THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 30, 1995 TAG: 9512300512
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer fretted earlier in the week about nagging injuries to several players, but trainer Eddie Ferrell said Friday everyone should be able to play in Sunday's Sugar Bowl against Texas.
``We broke camp before Christmas with a lot of guys dinged up,'' Ferrell said. ``Those guys have all gotten well.''
The biggest question mark was junior center Billy Conaty, who broke his right ankle in the season-ending Virginia game. Conaty is not 100 percent, but has practiced here all week and was clowning around running pass patterns - or limping pass patterns - when a handful of Tech players worked out briefly in the Superdome Friday.
``Conaty will start the game,'' Tech offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle said. ``He's probably 85 to 90 percent. We feel he can play.''
Tech skill position players and kickers got their first chance to work inside the dome Friday. The entire team will practice there today for their only workout in the facility before the game.
NFL FUTURES: Of Tech's 11 senior starters, defensive tackle J.C. Price, running back Dwayne Thomas and flanker Bryan Still have the best chance to play in the NFL, according to Redskins general manager Charley Casserly.
``I'd say those are their three draftable guys,'' Casserly said Friday. None are projected as early round picks.
HOKIE RECRUIT: Virginia Tech's placekicker is a senior, and Friday the Hokies may have landed his replacement. Pulaski County's Shaynecq Graham verbally committed to Tech, canceling planned visits to Virginia and North Carolina.
Graham has started at Pulaski County since his freshman year and his 38 career field goals rank second all-time on the National High School Federation list. He has 17 field goals this year and 165 career point-after kicks, which both rank fifth all-time nationally and are state records.
Tech has received 19 verbal commitments from recruits.
CONFERENCE PRIDE: The Southwest Conference has a chance to go out in style. The league, which is splitting after 81 years of football, had two other bowl teams this year in addition to conference champion Texas. Texas Tech has already beaten Air Force in the Copper Bowl and Texas A&M beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.
``We wanna make it 3-0,'' Texas defensive tackle Shane Rink said. ``That would be nice for the conference. The last couple years everyone's been making fun of us, saying we're the Southworst Conference.''
GOBBLE GOBBLE: Hokie fans have hit town. Forty-three chartered planes from Virginia were scheduled to arrive here Friday. by CNB