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Lineman eligible for NFL

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State senior offensive guard Milford Brown, who lost an appeal with the NCAA to regain a final year of eligibility just before the season opener, will be on the board in the NFL supplemental draft on Sept. 27.

"Clubs have been notified of that," league spokesman Steve Alic said Tuesday.

Brown, 6 feet 4 and 316 pounds, started all 12 games for FSU last season after transferring from East Mississippi Junior College and was considered one of the nation's better linemen coming into the season. But late last spring, FSU was notified that Brown might have exhausted his eligibility.

He originally attended Alabama State out of high school in 1997 and two contradictory transcripts later emerged. One said he was a part-time student, which would have meant his clock -- five years to play four seasons -- would not have started. Another indicated full-time status. The NCAA believed the latter and his FSU career ended earlier than he had hoped.

"Hopefully that one year of Division I football is good enough to get me into the NFL," he said recently.

RUSH TO JUDGMENT: Junior tailback Greg Jones, who is ninth nationally in rushing (averaging 130.7 yards), has five consecutive 100-yard games dating to last season. In all, he has hit the century mark seven times. That puts him in a seventh-place tie with Amp Lee on the school's all-time list, one behind Roosevelt Snipes.

BIG WEEKEND: The women's soccer team (3-2-2), which has fallen from the rankings and is coming off a 4-3 loss to Charlotte, hosts nemesis Clemson on Friday and then South Florida on Sunday. Both are important, but especially the first.

"It's our ACC opener and if we can start 1-0, as we saw last year, it's a big advantage," coach Patrick Baker said. "And then they have beaten us the last two years in the NCAA tournament at their place."

Can you say, incentive?

Baker said he likes his chances if his team plays as well as it did at the start of the Charlotte game. FSU led 2-0, appeared to regain its dominating form from a year ago, only to have defender Katie Beal, just back from mononucleosis, draw a red card. FSU played the last 60 minutes a player down and wilted psychologically, allowing four goals off set pieces.

BUILDING MOMENTUM: The volleyball team (5-3), which has won five of its past six, looks to continue adapting to first-year coach Todd Kress' offense as it meets Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU and Brown in the FSU Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

"I think we played our best volleyball to date against Miami the first 21/2 games," Kress said of the 30-28, 30-25, 29-31, 30-32, 10-15 loss to the undefeated Hurricanes on Friday. "We're definitely going at a good pace."

CATCHING UP WITH ...: Former middle linebacker Bradley Jennings is in Tallahassee coaching at Rickards High. He might take classes in the spring to receive his teaching certificate. Jennings had knee problems his senior season and was shot in the shoulder in a carjacking attempt, likely costing him a chance to be picked in the 2002 NFL draft. He continues to rehabilitate in case the NFL calls next year.

"I've got a little ways to go to get better," he said. "I knew that (the injuries would) affect me some way in the draft. It was a big disappointment, but I thank God I'm still alive and maybe I'll get another chance."

-- Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. He can be reached at (813) 226-3347 or by e-mail at landman@sptimes.com

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