-ex transcripts - I even picked up one myself - and beat the [admissions] deadline. It should never have happened, but it did."
Milligan is 4-of-5 on extra points since taking over for Ken Lytle. Lytle and Milligan are a combined 1-for-8 on field goals, which is why Milligan (0-for-2) doesn't expect to get a chance Saturday at Wake Forest.
"I'm going up to Radford after the game," he said. "I enjoyed it a lot. My first [football] game was against Virginia Tech and I didn't know till Thursday that I was going to play. My friends couldn't believe it."
\ BEAMER DISCIPLE: An ACC effort to push North Carolina State as an Independence Bowl opponent for Virginia Tech could make for an interesting reunion between Hokies coach Frank Beamer and the Wolfpack's Mike O'Cain, who was Beamer's offensive coordinator at Murray State.
\ HOLTZ TO DUKE? One of the most intriguing candidates for the coaching vacancy at Duke is 29-year-old Notre Dame offensive coordinator Skip Holtz, son of Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz. It hasn't hurt the younger Holtz that Terry Bowden, son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, has guided Auburn to a 10-0 record in his first year.
Virginia offensive coordinator Rom O'Brien has been mentioned in connection with the Duke opening, which also has brought inquiries from former North Carolina coach Dick Crum, former Texas coach Fred Akers and ex-Minnesota coach John Gutekunst.
\ IN THE ACC: Knowledgeable sources at Clemson say coach Ken Hatfield will be back next season if he desires. Hatfield's contract runs through 1996 and the faculty senate voted last week not to pay off any more football coaches.
New Mexico wide receiver Carl Winston has set an NCAA record with receptions in 45 consecutive games, one more than North Carolina's Corey Holliday. New Mexico and North Carolina each has one game remaining; however, the Tar Heels (9-2) are more likely to go to a bowl than the Lobos (5-5).
\ IN HOOPS: Senior forward Pat Sullivan, a possible starter for North Carolina this season, has elected to take a redshirt year. The absence of Sullivan, who averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds last year, should mean increased playing time for heralded freshman Jerry Stackhouse.
VMI forward Terrell Milam, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from William Fleming, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined 2-6 weeks, depending on the damage.
\ RECRUITING: Virginia Tech basketball coach Bill Foster said the Hokies are finished with their fall recruiting after 6-9 Eriq Mason from Dallas signed with Rutgers. There is no indication Mason was a high priority for Tech, although he did take an official visit to Blacksburg.
Virginia target Mike Maddox, a 6-8 forward from Atlanta, had not reached a decision as of Wednesday evening and there was a chance he would wait until the spring. Maddox has visited UVa, apparent favorite Georgia Tech, Kansas, Villanova and Western Kentucky.
Adonal Foyle, a native of the Grenadines in the West Indies, passed over Duke and Syracuse and to sign with non-scholarship Colgate, where his guardians teach. . . . Ishua Benjamin, a 6-4 point guard from Concord, N.C., signed with N.C. State after making a tentative commitment to Ohio State.
\ BRISCOE'S BRAINCHILD: Grace College, the NAIA national champion two years ago, will be the favorite in the second Cavalier Christian College Basketball Classic on Nov. 26-27 at Lord Botetourt High School. The opposition includes Tennessee Temple, Trevecca Nazarene and Asbury College.
First Church of God pastor Charlie Briscoe is praying for ticket sales of 3,200, his break-even point. Tennessee Temple and Trevecca Nazarene have had successful programs, but were down last year. The program at Asbury is in its second season.
\ LOCAL UPDATE: Kris Sweet, a former All-Group AA center for Salem High School, will start Saturday for Carson-Newman in its opening-round Division II playoff game against North Alabama. Sweet began his career at Virginia Tech, where he was No. 2 on the depth chart at one point.
\ LUCKY GUY: Former Cave Spring High School soccer player Bobby Warnick, sitting out a redshirt year at Virginia Tech, won a two-night trip to Disney World at last week's Radford-Tech game in Radford.
Tech's coaches became concerned that, because he was an athlete, it would be an NCAA violation for Warnick to accept the trip. Tech assistant athletic director Steve Horton said he can accept the prize as long as he won it by blind chance.
by CNB