Long is on board, agrees to contract
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/20/2008

LONG-TERM DEAL Coach Scott Linehan says it's at least 5 years.
DRAFT PICK PROGRESS Long is the fourth of eight selections in fold.

Chris Long, the No. 2 overall selection in April's NFL draft, had been part of the Rams organization only briefly when he was asked about training camp. Specifically, whether he expected to report on time.

"I was never into that holdout business," Long said. "That's real important to me ... as a teammate more than anything."

When a reporter persisted, asking whether there was any doubt about that, the 6-foot-3, 279-pound defensive end from the University of Virginia offered a quick, one-word response.

"No."

On Saturday, Long proved to be a man of his word. He agreed to a long-term contract and will join his teammates when they report to Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., on Thursday. Practices begin Friday.

Terms of the agreement could not be immediately determined, although coach Scott Linehan indicated that it covers at least five years.

Long, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and current Fox network broadcaster Howie Long, is the Rams' highest overall draft selection since 1997, when they took tackle Orlando Pace with the No. 1 pick. Long is expected to start at right end, opposite veteran Leonard Little.

Jay Zygmunt, the Rams' president of football operations and general manager, had met with Long's Los Angeles-based agent, Marvin Demoff, several times before the deal was completed Saturday.

Linehan said he was relieved to have Long in the fold.

"I was kind of anxious to get moving on this," Linehan said. "There's nothing guaranteed about when a guy's going to sign and be in camp. He was obviously a high-profile pick for us, and I'm really excited about it."

Contracts for the Nos. 1 and 3 overall draft picks, Michigan tackle Jake Long and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, respectively, were completed early. Miami signed Long to a five-year, $57.75 million contract, five days before the April 26-27 draft. Ryan received a six-year, $72 million deal from the Atlanta Falcons on April 20.

Long is the fourth of the Rams' eight draft picks in the fold. Previously signed were tackle John Greco (third round), wide receiver Keenan Burton (fourth) and guard Roy Schuening (fifth). Unsigned are wide receiver Donnie Avery (second), cornerback Justin King (fourth), and linebackers Chris Chamberlain (seventh) and David Vobora (seventh).

The others, Linehan said, should fall into line rapidly now that Long has a deal. "I don't anticipate any problems with getting everybody signed by the time we start camp," he said. "You never say never, but it would be pretty uncommon for anything to hold up the next group of guys."
 

Martin, Phillips looked to for key contributions
Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 12:08 AM
By DARRYL SLATER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

GREENSBORO, Ga. -- It's hard to hide when you play football in front of 60,000 people, your every misstep exposed. It's impossible to hide when you're the most experienced defensive lineman at Virginia Tech or the top tight end at Virginia -- positions each school lionizes.

Entering their senior seasons, Tech's Orion Martin and Virginia's John Phillips are preparing to step into those visible and vulnerable roles, further cemented yesterday, when they represented their teams at the ACC Football Kickoff media event.

Martin, an end, is the only returning starter on Tech's defensive line, long a strength of a unit that has ranked in the top four nationally in yards allowed per game for the past four seasons. Phillips waited behind Tom Santi and Jon Stupar -- and could end up being better than both, the next link in the lineage of talented tight ends at Virginia, whose offense relies on the position more than most.

Martin received a harsh greeting to Tech football when he arrived as a walk-on in fall of 2004. The coaches sent him onto the line for the middle drill, a blocking and tackling exercise that involves plays run right up the middle.

Martin was 25 pounds lighter back then, about 230, and ill-prepared take on tight end Duane Brown and tackle Nick Marshman; Brown would eventually move to tackle and become a first-round NFL draft pick, while Marshman was simply an enormous human being, about 340 pounds. They combined to plow Martin 15 yards off the line.

"I'm like, 'I don't know what to do,'" Martin said. "I was just embarrassed."

He is more physical now the one major change in his playing style since he came to Tech. Last season, his first as a starter, he had 6½ sacks, second most on the team behind Chris Ellis, who anchored the other end, a position at Tech whose decorated alums include Cornell Brown, Cory Moore and Darryl Tapp.

Statistical production aside, Martin and Ellis are "night and day," quarterback Sean Glennon said. Ellis' unfiltered chattiness once caused coach Frank Beamer to muzzle him from talking to the media for the 2006 season. Martin rarely spoke even in the locker room when he first walked on, and his shyness has faded only slightly over the years. "It's a little shell if he came out of it," Glennon said.

During the offseason, Martin spends his weekends at home with family in Martinsville or watching movies at Tech with friends who aren't on the football team -- his time to "be regular," he said.

At Virginia, Phillips has taken more of a leadership role during drills. "I've really seen a higher level of being vocal," outside linebacker and roommate Clint Sintim said. Phillips picked that up from one of his other roommates, former defensive end Chris Long.

