Catching on
Leaner Lundy wants to be key part of Cavs' passing attack
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 10, 2005

Throughout the off-season, Marques Hagans has had a nagging voice in his ear.

“Throw me the ball. You gotta throw me the ball,” the voice has continually reminded Virginia’s starting quarterback.

The voice? Probably a wide receiver, right? No. Well, maybe it’s a tight end? Nope. Then who?

It was a running back.

After catching 87 passes during his first two seasons at UVa, Wali Lundy made only 12 catches last year. He nearly caught that many balls in a game at Clemson in 2002, his freshman year, when he made 11 receptions for 78 yards.

The stats prove that Hagans is not opposed to throw the ball to his backfield mates. Former running back Alvin Pearman caught 29 passes last year for 402 yards.

Lundy got his share of carries last year (175 for 864 yards and 17 TDs), but like any good tailback he wants more.

“Wali won’t let me forget that,” Hagans said.

One way, at least in Virginia’s West Coast type-offense, is to get Lundy the ball more in sets that include four receivers, an idea that sounds good to the New Jersey native.

“I love opening [the offense] up. That is the best part about football - opening it up and spreading it out and putting some points on the board,” Lundy said. “I think that’s what we are moving towards and we are going to work hard during this camp to make sure that we are ready to go.”

While Lundy admitted that he stayed on Hagans throughout the summer, he also spent the time shedding a few pounds.

Prior to the start of training camp, Lundy said he weighed in at 210 pounds, eight less than he played at much of last season.

“I felt like this past year that I got worn down a little bit,” Lundy said. “I was thinking maybe it was because of my weight. I slimmed down to try to keep my body in shape for the season. I got stronger doing it and I feel good out there.

“Hopefully, it will work and my endurance will be good for the rest of the season.”

Lundy said the decision was made after he talked with coach Al Groh and Evan Marcus, the head strength coach for the team.

“I told them what I wanted to do and they thought it sounded really good,” Lundy added. “I just went for it and it really worked out well.”

Groh said that having Lundy play at 210 “might be a little bit better for him and that’s right where he is right now and that seems to fit him very well.”

As one of 12 seniors on the roster, Lundy has also tried to become a vocal leader, something he said he watched three former players - Elton Brown, Chris Canty and Pearman - do a lot of last year.

It has been a common sight in the first five practices to see Lundy shouting pointers in the direction of his teammates. Lundy calls his mentality “Team Power. By that I mean guys pushing everybody.

“On the team you can’t be scared to tell another teammate what he is doing wrong, to criticize him and you have to be able to take the criticism,” Lundy said. “If you are on the team you can see what needs to be done to be a better team and I think our leaders are stepping up like you are seeing out there. That is going to help our team out tremendously.”

While Lundy will be the feature back, he claims that the depth at running back and fullback may surprise some people. Junior Michael Johnson and redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman, both tailbacks, have impressed Lundy throughout the preseason practice period, which will help fill the void of losing Pearman to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

“People say that we are not as good as last year because they have not seen Michael Johnson and Cedric Peerman play yet,” Lundy said. “When they get to see them, they will realize that they are just as good if not better than some of the backfields that we had last year.”

TAKING A DAY OFF. The team will get day off from practice today, the first for the team since camp opened on Friday.

The break comes so the players enrolled in the final session of summer school can prepare for final exams, which will be held through Thursday. Preparations for those exams kept a number of players, including linebacker Ahmad Brooks, from practicing on Tuesday, the first day in full pads for the Cavaliers.

“There were a lot of guys who missed [Tuesday’s midday practice] for either prep sessions for exams or exams themselves,” Groh said.

Today’s off day comes at a good time for a pair of wide receivers who were held out of a majority of the practice sessions on Monday and Tuesday. Fontel Mines and Deyon Williams have “some muscle pulls,” according to Groh.

“It seemed to be a prudent investment right now [for Mines and Williams] to miss a day-and-a-half or so, particularly since they are now going to have over 48 hours from the end of [Tuesday’s] practice until the next practice. It seemed like a wise investment to not have a long-term injury.”

Like Mines and Williams, Brooks also remains sidelined from practice, as he continues to rehab offseason surgery for a degenerative condition in his right knee.

The recovery appears to be slowly progressing. Groh said Brooks was able to do “more strenuous things” Monday.

