Football Players

More than 50 former professional football players will take part in the 8th annual Toluca Lake Charity golf tournament Monday to raise money to aid the homeless and victims of Alzheimer's disease. Former Rams players Dick Bass and Phil Olsen will join other members of the NFL Alumni Assn. in the benefit at the Lakeside Golf Club, which will also include a dinner honoring radio personality Dick Whittinghill.

Nineteen football players will receive the John Ferraro Scholar Athletes Award tonight at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City. The 39th annual awards, based on citizenship, academics and athleticism, are sponsored by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Those to be honored: Travonne Jackson (Jefferson High), Mel Lia Malele (Carson), D'Shalen Barber (Verbum Dei), Alex Buckwalter (Santa Fe), Jonathan Basiri (Beverly Hills), Ernest Sandoval (Paramount), Chad Slapnicka (L.A.

The wire fence surrounding Coronado High's football field was decorated Monday with green and white balloons. Flowers, letters, candles and poems had been placed there, along with photos of Adrian Taufaasau. Taufaasau, the Islanders' senior quarterback, died Sunday afternoon at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, two days after he was injured in a game against Costa Mesa. He had been tackled by three or four players and never regained consciousness. He was 17.

Police arrested two Fullerton College football players during practice Tuesday on murder warrants in connection with the slaying of a woman in Las Vegas in May. Acting on information provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Fullerton Detective Tom Basham, a gang investigator, went to the school's campus on East Chapman Avenue about 3:45 p.m. and arrested Anthony Steven James, 20, and Malcolm Lathion Gray, 19, both of Corona.

St. Francis High football players Chris McAlister and Rome Douglas, whom former Golden Knight Coach Andy Boynton said had tremendous potential, transferred to Pasadena and Claremont, respectively, last week. McAlister, a sophomore running back, declined to give a reason for the move. "His talent is unlimited," said Boynton, who was fired last month. "He's as good a running back as I've seen at the high school level."

Valley and Ventura County prep football players who have committed to colleges and universities: Name H.S. Pos. Ht. Wt. Univ.

Two Canyon High varsity football players left the team Wednesday. Both players--senior defensive back Marc Uda and junior receiver Brian Connelly--refused comment on the reasons for their departures, which came two days after Coach Harry Welch decided not to resign. Welch, who was involved in a postgame scuffle with the parent of a player after a loss about two weeks ago and filed an assault report, had considered quitting before he met with the team Monday.

Fifteen former Cal State Fullerton football players filed suit Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court, alleging that they did not receive financial aid to which they were entitled after the program was suspended following the 1992 season. The group's attorney, Ron Talmo, said the suit seeks $3,500 for nine former players and $8,000 for six others along with general damages. The extent of damages is based on remaining NCAA eligibility, Talmo said.

Neil Gossard of Verdugo Hills High has been selected the academic player of the year by the Los Angeles Football Coaches Assn. Gossard graduated with a 4.16 grade-point average. Two other football players finished with a 4.0 or better--Jacob Canales of Carson at 4.1 and Jose Hernandez of Franklin at 4.0. Sixteen more finished at 3.5 or higher: Gene Wei of Granada Hills (3.99); Eric Geegun of Palisades (3.8); Mel Malele of Carson (3.75); Luke Sniewski of Granada Hills (3.

Todd Preston of Westlake High heads a list of four area football players who have been selected to play for the South team in the 40th Shrine all-star game, scheduled for July 27 at the Rose Bowl. Preston, a quarterback, is joined on the team by George Kase, a defensive lineman from Hart, Royal defensive back Tim Ross, and Selves Smith, a linebacker and running back from Quartz Hill. Preston, who has signed with Cal, passed for 2,427 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall.