si:- State I ~11=1~=l1=1=~=J==.._;__;_~ • ASHEBORO, Jan. 3.-It was a new John O'Quinn I found at 409 West Salisbury Street here today. New in many, many ways, but still the same Red O'Quinn who will rank forever as one of the greatest pass receivers in Big Four football history ... and as one of Wake Forest's all-time football greats. It was the same Red O'Quinn in that he still has that over abundance of curly red hair, that he's still carrying that 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, and that he's still a football man born and bred. But it was a new Red O'Quinn in that he's had a full year of experience at the c4hicago Bears' institution of higher football learning, where he discovered, among other things, that it's just as much fun to play defensive football as offensive football ••• that the pro game is not the cut-and-dried "easy" game some collegians would like for you to think it is , •• and that college and pro football are similar only in that you use the same kind of a ball. Red's just sitting around at the present, waiting for his souvenir of "easy" pro football to heal. That's a broken arm he suffered just at the end of the season. He's waiting for it to get out of the cast so he can begin working , .. probably playing basketball for M.cCrary or something like that. O'Quinn's "souvenir" came November 26 at Chicago, with just two minutes to play in a 24-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. ''I was forcing Glenn Davis out of bounds, and we both fell over one of those big drums they roll the field canvas up on. "It knocked him out!" Played Defensive Halfback •.. 'Was Just Lucky' Biggest change in Red centers around his discovery that defensive football is not so bad. He was strictly an offensive player at Wake Forest, and he and everybody else thought he would carry on the same way in the pass-happy pro ranks. But it didn't work out that way, and Red allows as how he's just as glad. "It made me see football from a broader viewpoint," he confesses, "and it gave me confidence that I believe will enable me to have a much better pro football career." Just what did O'Quinn do with the Chicago Bears? He was a defensive halfback, a regular defensive halfback from September 10 through November 26, when his injury came. How did he do in his new role? Modest man that he is, Red wouldn't elaborate too much on that, only to say that he expected to be back next year with the Bears in the capacity of a regular. But back to defensive football. "I guess that if it were not for defensive football I might not have made the grade. Ken Cavanaugh, who's the greatest I have ever seen, was back again at the position I was striking for, and I faced a virtual impossible task of making the grade as an offensive end as I had hoped. But Coach (George) Halas began working me at defensive half• back from the start ••. and when we got ready for our last exhibition game, my chance came . "Coach told me to start as regular defensive right halfback ••• to see how I could do. Well, I was just plain lucky. We beat the Philadelphia Eagles 10-0, with me playing every minute at defensive halfback. I knocked down four of Tommy Thompson's passes which were labeled for touchdowns . • • and from that time on I was in." Has Offensive Hopes ... Out-maneuvered By Weiner Next season? "I really don't know what will happen, but l have hopes of being an offensive end then. In the pros you have to be able to play at least two positions well to be worth anything, and that's where having a year's experience on defense will help me. I still think I can make it as an €'Ild, and I have already made it as a defensive man. "They told me early in the year to 'watch the old master,' meaning Cavanaugh. He isn't expected to return next year, and ••• well, maybe I'll have another good chance." But more on the '50 season, which found his Bears missing the final play-offs by a single game. "You know," he says, "college and pro football are as different as night and day. Only the fact that you are playing for money keeps you going. You just don't have breathers. You have to be 'up' for a tough foe every single week, and take it from me, that's not easy. "And those big bruisers who play the game! At 190 pounds I'm the smallest lineman on the Bears' roster. I could always block a college player, but it's really a task to move one of those 250-plus guys. It's just an entirely different game . • • but a great one." Quo~ing Red further, "One of the real pleasures I got out of pro football was meeting and playing against old acquaintances. I especially enjoyed playing against Art Weiner (ex-Carolina) twice ... even if he did catch a touchdown pass over me in the game his New York Giants won from us. He's going to be a great pro end. I found out first hand that he's about the hardest man in the business to defend against." Red obviously was overlooking himself .•. as the defensive halfbacks will find out next year if Red O'Quinn gets that chance at offensive end. Seems as though I recall that he was pretty good himself. (Staff Photo by Irwin Smallwood) RED O'QUINN ••. Wife DOT •.• And "Souvenir" All Five County Prep Teams Play At Home Friday Night/28 01111u111 T__ .=,::;__-------~--- ·]l___._~_:_~_~_a~_'u_sR_ep_11~-=-~-~_:_:_~_~_;_E __B~ Overhead & Underfoot'-------------- N.C. Zoo Crowd A Park Record By AMY McRARY brought more revenue to the park. Courier-Tribune Staff Writer From July 1 until Sept . .12 this year, Sept. 5 brought a daily record at• the zoo has brought in $494,248 - a tendance at the N.C. Zoo during a 6~.2 percent increase over last year. Labor Day weekend that drew 21,300 Fry told the N.C. Zoological Park paying visitors to the state park. Council yesterday the revenue in• About 10,000 people came to the zoo crease comes partly' from the admis• that Sunday of the Labor Day week• sion hike and from improvements at end, a weekend which zoo director the park's fast food restaurant. Bob Fry said taxed the facilities of But he said the zoo must make $1 the park to the maximum. million in revenues to make their op• The three-day Labor Day weekend erating budget this year. "We have to set all-time paid attendance records, make a lot of revenues," he said. Fry said. From July 1 to Sept. 12, the Zoo officials also believe that the attendance at the zoo has increased economy may bring more visitors to 34.5 percent over the same time last the zoo, when people can't afford long year. In 1981, no new facilities opened trips but can spend a day at the park. at the park. Zoo officials believe a large factor IN OTHER business, the zoo coun• in the high attendance is the R.J. cil wwas told that the' state budget Reynolds Forest-Aviary which office had approved the purchase of opened Aug. 27. The aviary is the two new engines for the park's track• park's first outdoor-indoor exhibit. less tram system which started oper .. ation earlier this year. There have WHEN THE aviary opened, admis• been some problems with the present sion to the zoo increased from $2 to $3 tram engines, which operate three of for adults and 50 cents to $1 for chil• the trains. Fry said all three trams dren. The opening of the aviary also operate about 90 percent of the time brought the first admission charge to and that the operating problems are senior citizens, who now pay $1. caused by "over-use and the lack of And more people at the zoo has time to do routine maintenance.'' Murder, Robbery Photos By Henry King -MARVIN BROOKS WILSON ON 'NOSTALGIA TRIP'; HIS LICENSE PLATE {INSET) Trial Starts Nov. 8 1Hobo' By AMY McRARY those charges at the same time. Courier-Tribune Staff Writer Yesterday the Randolph County He'll Always Be At Heart The first-degree . murder and Grand Jury returned a "supersed• armed robbery trial of Luther Ray ing" indictment charging Wilson ALBEMARLE - Brooks Wilson "I've been in and out of Randolph in Stanly County, just southwest of Wilson Jr. has been set for Nov. 8. with murder. is an ex-hobo but he was never a County lots of times with my car Randolph. He found a steady job at Two hundred prospective jurors Wilson had already been indicted bum. with its Hobo I tag, but I never ho• last instead of the temporary help are expected to be summoned for the for murder by the grand jury last "A hobo was a lone migrant work• boed in Asheboro or Randolph," he stints he'd been picking up for trial, which would be the second first• fall.