Format for Virginia spring game set
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 22, 2005

Al Groh did not need a statistician from the Elias Sports Bureau to crunch the numbers.
It was obvious to Virginia’s coach. He did not have enough healthy bodies to break UVa’s football team into two squads for Saturday’s spring game.
Instead, Groh will use a simple format - the offense versus the defense.
If the offense puts up a ton of points, they will be the clear winner. If the defense keeps their counterparts out of the end zone, the postgame celebration will be reversed.
“When we looked at certain positions, the depth at them and the limitations … we are just going to go at it with the offense against the defense,” Groh said on Thursday. “We are just going to put the ball out there and go back and forth. And if the defense stops them, that is what you are supposed to do.
“If the other side doesn’t have very many points, then the defense had a good day. If the offense has a lot of points, then the offense had a good day. We will just let the scoreboard do what it normally does.”
Groh said fans who attend the festivities can expect to witness the “same amount of offensive plays as they’re used to seeing in a basic game,” but at a quicker pace.
“It obviously is not going to take the same amount of time because we are not going to have TV timeouts or a lengthy timeout or team timeouts,” Groh said. “We will be moving along at a clip of two plays or a play and a half a minute.
It will mark the fourth time in Groh’s five years at Virginia that the format will be used. The only exception was last year, when the spring roster was split into two respective teams.
Groh was quick to point out that a lot can still be learned about the development of his players.
“The way I’m going to look at it - given that certain guys of significance aren’t going to participate - I’m going to evaluate it more particularly on how a number of players give evidence of improvement in their skills from what they have been in the past,” Groh said.
“I might look at a particular play when I review the tape and maybe the play didn’t work, but if I see seven or eight guys who are a lot better at executing their part of the play than they have been in the past, I know it’s going to work better in the fall when some of the other prominent parts are in there.”
Should Virginia’s offensive unit push the ball into the red zone on a repeated basis, it will be a bonus for offensive coordinator Ron Prince. If not, Groh is confident that the work the unit had during Virginia’s 15 practices in the spring will be sufficient.
“We have gotten an awful lot of work with that here on an ongoing basis,” said Groh, who added that a lot of work had been done on third-down scenarios. “In fact, we have been in the red [zone] everyday this spring. We had two different end-of-the-game drills [Thursday]. We had one [Wednesday]. We have had plenty of that.”
Virginia’s special teams units will get work kicking field goals and punting, Groh said.

One in and one out. Brian Barthelmes, who is expected to start next year at left guard, has been limited somewhat in practice this spring as he recovers from an arm injury but Groh said he should be able to play at Scott Stadium on Saturday.
“The only thing Bart hasn’t done is the full-speed one-on-one pass protection,” Groh said, “but he has done everything else in the team work.”
Kai Parham, a leading candidate to start at inside linebacker next to Ahmad Brooks, will be held out of action on Saturday as a precaution for a shoulder injury.
“[Parham] stayed out of some of the tackling drills and some of the one-on-ones but in the team work he has done a nice job of getting his looks, being aggressive but knowing when it was time to pull off,” Groh said. “He has got a lot out of the spring. So one more day - full-speed day - is not going to help him.
“If [the shoulder] really got yanked back, it could undo the benefits of the surgery. We try to keep him out of that circumstance and we will continue to do that again [Saturday].”

Quotable. “He won’t go against anything much better than that all season long. That has been a pretty good challenge for him,” Groh said about linebacker Clint Sintim practicing against All-ACC offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson during spring practice.

Note. Saturday’s festivities, which kickoff at noon, will feature live music, games and other family-oriented activities. The West side of Scott Stadium will be used for all events.
Due to construction, fans must enter through the West gates and sit on the West side (the sidelines UVa’s uses for home games) to view on-field activities.
Fans can park free of charge in any of the lots surrounding Scott Stadium as well as any other University parking lots including Fontaine Research Park. Parking garages will also be available, but will charge their normal hourly rates. Admission to the game is free.

Groh pleased in progress of UVa secondary
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
April 22, 2005

Steamed. That’s as polite a word as we can find to describe coach Al Groh’s mood after his Virginia football team lost an overtime decision to Fresno State in last December’s MPC Computers Bowl.

As had been the case in several of the Cavaliers’ four losses, breakdowns in the secondary in key passing situations had cost Virginia dearly.

In his postgame interview, Groh was determined to address the problem in the offseason.

“We’ll do a lot of examining of that in the coming days and weeks,” the Wahoos coach said after the game about his pass defense. “It’s a little too early to make any conclusions or, if I have made any conclusions, to discuss what those conclusions are.”

