U.Va.'s Parham declares for draft
After an all-ACC season, Virginia inside linebacker Kai Parham will be eligible for the NFL draft.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
January 10, 2006

Virginia inside linebacker Kai Parham has decided to skip his senior season and make himself eligible for the NFL draft pool, according to a NFL source and his high school coach.

Parham, 21, submitted his paperwork to the NFL early last week and has an agent. He's currently working out in Pittsburgh to prepare for the draft, held April 29-30 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Parham, an African-American studies major, decided to leave school early because he graduated in December and because of the positive feedback he received from an NFL advisory committee, said Jeff Ballance, who coached Parham at Virginia Beach's Princess Anne High.

Parham arrived at U.Va. in 2002 and redshirted that season. He was a three-year starter and graduated in 31/2 years. He made a formal request to the NFL committee, which gives underclassmen feedback on the draft process, before U.Va. ended its season Dec. 30 in the Music City Bowl.

"This wasn't an overnight thing for him," Ballance said.

Parham could not be reached for comment. Because Parham hired an agent, he is ineligible to play football in college.

Parham, who is 6-foot-3 and 253 pounds, will likely be picked in the first three rounds of the seven-round draft, according to various projections. He was a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection this season and led the Cavaliers with 103 tackles and 81/2 sacks. If he returned, he would've been one of the nation's top linebackers.

"I talked to him Wednesday or Thursday of last week, and he had just decided a day or two before," said Ballance, who spoke to Parham about once a week during the player's career. "It was just time for him to make the jump."

U.Va. senior left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson could be a top-five pick in the draft, according to the projections. College underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to declare their eligibility for the draft.

Junior Ahmad Brooks, Parham's fellow starter at inside linebacker, could also leave. He considered entering the draft after last season. (He was eligible because he spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham and thus was three years out of high school.) Brooks' parents, Vergie and Perry Brooks, did not return a telephone message Monday. Parham shared the spotlight with Brooks in 2004. Parham ranked second on the team with 80 tackles, while Brooks was first with 90. Brooks was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. But partly because of injuries, Brooks made just 27 tackles in 2005.

Parham stepped in and led a patchwork linebacker group that included four true freshmen: Antonio Appleby, Aaron Clark, Jon Copper and Olu Hall.

"When you're a defense, you need a guy who makes everybody else confident, and Kai was that guy for us," U.Va. defensive end Chris Long said. "The confidence thing definitely helps because they didn't feel like they had to bear the responsibility completely on their shoulders. ... You just kind of mimic what Kyle does."

If Brooks follows Parham, U.Va. would return those four freshmen, along with outside linebackers Jermaine Dias, a rising junior, and Clint Sintim, a rising sophomore. Appleby and Copper played inside last season, while Clark and Hall played outside.

None of Parham's success surprised Ballance. "He walked into the weight room as a ninth-grader in the summer with a size-15 shoe and was already bench-pressing 300 pounds - as a 14-year-old kid," he said. "We knew when he walked in that he was gonna be something special."

Parham decides to forgo his final year
The All-ACC linebacker and UVa sacks leader says he's 100-percent sure he will enter the NFL Draft.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Virginia linebacker Kai Parham, whose rise to All-ACC status was one of the feel-good stories of the Cavaliers' season, said Monday that he has made himself available for the 2006 National Football League draft.

Parham has submitted the necessary paperwork to the NFL and, while he has until Jan. 19 before his decision becomes binding, that is not a consideration.

"I'm done," he said. "It's 100 percent."

Parham, a redshirt junior, played in the shadow of classmate and preseason All-American Ahmad Brooks for two years before racking up a team-high 103 tackles this past season. No other UVa player had more than 66.

Parham also led the team in tackles for loss with 1412 and sacks with 812.

"After a lot of prayer, the Lord said this was the right decision," said Parham, a graduate of Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach. "It was definitely a long, drawn-out process. But, I was pretty sure that I would be in this position."

Parham arrived at Virginia with a back condition that prevented him from playing in 2002, but he moved into the starting lineup midway through his redshirt freshman season.

He played in all 37 games UVa games over the past three seasons.

In 2004, Parham played with defensive end Chris Canty, a fifth-year senior who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game.

"You never want to leave all beat up," said Parham without referring to the Canty injury specifically. "As a player, you only have so many years. You only have so much time. The reality is, injuries are always possible, just because of the nature of the game.

