Burt Grossman

WCAU (Channel 10) led the pack with 10 awards - including best large-market newscast - in the 1995 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards presented Saturday night in a black-tie ceremony at the Independence Seaport Museum. KYW (Channel 3) was close behind with nine awards - four to reporter Paul Moriarty. New Jersey Network had five, followed by Pittsburgh's KDKA, WPVI (Channel 6), WPHL (Channel 17), and Pittsburgh's WQED, all with three each. Inquirer News Tonight, which will celebrate its first birthday tomorrow, won two statuettes, as did Prism; WPMT of York, Pa.; Pittsburgh's WTAE and WTXF (Channel 29)

Ernest Givins signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, intent on reviving his career and gaining support for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Instead, he didn't even make it through a season with the expansion team. Givins, the leading receiver in Houston Oilers history, was released yesterday by the Jaguars, the team he signed with as a free agent on June 2. Also cut was linebacker James Williams. "I still believe I can play two or three more years," Givins said last night. "I'm not going to let one organization stop me from doing that, I'm not going to let an expansion organization stop me from doing that.

A report by The Pittsburgh Press tying San Diego Chargers No. 1 draft pick Burt Grossman to steroid use is not creating much of a stir in San Diego. According to Clark Judge, a reporter for the San Diego Tribune, Grossman, a defensive end from Pitt and Archbishop Carroll High, was asked about steroids one time during the course of two interview sessions - one Monday night, one yesterday - and was not pushed on the issue. Judge said a reporter mentioned to the 6-5, 270-pound Grossman, "What's with these steroid rumors?

When he was a big-talking sophomore at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Burt Grossman made a bold prediction. "To be honest," he recalled, "I said that I would be a first-round NFL draft pick. And I believed that. " Yesterday, Grossman proved that Jeane Dixon has nothing on him when it comes to seeing into the future. The San Diego Chargers made the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive end out of Pitt the No. 8 pick in the first round of this year's NFL draft. The other players of Philadelphia-area interest to be picked on the first day of the draft were guard Steve Wisniewski and wide receiver Michael Timpson of Penn State; Syracuse defensive back David Holmes, a graduate of Burlington High, and defensive end Lybrant Robinson of Delaware State.

Hardly a day goes by when Burt Grossman, the Eagles' backup defensive end, doesn't have something funny to say or some zany prank up his jersey. But this week, the team's clown prince of comedy and locker room shenanigans hasn't smiled much. "Burtman," as some call him, has been melancholy. He's worried about whether he has a future with the Eagles. "I don't think I'm coming back," Grossman said the other day. "I asked them when I first got here if I could sign for a few years, and they wouldn't do it. I keep asking them, and they're not saying anything.

Call it a blast from the past. Leslie O'Neal, the San Diego sackman, is back in business. Two years ago, O'Neal was one of the NFL's best young pass rushers. A first-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State, the 6-4, 260-pound end had 12 1/ 2 sacks in his first 13 league games before wrecking his knee in November. What followed was almost two full years of surgery, rehabilitation, idleness and doubt. "I dreamed about playing again," O'Neal said, "but I couldn't be sure.

Some good comes out of everything. Granted, the Eagles lost a football game yesterday that they should have won. But look at the bright side. At least Burt Grossman, of Bala Cynwyd, can go home for Christmas. The Chargers' rookie defensive end had an eventful afternoon playing against the home-town team he loves to hate. When it was over, both elbows were rubbed raw and bleeding, but he was a happy man. His team had beaten the Eagles. He could hardly wait to make that long-distance call to his buddies back home.

Who said there aren't any players who want to play for the Eagles? Defensive end Burt Grossman, an Archbishop Carroll product, got his wish yesterday when the Eagles acquired the five-year veteran from the San Diego Chargers for a conditional 1995 draft choice, believed to be a sixth-rounder. The pick would be upgraded to a No. 5 should Grossman fulfill certain performance clauses. Grossman, who earned $850,000 a year ago, is scheduled to earn $1 million this season and $1.1 million in 1995.

Burt Grossman, a 1985 graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School, recently completed his final year as a member of the University of Pittsburgh varsity football team. Grossman was a starting defensive end for the Panthers, who finished the year with a 6-5 record. At 6 feet, 6 inches and 275 pounds, the cousin of former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Randy Grossman is one of the biggest and strongest members of the Pittsburgh squad. This season, he registered 38 solo tackles, contributed 33 assists, picked up 15 tackles that resulted in yardage losses, caused one fumble and broke up two passes.

It was 12:49 p.m. yesterday when NFL draft aficionados, by way of ESPN, learned of Burt Grossman's selection - first round, No. 8 - by the San Diego Chargers. It was just a few seconds earlier when Grossman, a 6-5, 270-pound defensive end from Pitt and Archbishop Carroll, found out. Several of Grossman's buddies possess an unusual talent, reports Carroll coach Kevin Clancy. "When the guy handed Pete Rozelle the card," said Clancy, who was part of a large group of family, friends, neighbors and ex-Carroll teammates that attended a party at Grossman's Bala Cynwyd residence, "a couple guys immediately started yelling, 'It's Burt!

Ernest Givins signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, intent on reviving his career and gaining support for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Instead, he didn't even make it through a season with the expansion team. Givins, the leading receiver in Houston Oilers history, was released yesterday by the Jaguars, the team he signed with as a free agent on June 2. Also cut was linebacker James Williams. "I still believe I can play two or three more years," Givins said last night. "I'm not going to let one organization stop me from doing that, I'm not going to let an expansion organization stop me from doing that.

WCAU (Channel 10) led the pack with 10 awards - including best large-market newscast - in the 1995 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards presented Saturday night in a black-tie ceremony at the Independence Seaport Museum. KYW (Channel 3) was close behind with nine awards - four to reporter Paul Moriarty. New Jersey Network had five, followed by Pittsburgh's KDKA, WPVI (Channel 6), WPHL (Channel 17), and Pittsburgh's WQED, all with three each. Inquirer News Tonight, which will celebrate its first birthday tomorrow, won two statuettes, as did Prism; WPMT of York, Pa.; Pittsburgh's WTAE and WTXF (Channel 29)

Jim McMahon. Brad Goebel. Burt Grossman. Mike Flores. Mike Pitts. Tom McHale. Rob Selby. Mitch Berger. Former Eagles all, each out on the street again. The final preseason cutdown wasn't kind to the Green and Silver alumni club. McMahon and Goebel were quarterbacks released by the Cleveland Browns. But coach Bill Belichick said McMahon might be be re-signed within days once he decides what to do with some injured players. The fragile quarterback who played for the Vikings last season signed with the Browns in early August as insurance in case third-round draft pick Eric Zeier did not pan out. Zeier, however, had an excellent preseason and became No. 2 on the Browns depth chart behind Vinny Testaverde.

Who would have thought the Eagles could outrush the Cowboys and still lose? The Eagles totaled 108 yards on 26 carries, while Dallas managed 104 yards on 32. Emmitt Smith was held to 91 yards after five straight 100-plus performances against Philadelphia. On the first play from scrimmage, Herschel Walker carried over left guard for a 5-yard gain. The Eagles tried to pass on the next five plays and ended up with a fourth and 25. As Walker and James Joseph pounded between the tackles, the Eagles' offense moved the ball more effectively, despite Dallas' remarkable speed on defense.

Hardly a day goes by when Burt Grossman, the Eagles' backup defensive end, doesn't have something funny to say or some zany prank up his jersey. But this week, the team's clown prince of comedy and locker room shenanigans hasn't smiled much. "Burtman," as some call him, has been melancholy. He's worried about whether he has a future with the Eagles. "I don't think I'm coming back," Grossman said the other day. "I asked them when I first got here if I could sign for a few years, and they wouldn't do it. I keep asking them, and they're not saying anything.

Every time Rich Kotite gets within range of Burt Grossman, the Eagles' coach gets an earful. "I walk past him - 'Am I going to play more this week?' " Kotite said yesterday at his weekly news conference. "Saw him downstairs today - 'Am I going to play more this week?' "Burt is great. He's a football player. We're a lot better defensive line and rushing the passer with Burt here. He mixes with those guys real well. He's been this way his whole career. He has a knack for coming up with the big play.

James Joseph, the Eagles' punishing 6-foot-2, 222-pound running back, suffered an apparent strained left knee early in the fourth quarter of yesterday's 31-29 victory over the Redskins. Joseph was hurt on a swing pass on which Randall Cunningham faked to Herschel Walker on the right side, then threw to Joseph in the left flat. Cornerback Darrell Green made the stop with a diving tackle. Green appeared to catch Joseph flush on the knee. As Joseph lay on the field in agony, Walker, wide receiver Fred Barnett and even Green walked over to offer encouragement.

The decision to deactivate backup defensive end Burt Grossman against the Dallas Cowboys was his alone. Grossman has a pulled right hamstring and did not practice with his Eagles teammates last week. He said he had wrestled with his conscience all day Saturday. Could he play? he had asked himself. And, if so, might he tear the hamstring? "If you keep playing, you wonder, when is it really going to go: this week? next week?" Grossman said. "And if gets worse, I could be done for the season.

There they were . . . Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Jock Sutherland, Johnny Majors. Several dozen legendary players and coaches representing a proud century of Pitt Panthers football. Each of them hand-painted into an all-time, team portrait outside Pitt Stadium. The Second Century, the color brochure proclaimed. Burt Grossman peered closer at the portrait and blew his chest out, offering prominent display of his Bad Boy San Diego Chargers T-shirt. "Where am I?" muttered the former star from Archbishop Carroll.

Burt Grossman is reconsidering. Maybe this coming-home thing won't be so bad, after all. At first, he was not thrilled with life as a Philadelphia Eagle. The coaches put him in a backup role at defensive end behind William Fuller. He did not like it and said so at his first press conference. Then he reported to training camp. That was strike two. "The West Chester campus was sooo beautiful," Grossman said, sarcasm dripping from each syllable. "When I was with San Diego, we trained in LaJolla.