Phillips also learned plenty from Santi, whose locker was next to Phillips'. After practice, Phillips quizzed Santi about how he set up routes. "I didn't have to ask him; he would just tell me what I could do better," Phillips said. "It came to a point later, like last year, where we could ask each other how we did this or how it was set up."

For the past three years, Phillips' duties focused mostly on blocking, so he'll have to prove he can be a receiving threat like Santi, Stupar and Heath Miller before them. Phillips caught 17 passes last year, compared to 40 for Santi and 36 for Stupar. In his first three seasons, Phillips has just 21 catches. Santi had 61 in his first three seasons, Stupar 40.

Phillips, 6-6 and 250 pounds, certainly aces the eye test coach Al Groh's ideal tight end. Now, Phillips, like Martin, must show everyone watching this season that his play also fits the mold created by his predecessors.

"Virginia's known for producing great tight ends," Sintim said. "And I feel like he's the next great one in line."

 

U.Va.'s Sintim eager to take on larger role
Posted to: College Football Sports
By Ed Miller
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 21, 2008
GREENSBORO, Ga.

Virginia's Clint Sintim is the first to admit that he had more than a little help leading the nation's linebackers in sacks last season.

Sintim played directly behind defensive end Chris Long, arguably the most feared pass rusher in the nation. Down the line from Long, fellow end Jeffrey Fitzgerald was a handful in his own right, recording 12 sacks over two seasons.

"It gave me the opportunity to come in there and sneak in the back door and make some plays," Sintim said Sunday at the 2008 ACC Football Kickoff.

With Long and his 14 sacks gone to the NFL and Fitzgerald headed to Kansas State because of an academic issue, that door has been slammed shut. Virginia returns no defensive ends with any significant experience, which could make Sintim a marked man this year at his outside linebacker position.

"Will I get extra attention?" Sintim said, laughing. "Hopefully not."

Sintim knows that's wishful thinking. After totaling nine sacks last year, his sneaking days are likely over. He figures to draw more double-team blocks than any Cavalier outside linebacker since Darryl Blackstock, who had 27 sacks from 2002-04.

Sintim is ready for the extra attention. A fifth-year senior, he's been preparing for this opportunity since enrolling in 2004, a heavily recruited player out of Gar-Field High in Woodbridge who was "intrigued" with playing linebacker in Virginia's 3-4 system.

"I feel I was born to be an outside linebacker in the 3-4," he said. "I just love the position."

Other schools wanted him as a 4-3 defensive end. Sintim craved the challenge of playing a hybrid position, one that requires someone powerful enough to take on an offensive tackle on the edge, and quick enough to drop into coverage in the flat. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, he fits the prototype.

"I've got to hit him every day in practice, so I know what kind of power he has," tight end John Phillips said.

It took a while to come out. After redshirting in 2004, Sintim broke into the starting lineup in 2005. He played through a shoulder injury in 2006 before breaking out last year.

Sintim gives much of the credit to Long, and not just for occupying blockers between the lines. They shared a house last year, along with seven other teammates. Long was the one likely to organize an offseason Saturday morning run, or to drop to the floor and bang out a set of pushups while watching TV. His relentless approach to improving as a player was contagious, Sintim said.

"Chris was a huge influence," Sintim said.

Sintim will try to exert a similar influence on his younger teammates this year. Phillips, another former roommate, sees him as a natural.

"Living with him, I see what kind of worker he is. He watches film all the time," Phillips said. "He brings a passion. He plays with a high level of intensity."

With just five defensive starters back, Virginia will need all of Sintim's intensity and then some, beginning with the season opener Aug. 30 against Southern Cal. A little help with the pass rush wouldn't hurt, either. Regardless, Sintim can't wait to get started.

"Am I excited?" he said. "Excited is not the word. Ecstatic is the word."
 

Now a leading man
By Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com
981-3129

GREENSBORO, Ga. -- Virginia tight end John Phillips may never see a time when teammates stop kidding him about his Bath County roots.

Phillips was on his way to a table set up for player interviews when teammate Clint Sintim, who had arrived first, exchanged their place cards.

"Hi, I'm John Phillips from Bath County," said Sintim, greeting reporters with his best attempt at an Alleghany Highlands drawl.

Nobody laughed any harder than Phillips, whose mountainside upbringing has never been a hindrance.

That was apparent when teammates elected Phillips, a fourth-year junior, as one of their co-captains. He and Sintim represented the team Sunday at the ACC Football Kickoff, a media event at Reynolds Plantation.

"It's a comfortable position for me," said Phillips, whose selection as co-captain was ratified by head coach Al Groh. "I've always worked hard. I feel I've earned the respect of a lot of guys on the team. I kind of expected it.

