Colleges

FSU boots receiver, will lose cornerback

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published June 24, 2006

Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden dismissed receiver/kick returner Kenny O'Neal for "conduct detrimental to the team," losing a promising big-play option.

O'Neal, 20, an All-America sprinter in 2005, had not been running track since April so he could concentrate on academics and football. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, he has no criminal record.

As a redshirt freshman last year, he had five catches for 110 yards (75 coming on one catch against Syracuse) and a team-high 503 yards on 21 kickoff returns.

Meanwhile, backup cornerback Trevor Ford, a rising redshirt sophomore from Miami Northwestern, released a statement through the school that he intends to "transfer for personal reasons." Ford, who missed about half the season with neck and shoulder injuries, had six tackles (two in the ACC Championship Game win against Virginia Tech) and broke up one pass.

Roethlisberger's sister likes Sooners

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's sister has orally committed to play basketball for the University of Oklahoma.

Connie Lyon, the coach at Findlay (Ohio) High School, said Carlee Roethlisberger committed to Oklahoma on Sunday after making a recruiting trip last week to the campus in Norman.

Oral commitments are not binding, but Lyon said Roethlisberger plans to sign with the Sooners during the NCAA signing period in November.

Because of NCAA rules, Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale can't comment on Roethlisberger's commitment until Roethlisberger signs. Lyon said Roethlisberger "found a home when she first stepped onto the campus."

The 6-foot-1 Roethlisberger has played every position but center for Findlay during her career, Lyon said, and is projected as a perimeter player in college.

This past season, she averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals in helping the Trojans to a 20-4 record.

Roethlisberger will become the fourth player at Oklahoma with family ties to professional sports. She will join twins Courtney and Ashley Paris, the daughters of former San Francisco 49ers lineman Bubba Paris, and Abi Olajuwon, daughter of former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon.

SPIKES ARE GOLDEN: University of Washington right-hander Tim Lincecum won the Golden Spikes Award as the top player in amateur baseball. Lincecum, the 10th overall draft pick by San Francisco, won the Pac-10 pitcher of the year award for the second time in his career after going 12-4 with a 1.94 ERA and a Division I-leading 199 strikeouts. He is Washington's career leader in wins (30), innings (342) and strikeouts (491).

--Information from other news organizations was used in the report.

[Last modified June 24, 2006, 02:15:07]