“It would be difficult for me right now to say how much closer that makes him to playing in a game,” said Groh. “I just know that he picked the pace up [Monday].”

Barthelmes embraces role as senior leader
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 9, 2005

Much has been made about Brian Barthelmes and his work off the field since he arrived at Virginia in the fall of 2001.
In 2004, the American Football Coaches Association named Barthelmes to the Good Works Team for his community service.
Barthelmes, a returning starter on the offensive line at left guard, went 18 months without a haircut so that he could give 10 inches of his hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides wigs made of donated hair to children who have suffered long-term hair loss because of an illness.
Last winter, Barthelmes helped spearhead a fundraiser that donated money for a local Christmas fund.
As if that wasn't enough, the Cleveland native has also work in his hometown with the City Mission Outreach, Youth with a Mission Outreach, and Youth for Christ Leadership.
Those good deeds on their own have set "Bart," as he is commonly called by his teammates, apart from the average college football player.
He wants more.
Barthelmes enters his fifth and final season at Virginia with hopes of making his on-field impact known.
As one of three seniors on the Cavaliers' offensive line, "Bart" has emerged as a leader, a role that he admits he likes, but is still adjusting to.
"It is a weird role," Barthelmes said of being a leader. "It feels like just yesterday that I was the youngest guy here and now I am the oldest guy and everyone is asking me questions."
Barthelmes admitted that when he was being asked for advice, he had to do a double take.
"I am like 'Whoa, man. I just got here too.' And then I realize that I haven't," Barthelmes said. "It is a nice feeling to be able to help out these young guys, especially when they are good kids, like these freshmen [in the 2005 recruiting class]."
Virginia's most recent recruiting class features highly touted phenom Eugene Monroe, Branden Albert and Will Barker, all of which are expected to hold starting spots on the line in the future.
"You really want to help them," Barthelmes said. "You kind of feel like a player and a coach, not that I am anywhere near a coach, but you kind of get that feeling. It is really nice."
Barthelmes started all 12 games last year at left guard next to All-American D'Brickashaw Ferguson (left tackle) and helped the team finish the campaign as the ACC's leader in rushing offense (242.8 yards per game).
During his junior season, Barthelmes was forced to play with a cast on his right hand as protection for a broken bone.
While Virginia coach Al Groh has said that he is not against "Bart" wearing the cast this season, the senior said his hand feels fine.
The 22-year-old even joked on Sunday that with the mobility back in the hand, he could hold onto a few defensive lineman.

SIGNING ON. Groh said on Monday during a teleconference that two players in the program have been awarded scholarships.
Two juniors - offensive guard Jeff Schrad and safety Marshall Tucker - were recently awarded scholarships according to Groh.
Schrad played two seasons for coach Micky Sullivan at Fork Union Military Academy in high school, before enrolling at Eastern Michigan. Prior to the 2004 season, Schrad transferred to UVa and played in two games.
Tucker, who figures to be a key special teams player this season, appeared in three games last year on the punt return team.
Groh also added that there could be "a number of pending or soon-to-be situations," involving the additions of scholarships to walk-on players with the program.

OPEN HOUSE. Virginia fans have three chances left to see the Cavaliers practice.
Today's session, which starts at 11:15 a.m., is open to the public. The same can be said for two sessions on Saturday (8:45 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.).
Virginia's annual "Meet the Team Day" will be held at Scott Stadium on Aug. 18, starting at 3 p.m.

Virginia's Long up to the task
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 8, 2005