"Tom [Santi] was a guy I was always around and I watched his leadership. I've gotten a lot more vocal the past two years."

Santi was one of UVa's co-captains in 2007 and combined with Jon Stupar and Phillips to provide 93 receptions from the tight end position. Phillips had 17 receptions for 193 yards and has the potential to catch 50 passes or more this year, according to Groh.

"I'm ready to catch the ball," Phillips said. "I look forward to that."

With the return of a pair of 600-yard rushers in Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson, Virginia won't be quick to abandon the run, but the Cavaliers often were protecting leads during a 9-4 season in 2007 and ball control was the prescribed strategy.

There has been less optimism surrounding this season following the departure of a pair of first-round NFL draft picks in defensive end Chris Long and offensive tackle Brandon Albert.

On top of that, the Cavaliers lost six underclassmen to various academic and disciplinary issues, including two-year starting quarterback Jameel Sewell and promising defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

"You can't dwell on things like that," Phillips said. "They're great guys; we've stayed in contact with them. They're still part of the family; they're just not part of the team.

"Everybody's going to have obstacles. That's life. We understand who we are. Last year, we were a team that was going to battle until the last two minutes of the game and then try to win it. We hope that carries over to this year."

The chemistry of Virginia's 2007 team was evident when Long went to New York for the NFL Draft and 15 of his teammates accompanied him, including Phillips. Long pointed at the Cavalier contingent when he was chosen second overall by St. Louis.

Phillips also has taken teammates back to Bath County on hunting trips and Long was scheduled to attend a ceremony at which Phillips' Bath County jersey was to be retired "but it got postponed and he couldn't make it the next time," Phillips said.

Of the 41 Virginians on the Cavaliers' roster, none comes from a more mountainous area than Phillips. The Cavaliers once had another fine tight end from the state's mountainous coalfields region, current Pittsburgh Steelers standout Heath Miller from Russell County.

"Everybody has their own backgrounds," Phillips said, "We embrace that."
 

Confidence game
By Jay Jenkins
Published: July 20, 2008

GREENSBORO, Ga. — When asked Sunday afternoon which team should be penciled in as the favorite to win the ACC’s Coastal Division, Virginia tight end John Phillips pointed both of his thumbs at his chest.

It was a standard confidence-boosting gesture from players representing each of the programs in the six-member division at the annual ACC Football Kickoff.

Rampant speculation emerged, however, that once Sunday’s votes are tabulated from the members of the media present that the Cavaliers will land in a spot similar — or worse — to that of the past two seasons, when they were predicted to finish fourth.

For now, Phillips is not willing to concede — the senior is awaiting the opportunity to analyze the complete roster during training camp in August.

It was during that period last year, he pointed out, that the Cavaliers developed an identity en route to a nine-win season — albeit one accomplished in nail-biting fashion. In fact, UVa set an NCAA record by winning five games by two points or fewer.

“That was the team that we had,” Phillips said. “We wanted to keep it close the whole game and then win on the last play or win in the last minute or two. That was our philosophy and that was our team mindset.

“We defined ourselves early on in camp as a team that could be tired and still execute and I think we did a great job of that last year.”

The current collection of Cavaliers will likely need a different method of attack after losing 23 lettermen.

“Every season is tough. Whenever you look at the schedule and you have all these ACC teams, you know every one of them is going to be tough,” said Phillips, who ranked third among returning tight ends with 17 receptions and 193 yards receiving last year. “We have to define who our team is. We are going to define who our team is.

“If it’s the type of team that’s going to win it by two points five or six times, that’s fine. If it is the type of team that’s going to throw the ball 100 times or run the ball 100 times, that’s what it is going to be. We’ll be anxious to see that.”

Virginia outside linebacker Clint Sintim echoed those sentiments.

“Just preparing is the key factor,” the team captain said. “Everybody is going to have their opinions and it is not necessarily going to change how well we perform, how well we play or how bad we play.”

Sintim is fully aware that the team’s linebackers, including the inside duo of Antonio Appleby and Jon Copper, will be asked to spark the Cavaliers’ defense with the voids created by the loss of defensive end Chris Long to the NFL Draft and the departure of defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who left school and later transferred to Kansas State.

Sintim amassed nine sacks last year, which was the nation’s highest figure for a linebacker.

“That was the case, but when you have the best pass rusher in the nation [Long] and then you have Jeffrey Fitzgerald, one of the younger talents in the nation, it gave me the opportunity to come in there and sneak in the back door and make some plays,” he said. “I had some help and I don’t necessarily have the same help right now, so just making myself a better player is a big goal of mine.

“The light bulb kind of clicked on for me last year as far as what I needed to do to be successful and this year I am kind of taking that same approach because I am a captain. I do have to lead a little bit more than I did last season. I don’t have the luxury of Chris whispering in my ear. I am just trying to be as good of a leader and as good of a football player as possible.”

