Groh joins $1 million ACC club with contract
Published August 20 2005
Dave Fairbank

The wiseguy response to Al Groh's new contract is: What might he have squeezed out of Virginia had the Cavaliers won a few games that mattered?

The message in the deal, though, is that the Virginia brain trust, from president John Casteen to athletic director Craig Littlepage, has grabbed hands and collectively cannonballed into the deep end of the pool of big-time college football.

It may have appeared that they were there already, given the expansion to Scott Stadium, the renewed recruiting vigor since Groh's arrival, and the flirtation with top-10 rankings. But the truth is that Virginia officials were about chest-deep, with water wings.

No more. Besides many of the trappings of an elite program, Virginia now has a coach with an elite paycheck as well.

Groh's new package guarantees him $1.7 million this year, a hefty boost from his original deal that got him $765,000 per. Should he stay for the length of the contract, he will make nearly $2.2 million, before championship and bowl incentives.

Groh's contract doesn't put him in Bobby Bowden or Pete Carroll or Bob Stoops territory. It does put him in the same neighborhood as Steve Spurrier and Lloyd Carr and Bill Snyder, and just down the street from Phil Fulmer and Mack Brown and Tommy Tuberville.

Fuss, if you'd like, about the Cavaliers' recent tendency to come up small when presented with grand opportunities. Should you choose a broader topic, the hyper-inflated market for college football coaches makes for a darn fine rant.

Both are also beside the point, a little like reminiscing about the good old days when gas was $2.25 a gallon.

Groh is the guy who bought a nice house in an attractive section of town four years ago and watched it inexplicably double in value.

Littlepage was asked in an e-mail Friday if contract negotiations were traditional, if the two sides began far apart and met in the middle. Or, if it was relatively easy to settle on the terms.

"I don't think there is such a thing as traditional as far as these are concerned," Littlepage wrote. "Both Coach and the University did research to determine the market and arrived at the figure we have."

(A brief aside: Don't think Groh's contract escapes the attention of his counterpart in Blacksburg. Frank Beamer's annual package is in the $1.3-million range and expires after this season. That gap of 400 large has Tech AD Jim Weaver reaching for the Maalox and digging under the sofa cushions.)

Intentionally or not, Groh's new deal is also as much about the next coach as it is about the present one.

The salary package makes Virginia a competitive player nationally when he decides to pack it in - he will be 66 if he remains until the end of the contract.

It also removes some of the sticker shock when the Cavs go shopping for his successor, should they choose to get into the next Urban Meyer or Bobby Petrino Sweepstakes.

Groh's new deal inevitably brings to mind the Pete Gillen adventure. After initial early success, the school gave the Cavaliers' former basketball coach a 10-year deal at $900,000 per, a deterrent to potential suitors as much as a reward for what he had actually achieved.

Gillen eventually collapsed under the weight of his contract and the school bought him out.

Regardless of what Groh achieves at Virginia, he isn't likely to look elsewhere. Nor are other schools likely to court a 60-something coach.

Littlepage insisted that no other contract or situation figured into the school's decision with Groh. Feed that tidbit into your own skeptic-o-meter.

The indisputable parallel to the Gillen situation is the expectations that now will mirror Groh's deal. Groh, and most coaches, routinely say that no one puts as much pressure as they do on themselves.

That's true, but if large investments don't yield large returns in a timely manner, Groh isn't likely to see the end of his deal, either.



Franklin may move to safety
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 21, 2005

Like a former teammate, Tony Franklin entered the Virginia football program longing to be the next standout tailback.

And like Marquis Weeks, Franklin was shifted from the offensive side of the ball to defensive side.

With a host of tailbacks like Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman ahead of Franklin on the depth chart, the move made sense to him. He just wanted to play and was willing to do anything to help the team win.

That was the same mentality Franklin took last week when Virginia coach Al Groh asked him to work with the first team defense at safety, a spot that Weeks manned last year. Weeks is now working out at tailback with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

For Franklin, it could be at safety and not at cornerback, where he has started 18 straight games, where he lines up on Sept. 3 against Western Michigan in Virginia’s season opener.

While Franklin did not elaborate on the potential switch when asked on Saturday, he did confirm that he has worked out at both positions since talking with Groh last week.

Switching Franklin from corner to safety seemed unlikely earlier this summer when it was discovered that Philip Brown, who would have been a sophomore, was academically ineligible.

That was before sophomore Chris Gorham and true freshmen Mike Brown and Chris Cook impressed the coaching staff and their teammates with their play in preseason practice.

