Oilers' Alm Dialed 911 Before Killing Himself

Jeff Alm spent one of the last minutes of his life trying to tell a 911 operator the location of the car crash that killed his best friend, according to a published report.

The lineman for the Houston Oilers called from his cellular phone shortly after the Dec. 14 single-vehicle crash that sent Sean Lynch flying out of his car and down a 45-foot embankment to his death, The Houston Post reported today in a copyright story.

Police say Alm was distraught over Lynch's death and shot himself with a shotgun moments later. An officer who heard a tape recording of Alm's call to 911 described him as "panicky and emotional" during the minute-long conversation.

Lynch had a blood alcohol content of .30, a police spokesman said. The legal limit for drunken driving in Texas is .10. Test results for Alm, who was driving, probably won't be released for two weeks.

-- All-Pro offensive tackles Steve Wallace and Harris Barton signed identical $10.35 million, five-year contracts with the San Francisco 49ers.

-- Ernest Givins, the Houston Oilers' all-time leading receiver, has agreed to a three-year contract extension for nearly $5 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.

-- Tracy Ann Donaho, 20, a former Los Angeles Ram cheerleader, pleaded guilty to a drug charge in an agreement with prosecutors who allege that Ram cornerback Darryl Henley ran a nationwide cocaine ring from his Brea, Calif., home.

Henley, 27, was indicted this month by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on conspiracy and possession charges. He denied the charges.

-- Barry Foster, Pittsburgh Steelers running back, underwent surgery on his left ankle and is expected to recover in time for training camp next season. Foster injured the ankle Nov. 15 against Buffalo.

College football

Skip Holtz, the son of Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz and his father's offensive coordinator, was named Connecticut's new head coach today. Holtz, 29, was to be introduced at a news conference in Storrs, Ct. "I'm excited about this opportunity at Connecticut," Holtz told the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune.

-- Tennessee extended the contract of Coach Phillip Fulmer for one year, through the 1998 season. Tennessee, 9-1-1 this season, plays Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.

Boxing

The International Boxing Federation has refused to sanction a proposed heavyweight championship unification bout between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

Holyfield regained the IBF and World Boxing Association titles in a 12-round decision over Riddick Bowe on Nov. 6. Lewis is the World Boxing Council champ.

Winter sports

Hannes Trinkl of Austria won a World Cup Super G event today in Lech Am Arlberg, Austria, with a time of 1:04.42.

-- Katja Koren of Slovenia was the surprise winner of the women's World Cup Super G race in Flachau, Austria, in 1:15.62.

-- U.S. hopes of having its top ice dance team at the Winter Games were all but dashed when Gorsha Sur, a Russian who defected to the United States in 1990, was told by the U.S. Olympic Committee that he can't compete for an Olympic berth without American citizenship. Sur and Renee Roca are national ice dance champions.

Tennis

Andre Agassi and Richard Krajicek have withdrawn from next month's Australian Open, Agassi because of tendinitis in his right wrist, Krajicek because of a knee problem.

Local note

Defenders Julie Holmes and Keely Hartsough, who helped Seattle University reach the NAIA women's tournament for the first time, were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America first team.