Wuerffel becomes the 13th quarterback to start a game for the Redskins in the last 10 seasons. Spurrier admitted it’s a selection based as much on loyalty from Florida’s 1996 championship season than through anything Wuerffel has earned on the field in six years in the NFL.

Spurrier became clearly agitated as reporters asked him to explain his decision.

“My memory’s a lot better than all you guys’. I’ve still got a lot of memories up there of him playing extremely well,” Spurrier said. “He hasn’t proved to me he can’t play at this point. I still believe that Danny Wuerffel can play this game. We’re going to find out Sunday how he does.”

First-round draft pick Patrick Ramsey, the third-string quarterback for the first three games, gets promoted to No. 2. Shane Matthews, the starter in the first games, is demoted to No. 3.

Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy for Spurrier’s Gators, but he hasn’t started a game in the NFL since the New Orleans Saints’ 31-0 loss to San Francisco on Oct. 11, 1998. He was 2-4 as a starter over two seasons with the Saints, who were shut out in three of those games.

Jaguars’ shrinks not the real thing

It turns out that the sports psychologists Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin hired to counsel his players aren’t really sports psychologists after all.

Michael Brawer, executive director of the Florida Psychological Association, said Friday that neither Chad Bohling nor Trevor Moawad, the two employees of IMG Academies hired by the Jaguars, are licensed psychologists.

Falsely calling oneself a psychologist is against the law in Florida, and Brawer filed an “administrative complaint” to the state health department Friday, after reading an Associated Press story about the men.

Why make such a big deal about it?

“The truth of the matter is, it’s very hard to be a psychologist,” said licensed sports psychologist John Murray of West Palm Beach.

Coughlin, who said Moawad and Bohling have been doing a great job for the team, had no comment. Team spokesman Dan Edwards said the team was aware of the issue, and the Jaguars were still happy with the service the two men are providing.

Extra points …

* Forever embedded in the city’s football history, John Unitas and his fellow Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts will now become permanent parts of Ravens Stadium. At the Ravens’ game on Oct. 20, the team will unveil a statue of Unitas and dedicate the front area of the stadium’s main entrance as Unitas Plaza. The tribute will take place during a halftime ceremony of the Ravens-Jacksonville Jaguars game in which the Ravens will place all eight Hall of Fame Colts in the Ring of Honor.

* Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning has been named recipient of this year’s 10th annual Most Caring Athlete award. The criteria for award nomination includes the extensive donation of time — not just money or name — as well as the athlete’s commitment and involvement over a period of at least a year.
Edition: Final
Section: Sports
Page: C14