Chris Long walked up to his locker before Friday’s practice and put on his jersey - his orange jersey.
At least for the time being, Long is considered a starter on Virginia’s defensive line and with that comes the orange
jersey.
The sophomore is one of eight players on the defensive side of the ball who have been given the honor of wearing orange, while the remainder of the defense sports blue tops.
For Long, the orange jersey is special and for a number of reasons.
“I was shocked [to get the orange jersey] because I think the orange means something more than starting,” Long admitted after Sunday’s practice session. “There are more expectations. There’s more recognition, but the way I like to look at things is that everyday no job is secure.
“I have an orange jersey and I am tremendously honored to wear it and it does make me work even harder, but I think you have to go out with that approach that you have something to lose everyday. You can’t be feeling secure - ever.”
Should Long really be worried? The numbers say so.
Senior Brennan Schmidt has also worn the “Orange Crush” jersey in the first three practices and all signs point to him starting at end for the fourth straight year, opposite Long.
In addition to Long and Schmidt, the Cavaliers have 10 other players working out on the defensive line, including two players who moved over from other positions. Vince Redd outgrew his old position at outside linebacker and Ron Darden, an offensive lineman last year, was converted in the summer to provide depth at nose tackle.
Virginia coach Al Groh said the depth on the D-line should pay off, especially late in games.
“It allows us to take some of these players and slot them into specific roles rather than having to make them multi-purpose players and hopefully what it will provide us is the opportunity to play a few more guys in the games,” Groh said.
Groh pointed at some of Virginia’s opponents, namely Florida State and Virginia Tech, which “send a wave of defensive linemen in to replace the other ones,” every three or four plays.
“We really haven’t been in a position to do that [in the past],” Groh added. “I wouldn’t say that we have moved into that realm yet, but we have a better opportunity to get there this year.”
Long echoed those thoughts.
“I think that is the goal because with any unit you want everybody to be interchangeable,” the former St. Anne’s-Belfield standout said. “Ideally, you want everybody to be interchangeable so that everybody is good and everybody can step in and produce. We have got tremendous depth.”
Although Redd may be pushing for his starting spot, Long said “it is potentially scary,” at just how good Redd could be in due time.
“He’s just such a rangy athlete,” Long said of Redd. “He can do things that some shorter, stubbier guys can’t, like me and [Schmidt]. The prospects of having all that depth, whoever is playing, whether it is me backing up Vince or Vince backing me up or ‘Schmitty’ at nose … we can all move down the line.”
With Darden comes instant leadership, among other attributes, according to Long.
“Ron Darden adds to our team on a chemistry level, on a leadership level and a production level,” Long said. “I think that is a big strong guy who is going to help us.
“I believe I was there when he got the news [about switching to the defensive line] and I was just really excited to hear that because I think he’s a great addition. He is a great leader on the team. I look up to him a lot.”

MOORE IS NO MORE. A former walk-on decided to walk off the UVa football team.
Virginia coach Al Groh said on Sunday that cornerback Mario Moore, a non-scholarship player from Heritage High in Lynchburg, did not report for preseason practice on Friday.
“He didn’t show up for camp,” Groh said. “We haven’t heard from him. Without his having informed us, we would assume he has retired.”
Moore’s decision leaves an already thin cornerback position with one less option on the bench. Philip Brown was lost earlier this summer to a one-year academic suspension.
Cornerback Marcus Hamilton said he expected Moore to remain a student at UVa and that the former Cavalier had “decided to do some other things with his life.”
“We are going to miss Mario,” said Hamilton, “but we have some young guys that are going to step up.”
True freshman Mike Brown and sophomore Chris Gorham have been working out at the position and fairing quite well according to Hamilton.
“Mike is doing pretty good. Chris doing well,” Hamilton said. “A lot of the young guys are playing up to their potential. We just have to get them a little better each day.”
Moore played in six games last season, with a majority of his time coming on special teams. He also played a handful of plays at cornerback late in the Cavaliers’ win over Akron.
Moore redshirted at UVa in 2003, a year after he helped Heritage go 14-0 and win the state championship.

QUOTABLE. “He is one of the toughest receivers I have ever seen. He is the Hines Ward of college football, I think,” said tailback Michael Johnson of UVa wideout Ottowa Anderson, who recently rejoined the team.

QUICK HITS. After a bad storm forced the team indoors during Saturday’s evening practice, a few of the players said they were happy to return outdoors for Sunday’s session. The practice, which lasted nearly three hours, was open to the public for the third straight day. The team will practice outside today at 6:15 p.m. Today’s session is also open to fans. …
Late in Sunday’s practice, quarterback Marques Hagans got the chance to run through a number of plays, including one play he would probably like to have back. He threw a bullet over the middle that was bobbled by a receiver and landed in the hands of Kevin Bradley, a fullback who was playing the role of linebacker for the drill. ... The depth chart after Hagans for this drill was as follows: sophomore Kevin McCabe, junior Christian Olsen and redshirt freshman Scott Deke. … Former Monticello quarterback Joe Sanford, a walk-on, has had three different numbers in just four days with the program. He started on Thursday with the dubious No. 119. For Friday’s practice he wore a white jersey with No. 1 on it. On Sunday, he switched numbers again, this time wearing No. 3, a white jersey previously occupied by fellow walk-on quarterback J.B. Oldenburg.

