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Show Pag iH - THE HERALD Provo Utah. Thursday. August 30. 1584 Pen diet on I m pressive In Pfofessffio Dehut By DOUG WILKS Herald Sports Writer True ROCKLIN. Calif. sports fans will tell you that watching a professional football game on television just isn't the same thing as actually being there in the stadium. Somehow, wallowing in the crazed fans cheers of adds to the whole football experience, even if there isn't any instant replay. So its easy to imagine the - Kirk anticipation Pendleton must nave felt as he marched with the San Francisco 49ers into Candlestick Park to face the Los Angeles Raiders earlier this month. Pendleton always wanted to attend a professional football game, but never received the chance until he actually suited up as a member of the team. "It was pretty exciting for me. It's the first game I've ever been to. I lived in Utah my whole life; in Richfield and then in Provo at BYU. It was a great experience," he said while waiting for a meeting at the 49ers training camp in Rocklin, Calif. San Francisco opened the preseason with an unimpressive win over the Raiders. But Pendleton raised some eyebrows with intelligent play and two catches for 22 yards. 190 pounds, PenAt dleton is an easy target for 49er quarterbacks, but the rookie from BYU faces an uphill battle as he tries to make a team with some of the NFL's best receivers. "I knew it would be a long haul going into camp But I just do the best I can and try not to worry about the other players. I just try to play the kind of ball I'm capable of playing," he said. Pendleton is doing battle with such notables as Freddie Solomon. Renaldo Nehemiah and Mike Wilson at wide Add to that list Dwight Clark and Russ Francis and the 49ers receiving corps shows little room for new pass catchers. Despite the stiff odds, the 49ers 11th round draft pick has impressed the coaching staff and survived several rounds of cuts. And training with the leagues best receivers, against some of the best defensive backs in the NFL, can't be all bad. "I think it works in my favor because if I can do well it's going to help my chances if I have to go somewhere else to play. So far I've done alright. Now I just want to start making my move and play as best as I can," he said. Pendleton finished his final year at BYU with 50 catches for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ranked third on the all-pr- team behind running backs Casey Tiamalu and Eddie Stinnett in BYU's type offense, but was tops among wide receivers. He also scored on BYU's longest reception of the year when he from-Stevhauled in a Young. "BYU definitely has helped. A lot of things they run here, BYU has picked up on. It's a little more complicated here "pitch-and-put- t" er the 49ers coach you really well," said Pendleton. And what's the main difference between the pros and college? "It's a quicker game here. A lot more quick. You've got to be on your toes every second and you've got to make quick decisions. In college, you could kind of coast but not here." The pressures of training camp don't seem to affect Pendleton. The hot sun of California's San Joaquin Valley is similar to the weather Pendlebut they ( - Taylor, who was suspended without pay June 12, is appealing his dismissal at school board hearings that are expected to continue until the case's conclusion. Radford Taylor was fired as the s High School football coach and athletic director even though he led the Class 5A team to a 3 season last year. "I think what we have here is a bad game that coach Taylor is all-bla- Wilmer-Hutchin- - "From what we've heard and read in the press, they don't have but anything said trumped-u- p Joe Atkins, a charges," TSTA representative. "It seems simply because he's white, they wanted to get rid of him. That's racism in its worst sense." r Mis f I - i r J v m - f, 4 ? v. ' if -- I ton faced in Richfield and Provo. Of course the hometown Richfield fans are following the progress of their most successful football product. But Pendleton refuses to feel any increased pressure to make the team. "I'm probably the only guy ever to get drafted out of there (Richfield)." He then paused and added, "I'm doing what I can do." The response is typical of the athlete who starred at Richfield High School. There, in football and he was basketball and garnered state track champion honors in the hurdles. He simply goes about the business of succeeding. Pendleton's future with the 49ers is still uncertain. If they can't find a place for him, then there is a good chance other NFL teams will be interested. There is also the possibility of moving onto the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls, who own his rights, but, "I thought it'd be best to do what I could y. . '.aimi .r a mmwm, tf 9 IT all-sta- te Kirk Pendleton attempts a leaping catch in BYU action last year. I thought was the league. If somebody's interested, I'll see what hap- in what better pens." All of watching. Richfield will be Replace your aluminum storm door with 1 pmmMmmmfmtmmmmmmmm it will STEEL last a housetime! core With This Winner On Your House Today! playing." said board president Glenn Mills Jr. Masterframe 7-- The Texas State Teachers Association is backing Taylor's suit, which asks the board to release the names of witnesses against Taylor and documents gathered during the board's spring investigation. 7 i I I White Coach Appeals Firing, Claims Racial Discrimination A high DALLAS (UPI) school football coach filed a $4 million federal lawsuit claiming four black school board members fired him as coach of an team because he is white. V 1 i 1: -- k Model In addition to the school board, the suit also named community activists Myron Miles and Fred Bell as defendants. Last month, the TSTA filed suit in state district court on Taylor's behalf, seeking $200,000 in damages from Bell for allegedly interfering in Taylor's firing. The discrimination suit filed Wednesday in federal court also says Taylor was denied a hearing and the school board refused to provide Taylor with reasons for his 1 ONLY Factory Show Room Bring In This Ad For Big Discounts On Ail Models! Fre No. 3 Manufactured Utah County In Estimates Installation Available GUARDMASTERl 996 No. Industrial Park Drive P.O. Boxll52,Orem, Utah (801) 226-309- 9 |