
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 29, 1993                   TAG: 9312290194
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MIAMI                                LENGTH: Medium

UVA'S JEFFERS CAME TO PLAY

Now that Virginia's Patrick Jeffers has medical clearance for the Carquest Bowl, his playing status is in the hands of coach George Welsh.

Jeffers was not a starter for Virginia, so that is not an issue, but he has not played since suffering a fractured collarbone Nov. 6 during a game against Wake Forest.

"I don't know if we're going to use him," Welsh said Tuesday. "I don't know how good he is. I think he dropped some balls [Tuesday] in practice."

Jeffers, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, has missed the past 2 1/2 games, but he still led the Cavaliers in receptions with 32. Quarterback Symmion Willis seemed lost after injuries sidelined Jeffers and tight end Aaron Mundy.

"It felt pretty good this week," Jeffers said of his collarbone. "The big problem is conditioning. I don't feel I've lost any speed . . . "

Jeffers said it was possible to see a fracture line on X-rays of his collarbone taken Sunday, but they showed a calcium build-up that will protect the area.

"I don't think it's completely healed," he said, "but I've been told that the only way I can break it again is the same kind of collision. I don't think Dr. [Frank] McCue would send me out there if it wasn't safe."

Usually, injured players - even those with a chance of playing - wear a red shirt during UVa's practice sessions. However, Jeffers has not been spared any contact work this week.

"How much I play is up to [the coaches]," Jeffers said.

"In the past two weeks, I've gone from doubtful to thinking I definitely can play."

Of course, Jeffers' rehabilitation might have been helped by UVa's bid to the Carquest Bowl, which became possible when Arkansas beat Louisiana State.

"I didn't even know they were playing," said Jeffers, who was home in Fort Worth, Texas, where UVa's bowl chances were not a hot topic of conversation.

"My father had been watching the game and, when he told me what happened, I couldn't believe it," he said. "I thought it was between us and N.C. State and when [the Wolfpack] were picked, we couldn't go anywhere."

Keywords:
FOOTBALL

by CNB