August 24, 1998

Paladins Begin Preparation For Clemson; Conner Says No To Surgery, Rejoins Squad

GREENVILLE -- With its 1998 season opener against Clemson less than two weeks away, the Furman Paladins began to narrow their focus Monday in preparation for their visit to Death Valley on Sept. 5.

"We're starting to get more specific on offense and defense and cover some of the things we might see from Clemson and other opponents this season," said head coach Bobby Johnson following the Paladins' two practice sessions on Monday. "We got in some good work on our two minute offense and defense, and we tried to cover more of the situations we might face."

Monday's practices, which marked the Paladins' fourth day in full pads, included the return to action of junior defensive tackle Brian Conner (Knoxville, Tenn.), who elected to forego surgery to repair a ruptured flexor tendon in his right hand. A projected starter a weak side tackle, Conner injured the hand last Wednesday in non-contact work and would have missed a minimum of eight weeks of action had he chosen to have surgery. Faced with only two years of remaining eligibility, however, Conner, who redshirted in 1995, informed the coaching staff over the weekend of his decision to return. He totaled 170 plays, 21 tackles, and two sacks a year ago.

Conner's unexpected return helped offset Furman's injury situation, which has seen several regulars sidelined for significant portions of the pre-season.

"We're still a little banged up and have a few people we can't seem to get well, but the flip side to that is the injury situation is opening doors of opportunity for others," Johnson added.

The Furman secondary, and in particular the cornerback position, has been hardest hit by pre-season injuries. Projected starters Andre Stroman (hamstring) and Bryant Huguley (leg) have yet to take part in full contact work, and several other regulars and backups, including fullbacks Adam Sanders (hamstring) and Derek Russell (hamstring), have been out for almost the entire pre-season.

Monday's practices marked the Paladins' fourth day in full pads and followed Saturday's scrimmage that saw Furman's quarterbacks and passing game shine. Sophomore quarterbacks Justin Hill and Brent Rickman combined to complete 12-of-20 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's scrimmage in Paladin Stadium.