The results for the ACC’s preseason poll and the player of the year voting will be announced today. The preseason All-ACC team is scheduled to be released Wednesday.

All smiles

Virginia’s two players in attendance flashed huge smiles when told that Long, their former teammate and roommate, had inked a five-year deal with the St. Louis Rams late Saturday night.

Phillips is holding out hope for a new car, and Sintim admitted he had checked his own bank account in search of a deposit from his close friend.

“I looked at my account and it’s the same as it was when I started,” Sintim chuckled. “He has never changed; he has been the same guy since I have known him.

“He is really humble and his parents did a great job. He handles himself as a professional in everything he does.”

Both players were with Long in New York for the draft. Terms of the deal were not released.

Double take

After playing in seven of the first eight games last year and making three tackles, linebacker John Bivens was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury that led to surgery in November.

Apparently, the redshirt sophomore is back on track.

“Man, he has actually looked great,” Sintim said. “In Wednesday morning agility training, he has actually looked great. I almost forgot how good of an athlete that he is. He was moving great and he said he is feeling better.”

Bivens, listed at 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds, is considered the heir apparent to one of the inside linebacker spots after the departure of Appleby and Copper following the 2008 season.

“It is really exciting because he’s one of those guys that’s trying to get back on the field and you can just really see the type of playmaker ability he has when he is on the field,” Sintim added. “I am excited for him and I just hope he is able to continue this process and help our team.”

A tight squeeze

Former Cavalier tight ends Tom Santi and Jonathan Stupar are fighting to secure spots on rosters in the NFL.

Their respective departures has opened two spots on the depth chart for a program known for playing at least three tight ends.

When quizzed about the third option behind himself and sophomore Joe Torchia, Phillips noted two leading candidates: junior Crutcher Reiss and redshirt freshman Andrew Devlin.

A prized recruit in the Class of 2007, Devlin turned heads last year with his steady work with the scout team.

“He had a great opportunity to sit back and watch how it goes and watch how we play and he didn’t really have to ask questions,” Phillips said. “He could sit back and let us ask questions and pick up what was going on. He could be quiet and just absorb what was going on.”

The program also has three newcomers with the program listed as tight ends. Colter Phillips, Billy Schautz and Rod Wheeler have given one of the program’s most notable positions ample depth.

“We have a lot of tight ends,” Phillips said. “We are pretty stacked at tight end on the depth chart. I think coach [Al] Groh understands that we like tight ends, we use them well and there needs to be an abundance of them.”

A big load

With a host of new faces to learn, the returning veterans focus more on jersey numbers than last names.

Due the recent arrival of the players, Sintim had a tough time pointing out the one player that physically appeared ready for jump to college football.

After some help from the program’s newly released media guide, Sintim settled on an answer.

“Buddy Ruff is a stud. He is a big kid,” Sintim said. “He is a quiet kid, but he is a big kid.

“He is a big, thick kid and from what I hear he is incredibly explosive. We will see what happens when camp comes. We will see what Buddy Ruff is about.”

Ruff, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, is expected to enter training camp at nose tackle behind junior Nate Collins and redshirt freshman Nick Jenkins. The rookie has been assigned jersey No. 91, which was worn by Long and honored before the program’s final home game last season.

“Wow,” Sintim said. “That is the number to have.”

 

Cavs retool O-line
By Jay Jenkins
Published: July 19, 2008

A midsummer stroll down the magazine aisle at any local grocery store was able to do the trick.

Finding the incentive to persevere through grueling conditioning drills in the humid air or completing early-morning weightlifting requirements was made easy after reading the subpar predictions for Virginia’s 2008 football campaign.

The focus — nationally and within the region — has remained for months on the lengthy list of players slated to be missing in action and not those destined to don a helmet and pads when training camp opens in early August.

Being picked as an ACC afterthought and even as low as the Coastal Division’s cellar dweller by many pundits — a crippling drop in the standings that would require finishing behind Duke — provided the Cavaliers’ returning players with ample inspiration.

That mentality changed as opening day and a date with national powerhouse Southern California on Aug. 30 inched closer. It was replaced with the belief that something special can be accomplished.

“When we first started we kind of used it as motivation, but I guess now we know what we need to do and that people out there don’t really respect us or give us any credit,” said Virginia right tackle Will Barker. “That has helped us through the summer, but we are confident we are going to do big things this year and I think we are going to surprise a lot of people.”

Barker, a junior, joins senior left tackle Eugene Monroe as the lone returning starters on one of the units in question heading into the new season. Former incumbents Branden Albert and Ian-Yates Cunningham, both guards, and center Jordy Lipsey must be replaced on assistant coach Dave Borbely’s offensive line.