U.Va. receiver returns after one-year absence
After a frustrating year away from football, Norfolk's Ottowa Anderson is back to help Virginia's wide receivers.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
Published August 10, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The days passed slowly for Ottowa Anderson over the last year. He'd arrive at the La-Z-Boy furniture warehouse in Virginia Beach at 7 a.m. and lug couches and chairs around until 4 p.m. He worked five days a week, laboring half a state and a world away from his teammates in Charlottesville.

Now that Anderson, a senior wide receiver from Norfolk, is back with the Virginia football team after being suspended last season because of academic problems, he can reflect on his frustrating one-year absence and focus on his promising season ahead.

"I missed it a whole lot," Anderson said Monday after U.Va.'s first full-pads preseason practice. "I just wanted to be a part of the team."

And then, in the next breath ...

"If the ball gets thrown my way, I feel I've got a good chance to catch it against any defensive back in the conference."

His confidence is warranted. Anderson started all 13 games in 2003, catching 33 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns. He ranked second behind Ryan Sawyer among wideouts in receptions and yards. More than 75 percent of Anderson's catches in '03 were for a first down or a touchdown. In 2002, he played in every game as a backup wideout.

He is U.Va.'s most experienced returning receiver this season. Though juniors Fontel Mines and Deyon Williams and sophomore Theirrien Davis are listed ahead of Anderson on the preseason depth chart, there's little doubt Anderson will contribute often. After all, the other three receivers caught a combined 27 passes last season.

"We're very upbeat about Ottowa's return, personality and attitude as much as anything," U.Va. coach Al Groh said. "He's a high-motor player. He's a very aggressive, intent player. For three years, he was one of our best special teams players. We're anxious about having that phase of his game back."

Anderson was intent on returning during the year he spent at home. He said he didn't need to take any classes to come back, just sit out a year. He stayed in touch with his teammates and coaches but didn't attend any games.

"I was so upset with myself and the situation I was in, I didn't want any negativity cast on the team," Anderson said of the distance he kept.

His situation involved more than his academic troubles. In July 2004, he and ex-girlfriend Jessica Turner were charged with assault and battery after a domestic disturbance. Anderson said his charges were dismissed.

"It was just a bad situation that I should've ridded myself of earlier," he said. "You make mistakes. You're young, out on your own, feeling like you can do it all by yourself."

While Anderson said he's still not too enthusiastic about schoolwork, he's certainly upbeat about one thing.

"I just love this game," he said. "And this is my last go 'round."

 

Despite docs' OK, Brooks is slow go
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
Published August 10, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The Virginia football team's best returning defensive player has spent the first four preseason practices doing little more than jogging and riding a stationary bike.

Ahmad Brooks, a junior inside linebacker and preseason All-American, has been cleared by doctors to practice after undergoing offseason surgery to regenerate bone growth in his right knee. But, U.Va. coach Al Groh said, "he hasn't been able to train hard enough to this point to participate in what we're doing."

"In our minds, we're making plans to move on without him," Groh said. "I think that's the only prudent thing to do."

Brooks did not attend Monday's practice, U.Va.'s first full-pads session, because of an academic commitment. Groh said Brooks trained more strenuously during Sunday's practice than he has so far. "It would be very difficult for me right now to say how much closer that makes him to playing in a game," Groh said.

Brooks' status for the season opener on Sept. 3?

"I don't have any expectations of that," Groh said. "We're just gonna put him out there, go through it and see what happens. Right now, he's out. So he's not in the plans. And when he's back, he's back."

Brooks has not spoken with the media during training camp.

Groh said doctors discovered Brooks' bone problem when they were trying to diagnose what was causing him pain. The doctors told Groh the problem started well before Brooks came to Virginia. Brooks' injury has limited his conditioning since late last December, Groh said.

Brooks led U.Va. with 90 tackles last season, the second consecutive year he led the team in tackles.