“The young guys have been amazing,” Franklin said. “Two freshmen that we have, Chris Cook and Mike Brown, they have been out there doing a real good job and Gorham, he has played like a starter this camp. We have a lot of depth back there in the secondary.”

Groh said on Friday that the additions of Cook, who has worked out at safety as well, and Brown created “more competition, hopefully more playable depth and perhaps some flexibility in terms of where we can put some of the other members of the secondary.”

“We are rolling a few guys around to take a look at them,” Groh said. “We don’t want to do it too much because you lose the continuity of the installation.

“Once we settle on the best spot for a couple of those guys, then we’ll be able to put everything [together] and we hope to do it quickly, but it is really a good thing because of the positive things signs that these guys have shown.”

If Franklin starts the opener at safety, he would likely play next to Nate Lyles, who is listed at 6-foot and 195 pounds. Lyles was one of only two true freshmen to play in every game last season.

The other options at safety include sophomore Jamaal Jackson and junior Lance Evans.

ADDED DETAILS: During a teleconference with reporters on Friday, Virginia’s Athletics Director Craig Littlepage was asked if the school’s newly signed contract with Coach Groh had a buyout.

The 10-year contract that former UVa men’s basketball coach Pete Gillen signed after the 2000-2001 season did not include a buyout.

Littlepage said Groh’s guaranteed contract, which pays the coach $1.7 million annually, does include a buyout for each party.

“There are provisions for [Coach Groh] to cease his employment at the university and there are requirements there, and there would be requirements on the part of the university, if it decided without cause to terminate the contract,” Littlepage said.

One thing that was not included in the contract was the compensation packages of Virginia’s assistant coaches, at least not directly.

Littlepage said it was not included “in a formal way,” but “we do have annual conversations where [Coach Groh] has a budget to work within.”

“He makes recommendations on the annual adjustments on the staff based on performance and based on other job assignments and we would review those administratively and come to agreement about what the annual adjustments would be for the staff,” Littlepage said.



N.C. QB commits to Cavs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 21, 2005

O.C. Wardlow had never visited Charlottesville until this weekend, but after an hour on Virginia’s campus, the Winston-Salem N.C. athlete knew this is where he wanted to call home the next few years.

Wardlow, a quarterback and athlete from Mt. Tabor High School, told coach Al Groh on Saturday morning that he wanted to be a Cavalier. He became UVa’s 15th early commitment for the recruiting class of 2006.

At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, some of Wardlow’s seven scholarship offers were as an athlete, while some others were as a quarterback.

Virginia and South Carolina both recruited him as a quarterback, which explains why they were two of his four finalists along with Tennessee and N.C. State. Tennessee wanted him as an athlete.

Wardlow was impressed that Groh visited his school last May and told him that he had what it takes to play quarterback in Virginia’s system. The Cavaliers’ starting QB, Marques Hagans, is under six feet tall, as is freshman QB candidate Vic Hall.

As a junior at Mt. Tabor, Wardlow threw for 2,100 yards and 25 touchdowns to go along with his 500 yards rushing and five more scores, which garnered him his conference’s offensive MVP honors. He has passed for 5,400 career yards.

Rivals ranked Wardlow as the No. 6 prospect in the state of North Carolina, while SuperPrep has him rated the No. 12 overall recruit in the state.



More poised, Hagans ready to lead Cavs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 21, 2005

Marques Hagans grew up watching his grandmother and grandfather go to work every day. Rain or snow, didn’t matter. Sick, tired, or whatever, didn’t matter.

When he reported to football practice every day at Hampton High School under the winningest coach in state history, Mike Smith, Hagans and his teammates were expected to work long and hard every day. Most of the time, the practices were tougher than the games, and if you were hurting, didn’t matter. You were expected to practice anyway.

“That’s how I grew up,” Hagans said Saturday between Virginia’s last two-a-day practice sessions. “I work hard and there’s no excuses. If I can run or walk, I’m going to play. If I’m hurt, it doesn’t really matter. If I can strap it up, I’m going to play and whatever happens, happens.”

Playing hurt

The topic of conversation leading into Hagans’ background was the 2004 season, when he played the second half of the season injured.

Now, no one really knew this outside the team because Hagans wouldn’t use it as a crutch and coach Al Groh’s policy has always been one of no excuses. But Groh officially acknowledged the injury three days ago, noting how quarterbacks sometimes get their exposed rib cages nearly caved in by onrushing defenders, which nearly always impacts a player’s ability to perform and particularly to throw.

“Marques doesn’t talk about this because that’s the kind of kid he is,” Groh said. “If the quarterback makes excuses, then all those guys who are looking to him as a leader make excuses, too.”