The leading candidates entering camp, in Barker’s opinion, are sophomore B.J. Cabbell (right guard), sophomore Jack Shields (center) and senior Zak Stair (left guard). Patrick Slebonick, a junior, could provide depth at multiple spots.

“A lot of people haven’t seen B.J. play, or Zak, or even Jack Shields — Zak got more playing time than the others — but I think this year everyone is really fitting in,” Barker said. “For Gene and I, it makes it feel like they have been around a long time and it’s not their first year.

“They all have a real good grasp on the offense and the work ethic. For us, it is comforting to know that these guys know what they are doing and have the confidence in doing it.”

With the five veterans in the trenches last season, Virginia ranked sixth in the ACC and 79th nationally in rushing yardage per game, averaging 135.6 yards per game. The Cavaliers also averaged 194.8 yards per contest moving the ball through the air, a figure that bettered only two teams in the league and ranked No. 90 in the country.

Entering the new campaign and despite the one-year expected hiatus of quarterback Jameel Sewell due to an academic suspension, hopes remain strong within the team that the ability to spread defenses out with occasional four- and five-wide offensive looks will create a two-headed monster.

“If anything the situation gives us diversity,” Barker said. “We are going out there, whether we run the ball or throw the ball, ready to move the ball down the field and score.”

Barker, who plans to play at a weight between 305 and 315 this season, has another reason to smile.

When Barker arrived at his locker as a rookie, thanks to his jersey number, he was placed next to defensive end Kevin Crawford. After leaving the team and school during training camp before the 2007 campaign, Crawford has returned and is expected to push for playing time at a position that must fill the void of losing Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Chris Long.

“Kevin’s coming back adds so much depth,” Barker said. “We have been doing some offensive line-defensive line stuff and so far he has looked great.

“It looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. I’m really glad he is back.”

Just kicking it

Virginia could have another player in the mix to battle redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein and recruited walk-on Robert Randolph for the opportunity to handle kickoffs and placement kicks.

According to multiple sources, former Virginia soccer player Yannick Reyering is expected to be with the team when training camp opens and was training at the school last week.

Reyering, who was drafted in the second round of Major League Soccer’s supplemental draft earlier this year, boasts one year of eligibility in football.

In April and May, Reyering trained with a pair of former Cavalier specialists, kicker/punter Chris Gould and punter Ryan Weigand. During limited practice time, Weigand noticed that the German boasted excellent hang time on kickoffs — often timing at 4.2 seconds to reach the end zone — and employed a soccer-style approach similar to Clemson placekicker Mark Buchholz on placement kicks.

“He’s really got a strong leg,” Weigand said.

Reyering led the UVa soccer team with 13 goals in 2007 and tallied 39 for his career.

Status change?

Earlier this week, Virginia’s official website updated the team’s roster, which now includes positions and jersey numbers of the 18-member recruiting class for 2008.

There was also a glaring omission.

Junior cornerback Mike Brown has been removed from the roster that was posted during spring practice. Brown was held out of the 15-practice period as he awaited the trial date for a series of felonies he was charged with in February. He is slated to appear in Charlottesville General District Court on Thursday.

Virginia coach Al Groh will likely address the matter when he meets with members of the media Monday at the ACC’s annual kickoff event, which will be held in Greensboro, Ga.

 

In our state's defense
David Teel
8:35 PM EDT, July 20, 2008
GREENSBORO, GA.

Can Virginia win nine games in back-to-back football seasons for the first time? Can Virginia Tech become the ACC's first repeat champion north of Tallahassee in 20 years?

The answers could well hinge on defenders of disparate backgrounds: A former All-American and former walk-on.

Linebacker Clint Sintim signed with Virginia after a heralded high school career; end Orion Martin sweated cut day at Virginia Tech after his first spring game. Now these fifth-year seniors are returning starters and established leaders of defenses that need to support offenses rife with holes.

"I've thought about that," Martin said Sunday at the ACC's preseason media gathering/golf boondoggle. "We know we'll have to hold it down for awhile. But we're used to that. We've done that before."

Indeed, the Hokies' defense has long been nationally acclaimed. The offense, not so much.

This season, Tech is unsettled at quarterback, though Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor have shown flashes. There are no established receivers or tailbacks, and despite its collective experience, the line remains unproven.

Translation: The defense had better be stout, no matter that seven starters departed, four via the NFL draft.

Martin could be a linchpin. His 58 tackles last season, his first as a starter, were the most among the Hokies' defensive linemen, his 61/2 sacks second on the team to Chris Ellis.

