ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996 TAG: 9610080080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DEFENSIVE END Cornell Brown will miss Virginia Tech's date with Temple on Saturday.
For the first time in his Virginia Tech career, Cornell Brown won't suit up for a game Saturday.
The Hokies' All-America defensive end underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday at Montgomery Regional Hospital and will miss Saturday's homecoming contest with Temple at Lane Stadium.
Early estimates have Brown out of action for two to three weeks following the surgery to trim torn cartilage. The 6-foot-2, 246-pound senior from Lynchburg had been experiencing swelling in the knee recently.
``The knee has been aggravating Cornell the past two or three weeks,'' said Dr. Duane Lagan, the Hokies' team physician. ``It wasn't bothering him that much.
``It was Cornell's decision to get the thing taken care of. Cornell decided to go ahead and get it done now instead of sitting around later and wondering what's wrong.''
Meanwhile, there was some good news in the Tech camp Monday. Coach Frank Beamer announced he has reinstated tailback Marcus Parker, who missed the club's first four games after being suspended by Beamer on Aug.14 for a July shoplifting incident.
Parker, a former standout at Salem High School, could see considerable playing time against Temple, Beamer said.
If there ever was a good time to have to go without Brown, this is it for Tech (3-1 overall, 2-1 Big East). After facing Temple (1-4, 0-1), Tech enjoys another week off - its second in a span of three weeks - before facing Pittsburgh (2-4, 1-2) on Oct.26 at home.
Brown, Tech's most dominant defender since Bruce Smith in the 1980s, likely will sit out the Pitt game and return to action Nov.2 against Southwestern Louisiana, Lagan said. From that point, Tech's schedule gets increasingly difficult as it faces East Carolina, Miami (away), West Virginia and Virginia in succession.
``There couldn't have been a better time'' for Brown's surgery, Lagan said, ``unless we'd done it last week.''
In Tech's first four games, Brown registered 33 tackles, four sacks and two other tackles for loss.
Beamer said redshirt freshman John Engelberger and junior Danny Wheel, both former walk-ons, will start at end against Temple. Wheel has started the Hokies' first four games, while Engelberger has seen a lot of action off the bench. Redshirt freshman Chris Cyrus and redshirt sophomore Jason Berish will be the primary backups.
``There is no way you can replace a player of Cornell's caliber. Without a doubt, he is one of the top players in college football,'' Beamer said in a statement released by the school.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Brown. color.by CNB