Friday, August 30, 1996

Texas quarterback says shoulder is fine

By CHIP BROWN
Associated Press

AUSTIN - Texas quarterback James Brown shakes his head when asked about the nagging injuries to his right shoulder last year.

"Everyone keeps reminding me about my arm," Brown said, his soft-spoken voice tinged by frustration. "I try to forget about it."

The biggest question on the minds of Longhorns faithful will likely be answered Saturday night, when No. 8 Texas opens its season on a new grass field at home against Big 12 Conference foe Missouri.

Is the throwing arm of Brown, the Southwest Conference's final offensive player of the year in 1995, OK?

Brown says yes.

Texas coach John Mackovic says yes.

It was Mackovic, a sleuth for detail and a former quarterback, who noticed, even before Brown, that his signal-caller's passes weren't packing the same zip at the beginning of last season.

Not until Brown was shown videotapes of him almost throwing sidearm did he realize that something was wrong. He threw eight interceptions in the first four games of the season.

The conclusion was that Brown had overprepared last spring and summer by throwing too many passes.

"His arm was fatigued going to Hawaii" for last season's opener, Mackovic said this week. "But James has looked good all fall. He's a lot better off this year than last year."

This fall, the only concern on Brown's mind has been reading defenses, Mackovic said, adding that he has been pleased with his quarterback's reads.

Brown refrained from throwing footballs in spring and summer drills. Instead, he did a series of exercises that had him simulating his throwing motion with a tennis ball and a foam football.
He then was limited to throwing the football in one practice daily during fall two-a-days.

"My arm feels good. I'm not going to baby it," Brown said. "I think it's stronger, but I could go out there Saturday and hurt it, just falling on it. I haven't been tackled yet. You never know, so I try not to think about it."

Brown, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior who redshirted his freshman year, says he is a smarter quarterback after another year of study in Texas' complex, pro-style offense.

He is also excited about the weapons he has to choose from, including receiver Mike Adams, tight end Pat Fitzgerald and running backs Shon Mitchell, Ricky Williams and Priest Holmes.

"We'll spread it around," Brown said. "They all come to me after every play and say they were open, but it's my job to see who's really telling me the truth and get the ball to that guy."

In addition to his shoulder problems, an ankle sprain kept him out of a victory over Baylor and hampered him in a victory over Texas A&M and in a Sugar Bowl loss to Virginia Tech.

Despite the injuries, Brown was the consensus SWC offensive player of the year, leading Texas to a 10-2-1 record. Brown, always a threat to scramble, set single-season school records last year for passing yards (2,447) and touchdown passes (19).

"I'm ready to go. We've got a lot of talent on this offense," Brown said. "My only concern is us playing up to our potential and getting that chemistry early."