U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Apr 3, 2006

OMINOUS SIGHT: Virginia began spring practice last week without one of its projected starters on the offensive line - rising sophomore Branden Albert, who is being held out to concentrate on his schoolwork.

In practice yesterday, the Cavaliers lost another offensive lineman. Albert's classmate Eugene Monroe, the starting left tackle, suffered an undisclosed injury - apparently to his left knee or left leg - and had to be carted off the field.

Head trainer Ethan Saliba and one of the team's orthopedic surgeons helped Monroe down from the work vehicle and into the McCue Center. Monroe didn't return to practice.

The 6-6 318-pounder from South Plainfield, N.J., was considered the jewel of the recruiting class that entered U.Va. last summer. He was a reserve in 2005 but is expected to take over for D'Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle this season.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS: Ferguson, who almost certainly will be among the first 10 players picked in this month's NFL draft, was at practice yesterday and led the Cavaliers in stretching. He was a four-year starter for U.Va. and a consensus All-American in 2005.

BACK IN THE FOLD: Newcomers to Virginia coach Al Groh's staff this year include graduate assistants Byron Thweatt and Zac Yarbrough. Thweatt, a Matoaca High graduate, was a standout linebacker for Groh's predecessor at U.Va., George Welsh. Yarbrough was a three-year starter at center for Groh. His uncle Nelson Yarbrough starred at Manchester High and at U.Va.

Thweatt and Yarbrough will assist primarily with video operations.

TRICKY BUSINESS: Freshman Vicqual Hall, who redshirted last season, is competing for a starting job at cornerback. At Gretna High, however, he was the productive quarterback in Virginia High School League history, and Groh hopes to take advantage of Hall's many talents.

Hall has been working as the holder on field goals, and on a fake yesterday he took the snap, rolled to the right and lofted a pass to the back of the end zone, where classmate Jeffrey Fitzgerald made a leaping catch.

Fitzgerald, a 6-3, 270-pound defensive end, was a star tight end at Hermitage High. The Panthers' coach, Patrick Kane, was among the guests at yesterday's practice.

MAN ON THE MOVE: Another freshman who redshirted last season, Jason Fuller, was moved from outside linebacker to defensive end shortly before the start of spring drills.

"I love it," he said yesterday after practice. "I feel like it's a great position for me to play. I played it all my life. It's a little different at the college level than, say, high school . . . but it's a lot of fun and not too complicated."

Fuller, who stands 6-5, is light for his new position at 240 pounds, and he's trying his best to gain weight.

"You have to watch how many calories you intake," he said. "Sometimes it's not necessarily how much food mass you eat, but how many calories you consume."

At Kempsville High in Virginia Beach, Fuller was an exceptional wrestler who competed at 215 pounds as a junior and at heavyweight as a senior. He said he'd like to get to 260 or 270 at U.Va.

HITTING THE BOOKS: The transition from high school to college has been a struggle at times for quarterback Jameel Sewell, a freshman who redshirted last season. Sewell, a graduate of Hermitage High, knows that to play football at U.Va. he must stay eligible academically, and "I'm trying to get that straight," he said yesterday.

To that end, Sewell said, he's been doing extra work in his classes and spending more time in study hall, and he's confident he'll be eligible this fall.

The Music City Bowl was quarterback Marques Hagans' final game as a Cavalier, and Sewell entered the new year figuring he'd be a serious candidate to succeed Hagans as the starter. So far this spring, however, Sewell has been the Cavs' No. 3 quarterback - in part, he said, because of his academic situation.

"It definitely put me back," Sewell said. - Jeff White
 

Brown, Monroe injured
UVa football spring practice
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 4, 2006

Mike Brown and Eugene Monroe both entered Virginia's spring football practice period hoping to secure starting spots.
Both suffered a setback this weekend, leaving separate practices with apparent knee injuries.

Brown, a cornerback, was injured on Saturday. Monroe, a rising sophomore and left tackle, was carted off the field on Sunday.

The conditions of both are being monitored closely, coach Al Groh said on Monday.

Monroe, perhaps the most-touted recruit in the 2005 class, underwent tests and Groh expected to have the results back late Monday.

Brown returned to practice on Sunday but did not participate in workouts.

"[Brown] hurt his knee on Saturday," Groh said, "so we'll just have to be watching that on an ongoing basis to see when he's ready to come back and participate."

The injury comes just days after Brown and Virginia soccer player Michael Giallombardo were arrested and charged with a felony and a misdemeanor stemming from a fight on March 3 at a campus fraternity.

The university had cleared Brown to return to practice, and Groh said he is "interested to see how things turn out."

Orange crush

If a member of the Virginia defense has been penciled in as a starter, you wouldn't know

if from watching two open practices.

No player has worn an orange jersey, an honor that starters are typically awarded in practice.

No need to worry. Groh said it is the way he prefers and has encouraged his new-look coaching staff not to "build up any bias, positively or negatively. Coach every player every day, and over a period of time it will become clear."

It has been common philosophy, Groh said, during his tenure at Virginia.

"Actually, we've started most springs consistent with the idea that there's competition for every position every day," Groh said. "What a player did for us last year, however proficient it might have been, that was great, we really appreciated it, [but] that was last year and this is a new year and positions have to be won and I guess you could say stripes have to be re-earned."

Swapping digits

Andrew Pearman, who redshirted last season after transferring from Hawaii, is now the only player wearing jersey No. 21 for the Cavaliers.

That, of course, is the same jersey number that his brother, Alvin, wore during his Virginia career.

Last season, Byron Glaspy wore No. 21 in games. Pearman is a wideout and Glaspy plays in the secondary, but both players could end up on the field at the same time on special teams, so something had to give.

"The Pearmans have a little bit of previous claim on that 21," Groh said. "We gave Andrew the option and he opted for 21."

In the professional ranks, securing a jersey number often requires a monetary contribution. That was not the case in this situation.

"I think Byron is just happy to have a Cavalier jersey, as am I with him," Groh quipped.