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Kicker sent home with illness, out indefinitely

Sophomore place kicker Tommy Kirovsky, one of a handful of kickers hoping to replace departed senior Mark McDonald, has returned home to San Diego, Calif., to battle an illness, according to head coach Dick Tomey.

"He's gone home to see his personal physician," Tomey said. "It's a situation where I really can't say much. His doctor has been reluctant to say much about it."

While Tomey refused to comment on the severity of the illness, he admits that it's serious enough that Kirovsky has left spring practice. There appears to be no timetable as to his return.

Kirovsky, a soccer-style kicker, has been battling Shawn Keel, Bobby Gill and Chris Gray for the starting spot. The junior is a transfer from Palomar Junior College in San Diego.

Tomey believes that spring practice acts as a forum to briefly evaluate talent and work on fundamentals.

"What you're trying to accomplish in spring is get a basis of fundamentals," he said. "(Players are) just trying to develop a work ethic, while (coaches) evaluate personnel."

The Wildcats will have to start next season without a handful of team leaders - linebacker Marcus Bell, quarterback Keith Smith, wide receiver Dennis Northcutt and running back Trung Canidate - who are all likely to make NFL rosters.

Filling the voids of departed seniors will be a tough task.

"We're making progress," Tomey said. "We have a lot of work to do, but the players are coming to practice every day with a lot of enthusiasm."

At this point last season, the Wildcat team was riding high following an ambush of media attention. This season is different, Tomey said.

"You always like to have a good team," he said. "I like for the publicity to be legitimate."

Last season's team, predicted by some to be as high as third in the nation, finished the season with a 6-6 record.

"We were overrated last season," Tomey said. "We had lost six guys to the NFL."

Tomey insists that his teams need to earn their reputations as winners, unlike last season.

"I'd love to be in that position again. This year's team is a lot like the 1998 season - people aren't quite sure what to expect from us in certain positions."

Tomey will watch April's NFL Draft from his home.

At least three UA seniors- Bell, Canidate and Northcutt - are expected to be taken in the first few rounds.

"They're just tremendous guys," he said. "You can't have better guys than Trung, Dennis and Marcus. It's nice for them to have an opportunity to play at the next level. It's a different world up there."

He believes that the players will be successes in the NFL due to their off-the-field talents.

"I think what will equip them well in the next level will be their mentality and the solid constitution they have as people."