Fullerton Loses 9 to Prop. 48 : Murphy Blasts Rule That Has One-Third of Titan Freshmen Sitting Out Season

It was about this time last year that Cal State Fullerton football Coach Gene Murphy was anxiously awaiting report card day the way a concerned parent would. Murphy was watching over 39 young men who had to make the grade in summer school courses in order to ensure their athletic eligibility for the 1985 season.

Almost one-third of Murphy’s preseason roster had to hit the books during the summer in order to be eligible to hit opponents during fall.

This year, the Fullerton football staff faces a new academic worry called Proposition 48, and it’s about as popular with Murphy as torn knee ligaments.

The NCAA rule, adopted in 1983, requires entering college athletes to have a minimum combined (verbal and math) score of 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and a 2.0 grade-point average in 11 core courses to be eligible to compete as freshmen. Athletes who don’t meet those requirements are ineligible to compete or practice with their college teams until they have attained a 2.0 GPA for two semesters. If they choose to retain their scholarships, they forfeit a year of athletic eligibility.

Murphy doesn’t mask his feelings when asked his opinion of the rule. He stood before several dozen reporters two weeks ago at the PCAA Football Media Day and said: “It’s a very specific but asinine rule. It’s racially biased, although I don’t think it was meant to be.”

He developed an even stronger distaste for the rule this week when determinations were made on the status of Fullerton’s incoming freshmen. When the Titans gather for their first full practice of the 1986 preseason camp, nine players Murphy had hoped would be in attendance will be absent.

Murphy held orientation practices for new Fullerton players this week, but the turnout was not what he had hoped. “For the past four days, we’ve had 18 kids out there,” he said. “That’s the least we’ve ever had. We should have had 27 or 28, but Proposition 48 took care of those kids.”

It’s Murphy’s contention--and that of many critics of Proposition 48--that the rule discriminates against inner-city athletes or students from poor educational systems. Realizing his program is in the core of a competitive recruiting area, Murphy has made a practice of recruiting many athletes who are marginal students, athletes that more prestigious programs prefer not to take chances with. These are the type of athletes likely to be affected by a rule such as Proposition 48.

The Fullerton freshmen affected by Proposition 48: offensive tackle Tony Alvarez (Millikan High School), defensive back Kevin Adams (Compton), offensive tackle Troy Banks (Montclair Prep), wide receiver Robert McCullor (Washington High in Los Angeles), nose guard Gilbert Moxley (Long Beach Poly), linebacker Lionel Phillips (Washington), linebacker Eric Strother (Inglewood), wide receiver Hubert Turner (Schurr) and running back Chris Wright (Loara).

Of those, Alvarez was probably the only one with a realistic chance of much playing time. At 6-feet 7-inches, 310 pounds, he is one of few offensive linemen Murphy has recruited who can look the part without spending several hours bulking up in the weight room or at the training table.

“We have always gotten the skinny kids who, through the process of maturation, become pretty good football players two or three years down the road,” Murphy said. “We’ve never really had ready-made tackles. Alvarez may have been one.”

Murphy also considers Alvarez a good example of how Proposition 48 can penalize an athlete who doesn’t receive proper academic guidance or counseling in high school. “He’s a good case in point,” Murphy said.

Alvarez said his counselors at Millikan High were unaware of the requirements of Proposition 48, and believes he has been unfairly denied a chance to play as a result.

“I had the screws put to me,” he said. “I just think it’s wrong. My counselors never told me that I needed a lab science to be able to play, and I had everything but. I had good SAT scores, I got my grades up, but I still have to sit out a whole season. It’s discouraging.”

Murphy said it is plights such as Alvarez’s that should provide enough cause for NCAA administrators to re-evaluate Proposition 48.

“I think the people who made it up did not think of the psychological ramifications, and I’m not saying that because we lost nine players,” he said. “I was against it three years ago.

“You get a kid out of the inner city . . . a big part of his life is being a part of a team--not necessarily playing. Now, you’re going to completely disassociate him from something that he loves.”

Titan Notes Fullerton players checked into their temporary living quarters at Pacific Christian College on Friday and will remain there until preseason camp breaks on Aug. 27. The Titans will hold their first intra-squad scrimmage at 4 p.m. on Aug. 16. . . . Fullerton’s games against Nevada Las Vegas (Sept. 27), Cal State Long Beach (Oct. 11), and the University of Hawaii (Oct. 25) are tentatively scheduled to be televised by Prime Ticket. . . . Coach Gene Murphy said he had considered moving All-Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. guard Mark Stephenson to tackle if Stephenson didn’t lose some weight in the off-season. Murphy reported that Stephenson is down to 275 and will remain at guard. “He’s a definite pro prospect,” Murphy said. . . . Quarterback Tony Dill, who helped the Titans close the 1985 season with four straight victories, will be challenged for the starting position during preseason by second-year freshman Carlos Siragusa, who had a strong showing in spring practice. “You’d like to say (Dill) is our quarterback,” Murphy said. “You’d like to say somebody is. But the competition is such that I don’t think we’re ready to say it.” Titan co-captains for the 1986 season are running back Rick Calhoun, linebacker Sean Foy, offensive tackle Ed Gillies, defensive tackle Ron McLean and Stephenson.