Impressive numbers

Still, Hagans, in his first full year as a starting quarterback led the Wahoos to an eight-win season, which ties the school record for a first-year signal caller in that category. He also passed for 2,024 yards, the sixth-highest total by a UVa first-time starter and 12th overall in school history.

He completed 62.8 percent of his passes, fourth-highest all-time by a Wahoo and rushed for 394 yards on some spectacular runs, the most by a UVa QB since a guy named Shawn Moore. He is No. 2 all-time in Hooville to only Matt Schaub in career passing percentage
(62.5 to 67.0), and owns the second-best TD-to-interception ratio to Matt Blundin.

Not bad for a rookie.

Still, every time Virginia lost last season, a lot of the criticism was passed toward Hagans. Fair or unfair, that’s the way it was and will be when the season begins Sept. 3 when Western Michigan comes to town.

The same segment of the Wahoo Nation that believed Hagans was responsible for last year’s shortcomings (and by the way, Al Groh was not one of them), also believe that Virginia will go only as far as Hagans takes them this season.

That’s a lot of pressure resting on Hagans’ ample shoulder pads, but he’s up to the task, looking forward to the challenge.

Saturday, he acknowledged he wasn’t near 100 percent the second half of the season, but refused to use it as an excuse. He did admit that some of his passes might have been impacted by the injury, but he did so reluctantly.

“Maybe a few passes in the Duke game were a little bit off because of that,” Hagans said, unable to keep himself from chuckling when he thought back to a couple of wounded ducks he launched over storied Wallace Wade Stadium.

His performance was affected in more important games down the stretch, but he wasn’t about to go there.

Yes, he got aggravated at himself several times during the course of last season, particularly after throwing each of five interceptions and after the losses. Oh, the losses.

“Anytime you loose, you feel there is something extra you could have done to prevent that,” Hagans said. “A lot of times I got ticked off at myself for making a bad read or a pass.”

Groh is quick to remind that there are also some games Virginia won that it probably wouldn’t have if Hagans hadn’t been the quarterback either.

Still, that’s little consolation to Hagans, who wants to win ‘em all.

Being a first-time, full-time, 2004 was Hagans’ expansive laboratory from Scott Stadium to Doak Campbell to Lane Stadium and to the blue field of Boise State.

When you consider the numbers he racked up, particularly with most tender ribs you’ll find this side of the Aberdeen Barn, Hagans wasn’t too shabby.

Ever since that stinging overtime defeat in the MPC Computers Bowl, Hagans has buried himself in becoming a better quarterback. Now that’s he come up for air, what is the difference?

“The easy way to sum it up was that last year, Coach told me that I had fast eyes,” Hagans said. “So, maybe I’d get off a pattern too fast, before it got a chance to open up or the whole play got a chance to develop.

“Now, I find myself being more composed and more comfortable in the pocket because I know every route and I can give a route an extra second or two, or an extra step to clear, or I can see the route open before it comes open.”

Ahhh!

That’s what offensive coordinator Ron Prince, quarterbacks coach Mike Groh and Big Al have been waiting to hear.

Al Groh often says that last year everything out in front of his rookie quarterback must have looked as if it was moving like the Keystone Cops. For you whippersnappers out there, that would be the fast forward button on your VCR. Well, for you really young whippersnappers, on your DVD.

You hear coaches talk about the game slowing down for a player, particularly a quarterback. Well, that’s what has happened for Hagans. It’s a process that comes only from one thing, living it, breathing it and playing through it.

“It’s one thing to play a game at quarterback and then go back and play at wide receiver or just be a backup the whole season,” Hagans said of his learning process. “It’s different going in every week knowing you’re THE quarterback. Anybody can watch from the sideline and say they’re getting experience, but until you’re under that fire every week, you really don’t get that experience.”

He’s got it now and Groh, for one, is expecting it to make all the difference in the world.

In the off season, the coach showed the quarterback a tape of how comfortable New England quarterback Tom Brady looked in the pocket and in going through his reads. Hagans has used that as a model and can feel the difference.

“Not every pass is going to be completed and the more you throw, the more there are that are going to be incomplete,” Hagans said. “You’ve got to be ready to throw the next one the way you were prepared to throw the one before. You have to forget a play and move on.”

Sometimes he still struggles a bit with that one, admittedly slipping back into his former self, getting upset over a bad pass or ready. But for the most part, he remains focused.

He hasn’t asked for understanding or patience from critics. He knows that’s just part of the job. But he did gain some solace from those who have been there, some of the more familiar quarterbacking names that have grown up in the Hampton area.