"I think it would be fair to say that there is an optimal time. You have to look out for yourself. I do know that I'm healthy."

Parham said he did seek input from an NFL advisory committee on his possible draft position but said he and his mother would keep that information private.

"It wasn't really a factor," he said.

Parham is the sixth UVa underclassmen to make himself available for the NFL Draft before the end of his eligibility, following Heath Miller and Darryl Blackstock off the Cavs' 2004 team.

There has been no announcement on Brooks, mentioned as a possible first-round pick before injuries limited him to six games this season.

Parham opts for the NFL
Linebacker leaves UVa with degree
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
January 10, 2006

Four years ago, Mel Kiper, Jr. said Kai Parham had "potential star power."
At the time, Kiper, an NFL Draft analyst for ESPN, was talking about the impact that Parham's commitment would have on the football program at the University of Virginia.

Apparently, Parham wants to find out what Kiper thinks about him now.

Parham confirmed on Monday that he filled out the necessary paperwork and signed with an agent, effectively ending the college career of the inside linebacker.

Virginia coach Al Groh was unavailable for comment, although Parham said Groh supported his decision. Groh is currently in Dallas for the annual American Football Coaches Association convention and will not return until Wednesday.

Parham, 21, had one year of eligibility left at Virginia, but the decision became easier once he completed the requirements for his African-American studies degree from UVa in December.

With his decision official, Parham becomes the third underclassmen from Virginia's program to do so in the past two years. Tight end Heath Miller and outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock left with a year of eligibility remaining after the '05 season.

Parham, who experts have said could go anywhere from the second to sixth round, might not be alone on draft day.

Fellow inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks is mulling over a decision as to whether to turn pro early or return for a fourth and final year, and draft experts have said junior cornerback Marcus Hamilton would likely be a second-day selection in the draft if he were to enter, although sources said that he has given little thought to turning pro early. The deadline for underclassmen to decide is Sunday.

Brooks played in just six games this season, having been sidelined in six others by a pair of injuries, including a late season back injury.

As Virginia went 7-5 overall this year, Parham put together his most complete season as a Cavalier. He made 103 tackles, 15 of which went for a loss. He also had eight sacks.

Parham finished the season ranked 65th in the country with an average of 8.58 tackles per game.

Those numbers helped the 6-foot-3, 253-pound Parham earn first-team All-ACC accolades at linebacker.

For his career, Parham registered 272 tackles, 33 tackles for a loss and had 11 sacks.

Parham did not get the press that Brooks did out of high school, but when coupled together on the field - like they were in 2003 and 2004, when they were both healthy - they gave Groh the type of inside linebackers he needed to employ the 3-4 defense at the college level.

After redshirting in 2002 with a back injury, Parham made an instant impact in his rookie season ('03).

It was apparent prior to the 2004 season that Parham, when healthy, was becoming a special player in Groh's eyes.

"Having been a position coach in this defense, it's pretty remarkable what he did," said Groh, a former head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in the NFL. "That position has more multiple roles than any other position on this defense. He had a very good sense of what to do [as a rookie].

"He was never lost."

 

Starsia eyes upcoming season for UVa men's lax
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
January 10, 2006

University of Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia sounds like a chef when he talks about his team.
He's picked up all the groceries. Now he's preparing to toss everything into a large pot.

The Cavaliers begin practicing on Jan. 18. Their first scrimmage is on Feb. 4 against Navy.

Starsia has a talented group of seniors, but the biggest factor in the team's success could be how well the younger players mesh.

"These guys are pushing their way in there," said Starsia, referring to his freshmen. "We've gone into some seasons where our lineup is more set than it is at this time, but that doesn't really worry me. I like the guys we have. They've all worked out with passion and commitment. I think we'll be a team that gets better as the season goes on."

The Cavs, who lost to Johns Hopkins in the NCAA semifinals last season, have nine seniors back, including captains J.J. Morrissey, Matt Ward and Mike Culver.

Starsia said he's also going to need older guys like Kyle Dixon and Matt Poskay to lead the fledglings.

"Our sport is such that you almost always go wherever your upperclassmen take you," he said.

Starsia was impressed by several freshmen during fall ball, but the two he said really stood out were Danny Glading and Garrett Billings.

Glading is the younger brother of Billy Glading, the former UVa All-American who was part of the 2003 National Championship team. Billings, a Canadian, grew up playing an indoor type of lacrosse.