Most impressive, Martin, the older brother of Tech linebacker Cam Martin, was at his best when it mattered most. He had two sacks each against Virginia in the regular-season finale (the Coastal Division title was at stake) and versus Kansas in the Orange Bowl (many of his teammates missed the memo on that game's import).

"It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in Coach (Frank) Beamer's office getting my scholarship," Martin said. "I was nervous at first. I didn't know if I was getting cut or getting a scholarship."

This was April, 2005, and Martin had just joined the program for spring practice. He posted a team-high seven tackles, including two sacks, in the Maroon-White game, but still feared Beamer might prefer more publicized recruits.

Hard to blame him. After graduating from Danville's George Washington High, Martin was deemed too light — he weighed 210 pounds — by Division I-A recruiters. He spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy and a semester at Norfolk State before landing in Blacksburg with plenty of hopes but zero promises.

More than 40 pounds and three years later, he says Tech can become the first team other than Florida State to repeat as ACC champions since Clemson in 1987 and '88.

Sintim faced no such hurdles after graduating from Gar-Field High in Woodbridge. He redshirted as a freshman in 2004 and has started 37 consecutive games since at outside linebacker.

An ideal complement last year to ends Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Sintim recorded nine sacks, most among returning ACC players as the Cavaliers fashioned a 9-4 season that few outside coach Al Groh's Fave 5 envisioned. He played effectively not only as an outside linebacker in Virginia's base 3-4, but also as down end in a makeshift 4-3.

"That just gives me a chance to show off another part of my game," Sintim said. "(But) I think I was made to be an outside linebacker in the 3-4."

With Long in the NFL, Fitzgerald at Kansas State after an academic transgression, and the offense likely to be skittish with a rebuilt line and new quarterback, bank on Groh and first-year defensive coordinator Bob Pruett devising myriad schemes to free Sintim as a pass rusher.

"If I could get double-digit sacks, I'd be very happy," said Sintim, who posted career bests of 10 tackles and three sacks last November against Virginia Tech.

Virginia may need at least 10 sacks from Sintim. And improved play from linebackers Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, and continued progress from cornerbacks Vic Hall and Ras-I Dowling.

All this under Pruett, who returned to coaching after a three-year retirement to replace Mike London, now the head coach at Richmond.

"I'm sure a lot of people don't necessarily think we're going to do well, and maybe rightfully so," Sintim said. "Everybody's going to have their opinions."

The opinion here is that Virginia would do well to win six games, Virginia Tech to win nine. That said, Sintim and Martin are accustomed to exceeding expectations.

 

Groh dusts off his old playbook
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: July 20, 2008

GREENSBORO, Ga. - When Al Groh learned that Jameel Sewell would not be Virginia’s quarterback this season, the coach reached into his files and looked for a specific folder. This particular file needed a little dusting off.

After the grades from the first semester were compiled, Sewell was placed on an academic suspension for the next two consecutive semesters, meaning he would miss spring practice and this coming season. So, Groh and his staff were forced to find another quarterback and return to a different style of play.

“I wouldn’t call all of our candidates [former UVa star Matt] Schaub-style quarterbacks, but I said we’re going to go back to playing more of that style game,” Groh said. “Let’s put it this way — plays are being heard around here by name that haven’t been heard in about four years.”

Getting into the pocket

That goes back to the Schaub era, when the rangy right-handed quarterback rewrote the Cavaliers passing records book in two years as starter. Schaub was a precision passer and a master of the quick-decision, short-pass offense, yet could strike deep when required.

“The Schaub to Heath Miller plays went into a particular folder,” Groh said. “They didn’t get thrown away — they just sat for a while. So, a lot of this is going back to a style of play that fit that type of quarterback and which our present quarterbacks are more like that.”

Schaub’s successor, Marques Hagans, was more of a sprint-out passer with the ability to create on the run. Sewell followed Hagans, but his game was somewhere between his two predecessors.

The question is: Now that Virginia is going back to a pocket passer — a precision passer rather than a power passer — who is going to be throwing the passes?

A wide-open race

There are three candidates competing, and none of them managed to win the job in the spring, which means that for the fourth time in Groh’s eight seasons at UVa, the quarterback job will be contested in August. One could consider adding September, October and perhaps beyond into the equation.

Sophomore Peter Lalich, known to Wahoo fans as “Pistol Pete,” appeared to have the inside track, but Groh hasn’t confirmed that notion, meaning that redshirt sophomore Marc Verica and senior Scott Deke are in the mix.

Lalich has the most experience, having thrown for 321 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman last season. Verica has never played a down in college and Deke had a cameo appearance a year ago.

Lalich was the highest-profile quarterback to enroll at Virginia since Shawn Moore in 1986. He carried all the credentials of a high school superstar, a blue-chip recruit who was pursued by some of the nation’s best football factories.