“I see Michael Vick all the time and I talk to Marcus [Vick] a lot. Aaron Brooks comes back all the time and even though I haven’t seen Ronald [Curry] in a while, I keep in touch with him through Muffin [Curry],” Hagans said.

However, it is a former high school star quarterback who doesn’t play that sport anymore, who gave Hagans the most advice.

NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, who was quite a quarterback in his day in the Hampton area at Bethel High School, has become friends with Hagans.

“Iverson saw some of our games and I talked to him over the summer,” Hagans said. “He said he understood some of the things I went through, how I played hard and things sometimes didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. He told me to keep my head up and keep playing hard. That meant a lot to hear that coming from him ... it’s something I use as motivation.”

Groh has noticed the improvements as well, but has also picked up on the fact that Hagans appears more comfortable, more confident than ever before. Having earned his degree in anthropology last May, Hagans can increase his focus on football for his senior season.

“He’s at ease with himself as a starter and as a leader,” Groh said.

And those fast eyes have given away to a self-assurance that comes from having been in the saddle before.

Now, it’s Hagans’ time to leave his mark on the Virginia program, a mark he hopes will be for the ages.



Franklin may shift to safety
Virginia cornerback could go back to his old high school spot
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 21, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Tony Franklin, the University of Virginia's most experienced cornerback, may start at safety this season.

Franklin, a junior from Cleveland, has started the past 18 games at corner, but he began working extensively at safety recently. That was his defensive position in high school.

U.Va. coach Al Groh "came to me last week and asked me to try it, to give us some more depth in the secondary," Franklin said yesterday morning. "I'm up for it. It's something I should be able to do."

At 5-10 and 185 pounds, Franklin is small for a Division I-A safety, but he's a sure tackler who relishes contact. During most team periods at recent practices, Franklin said, he's been "with the first team at safety," but he's also worked at cornerback during individual drills.

If Franklin stays at safety, he'd start next to sophomore Nate Lyles. Before Franklin's move, sophomore Jamaal Jackson and junior Lance Evans had been battling for the job alongside Lyles.

Junior Marcus Hamilton returns at one corner. His partner would be sophomore Chris Gorham or true freshman Mike Brown. Gorham played sparingly as a true freshman last season but has impressed this month.

"He's like a whole different player during this camp, so he's ready for the starting role," said Franklin, a team captain. "Mike Brown, he's an amazing freshman. I didn't expect him to be as good as he is."

Another true freshman, Chris Cook, has worked at corner and safety. In a teleconference Friday, Groh didn't mention Franklin's new role but said the development of Brown and Cook has created "more competition, hopefully more playable depth and perhaps some flexibility in where we can put some other members of the secondary. . . . We're rolling a few guys around."

Franklin said he expects to play both positions this season. "It just depends on the opponent. If they need me at corner, I'm willing to play there. If they need me at the back at safety, I'll be playing there that week."


 

Cavaliers' Groh Close To Long- Term Deal
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 19, 2005; Page E04

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Aug. 18 -- University of Virginia Coach Al Groh said Thursday that he is close to signing a new contract that could keep him coaching at his alma mater for the next 10 years. The new deal also could make Groh the sixth football coach in the ACC to earn $1 million per season.

Groh, who is 30-21 in four seasons at Virginia, said the new contract could be signed before the Cavaliers' Sept. 3 opener against Western Michigan at Scott Stadium. When asked if the contract would be long term, Groh said, "Yes."

When asked whether the contract could be as long as 10 years, like the one former Virginia basketball coach Pete Gillen signed in 2001, he said, "It could be of that nature, yes."

Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said Groh's new contract "would be done soon," but he and Groh declined to disclose the exact length and financial terms. Groh, 61, has about three years left on the seven-year deal he signed in January 2001, which pays him almost $800,000 per season.

After leaving the NFL's New York Jets after only one season in 2000 to replace George Welsh in Charlottesville, Groh has guided the Cavaliers to at least eight victories in each of the past three seasons. Virginia finished the 2002 and 2003 seasons by beating West Virginia and Pittsburgh in the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte. Last year, the Cavaliers were expected to challenge Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech for the ACC title, but they lost to all three opponents and then were defeated by Fresno State, 37-34 in overtime, in the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho. Virginia finished 8-4 and lost three of its last four games.

During Thursday's Meet the Team Day at Scott Stadium, Groh seemed like a coach who was confident in the direction of his program. The Cavaliers lost seven players who were drafted in the NFL, including all-American tight end Heath Miller, a first-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Virginia returns six starters on both offense and defense, and in preseason media voting was picked to finish third in the ACC's Atlantic Division, behind defending champion Virginia Tech and Miami.