Glading, a highly touted recruit from Bethesda, Md., will probably start in the attack. Starsia isn't sure what position Billings will wind up at, but thinks he'll be on the field plenty.

"Before it's all said and done, he'll help us a great deal," Starsia said. "He's a little bit of a wildcard for us. If the season started tonight, I'm not sure how we'd be using him, but I think as the season goes on a little, we'll figure it out. As he gets more acclimated to our game, he'll get better and help us more and more."

One of Starsia's concerns is face-offs. The Cavs are seeking a replacement for Jack deVilliers.

In the fall scrimmage against Navy, senior Charlie Glazer and junior Drew Thompson handled the duties. "It's still a little bit of a question mark," Starsia said.

Last year at this time, the big question was in goal. But, after a solid year from Kip Turner, Starsia said he feels good about the position, particularly with Bud Petit also in the mix. Starsia expects Petit to challenge for the job.

Starsia said he'll use the scrimmage against Navy to experiment with different lineups, then focus more on game management in the scrimmage the following Saturday against Georgetown.

The Cavs open their season at Drexel on Feb. 18. Starsia can't wait to get going.

"I feel like we're a little unsettled right now because of some personnel decisions still to be made," he said, "but I like the team and think we have the potential to have a terrific year."
 

Parham to turn pro
All-ACC linebacker for U.Va. will give up final year of eligibility
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 10, 2006

Kai Parham is leaving the University of Virginia for the NFL. Whether Ahmad Brooks will follow suit is uncertain.

Parham, a first-team all-ACC pick at linebacker in 2005, confirmed last night that he'll forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the coming NFL draft. He recently completed work on his bachelor's in African-American studies.

"It definitely feels good having your degree and making this move," Parham said in a phone interview. "It gives you some space to not really worry, 'Oh, I've got to come back and complete it.'"

Brooks' father, Perry, said yesterday that his son hasn't reached a decision about whether to leave U.Va. early.

"We're trying to work his options out because of the season he didn't have last year," the elder Brooks, a former NFL defensive lineman, said in a phone interview. "Kai had a great season, and I can see why he's coming out. I'm happy for him."

The deadline for underclassmen to apply for the coming NFL draft is Sunday.

Parham and Brooks were Parade All-Americans when, as high school seniors, they signed with the Cavaliers in February 2002. Parham, a graduate of Virginia Beach's Princess Anne High, enrolled at U.Va. that summer and redshirted that fall.

Brooks, who's from Woodbridge, had academic issues to resolve coming out of Hylton High. He took a detour to Hargrave Military Academy and didn't arrive at U.Va. until January 2003.

In the Cavaliers' 3-4 defense, Parham and Brooks started alongside each other at inside linebacker in 2003 and'04.

Brooks led U.Va. in tackles each of those seasons and in 2004 was an all-ACC pick and a Butkus Award finalist. Last March, however, Brooks had knee surgery, a setback from which he "never really rebounded," his father said.

The 6-4, 260-pound Brooks struggled with knee, ankle and back problems this season and played in only six games.

With Brooks hobbled, the 6-3, 253-pound Parham assumed the role of U.Va.'s defensive leader, making a team-high 103 tackles in 2005. He had 14 stops in Virginia's win over Minnesota in last month's Music City Bowl.

Parham leaves with 272 career tackles, including 11 sacks.

"Looking back on my college career, I would have to say I definitely learned a lot, and I know the Lord really placed me there to learn the things I needed to be successful after college," said Parham, who's deeply religious.

U.Va. coach Al Groh advised Parham, who's not a lock to be picked in the draft's first three rounds, to return for the 2006 season. Parham declined to disclose how the NFL's draft advisory panel rated him as a prospect.

"Basically [Groh] said it was my decision," Parham said. "I told him what I was going to do, and he wished me well."

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Jan 10, 2006

HOPEFUL: If Nate Lyles has his way, he'll play football again for Virginia. Lyles, a starting safety, suffered a serious neck injury Nov. 12 while making a tackle against Georgia Tech and missed the final three games of the season.

Reached Sunday night at his home in Chicago, Lyles answered, "Yes, sir," when asked if he hoped to play for the Cavaliers again.

How likely that is to happen isn't clear. Lyles, who'll be a junior next season, said he doesn't know if an operation would be required for him to be cleared for football. He said he won't know the next step in his rehabilitation until he returns to Charlottesville and meet with U.Va.'s medical staff next week.