“The way I think of him, at least with guys I’m familiar with, Michael Groh had two pretty good years at quarterback ... his fourth and fifth years,” Al Groh said. “Aaron Brooks had two pretty good years, Matt Schaub had two pretty good years, Marques Hagans had two pretty good years, their last two years.

“Now we have a talented player [Lalich] who has been anointed from the outside as the starting quarterback even though he deserves the same developmental process as all his predecessors,” Groh said. “That’s a great deal of what happened to Jameel. He had to rush out there a year before he was really ready and learn from on-the-job training. Under ideal circumstances, last year would have been his first year as starter instead of the once that preceded it.”

With that fact alone, Groh believes that the best approach for Virginia’s quarterback system this year could be the same one as last season: a two-quarterback system.

“I can see the possibility that for a while it might take two quarterbacks for the position to play as well as it needs to,” Groh said. “If it takes two, we’ll use two. Sometimes in Major League Baseball, it takes two guys to pitch the game.”

Groh spent a lot of time talking about the two quarterback system with Florida coach Urban Meyer last year and so Virginia used both Sewell and Lalich for a while in ’07 before Sewell regained most of the playing time. However, with Sewell’s academic situation and a wrist injury that could have perhaps ended his playing career, Groh thought it best to get Lalich acclimated to college ball as soon as possible and their teammates bought into the plan.

Surely, if Lalich can live up to his reputation, then perhaps he can produce the way Schaub did, but again, could that happen this season or will it have to be delayed until Pistol’s final two seasons?

“He just needs development,” Groh said. “He had the opportunity to throw the ball more than most high school quarterbacks, but at the same time, almost all those passes were against simplistic defenses. So, does he have a good ability to throw a pass? He has a real good ability to throw a pass.

“Now, he’s dealing with much more intricate patterns against much more complex defenses with much better pass rushes disrupting the timing of the play. It has gotten more intricate for Pete’s level,” the coach said.

Virginia isn’t alone in the quarterback predicament. At this weekend’s ACC Football Kickoff at Reynolds Plantation, three other teams (Boston College, Miami, and Georgia Tech) are also looking for starting quarterbacks. Of all four, Virginia’s candidates have the most attempts, completions and yards.

Now that the dust has been removed from Groh’s old files, it’s just a matter of which one of the candidates can best execute those plays. Or should we say, which two?

 

Clemson likely to be favored to win ACC
Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 12:08 AM

Clemson likely to be favored to win ACC
The ACC Football Kickoff is under way in Greensboro, Ga., and the media's preseason predictions will be released this afternoon. Look for Clemson to be favored to win not only the Atlantic Division, but the ACC championship.

The Tigers, who tied for second in the Atlantic last season, finished 9-4 overall after losing in overtime to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Clemson returns seven starters on offense and seven on defense, plus punter Jimmy Maners and kicker Mark Buchholz.

Clemson hasn't won the ACC football championship since 1991, as senior quarterback Cullen Harper knows well.

"We heard it a lot last year and the year before," Harper told reporters yesterday. "It's time for Clemson to kind of step up and put ourselves back on the map as one of the top teams in the ACC."

Duke is optimistic about new coach
Since stunning Clemson 16-13 on Nov. 13, 2004, Duke has lost 25 consecutive ACC games. But the Blue Devils have a new coach in David Cutcliffe, and the mood in Durham, N.C., is uncharacteristically upbeat.

Cutcliffe, who went 44-29 in six-plus seasons as Ole Miss' coach, also had two successful stints as offensive coordinator at Tennessee.

"With his track record, you can't do anything but buy into [Cutcliffe's philosophy]," Vince Oghobaase said yesterday.

Oghobaase, a junior defensive tackle, is one of 19 returning starters for Duke, which went 1-11 last season.

Although gone, Long's shadow looms at U.Va.
Chris Long is gone to the NFL, but the All-America defensive end's influence is still felt on at Virginia.

"He came into practice every day like it was a job, and he approached the game of football as a job, and because of that everybody respected him," said senior linebacker Clint Sintim, one of the Cavaliers' captains this season. "They respected what he did on the field as well as off the field. So if I could just do my best to model my work ethic after what he did and approach the game with the same attitude, I should be fine."

Tech's Glennon seeks Mannings' advice
Virginia Tech senior quarterback Sean Glennon spent part of his offseason getting advice from two of the most qualified quarterbacks in all of football - at least judging by the past two Super Bowls.

For the second consecutive summer, Glennon was a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. Glennon used the camp to get tips from the guys who run it, brothers Peyton and Eli Manning. Peyton won the Super Bowl in 2007 with the Indianapolis Colts. Eli won it this year with the New York Giants.

Glennon noticed that, physically, there's not much difference between college and NFL quarterbacks. So he asked Peyton, "What is the difference?" Knowledge of the game, timing, getting into the right system and learning the playbook, Peyton said.

