Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Virginia Tech cornerback Victor"Macho" Harris changed his mind yesterday about entering the NFL draft and will return for his senior season, defensive backfield coach Torrian Gray said.

Gray received a text message in the middle of the day from Harris saying, simply, "Coach, I'm coming back."

"I was shocked," Gray said. "You don't see it a lot in football. I don't know what the adjective is I'm looking for. Very, very, very excited."

On Saturday, Harris told Gray he was leaving, but "he didn't know quite where he fit in," Gray said. Harris never signed with an agent, which is why he is able to come back, Gray said.

Harris's return relieved Gray and the rest of Tech's defense. The Hokies lost six starters to graduation and cornerback Brandon Flowers will leave for the NFL draft. Harris's departure would have left the Hokies with only three returning defensive starters. . . .

Darren McFadden isn't sticking around for another Heisman Trophy run.

The Arkansas all-American running back announced he'll skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

McFadden, the Heisman runner-up in 2006 and 2007, ran for 4,590 yards in three seasons. Razorbacks tailback Felix Jones said he'll also enter the draft a year early. . . .

Junior quarterback Xavier Lee has left Florida State for the draft, along with classmates Geno Hayes, a linebacker, and Letroy Guion, a defensive lineman. . . . Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham will skip his senior season to enter the draft.

¿ BASEBALL: Bud Selig and Donald Fehr return to Capitol Hill today, three years after a theatrical hearing during which the baseball commissioner and players' union head were chastised for what lawmakers called a lax steroids policy.

Much has changed since then, including a toughening of the sport's drug-testing rules and penalties. But allegations about players' use of performance-enhancing drugs still hound baseball, especially since Roger Clemens was named last month in former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's report on the steroids era.

Mitchell will testify first before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, appearing alone, followed by Selig and Fehr, side by side. . . .

The St. Louis Cardinals traded Scott Rolen to the Toronto Blue Jays for Troy Glaus in a swap of star third basemen.

Rolen, 32, has been hindered by a left shoulder injury the past three seasons, and he clashed with Manager Tony La Russa. Glaus, 31 was limited to 115 games by a bad left foot last season. . . .

Mike Cameron and the Milwaukee Brewers finalized a one-year, $7 million contract. The three-time Gold Glove outfielder is suspended for the first 25 games next season after testing positive a second time for a banned stimulant.

¿ COLLEGE SOCCER: A decade-old sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former player against famed North Carolina women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance has been settled, officials said.

Former player Melissa Jennings, who had accused Dorrance of sexually harassing players, will receive $385,000 from the school.

-- From News Services and Staff Reports