Web posted December 29, 1997

By Tony Fabrizio
Morris News Service

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Georgia Tech athletic director Dave Braine conceded Sunday he doesn't expect to win an appeal regarding 1996 football signee Quincy Carter's status.

An NCAA committee ruled earlier this month that Carter, a highly regarded quarterback out of Atlanta's Southwest DeKalb High who played pro baseball the past two summers, can enroll at another school without penalty. Carter has indicated he plans to enroll at Georgia and play for the Bulldogs next fall.

Braine said he sent a letter to the NCAA stating Tech's position, which is that Carter should be forced to sit out two years if he signs with another school without permission.

``To be honest with you, I don't expect to hear much,'' Braine said. ``But, still, it's a situation that has to be settled sooner or later, because he had never been released from our national letter of intent, but, yet, other people were talking to him.''

Braine stops just shy of accusing Georgia of tampering, a charge leveled previously by coach George O'Leary.

But Braine notes that Carter has been seen at Georgia games, creating the impression that he has communicated with coaches or officials there.

``When a player is assigned a scholarship, other people can't talk to him until he's been released,'' Braine said. ``That's what George is talking about.''

Asked why Tech is pursuing the appeal when Carter obviously wants to play elsewhere, Braine said, ``More than anything, we're protecting Georgia Tech. Do you sit back and take it if you believe something's (wrong), or do you fight?''

O'Leary isn't ready to let the matter go, either.

``There should be some accountability - for Quincy Carter or any other player - otherwise, the national letter has no juice to it,'' he said. ``What abou the school that signed him and spent money recruiting him and did all the right things you need to do?''

``It's a four-year deal. You base your whole recruiting class on signing (particular players), and you make a big deal of it on signing day. Then, I think we're very careless in enforcing it.''

Carter never enrolled at Tech. If he joined the football program now and wanted to play quarterback, he would probably have to sit behind Joe Hamilton for two years.

Considering the animosity generated by his attempt to play elsewhere, though, it's doubtful Carter would consider playing at Tech under any circumstance.

BIDDING GOODBYE: Two of Tech's premier players in the '90s, linebacker Keith Brooking and split end Harvey Middleton, will be playing their final collegiate games tonight against West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.

Brooking, who is Tech's all-time leading tackler with 467, almost certainly will move on to the NFL. He is projected as a first- or second-round pick, with some scouts tabbing him as a top-10 selection.

Middleton's 165 receptions and 2,291 receiving yards are Tech career records.

Other significant seniors playing their last games are offensive tackle Ken Celaj, flanker Derrick Steagall, kicker Dave Frakes, linebacker Ron Rogers and defensive linemen Jesse Tarplin, Dan Witherspoon and Ralph Hughes.

MINOR BOWL: Thanks to automatic tie-ins, the 8-year-old Carquest Bowl has fallen in stature since it debuted in 1990.

Sponsored by Blockbuster in its early years, the game featured at least one top-10 ranked team in 1990, '91 and '92, as well as a No. 12 team in 1994. The bowl's pinnacle remains the inaugural game, in which No. 6 Florida State defeated No. 7 Penn State 24-17 before a crowed of 74,021.

Counting tonight's game, the Carquest has gone three out of four years without a team ranked in the top 25. Pro Player Stadium figures to be about half full.

FAMILIAR FOES: Tech and West Virginia had similar results against two of their three common opponents, but far different outcomes against the other.

Tech lost to Notre Dame 17-13 and beat Maryland 37-18, while West Virginia lost to Notre Dame 21-14 and beat Maryland 31-14. Against Boston College, however, Tech won 42-14 and West Virginia lost 31-24.