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Wednesday, March 22, 1995     Page: 1B

Debut of Wally’s World may require some PSU patience
   
Everytime Joe Paterno watches Wally Richardson in practice, he sees Kerry
    Collins”They’re very similar,” the Penn State coach said.
   
Same style.
   
Same fire.
   
Same talent.
   
Given a little time, Paterno is pretty confident the results will be the
same, too.
   
For now, patience is the key.
   
Are you listening, Lion worshipers?
   
“I have confidence in Wally,” Paterno said of the Sumter, S.C., resident,
who has two seasons of eligibility remaining. “I think he knows that. Wally
gives us the same kind of things that Kerry gave us. He just has to do it over
and over again, and do it in a football game.”
   
Just like Kerry Collins.
   
Collins, you may recall, experienced a Lion’s share of growing pains prior
to turning into, arguably, the finest quarterback ever to play at Penn State.
   
Even Joe said so.
   
The rugged 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from West Lawn, Pa., a certain first-round
selection in the upcoming NFL draft, had to overcome injury, controversy and
bad luck for most of his first four years with the team.
   
But by the end of the 1993 season, Collins was on the verge of becoming the
complete QB.
   
Last season, his play was completely out of sight, as Collins led the Lions
through a fairytale story of a season that ended happily ever after in
Pasadena.
   
On Tuesday, however, Paterno chose to look back on the early chapters.
   
“I remember when everybody was yelling for me to get rid of Collins and
play Richardson,” the coach said during a pre-spring-practice press conference
from Beaver Stadium.
   
Wisely, Paterno ignored the cries of the media and fans and stuck with his
beleaguered player until “Kerry got the feel for things, got enough reps and
had some success.”
   
All that was required was a little patience.
   
Same goes for Wally.
   
“The only difference is experience,” Paterno said when asked to compare
Collins and Richardson. “Wally’s got the same kind of strong arm. He’s
probably a little more active. He’s a tough, smart kid.”
   
All he needs is time.
   
And your support.
   
He deserves as much for being the most courageous and loyal Lion of them
all.
   
Lest we forget, it was Richardson who — when pressed into action as a raw
freshman against Cincinnati in the ’92 season opener — performed flawlessly
in saving his team’s 24-20 victory on the road.
   
And it was Richardson who — after crybaby John Sacca quit the team four
games into the 1993 season — selflessly agreed to forgo a redshirt year in
order to backup Collins.
   
Fortunately for the smooth, 6-4 former prep All-America, it all worked out
in the end. Collins stayed healthy, Craig Fayak handled the backup role and
Wally got his redshirt.
   
Now he gets his chance.
   
To be sure, it’s an opportunity Wallace Herman Richardson will not take for
granted.
   
“Nobody has worked as hard in the (offseason) program as Wally has,”
Paterno said.
   
The coach scoffed at the suggestion that Richardson would be stereotyped
because of his race.
   
“Wally Richardson should be judged as an athlete,” he said. “He’s very
bright, very poised … he’s got everything in place.”
   
All he needs now is time.
   
And your patience.
   
Are you listening?
   
Jerry Kellar is a Times Leader sports writer. His column appears on
Wednesday.