"The player that we had back then was pretty good," Groh said. "But it'll be one of the interesting things to see, for me as well as for everybody else, when Ahmad does come back to play, is this the same player that was playing in December? A very good player, but still the same player? Or is this gonna be a player that's had the opportunity to raise his game?"

THEY'RE BACK

While Brooks eases back into practice, several players who have missed time because of injury are back.

Junior Kai Parham, Brooks' counterpart at inside linebacker, is practicing after missing some time during spring drills while recovering from shoulder surgery. Parham is the only returning starter at linebacker other than Brooks, and Groh expects Parham to lead in Brooks' absence.

Inside linebacker Bryan White is also back and could help out if Brooks isn't ready for the season opener. White sat out all but one game last season after having disc surgery on his back.

Sophomore Ian-Yates Cunningham is listed first on the preseason depth chart at center. He missed last year because of a back injury and moves to a new position after starting at left guard two years ago.

COMPETITION FOR POSITIONS

Two defensive positions are open for competition. At nose tackle, sophomore Keenan Carter will battle junior Ron Darden and senior Kwakou Robinson, who will also play end. Robinson doesn't appear to be in contention for the starting end spot, because sophomore Chris Long played well enough in the spring to unseat sophomore Chris Johnson, who started the final four games last season. Groh said Johnson is also dealing with academic issues.

At safety, junior Lance Evans will compete with sophomore Jamaal Jackson.

THIS AND THAT

Two players who started as walk-ons, junior safety Marshall Tucker and junior offensive guard Jeff Schrad, are now on scholarship. ... Sophomore cornerback Mario Moore did not return for training camp. His departure ensures that true freshman Mike Brown will compete for time at cornerback, though Groh said that would've been the case even if Moore had stayed. ... U.Va. will not practice today because most players will take final exams for summer school. Practice resumes on Thursday but is closed to the public.

Cavs' Anderson back from exile
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 10, 2005

As Virginia football players began breaking a sweat at training camp last summer, Ottowa Anderson was doing so in a different venue, toiling in a muggy furniture warehouse near his hometown of Norfolk.

The wide receiver, an academic exile from both the university and, as an extension, his teammates, was moving La-Z-Boys so he wouldn't become one.

"I was waiting," said Anderson, who moved more sofas than he would have liked in the last year. "I was definitely waiting, just talking to the guys in the warehouse, telling them to look out for me when I come back."

That time is now. Anderson, who sat out last year on an academic suspension, is back in the football mix, gunning down the field on special teams, teaching the younger receivers techniques and throwing his voice into a situation or two.

He was sorely missed.

"I took him for granted (two years ago)," quarterback Marques Hagans said. "When leaders step up and say things and make sure things are right, we were sort of missing that. But as soon as he got back and an incident occurred, he spoke up about it. That's when I realized that I really missed him and the team missed him as well. So it's good to have him back."

Anderson caught a career-high 33 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns in 2003, his junior season, and figured to be a top returning target in 2004.

Things didn't quite work out that way. In early July, both Anderson and his girlfriend were charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after a domestic dispute. Anderson was already under academic suspension by the university.

Academically, the school would automatically take him back after a year. That wasn't the case with football, but Anderson convinced the coaches to give him another shot.

"His resolution toward his circumstances was very strong from the outset," UVa coach Al Groh said. "His accountability for it was very strong. He was very forthright with, 'You've been trying to tell me this for a while of time. I just needed to listen better. I've learned my lesson. You can count on me. I'm going to be back. I'm going to be ready to go.'"

To fill the void of school, Anderson worked at the La-Z-Boy warehouse, shipping and assembling items. He physically trained as well as he could, considering he didn't have UVa's facilities or trainers at his disposal.

He found other inspiration - his now 5-year-old son Dejonte.

"You always want somebody to be there, pushing you, motivating you," Anderson said. "I looked at my son every day and my situation. That was my motivation."

After a tortuous season away from football ("You really don't know how much you miss it until you're at home," Anderson said), he returned to school in May, taking summer school classes and participating in the team's offseason workouts.

Aside from some longer dreadlocks, his presence at training camp is the same as it used to be - loud and involved.

"He keeps us going in the locker room," wide receiver Fontel Mines said. "He's just a great leader by example. He does all the behind-the-scenes stuff as far as blocking, special teams."