Improving on Idaho

Fast forward nearly four months later as Virginia readies for its annual spring game on Saturday. One major change from that day in Idaho is that defensive coordinator Al Golden has taken over the coaching of the secondary.

Certainly, one of the main points of focus in spring drills has been to solidify the defensive backfield in order to strengthen Virginia’s defense for the 2005 season.

“There are two areas every year you start all over again and make sure you get it the way you want and that’s the offensive line and the secondary,” Groh said this spring.

Heading into the weekend, the Cavaliers’ coach is pleased with what he has seen over the past few weeks.

“It has been a very positive spring,” Groh said of the secondary’s improvement. “I have been impressed with the individual and collective progress. I’ve seen growth at a lot of different spots.”

Experienced crew

Virginia’s cornerback positions are currently secured by returning third-year starters Tony Franklin and Marcus Hamilton, both of which made strides last season in the learning process. Groh’s philosophy emphasizes that most players headed into their third year of service make their most significant gains in that term of their careers.

“Hamilton and Franklin have progressed very positively in their games this spring,” Groh said.

Behind those two returnees is a trio of players who could make major contributions, the most obvious of which is sophomore Chris Gorham, who has made eye-popping improvement this spring.

“Gorham has gotten the most concentrated work he’s had since he’s been here,” Groh said. “The results of that have been very positive. He’s lean and a long-armed player, which is a big advantage in being able to play tight coverage and to beat jams [at the line of scrimmage].”

Sophomore Mario Moore of

Lynchburg will be game ready by fall. By then, sophomore Philip Brown should be healthy again as well. Brown, who played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, has missed most of the spring due to a serious hamstring pull.

All in all, that gives Virginia five corners, three with game experience and two more ready to play.

The safety spots could be a more significant problem because starters Jermaine Hardy and Marquis Weeks graduated, leaving little experience at those two positions.

“We have two young safeties who I think will make a significant contribution and we have two young corners who are ready to compete for playing time,” Groh said. “We have two or three players coming in who I think will add to the overall athletic ability back there, so all of these guys are guys that will be back for multiple seasons. We’re going to have a lot of continuity and I expect we’ll have a lot of competition for playing time at those spots.”

With that in mind, Groh purposely threw true freshmen Nate Lyles and Jamaal Jackson to the wolves last season. Both gained invaluable experience that should help them this year.

“We needed Jamaal and Nate and Lance Evans to do some very important jobs for us last year, especially in the nickel defense and special teams,” the coach said. “We wanted them to get their feet wet and they all seem to be showing the positive carry over from that.

“All three of them have done their jobs this spring as far as progressing,” Groh said. “They do not appear to be apprentice safeties as if they would be freshmen coming in with no game experience.”

Consider that Franklin and Hamilton completed their first full seasons of play at the position last fall, even though they each had a taste of it the year before. Brown played in 11 games last season and perhaps learned the hard way, but has been described as an amazing athlete, who will only get better.

Lyles (193 plays in 12 games, some special teams), and Evans (91 plays in eight games), gained some experience. Jackson played mostly on special teams, but won’t be a stranger to game action when the season starts.

There’s good speed in the secondary, perhaps the best speed there in years. Lyles and Jackson are “verifiable track fast,” Groh has said. Brown isn’t exactly snail-like either.

Speed, physical play and experience along with solid coaching could turn the secondary into a strength rather than a liability.

It has been a long time since a Virginia secondary was looked upon in that light, dating back to the days of Rick Lantz’ ball-hawking defenses.

But Groh is quick to point out that sometimes the offense is so efficient that even decent defenses can be portrayed as less than terrific.

As Gen. Bob Neyland once told Bobby Bowden, “Son, there’s no defense against a perfectly thrown pass.”

“One thing about the secondary,” Groh said. “Every time there’s a pass completed, everybody thinks it should be knocked down. Obviously you’re not going to knock down everything, particularly in the modern pass offense where the completion percentage for most teams is up around 60. A lot of that has to do with the quick-throw rhythm passing games that teams are incorporating.”

Perhaps Saturday’s spring fling will give us a glimpse of what UVa’s secondary of the future is made of. Groh certainly is banking on it.

Canty over his past
Despite his recent injuries, the former Virginia lineman is at peace with his current situation.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

If the 2004 football season had unfolded as Chris Canty had anticipated, his name might be known by National Football League draftniks from coast to coast.

At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, Canty had the agility of a former basketball player and the speed of an ex-tight end. He was productive, too, having led ACC defensive linemen in tackles in back-to-back seasons. It seemed that coach Al Groh's 3-4 defense was made for him.

To understand how much Canty meant to Virginia's football program, consider the Cavaliers' record before and after Canty suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth game. UVa was 4-0 with him and 4-4 without him, and the season ended with Fresno State laying waste to Canty's old spot on the right side of the Cavaliers' defensive line.