Lyles traveled with the team to Miami for the regular-season finale and then to Nashville, Tenn., for the Music City Bowl. He never missed an opportunity to cheer on his teammates, but it "actually has been very tough for me watching and not playing," Lyles said.

In nine games this season, Lyles made 39 tackles, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

ACCOLADES: Four U.Va. football recruits earned all-state recognition from The Associated Press in New Jersey.

Tailback Kordell Young made the first team. The second team includes tight end Joe Torchia and defensive end George Johnson, who's projected to play linebacker at U.Va. Linebacker Almondo Sewell is on the third team.

CENTERS OF ATTENTION: Football coach Al Groh had to replace his starting center after the 2004 season, and he's repeating the process a year later. The leading candidate to succeed Brian Barthelmes might be Jordy Lipsey, but the 6-3, 268-pound rising junior from Florida can expect competition from Zak Stair, a 6-6, 294-pound rising sophomore from Manassas.

Stair, who came to U.Va. as an offensive tackle, began working at center late this season. If Stair doesn't win the starting job at center, he'll be a "two-position guy" next season, Groh said last week.

Another possibility could be Ian-Yates Cunningham, who played offensive guard this season but worked at center during training camp.

OPTION: In 2001, Groh's first season as coach at U.Va., he redshirted Andrew Hoffman, who'd played sparingly as a true freshman in 2000. The year off greatly benefited Hoffman, who became a three-year starter at nose tackle.

Five Cavaliers played little as true freshmen in 2005: linebackers Aaron Clark and Olu Hall, wideouts Maurice Covington and Kevin Ogletree and defensive end Alex Field. Asked if one or more of those players might redshirt in 2006, as Hoffman did in'01, Groh said, "If the depth situation and, most particularly, the competitive situation warranted it, we'd certainly consider it."

Groh isn't likely to redshirt a player who'd be in the two-deep - or, in some cases, the three-deep - at his position.

UNSUNG HEROES: Virginia's Jason Cain might be the ACC's most improved player. Cain, a 6-10 junior, ranks third among ACC players in rebounding (8.3 per game), and he's the Cavaliers' fourth-leading scorer (8.9 ppg).

Cain also is one of only three post players on the U.Va. roster. The others are 6-8 freshman Laurynas Mikalauskas and 6-10 sophomore Tunji Soroye. Neither is as polished as Cain, but they teamed with him to contribute 18 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots (all by Soroye) in U.Va.'s 68-54 win over Clemson on Saturday.

"They block shots, and they're big, and they hurt us tonight," Tigers coach Oliver Purnell said of the Cavs' big men.

"Based on tonight's game, which is the only one I can go on, they're pretty solid, they're pretty serviceable. They made it tough on our inside guys. They blocked shots. They set real good screens for" guards J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary.

SO LONG: Saturday's game was the last Purnell will coach at U-Hall. "I'm just so sad," he said with a smile.

Starting next season, U.Va.'s basketball teams will play their home games in 15,000-seat John Paul Jones Arena, which is nearing completion across the street from U-Hall.

Purnell has coached at U-Hall as the head man at Clemson, Old Dominion and Radford and as a Maryland assistant. He said the new arena should "be great for the league. I'm sure the building's fantastic, and there are some issues about U-Hall, sight lines and stuff like that, and everybody I'm sure will agree that it'll be a vast improvement.

Unfortunately, it's going to help Dave and his recruiting as far as us and the rest of the league are concerned."

Dave Leitao, a longtime friend of Purnell, is U.Va.'s first-year coach. - Jeff White




 

End of Vick reign marks change at VT
David Teel
January 10 2006

Marcus Vick is gone, off to Suffolk's courthouse and perhaps the NFL. The competition to replace him will take months. Now the story becomes palace intrigue. Now the issues confronting Virginia Tech football involve trust, supervision, image and probable staff turnover.

Frank Beamer, the Hokies' head coach for 19 seasons, craves stability and believes it a cornerstone of his program's success. He's going to hate this offseason. He's going to hate it because change is a comin'.

Much of the change figures to be internal, concealed from prying ears and eyes. But it's this change that will most affect Tech, and may determine how much longer Beamer leads his alma mater.

Beamer shed tears last week when he told Vick, the first-team All-ACC quarterback, that he was banished from the program. And considering Beamer's forgiving nature and history, it's reasonable to guess he doesn't endorse the decision.

But he had no choice. When university president Charles Steger and athletic director Jim Weaver learned Friday of Vick's recent citations for speeding and driving with a suspended license, they dismissed Vick summarily.