"We are very upbeat about his return, personality and attitude as much as anything," Groh said. "He's a high-motor player. He's a very aggressive, intent player. He's got a competitive toughness about him.

"While it's easy to say, well, that's good for the receiving corps, which certainly it will be, on a grander scale, it's good for the whole team."

Anderson will battle Mines for one of the starting receiver positions (he's listed second on the pre-fall depth chart), but he'll have many other responsibilities. A special teams standout, he has already worked on four different special teams units this camp. Plus, he is the Cavaliers' best blocker at receiver.

Whatever his role, Anderson is just happy to be back, a year older, a year wiser and ready to prove that the coaches were right by giving him another chance.

"As far as on the field, I feel like I'm more hungry. I'm more relaxed and more focused," Anderson said. "As far as a person, it's the same thing. I just have to keep track of the more important things in life, the things that really matter."


 

UVa linemen Albert, Monroe hefty roommates
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 10, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia freshman offensive linemen Branden Albert and Eugene Monroe are training camp roommates. Given their size, it's amazing UVa found a room big enough.

Albert and Monroe are not your typically sized freshmen. Albert is listed at 6-foot-7, 310 pounds. Monroe is listed at 6-6, 318, though he says he's actually up around 330, down from 340 in the offseason.

"They're big guys," senior offensive tackle and former E.C. Glass standout Brad Butler said. "They're the exact opposite of me and D'Brickashaw (Ferguson), who looked like we played basketball. They just look like football players.

"But I think what separates them from most of these big 300-pound guys is that they're athletic and can move their feet well. I think once they learn the system, they're going to be tough to deal with."

Ferguson was 255 pounds and Butler 265 when they entered Virginia's program in 2002. Now, they're 295 and 296 pounds, respectively.

"We kind of look for those tall, lean, athletic guys," UVa coach Al Groh said. "But we were really attracted to Albert and Monroe more off their athletic ability rather than their significant size."

Albert, who only began playing football three years ago at Glen Burnie High (Md.), spent last season at Hargrave Military Academy.

Monroe, a five-star recruit from South Plainfield, N.J., is listed on the two-deep at right guard behind Marshal Ausberry.

"They wanted me to be a guard for now and see how that plays out," Monroe said. "That was the quickest way for me to get on the field."

Wide receivers galore

Last spring, UVa barely had enough receivers to run four-wideout sets. This summer, they're well-stocked at the position.

Virginia has 10 receivers on its training camp roster. Veteran Ottowa Anderson is back from academic suspension and the Cavaliers have a host of newcomers, including three freshmen - Brandon Woods, Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington - and Hawaii transfer Andrew Pearman.

"Springtime was pretty rough for us," said Fontel Mines, a junior who along with Deyon Williams and Bud Davis returns as a top target. "We've got a lot of depth right now. We've got a lot of young guys. We're just trying to teach them the plays right now."

With Williams and Mines sidelined the last two days with muscle pulls, Covington made a mark. The 6-4 receiver made a couple of catches, including a one-handed snag on a ball across the middle, in an offense-vs.-defensive drill on Tuesday.

"Obviously he's a substantial target," Groh said of Covington. "That's something the quarterbacks certainly like to see is those substantial targets. They make the bullseye a lot bigger."

Extra points

Former walk-ons Marshall Tucker, a safety, and Jeff Schrad, a guard, recently received scholarships. They might not be the last. Groh said there remains "a number of pending or soon-to-be situations." ? Vince Redd, a linebacker last year, is now at defensive end. "He's grown out of the position," Groh said of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore. ? Groh on former UVa head coach George Welsh, who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this weekend: "Obviously this whole program wouldn't be where it is if George didn't do what he did while he was here. ? Whenever George has something to say (about the team), we're always very interested. He's the only coach around here who's going to be in the Hall of Fame, so why wouldn't we listen to him?"

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Aug 9, 2005

THEY'RE IN THE MONEY: Football coach Al Groh recently awarded scholarships to two players who arrived at U.Va. as walk-ons -- junior safety Marshall Tucker and junior offensive guard Jeff Schrad. Both are from the Richmond area.

Tucker, an economics major whose older sister, MaShawn, graduated from U.Va. in 1997, starred at St. Christopher's.

