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Tuesday, November 18, 1997

Cowboys' Omar Stoutmire may be fined for big hit

By Bart Hubbuch

Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Cowboys rookie safety Omar Stoutmire may face a fine by the NFL for his devastating hit Sunday on Washington Redskins wide receiver Leslie Shepherd.

Shepherd, the Redskins' leading receiver, suffered a dislocated left elbow and a dislocated left wrist while trying to cushion his fall from Stoutmire's hit on a deep pass play just before halftime in the Cowboys' 17-14 victory.

No penalty was called, but NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is mulling a fine for unnecessary roughness. Shepherd had a pin inserted in his wrist Monday and will miss the rest of the season.

The Redskins were irate after the game, claiming Stoutmire intentionally applied a cheap shot on Shepherd well after quarterback Gus Frerotte's long pass had sailed incomplete.

Stoutmire, a seventh-round pick from Fresno State, vigorously defended himself Monday.

"I'm no head-hunter," he said. "... I'm never out there to hurt anyone. I just lost vision on the ball. I thought he was going to try to make a diving catch, so I just went ahead and hit him."

The league said any fine will be determined this week. Stoutmire earns the rookie minimum salary of $131,000. "If the situation came about again, I'd probably do the same thing," he said.

No big deal

Troy Aikman was baffled by the fuss over his fourth-quarter sideline talk with the offense Sunday and over televised shots of him holding hands with teammates as Richie Cunningham kicked the game-winning field goal.

"I've always done what I felt needed to be done at the time," Aikman said. "I've never given much though to how I react or how I respond to situations. I felt it was important to get the guys together at that time and talk to them.

"It just goes to show you that, when you're winning, a lot of things are acceptable. When you're not, everything comes into question."

Williams should play

Left tackle Erik Williams should play Sunday at Green Bay after missing a game with a sprained ankle. Williams is questionable, but he applied weight on the ankle Monday and is expected to practice Thursday or Friday.

Safety Darren Woodson, meanwhile, will practice this week and play Sunday despite a minor ankle sprain suffered in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys also say tackle Mark Tuinei, out since Oct. 13 with a knee injury, could return for the Dec. 8 game with Carolina.

Hutson impresses

First-year offensive tackle Tony Hutson, who made his NFL debut in place of Erik Williams on Sunday, exceeded the Cowboys' expectations.

The 6-3, 315-pound Hutson, activated off the practice squad two weeks ago only when the Philadelphia Eagles threatened to sign him away, yielded just one tackle to defensive end Kenard Lang.

"I couldn't have wished him a better performance," coach Barry Switzer said.

Green Bay trap?

The Cowboys expect a madhouse Sunday for their first trip to Green Bay since 1989.

Cowboys players know that T-shirts advertising the "Showdown in Titletown" are being sold in Green Bay. Tickets are being scalped for $1,000 each, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette is planning a special section devoted to the game.

"I expect it to be very loud and very rowdy," Emmitt Smith said. "It's nothing new. They can't be any more rude than the people in Philadelphia or some of the folks in New York."

Briefly ...

The Cowboys say UT-San Antonio and the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin have emerged as leading candidates to play host to their training camp, although the team still is considering a one-year stint at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. ... Cowboys coach Barry Switzer did not announce game balls Monday because he rewarded the players with a day off. ... The Packers say defensive tackle Gilbert Brown (ankle) and defensive end Reggie White (back) are questionable for Sunday.

(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

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