"I was definitely hurting for my teammates and the fans," Canty said Thursday. "We put a lot into last season, but I didn't feel sorry for myself. I went out there and played hard and that's just how it worked out."

That was a noble reaction, considering the millions of dollars that the injury may have cost Canty, who required reconstructive surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

"People say that I was a solid No. 1 pick, with the possibility that I might have gone in the top 15," Canty said. "That's changed a little bit, but I'm pleased with how everything's gone and where I'm projected to go now, so I'm fine with that.

"Right now, it looks like I'm going to have an opportunity to maybe sneak into the first round, and definitely - uh, probably - be a second-round guy. I'm just thankful that I still have the opportunity to play football and to be able to realize my dreams."

When Canty began rehabilitation after October surgery, little did he realize what was in front of him, not just with his rebuilt knee.

Canty was at a nightclub in Scottsdale, Ariz., home base for his agents, when he was struck by an object that left him with a detached retina in his left eye.

"They suspect it was a bottle," Canty said. "I didn't have any involvement with the fight or the altercation that was taking place. I'm actually not sure what hit me. I just remember holding my face. It was a significant injury."

Canty underwent surgery in which the retina was reattached, and the timing could not have been worse. At the time, he was preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and doctors advised against traveling by air.

Because the cabin pressure might have affected his repaired retina, Canty was forced to take the train from Arizona to Indiana.

"It was a long train ride," Canty said. "I left on a Thursday and I got there on Sunday."

Canty didn't work out, but he submitted himself to personal interviews from the teams and persistent questions about his knee and eye. He also took the Wonderlic psychological test to which prospects are subjected and had the highest score of any of the players at his position.

"There was a lot of misinformation right after [the Scottsdale incident] and it was the first time that I had ever received any negative publicity, so to speak," Canty said. "Some of the things that were said, they hurt a little bit, but I'm confident in the kind of person I am."

Canty received a degree in African-American studies last spring and was taking graduate studies this past fall. He had asked an NFL panel for information about his NFL Draft potential following the 2003 season and doesn't regret coming back for a fifth year.

"I can't say with any certainty what would have happened if I had come out," Canty said, "but I know I'm a much better player for having stayed in school that extra year. And, I think I'm better prepared to deal with the rigors of the NFL.

"There's no turning back. The decision was the best decision for me at the time and that's what I'm willing to live with. With these setbacks, you could say, 'Why me?' But that doesn't get you anywhere."

It's full speed ahead now for Canty, whose plan is to be ready for contact on the first day of minicamp. He doesn't want to offer any predictions on his destination, but, "you know, the 3-4's real popular these days," he said.

What’s the holdup on junior commitments?
Nike camp at Tech this Sunday
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

After learning that Mr. Insider, Randy King, had wrapped up his Virginia Tech column for the summer, I hereby wrap up the UVa Insider with an early installment of Notebook Plus.

Notebook Plus will continue to appear on Fridays, except when I am on vacation, with both insiders to resume in August with the start of preseason practice.

It’s about time for football recruiting to heat up and I’m not referring to Virginia’s anticipated signing of linebacker Darren Childs, a senior from Mission Bay High School in San Diego, Calif.

If I’m not mistaken, Childs may sign an institutional letter-of-intent, but, in football, the signing period for a national letter-of-intent ends April 1.

What strikes me is the absence of commitments so far from juniors. Virginia, whose lone commitment to date was from Glassboro (N.J.) outside linebacker George Johnson on Feb. 22, had seven commitments by this point a year ago and 10 by the end of April.

Tech had taken a commitment from junior Ed Wang in the fall of 2003 but the second commitment didn’t come until May 24, when DeMatha fullback Kenneth Jefferson committed one day before Lake Taylor linebacker DeMetrius Taylor.

MANY OF THE state’s top prospects and some would-be prospects will be in Blacksburg this weekend for the Nike All-Star Camp on Sunday.

Fitting in the latter category is Travis Greene, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound running back and defensive back from George Mason High School, one of five schools in the Bull Run District, a far-flung Group A league that includes the likes of Madison County and Strasburg.

George Mason is overshadowed by some of its Group AAA Division 5 and 6 neighbors but rival Group A programs are aware of Greene, described by coach Tom Horn as “the fastest player I’ve timed in my nine years here.”

Horn said he has hand-held 40-yard times between 4.58 and 4.62 seconds for Greene, but wonders how he will stack up against other top prospects at his position. Greene has run for 900 yards in each of the past two seasons but may be a better defensive back. His older brother, Michael, was a walk-on football player at Virginia before graduating in 1998.