Schrad, a music major, played at Atlee High before switching to Fork Union Military Academy. He spent a year at Eastern Michigan before transferring to U.Va. in 2003. His sister, Erin, graduated from Virginia in 2001.

Since returning to his alma mater after the 2000 season, Groh hasn't hesitated to give scholarships to walk-ons. He said yesterday that, in addition to Tucker and Schrad, there are "a number of pending or soon-to-be situations."

PARTING WAYS? Shooting guard Stephen Kendall, who committed to Virginia last fall, is not expected to be part of new basketball coach Dave Leitao's recruiting class for 2006-07. Pete Gillen was U.Va.'s coach when Kendall, then a junior at Blue Ridge School, committed.

Kendall, a Charlottesville resident who's now at Hargrave Military Academy, has met with Leitao, and the parties are likely to head in opposite directions.

U.Va., which has two scholarships for 2006-07, is in dire need of frontcourt help. Heading the Cavaliers' wish list are Duke Crews, a 6-7, 235-pound forward at Hampton's Bethel High, and Jonathan Mitchell, a 6-7, 235-pound forward at Mount Vernon High in New York. They're rising seniors ranked among the top 100 prospects in the nation's Class of 2006.

ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: Junior cornerback Marcus Hamilton had an uneven 2004 season. He started nine games and intercepted four passes, but also got burned on several occasions, most notably in the MPC Computers Bowl.

This is the fourth training camp at U.Va. for Hamilton, who took a medical redshirt in 2002, and the Centreville High graduate has impressed his head coach.

"He's clearly a more confident and more assertive player," Groh said.

NO END IN SIGHT: Defensive coordinator Al Golden's starters wear orange jerseys in practice. Eight players have been in orange since training camp opened Friday night: ends Chris Long and Brennan Schmidt, outside linebackers Clint Sintim and Jermaine Dias, inside linebacker Kai Parham, cornerbacks Hamilton and Tony Franklin and safety Nate Lyles.

Once inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who's recovering from a knee injury, is cleared, he figures to reclaim his orange jersey. The battles at the other spots -- nose tackle and safety -- may not be resolved so quickly.

"I think we'll let those run for some time, unless a player just solves the issue real fast," Groh said. "It would take one guy to have a superior performance and the other guy in the competition to drop off, and the likelihood of that is probably pretty slim."

Bidding for the nose-tackle job are sophomore Keenan Carter, junior Ron Darden and senior Kwakou Robinson. Lyle's counterpart at safety will be junior Lance Evans or sophomore Jamaal Jackson.

PHYSICAL SPECIMEN: Vince Redd, who joined U.Va.'s basketball team as a walk-on after the 2003 football season, is an imposing presence at his new spot, defensive end. The 6-6 Redd began his college career at outside linebacker, but he's "grown into a different position," Groh said.

Redd weighs around 290 pounds, and he carried the extra bulk easily during practices over the weekend.

"It's potentially scary," Long said of the addition of Redd to the line. "He's just such a rangy athlete. He can do things that shorter, stubbier guys can't, like me and [Schmidt]."

INTRIGUING PROSPECT: Offensive linemen Branden Albert (6-7, 310 pounds) and Eugene Monroe (6-6, 318) are exceptional athletes who have impressed during Virginia's early practices. They weigh a lot more than U.Va.'s starting offensive tackles, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Brad Butler, did as freshmen, but Groh's recruiting philosophy hasn't changed.

"We kind of look for those tall, lean, athletic guys," Groh said. "We have a terrific example in this class, who hasn't gotten the notoriety of [Monroe and Albert], in Will Barker."

Barker, a 6-7, 275-pound offensive tackle, also played lacrosse at The Haverford School in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

"I'm not predicting he's a candidate for Dom's team," Groh said, referring to U.Va. lacrosse coach Dom Starsia, "but at that size, just to be a lacrosse player is notable. At that height and size, and really not [having] a developed upper body, there's no telling what he's going to end up doing."

FAN-FRIENDLY: Three of the Cavaliers' remaining practices are open to the public, starting today. The team is scheduled to take the fields behind University Hall at 11:15 a.m. Also open are Saturday's two practices (8:45 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.).

U.Va.'s "Meet the Team Day" will be held Aug. 18, starting at 3 p.m. at Scott Stadium. The event is free. -- Jeff White