Wednesday, November 18, 1998

Riddle signs baseball letter with Tech

By JEFF WALKER

Staff Writer

Adam Riddle's broken collarbone may have had a deeper impact on his life than just missing the Cougars' bi-district playoff game with Amarillo High.

The senior signed a letter-of-intent Tuesday to play baseball at Texas Tech next season.

"Adam is one of those dual athletes with great speed that is a prime recruit for both sports," Cooper athletic coordinator and head football coach Randy Allen said. "He and Miles Durham are similar in that they both excelled as wide receivers in football and in the outfield in baseball.

"I think Adam did the smart thing getting this behind him. Now he can relax and enjoy playing his senior season, and one thing that may have prompted this decision was breaking his collarbone."

Riddle said he received interest from Southern Methodist University, Kansas, as well as Tech to play football, but he opted to pursue America's pastime.

"It was a hard decision but I came to the decision last week that God wanted me to play baseball at Tech," Riddle said. "Now I can relax and have a good senior season instead of worrying about impressing someone, now I can just play and have fun."

Riddle, who was the second leading receiver in District 4-5A this season with 34 catches for 729 yards and eight touchdowns, played center field last season for the Cougars' baseball team. He batted .444 in district play with a pair of doubles and nine runs batted-in. He said his future at Tech is up to him.

"They didn't tell me where or when I'd be playing," he said. "They told me the guys who were playing outfield now and their grades and they said nobody comes in and starts. They'll put me at a position and they'll be someone in front of me, and it'll be up to me what I do with it."

Riddle broke his collarbone while making a catch in the Cougars' regular-season finale against Abilene High. He said he isn't expecting to do anything physically until the holidays.

"I think around Christmas or early January I'll be able to start lifting weights and working out," he said.

Jeff Walker can be reached at 676-6711 or sports@abinews.com.