This, of course, in the wake of Vick's stomping of a prone Louisville defender in the Gator Bowl. This in the wake of Vick's past legal entanglements.

Vick's legal present turned thorny when Suffolk police Monday charged him with three misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm the night before at a Suffolk McDonald's. But Vick's murky future and his fast-food etiquette are topics for another couch session.

Of more pressing concern to Hokie Nation: Did Beamer and his administrative hammer, John Ballein, fray relations with Steger and Weaver by not keeping them current on Vick's behavior? If so, how badly? Might Weaver or one of his assistants more closely monitor a football program that enjoys relative autonomy and a football coach who wields substantial power? If so, to what degree?

And what of Beamer's reputation? Charming as he is, might that good-ol-boy image be tarnished?

Some background: Vick began the 2005 season on double-public probation. Screw up once more, Tech officials told him after his 2004 transgressions with liquor, marijuana and under-aged girls, and you're done.

Vick responded with an all-conference season. Though his flipping off fans at West Virginia was boorish, Tech let him skate with a public apology.

Prior to the Hokies' Gator Bowl against Louisville, Hampton police cited Vick for speeding and driving with a suspended license. According to Tech officials, Vick then informed Ballein that his license was suspended because of a misunderstanding over insurance payments. Vick did not, officials insist, mention the citations.

Beamer and Ballein neither explored further nor informed higher-ups. They should have. After all, Vick didn't deserve an inch of wiggle room, and a phone call or two would have revealed the truth.

But the truth would have benched Vick for the Gator Bowl. Indeed, the truth might have ended his Tech career. Did Beamer and Ballein not want to know the truth?

"It never, never came across to me that way," Beamer said during a Saturday news conference. "If it should have, I apologize."

Beamer also pledged to reverse his team's play in the ACC championship game and Gator Bowl. Infrequently penalized during their first 11 games, the Hokies were flagged 24 times combined in those contests. "We've got too much pride in this program and we've done too many good things for us to not play the game the right way," Beamer said.

The right way means not only fewer penalties but also less (zero?) tolerance of throat slashes, sack dances and other taunts. This is a far cry from the 1996 season, when a television graphic compared the Tech and Nebraska rap sheets, but there's no denying the Hokies, including some in the 757 bunch from Hampton Roads, need to tone it down.

And if Beamer doesn't have enough worries: His staff may soon splinter.

Quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, who publicly blistered Vick for the Gator Bowl cheap shot, interviews Wednesday with the Minnesota Vikings. Rogers and new Vikings head coach Brad Childress are connected by Donovan McNabb, Rogers as McNabb's position coach at Syracuse, Childress as McNabb's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Moreover, Danny Pearman, Tech's tight ends and tackles coach, has been linked to an opening at Clemson, his alma mater. If either leaves, former Kecoughtan and Heritage High coach Curt Newsome, now assistant head coach at James Madison, could move to Blacksburg.

Begin to address these concerns and then Beamer gets to ponder a 2006 season without Marcus Vick.
 

Tech's Rogers looking into gig with Vikings
By Randy King
981-3126
The Roanoke Times

After dismissing Marcus Vick from the team Friday, Virginia Tech's football program knew it would have to find a quarterback for next fall.

Now, the Hokies face the likely prospect of having to find a mentor for their new starting QB and backups.

Kevin Rogers, who has coached the Hokies' quarterbacks for the past four seasons, is scheduled to be in Minneapolis on Wednesday to meet with new Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress in regards to becoming the NFL team's next QBs coach.

Rogers, 55, couldn't be reached for comment Monday night. Phone messages left on his cell phone and at his family's Blacksburg home were not returned.

Since taking over for fired head coach Mike Tice on Friday, Childress has been in the process of cleaning house, firing 10 assistant coaches from Tice's staff, including QBs coach Rich Olson.

While Childress and Rogers have never coached on the same staff, they do have common ties. Both have been key in the development of current Eagles star QB Donovan McNabb.

In his eight-year stint at Syracuse, Rogers served as McNabb's mentor from 1995-98. When the Eagles took McNabb with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, Childress served as the Syracuse star's position coach before taking over the team's offensive coordinator's duties in 2002.

Rogers, who has been a college coach for 27 years, never has coached in the NFl.

Multiple sources in the Tech football program said Monday night that Rogers has been yearning to coach in the professional ranks for years, and they don't expect him to turn down the job if offered.