All-America running back Curtis Enis is leaving Penn State to enter the NFL draft.
Enis, a junior, was suspended by coach Joe Paterno for the team’s appearance in the Citrus Bowl after accepting a suit from a sports agent to wear at an awards show. In issuing an apology for his actions Monday, he also revealed his decision to turn pro.
Enis, who rushed for 1,363 yards and 19 touchdowns, violated NCAA rules when he took the suit from agent Jeff Nalley. Enis also lied to Paterno about it. Paterno announced last week that Enis would not play in the bowl against Florida.
Tennis: Steffi Graf, four-time winner of the Australian Open, will miss next month’s Grand Slam tournament because she still has not recovered from knee surgery.
– Martina Hingis, who won three Grand Slam titles in 1997, has been named The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. The Czechoslovakia-born Hingis easily outdistanced golfer Annika Sorenstam, soccer’s Mia Hamm and basketball’s Chamique Holdsclaw in voting by sportswriters and broadcasters.
Hockey: Pittsburgh wing Jaromir Jagr and Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek, both Czechs, head the list of starters for the world roster against the North American stars in the NHL International Showdown Jan. 18 in Vancouver. Other starters on the front line are Finland’s Teemu Selanne (Anaheim) and Sweden’s Peter Forsberg (Colorado). The defensemen are Latvia’s Sandis Ozolinsh (Colorado) and Russia’s Viacheslav Fetisov (Detroit).
