BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hassan Champion
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Hassan Champion: Great name, and he's got game.
The University of Cincinnati senior is heir to the throne of great Bearcat linebackers, which included Phil Curry and Brad Jackson departing after 1997 as two of the top three tacklers in UC history.
Jackson (Miami Dolphins) became the fourth Bearcat linebacker drafted by the NFL in 20 years, along with Mike Woods (1978), Farley Bell (1980) and Alex Gordon (1987).
Champion has an outside shot at the pros, but must add to a resume that includes consecutive 100-tackle seasons.
His name alone will draw attention to the man nicknamed "Champ," who helped lead the Bearcats into their first day of full-contact preseason practices Wednesday.
"I was born with the last name Champion, so I try to keep that attitude," Champion said. "It's nice, it's flashy, but you have to live up to it."
For starters, he had to get noticed in his own house. The breakfast of Champions back home in Tallahassee, Fla., included seven brothers and two sisters, with Hassan the third youngest.
"I've always prided myself on working hard," he said. "That's one reason I'm where I am today."
He came to UC in summer 1995 along with quarterback Chad Plummer, who was a teammate at Tallahassee's Godby High. The homestate powers such as Florida, Florida State and Miami didn't exactly promise starting berths, so Champion and Plummer headed to the cold north. "You can get used to the weather when you're playing," Champion said, smiling.
He was a reserve linebacker as a true freshman in 1995, playing in nine games for a Bearcat team that needed bodies.
Coach Rick Minter now wishes he could have redshirted Champion.
"He's one of those guys that was too good to sit, but you'd sure like to have him for that fifth year," Minter said. "I still think we're going to see the best of Champ this year."
The 6-1, 228-pound Champion will have the figurative bullseye on his No. 48 jersey. Opponents well know he is the only starting linebacker returning for UC, and he'll be trying to cause havoc from an outside spot.
Champion rates himself as a cross between the bubbly, talkative Jackson and the quietly dignified Curry, who anchored a UC defense that was fifth nationally against the run in 1997.
"Before they left this spring, Brad and Phil sat down with me and talked about being a leader," Champion said. "They talked about the tradition of great linebackers here. I pride myself on passing that on to our younger guys."
SCRIMMAGE SATURDAY:
UC will hold its first preseason scrimmage Saturday, at 3 p.m. on the practice field adjacent to Nippert Stadium.
The scrimmage, free and open to the public, will serve as the annual Football Fan Day. Fans will have the opportunity to obtain autographs from players and coaches after the scrimmage.
BACK ON THE FARM:
UC star safety Tinker Keck has been in demand for interviews and photos his preseason, after tying a national record in 1997 by returning four punts for touchdowns.
Keck was pictured in a recent ESPN Magazine as "The Specialist" among top college players. The photo shoot lasted 4 1/2 hours in a soybean field in suburban Harrison; Kansas native Keck grew up on a farm. Keck was also named co-captain of the preseason All-America team by Successful Farming magazine. No kidding.
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