Though Glennon doesn't expect any "hardcore changes" in his game based on his chat with Peyton, he said it was important for "realizing that it's a lot about decision making and being a cerebral guy more than just having a hose on your arm. I've always approached the game like that anyway, but it was nice to reinforce it."

Crawford returns to Cavaliers' fold
As expected, defensive end Kevin Crawford is back on U.Va.'s roster. Crawford, who like Sintim is a Gar-Field High graduate, sat out the 2007-08 school year for academic reasons. But he showed promise at times as a redshirt freshman in 2006, when he appeared in five games, one of which he started.

Back then, Sintim said, Crawford "wasn't really completely focused on what football was and how much he cared for it."

Asked if Crawford had to win back his teammates' respect, Sintim said, "Anytime you leave the team and you come back, I feel like you are somewhat on trial. And I feel like he still is somewhat on trial. It's not a done deal. But from what I've seen from Kevin for the majority right now, you can see that he's working hard, he has a new appreciation for the game, and he's out here doing what he needs to do to help this team win and make himself a better player." - Jeff White and Darryl Slater

 

U.Va. secures commitment
Bethel's Evans says he'll play for Cavs starting in 2009-10
Saturday, Jul 19, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

The University of Virginia men's basketball team yesterday added its first recruit for 2009-10, picking up a commitment from point guard Jontel Evans.

Evans, a rising senior at Bethel High in Hampton and a standout on Boo Williams' powerful 17-and-under AAU team, said last night that the trip he and his parents took to Charlottesville late last month sold him on U.Va. During their visit, the Evanses toured John Paul Jones Arena and met with Virginia coach Dave Leitao and other university officials.

"When we got in the car to come home, I told my mom and dad, 'I want to be a Cavalier,'" said Evans, who also had a scholarship offer from Marquette.

Evans, a powerfully built 5-11 180-pounder, made the all-Eastern Region second team at tailback in 2007. He'll hang up his cleats after this fall and concentrate on hoops in college.

"It's going to be tough," Evans said, "but sometimes you've got to give up things to do what you want to do."

In basketball last season, Evans helped the Bruins advance to the Group AAA championship game and was named second-team all-region. On a Bethel team with five double-figure scorers, Evans averaged about 12 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals, guarded opponents' top guards, and shot 53 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the line, Bethel coach Craig Brehon said.

Yesterday, Rivals.com singled out Evans, who created a buzz with his defensive prowess, as one of the surprises of the Nike Peach Jam, a tournament that the Boo Williams team won in North Augusta, S.C., this week.

 

Powell likely to join 'brother' Evans at UVa
RECRUITING - Jason Jordan and Norm Wood | Inside Recruiting
July 20, 2008

By now you've all heard that former Menchville High star forward Marshawn Powell recently reopened his recruitment after giving Arkansas a verbal commitment in June.

Why?

"I think I just committed too early," he said. "I hadn't even visited down there, and I want to step back and look at everything."

He's not totally done with the Hogs. ... Well, until Virginia offers.

RECRUITING - Jason Jordan and Norm Wood Bio | Recent columns

"That's where I want to go," Powell said of Virginia. "They were my No. 1 school anyway."

Powell, who stands 6-foot-7, said he had spoken with UVa coaches as recently as Tuesday night. When asked if he was left with the impression that the Cavaliers would offer soon, Powell said, "Oh yeah."

Powell's Boo Williams Summer League AAU teammate Jontel Evans, who plays at Bethel, committed to Virginia on Friday, and they're pretty tight. Both are rising seniors.

"He's like my brother," Powell said of Evans. "But even before they were after Jontel, Virginia was my top choice."

VIRGINIA EYEING SHOOTER FROM ILLINOIS
Looks like Virginia wants to add some perimeter firepower by courting 6-foot-4 marksman Matt Vogrich, widely considered one of the best pure shooters in the class of 2009.

Last season, Vogrich knocked down 53 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line for Lake Forest (Ill.) High.

Those numbers have piqued the interest of more than the Cavs. Miami of Ohio, Saint Louis, William and Mary, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Baylor, Oregon, Saint Louis, Rice, Valparaiso, Colorado, Bucknell and Northwestern have offered Vogrich.

Virginia has yet to pull the trigger on an offer, but Vogrich's father, Bob, said that the coaches plan to watch him Tuesday at an AAU tournament in Las Vegas.

"He attended their Elite Camp down there and he really liked it," Bob said of Virginia.

"We'll find out after the tournament if they decide to offer him and we'll go from there. I can tell you that we really like the coaches there and the school is beautiful."

Grades won't be a problem. Vogrich's holding down a 4.8 grade-point average and scored a 30 on his ACT.