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PECOS, Dec. 18 -- A former Pecos Eagles football player has earned first
team all-conference honors playing for Sul Ross State University in
Alpine.
Brian Gibson, a 1994 Pecos High School graduate, was named to the
All-American Southwest Conference's first team offensive unit at tight
end this season, in which Sul Ross finished as conference co-champions.
Gibson, who sat out his sophomore season with the Loboes due to a knee
injury, finished with 21 catches for 218 yards and one touchdown this
year, while Sul Ross averaged 400 yards per game on offense and finished
the season with a 6-4 record, earning their first championship of any
kind since 1985.
Gibson was an all-district tight end and defensive end for the Eagles
during his senior season in 1983, and finished second in District 3-4A
in receiving that year, with 19 catches for 383 yards. He also has two
fumble recoveries that season on defense, returning one for a touchdown.
Gibson later earned all-district honors in basketball for Pecos,
leading the district in scoring his senior season with a 23.5 points per
game average.
IRVING, Texas, Dec. 18 (AP) -- What would be the best thing that could
happen to the struggling, 24th-ranked Dallas Cowboys offense?
Answer: Getting tight end Jay Novacek back.
It's a long shot, but it could happen.
Novacek, who hasn't played in the regular season because of a bad back,
is the missing link in a sputtering Dallas offense that ranks 18th in
passing.
Coach Barry Switzer and owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that quarterback
Troy Aikman's second-most-favorite receiver is feeling better.
``He told some of our assistant coaches that his back has felt the best
it has felt in a long time and is optimistic that he may play in the
playoffs,'' Switzer said. ``That would be a tremendous lift for our
team. I'll just wait for Jay to come to me and tell me when he's
ready.''
Since Novacek came to Dallas six years ago, no tight end has caught more
passes (339) and only two had more receiving yards (3,576).
``It's no secret that one of the reasons we haven't been productive on
offense this year is because Jay isn't here,'' Aikman said recently.
Eric Bjornson, groomed to be Novacek's successor, has been hobbled with
injuries since training camp. While Novacek caught 62 passes for 705
yards last year, Bjornson has caught only 48 for 388.
Switzer had assumed Novacek had no chance of playing this year.
``All I talk with him about is dogs and killing birds,'' Switzer said.
``I know Jay has been running uphill because his back hurts when he runs
on a level surface. I don't know what it would do right now if we got
him back to sea level.''
Jones said he doesn't ``want to make more of the situation than it is,''
but ``Novacek is feeling better about his situation. We've got that
little light out there. His goal is to play in the playoffs.''
Novacek has played with pain most of his career in Dallas but fought
through it.
``Jay has been playing with significant pain and on a scale of 1 to 10
he has it down to a 7,'' Jones said. ``His pain has been at a 10. Maybe
he can play, but there's no way I'd give odds on it. It won't be this
week, but in the next couple of weeks it might. ''
The Cowboys have carried Novacek on their 53-man roster instead of
placing him on the injured reserve list in the hope he could be ready
for the playoffs.
For the first time since 1991, the Cowboys don't get a first-round bye
this year and will play either Minnesota or Philadelphia on either Dec.
28 or 29. The Cowboys close out the season on Sunday in Washington in a
game that means nothing to the playoff picture.
Dallas also has Charles Haley, who had back surgery last month, still on
the active roster. Haley has been bouncing around pain-free at Valley
Ranch.
``I know Charles would like to play and if we get to the Super Bowl I'm
sure he would want to be a part of it,'' Switzer said.
(Copyright 1996 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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