"MR. DUNN" KEEPS A PROMISE

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back WARRICK DUNN fulfilled a promise to eighth-graders in three middle schools last week. Dunn, the only rookie selected for the 1998 Pro Bowl, vowed to all eighth-graders in Hillsborough County this past fall that he would visit the three schools that showed the biggest improvement in state-mandated math and language-arts exams. The Warrick winners? Dowdell and Wilson schools in Tampa and Marshall in Plant City. Dunn spoke at all three schools at assemblies. The Marshall students greeted him with a parade, waving signs while the school band blasted away. "I’ve never been in a parade before," Dunn said. "I thought all the kids were outside for a fire drill." At Wilson School, 20-25 students were in jeopardy of failing at the beginning of the school year. Dunn’s challenge reduced that number to two. "We can tell them to do good in school all day," said Wilson Principal JEAN HAMILTON. "Their parents can tell them all day. But they’ll listen to Mr. Dunn."

THE PANTHER IS ALSO A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

SAM MILLS is only five feet, nine inches tall, but he was a "Big Man On Campus" recently. The former Carolina Panthers linebacker, who retired this year to become a scout for the team, was recently honored -- and given an assignment -- by his alma mater, Montclair State in New Jersey. Mills, who majored in industrial technology and graduated in 1981, was given an honorary degree – and the job of commencement speaker to the Montclair State Class of ’98. "It’s important to me because my school asked me to come back," said the 38-year old. "Not everyone has that opportunity. It’s something that was really special." Montclair State President GREGORY WATERS chose Mills because of his dedication in forging a long NFL career after playing for a Division III school. "He’s a role model because he shows what you can do by working hard," said Waters. State may have another Mills as a commencement speaker down the road. Sam’s son, SAM III, will be a sophomore cornerback for the school this fall.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: SIXTH COLLEGE TO ADD FOOTBALL IN TWO YEARS

If South Florida can do it, so can Florida Atlantic! That’s what the regents of the Boca Raton university of 20,000 have decided – that Florida Atlantic University will field a football team, the sixth college in the past two years to start a new football program. The University of South Florida in Tampa completed its first season this past fall while selling 21,000 season tickets, a record for a Division I-AA program. "Football has an amazing draw in this state," says Florida Atlantic President ANTHONY CATANESE. The school will begin play in 2001 and has hired former University of Miami and Baltimore Colts coach HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER to head the program. Fairfield in Connecticut, LaSalle in Pennsylvania, Merrimack in Massachusetts and Westminster in Missouri are the other schools to start football programs during the past two years. That raises the current total to 578 NCAA colleges playing football in four divisions.