Kendra's injury is big, but look for FSU to survive

Sporting News, The, April 13, 1998 by Tom Dienhart, Mike Huguenin

The recent knee injury to Florida State quarterback Dan Kendra may not be as big a blow to the Seminoles as some would expect.

Kendra, a junior, blew out the ACL in his left knee when he was tackled by redshirt freshman linebacker Bradley Jennings in the Seminoles' spring game last Saturday. The injury almost certainly means Kendra, scheduled to replace Thad Busby as the Seminoles' quarterback, will miss the season. But if anybody can make a miraculous recovery from such an injury, it's Kendra. The man lives in the weight room, and his fitness regimen is reaching legendary status in Tallahassee.

Still, it appears Chris Weinke will be the man for the Seminoles. Weinke, who turns 26 in July, may be the oldest footballplaying sophomore in the nation. Although he has the tools for the job, he has played in only two games since his senior season in high school in 1989--and that was in mop-up duty as a third-teamer last season.

There's no question Weinke--who played six years of minor league baseball after high school -- lacks Kendra's athleticism. But there's also no question Kendra lacks something Weinke has in abundance--patience in the pocket. Kendra's problem has been a tendency to tuck the ball and run when pressured in the pocket (he was injured while out of the pocket). There's no such worry with Weinke, who has a strong arm, a good football mind and much more maturity than the average college sophomore. In short, Weinke makes good decisions, which is crucial in the Seminoles' offensive scheme.

There will be a depth problem. Untested sophomore Marcus Outzen, who was lightly recruited out of high school in 1995 and missed half of spring with a separated shoulder, becomes the No. 2 man, with true freshman Jared Jones likely to assume the No. 3 role.

Bottom line: Kendra's injury means FSU has lost whatever chance it had of being ranked No. 1 in most preseason polls. Ultimately, though, the injury may mean the `Noles finish No. 1.

Other news and notes:

* Organizers in Hawaii are proposing a bowl doubleheader in Honolulu for Christmas Day. The Aloha Bowl already is in place; the new bowl-the Mele Kalikimaka Classic--would follow a few hours later in the same stadium. (Mele Kalikimaka means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian.) The MKC still isn't certified, but that could come when an NCAA committee meets late this month (the Music City Bowl in Nashville almost certainly will be certified at the same time). WAC officials--the bowl likely would have a WAC team as one of its participants--are said to be confident the bowl will be in place by this season.

* Two spring position changes at Florida look to be permanent. Tony George has moved from strong safety to his original position of cornerback, a move that should solidify the secondary. Sophomore Rod Graddy's rapid development made the move possible. And former outside man Johnny Rutledge will stay in the middle, where he'll be flanked by Mike Peterson and future All-American Jevon Kearse.

It's tough when you have to replace your starting quarterback, your starting tailback and your best receiver. That's what Clemson coach Tommy West is going through with the departures of Nealon Greene, Raymond Priester and Tony Home. The Tigers have a new tailback (redshirt freshman Travis Zachery) and a new go-to receiver (Brian Wofford), but the new quarterback could be a problem. The situation wasn't helped when heir apparent Brandon Streeter broke his ankle during a scrimmage. The extent of the injury won't be known until Streeter's cast comes off in about eight weeks. Doctors did say ligament damage probably wasn't as bad as first feared. But if the problem carries over to the fall, the quarterback will be a redshirt freshman--Slade Nagle (who has a good arm and a great QB name, but is a bit small at 6-0) or Woodrow Dantzler (an excellent athlete but a mediocre passer).

Associate editor Tom Dienhart and assistant managing editor Mike Huguenin cover college football for The Sporting News. E-mail them at colfb@sportingnews.com.