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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1987)
Spovii ■ "' ' ' . —i— bb Baaii m — mumi a San Francisco offers Cherry new contract By Janean Chun Of Mm Emerald Thousands of kids, and their parents, have stopped him for his autograph. "It doesn’t affect me," he says. "It’s flatter ing. . .but no big deal." Who is this? A rock singer? A television star? An MTV veejay? No, it’s University senior Tony Cherry, former Duck foot ball standout. Cherry was drafted last spring by the San Francisco 49ers, who recently were eliminated from the Na tional Football league playoffs by the New York Giants. The 49ers were victims of their own inability to run the football, registering only 29 yards on the yard compared to the Giants’ 216. San Francisco receiver Dwight Clark was even quoted after the playoff loss as saying, "Our running game — we couldn’t get back to the line of scrimmage.” Cherry, a successful tailback at Oregon, was released by the 49ers in October after playing just five games, but San Francisco asked him back for the 1987 season and offered him a new contract with a $10,000 increase next year. He is currently in Kugene to finish his degree in telecom munications at the University. In 1985, his last season at Oregon, Cherry became the third rusher in the history of the Ducks to pass the 1,000-yard mark. His 1,006-yard senior season is second only to Bobby Moore’s (Ahmad Kashad) 1,575 yards in 1971. Cherry had five 100-yard games and 10 touchdowns dur ing the 1985 season and earned first-team all-Pac-10 honors as a running back. He also received the Clark Trophy, which is awarded to the team’s most im proved player. Cherry was an obvious can didate for the NFI. and expected to be drafted between the fifth and 10th rounds. When he heard he was drafted by San Francisco in the ninth round, he was, "happy, relieved. It got kind of hairy there. It was almost the 10th round.” In the 1986 pre-season game against the Los Angeles Raiders, Cherry made his first NFL touchdown. "It happens like it usually happens. It was Mon. • Fri. 8:30 • 8:00pm 519 E. 13th 485-1940 just regular. It didn't sink in un til after the game, when I sat down and thought about it. It was nice.” he says. And in the final pre-season game against the Los Angeles Rams, he made another touchdown. This time he spik ed the ball. "That was fun.” he says, laughing. "I always wanted to do that." Yet Cherry remains level headed in a profession where it is easy to get carried away by fame. "I don’t know, it’s pretty much just football to me — just another step. And I felt I deserv ed it because I did well in college. “I was never in awe of anybody, but I did stop a couple of times and say, Tin here.’ I saw it as the highest point a man can go. You know, it’s pro fessional. But it seemed the same, just another team. "Whenever I get on the field, it doesn’t matter what level it is. the job’s got to be done. The op ponent is the enemy; l have to elude him. I have the ball — I have to score." Cherry also spent some time off the field with the famous 49er players. During a break from summer camp, he attend ed a barbeque at Ronnie Lott's uncle's house with Ixitt and Roger Craig. "Everyone thinks they’re head cases just because they're professional athletes." Cherry says. "It doesn't make much sense to me. I mean, they were good enough to get there. They're just human beings and they play football. It’s that simple." Cherry made the final 45-man cut for the 49ers because two other running backs. Hill Ring and Wendall Tyler were on in jured reserve. Then Wendall Tyler came off injured reserve ancl went on the required NFL waiver wire. The waiver wire runs 24-hours throughout the entire NFL. A scout for any team can read the players' names by com puter and can pick any player up. Tyler, who has a no-cut con tract. was not picked up, so Cherry was released. Photo by Michael Wilhelm Former Oregon football standout Tony Cherry may be hitting the books right now to complete his degree in telecommunica tions, but a new 1987 contract offer from the San Francisco 49ers will most likely put him back on the gridiron soon. —UO Bookstore— LOW Photo PRICES Him & Photo IVotTssin QWDP i a Guaranteed Lowest Prices Wa’II match of beat tha prtca ol any local photo coupon. One Day Service In by 4 p.m. back by NOON tha naxt day (C-41). r Enlargements, Reprints and Slides Qood sarvlca and groat prtcaa In our lull sarvlca Photo Oapt. 't our lull sct\ iir Photo Dipt. We carry KODAK. OLYMPUS, and PENT AX cameras A supplies. 13th & Kincaid M f 7.30-5-30 SAT 10 00 4 00 M6 4331 '‘I just got caught up in a numbers game. They didn't want to lose me. but no one picked Wendall up because of his knee (Tyler went through knee surgery last year), his age — he’s 31-years old. and his salary — $500,000 a year. It's a business. They like to get rid of / BMBM I PWiLrffl CHINESE RESTAURANT Oriental Buffet Lunch Downstairs & Try Our Dinner Upstairs Hours: Downstairs M Th 1! 00 7 00; F Sa II 00 4 3C Closed Sundays Hours: Upstairs Su Th 4 30 10 00 F Sa 5 00 10 30 1275 Alder Street • 683-8886 that kind of thing, especially with his being that old. "They (San Francisco) said, ‘What can we do? We can’t pay both of them. We have to pay Wendall.’ Turn to Cherry, Page 12 ^German AUTO SERVICE VW’S MERCEDES BMW'S DATSUN TOYOTA reliable service for your foreign car ‘Since 1963" 2025 Franklin Bvd Eugene. 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