Matthews Signs With Redskins

In a surprisingly quick turnabout, Steve Spurrier decided he needed Shane Matthews after all.

A day after Spurrier said he was happy with his quarterbacks--and that no major changes were planned--the Washington Redskins agreed to terms Monday with Matthews, who played for the coach at the University of Florida and was cut last week by the Chicago Bears.

The signing comes after a three-day minicamp in which none of the four quarterbacks on the Redskins’ practice field seemed on pace for assuming a starting job in the NFL. Danny Wuerffel, Sage Rosenfels and Dameyune Craig all struggled at times, and first-round draft pick Patrick Ramsey did not work much because he’s still learning the offense.

Matthews becomes the fifth ex-Florida player signed since Spurrier became the Redskins’ coach in January.

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The Philadelphia Eagles, looking for a running back to replace Correll Buckhalter and probably split time with Duce Staley, brought in Dorsey Levens for a visit. Buckhalter, expected to play a bigger role in Philadelphia’s offense this season, suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first day of minicamp Friday.

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The Minnesota Vikings decided against re-signing Pro Bowl kicker Gary Anderson, the NFL’s career leading scorer, and signed Doug Brien to replace him. The Vikings, still trying to find ways to revamp their running game, also released running back Travis Prentice.... Miami Dolphin defensive tackle Tim Bowens had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, his second operation on the knee in less than eight months.

Running back John Avery, a 1998 first-round draft pick of the Dolphins, signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.

College Football

Linebacker Marco Cooper was suspended from the Ohio State team for the 2002 season and barred from campus after he was arrested on felony charges of drug abuse and carrying a concealed weapon.

The junior from Detroit is accused of having a handgun, ammunition and Ecstasy pills hidden in his sport utility vehicle. He was pulled over for a traffic violation on Saturday night after Ohio State’s spring game.

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Texas running back Cedric Benson, the Big 12 freshman of the year last season, was arrested on misdemeanor drug and alcohol possession charges. Benson was also drafted by the Dodgers.... Police issued arrest warrants for four University of Colorado football players accused of giving alcohol and marijuana to minors at a party where a woman alleged she was gang raped. The four players, all 20 years old, are: Marques Harris, sophomore, defensive end; Corey Alexander, sophomore, wide receiver; Ron Monteihl II, redshirt freshman; and Joseph Allen Mackey Jr., freshman, cornerback.

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Former New York Giant linebacker Harry Carson and former San Francisco 49er tight end Brent Jones, small college athletes who went on to play for Super Bowl champions, were among those selected for induction in the Divisional Hall of Fame.

Tennis

Francisco Clavet, the oldest player in the tournament at 33, ousted eighth-seeded Fabrice Santoro, 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-4, in the first round of the BMW Open clay-court tournament at Munich, Germany. Mark Philippoussis of Australia lost, 7-5, 7-6 (4), to Julien Bouttel.

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Oliver Rochus, ranked 59th, defeated third-seeded Sjeng Schalken, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, in the first round of the Mallorca Open clay-court tournament at Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Miscellany

Workers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were installing soft walls even as IRL officials scheduled a Wednesday news conference to announce a decision regarding the new safety device.

The walls, developed with researchers at the University of Nebraska, are designed to limit the force of impact when drivers crash.

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USC’s Kevin Stadler was named the Pac-10 golfer of the year and teammate Ben Hayes was named freshman of the year.... Romas Ubartas, the 1992 Olympic discus champion, tested positive for a banned steroid and could be barred from the sport for life.... Alabama guard Rod Grizzard is skipping his senior season and entering the NBA draft.

Passings

Joseph P. Zabilski, whose career as football and men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Northeastern University spanned 35 years, died Saturday in Boston after a brief illness. He was 84.