College Football

OXFORD, Ohio -- John Pont, who guided Indiana to its only Rose Bowl appearance 40 years ago and also coached at Northwestern, Yale and Miami of Ohio, died Tuesday. He was 80.

Officials at Miami said Pont died at his home in Oxford, Ohio. Pont had been fighting cancer.

Pont coached the Hoosiers from 1965 to 1972. In 1967, Indiana was 9-2 and represented the Big Ten Conference in the Rose Bowl, where the Hoosiers lost to Southern California.

Pont spent 13 years at Miami as a player and coach. He was an assistant to Ara Parseghian and succeeded Parseghian, who left for Notre Dame, as head coach at Miami in 1956. When Pont graduated, he was the school's career rushing leader with 2,457 yards, and became Miami's first player to have his number, 42, retired.

Pont was head coach at Miami from 1956-62, Yale from 1963-64, Indiana from 1965-72 and Northwestern from 1973-77. At Northwestern. he also was athletics director from 1975-80.

NFL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots released defensive back Willie Andrews on Tuesday, one day after he was arrested for allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend's head.

The 24-year-old Andrews, primarily a special teams player, was being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday following his second arrest this year.

The other arrest on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and driving an unregistered motor vehicle occurred in February. Andrews admitted in court in May that there was enough evidence to convict him at trial but did not plead guilty.

Also, the Patriots signed linebacker Bo Ruud, a sixth-round draft pick from Nebraska. His brother Barrett plays for Tampa Bay.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle Marcus Harrison to a four-year contract Tuesday and agreed to four-year deals with wide receiver Earl Bennett and cornerback Zack Bowman.

Chicago has now signed or agreed to terms with a league-high 10 of its 12 picks, first-round pick Chris Williams and second-round selection Matt Forté being the exceptions.

Harrison, taken in the third round with the 90th overall pick, finished with 186 tackles -- 110 solo -- and four sacks while breaking up 12 passes in four years at Arkansas.

Third-round pick Bennett, taken 70th, caught an SEC record 236 passes for 2,852 yards in three seasons at Vanderbilt.

Bowman, a fifth-rounder, had 56 tackles and three interceptions in 22 games with Nebraska after starting his collegiate career at New Mexico Military Institute.

Chicago had already signed or agreed to terms with fourth-round choice Craig Steltz, fifth-round selection Kellen Davis, and seventh-round picks Ervin Baldwin, Chester Adams, Joey LaRocque, Kirk Barton and Marcus Monk.

Gymnastics

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm could begin moderate gymnastics as early as Friday, about two weeks before he has to show he will be physically able to compete at the Beijing Games.

Hamm, who broke a bone in his hand May 22, will have another X-ray on Thursday. If Dr. Lawrence Lubbers, the hand specialist who operated on Hamm, likes what he sees, he'll give Hamm clearance to push his training.

Hamm broke the fourth metacarpal in his right hand in the closing seconds of his parallel bars routine at the national championships. During surgery May 27, Lubbers inserted a titanium plate and nine small screws to repair the break.

Hamm has been seven to 10 days ahead of schedule in his recovery and, in a video on his and twin brother Morgan's Web site, can be seen doing flips, push-ups and strength moves on the still rings and parallel bars.

Wire reports

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