The younger Greene has a 3.0 grade-point average and Horn says he has little doubt that Greene will make NCAA qualifying standards on the SAT.

RECRUITERS WHO READ that 6-foot-4, 250-pound Theo Sherman is from Chatham may assume that Sherman plays at Hargrave Military Academy, so Hargrave coach Bob Prunty probably should get a forwarding address for Chatham High School.

Chatham coach Matt Foutz doesn’t think that Chatham has ever had a Division I-A football signee, but Sherman could be the first. On offense, he was named Dogwood District offensive player of the year, and he was a first-team all-district selection on defense.

Sherman, an offensive tackle and defensive end, was clocked in 5.0 seconds for 40 yards last year in a one-day camp at Virginia Tech and he also has several 4.9 clockings to his credit. He runs the 200 meters for Chatham in track and has gone under 27 seconds.

Sherman also has been to Wake Forest, North Carolina State and Virginia for one-day affairs and he is in good shape academically, with a 2.7 grade-point average to this point.

BILL RAMSEY, who has elevated the boys’ basketball program at the Blue Ridge School to a point where it annually produces Division I prospects, says that the Blue Ridge football program has similar aspirations.

Blue Ridge’s first big-time football signee could be Greg Davis, a 6-2, 190-pound junior whose family is from Baltimore. Davis originally played basketball for Ramsey but elected to concentrate on football during the 2004-2005 school year.

Blue Ridge is located in Greene County, roughly a 30-minute drive from Charlottesville, and the Cavaliers were the early leaders for Davis, a wide receiver and defensive back. Davis has caught Nebraska’s eye and the interest is mutual, but it will be hard for him not to stay close to home with the likes of UVa, Maryland and West Virginia expressing interest.

In need of a pick-me-up
Five players with state ties await spots in the NFL's annual grabfest
BY PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Apr 22, 2005

This much is certain about Darryl Blackstock. The linebacker from the University of Virginia easily can be described as a free spirit.

He also is free with his thoughts and opinions.

Blackstock is one of about 30 players from state colleges and universities who stand a chance to be drafted or signed as a free agent by an NFL team this weekend.

Blackstock could have stayed at Virginia for one more season. But his research told him that would not be a wise decision.

"Virginia has a strong history of getting senior guys hurt," Blackstock said at the NFL Combine. "It was time for me to go."

Blackstock, who had 27 sacks in three years at Virginia, appears to have made a good decision. His strength against the run and his seemingly innate ability to play the linebacker position have made him a very attractive commodity for NFL teams.

Blackstock, 6-4 240, is a potential first-round selection.

Another potential first-round choice is tight end Heath Miller, also from the University of Virginia.

Miller, 6-5 255, has just about everything the NFL looks for in a complete tight end: decent speed, sure hands and blocking ability.

The only reason Miller might not be taken in the first round is that tight ends are not always seen as first-round worthy. But the playmaking success of such players as Jeremy Shockey, out of Miami and now with the New York Giants, has prompted teams to take a long look at players such as Miller.

"It's really opened the door for guys on the college level," Miller said while attending the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. "[Tight ends] are used in a lot of different ways. They're not just blockers anymore."

Another Cavalier, Elton Brown, a 6-6 338-pound All-American, is a potential first-round pick as an offensive guard.

The draft is deep in cornerbacks, and Eric Green from Virginia Tech is in the upper echelon at the position. Green is a possible first-round choice and almost certainly will not last past the second round.

Green has a number of physical qualities that make him an attractive candidate for the first round. He has good size (5-11 198), speed, supreme confidence -- a prerequisite for playing cornerback. He has faced and handled high-caliber competition.

"I'm a player with a lot of confidence, and I play with a lot of confidence," Green said at the combine. "I'm a leader, and I make the people around me better.

"We played a lot of different defenses at Virginia Tech -- zone, bump coverage, off coverage. I think I can fit into any scheme."

The player who might have done the most to improve his draft stock in his workouts is wide receiver/kick returner Jerome Mathis of Hampton.

When he ran a 4.2 40-yard dash at the combine, Mathis certainly moved from a possible sixth- or seventh-round selection to a second- or third-round selection.

His speed is such that a team drafting late in the first round might think Mathis is worth grabbing before someone takes him in the second round.

One of the more interesting state players to draw NFL attention is Hampden-Sydney running back C.W. Clemmons. He dominated at the Division III level, but Division III players face a mountainous climb to earn a job in the NFL.

Clemmons now weighs in at 245, 10 pounds above his playing weight last season, bulked up to 245 with the idea that he might become a fullback in the NFL. He might be intriguing enough to at least get invited to an NFL training camp.