"I'd say crossroads come when you've been having bad times," Groh said. "This team played the last game last year with the opportunity to play for the conference championship. We're not happy with the results, but, hey, we're just trying to move on."

Hokies Coach Frank Beamer, who was paid more than $1.3 million last season, also is about to begin contract negotiations with Virginia Tech. His contract, which was redone after he interviewed with North Carolina and was contacted by Alabama after the 2000 season, expires on Jan. 1.



For Groh and Cavaliers, a bittersweet opening
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 19, 2005

Long after the players had left Scott Stadium from the annual “Meet The Team Day” on Thursday, Virginia coach Al Groh remained.

He was signing autographs and posing for pictures with those still in attendance.

Despite the energy and excitement in the crowd, Groh was doing so with a heavy heart.

On Wednesday night, former Virginia football player Ljubomir Stamenich passed away after a short battle with leukemia.

Stamenich, who was known by friends and coaches as “Lube,” was a three-year starter on Virginia’s defensive line from 1999 to 2001, his final year of eligibility. Stamenich, who was born in Fairfax, received his undergraduate degree in sociology in May of 2001.

Groh referred to Stamenich as a “terrific kid” who “battled it out” on the football field and with his medical situation, which was discovered in early August.

“That’s the way he approached this circumstance,” Groh said. “He never really had a chance to ever get in the fight. As we say, you can only be on the team for a short period of time but you are always part of the football family.”

During his career at UVa, Stamenich made 180 tackles, 36 of which were for a loss. He also made 13 sacks, which is tied for 13th in program history.

Groh said it was apparent when he coached Stamenich in 2001 that he was a fan favorite.

“We had two defensive ends that year, Darryl Sanders and ‘Lube,’ who those who remember them compare to the Chris Long’s, the Chris Canty’s, the Brennan Schmidt’s, and you can see the difference in them size-wise, but they were who we had and they just fought it out heroically - everyday, every game,” Groh said.

Andrew Hoffman agreed.

Hoffman, now a defensive lineman with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, was teammates with Stamenich in 2000 and 2001.

“You could always kind of look to him to get things going. He was not a very vocal guy, but what he showed was in his actions. He could get things going,” Hoffman said. “He was a guy with a lot of energy who loved to play football.

“Everyday out at practice, it didn’t matter what was hurting him, he was ready to go at practice. He always gave his whole heart and all his effort to try and get things done.”

After his career at UVa was completed, Stamenich played one season for the Albany Conquest in the af2 (Arena Football 2) and another for the Columbus Destroyers in the Arena Football League.

A shoulder injury ended Stamenich’s playing career after two seasons and he had since relocated to Northern Virginia and was planning to coach football this season at West Springfield High School.




WR/DB Jefferies commits to Cavs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 18, 2005

There hasn’t been much opportunity to catch passes in Coach Tony DeRosa’s Wing-T offense at Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey, but when new Virginia commitment Cedric Jeffries has had the chance, he’s made the most of it.

Jeffries, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver from the suburban Atlantic City school, announced Thursday that he had picked the Cavaliers over Wisconsin, Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Minnesota and Vanderbilt. He became UVa’s 14th early commitment for the recruiting class of 2006 and the second receiver (Chris Dalton of Statesville, N.C., was the first).

“It came down to Virginia and Wisconsin,” said Jeffries on Thursday night. “I really liked everything about Virginia, particularly the trust I have with Virginia’s coaches. They gave me straight answers to everything I asked.”

UVa also had some other factors in its favor: Charlottesville’s proximity to South Jersey, the fact that Wisconsin coach Barry Alverez is retiring after this season and that Jeffries really liked what coach Al Groh is doing with the Cavaliers’ program.

The wide receiver is the fifth commitment from New Jersey in the new class.

“It was a tough decision for Cedric and his family, which is a great family I might add,” said DeRosa. “I said to him, ‘Go where your heart takes you,’ and I think he felt real comfortable with his main recruiter, Mike Groh. He loved the Charlottesville area, the school and the program.”

The three-sport athlete (he also participates in basketball and track) will be a four-year starter at wide receiver for Egg Harbor. With 4.5 speed and a 31-inch vertical jump, recruiters have liked his size, speed and athletic ability.

Wisconsin’s coaches told Jeffries that if he chose the Badgers, he could play wherever he felt most comfortable, at wide out or at safety.

“They kept comparing me to Lee Evans and Chris Chambers and told me they could develop me into a great receiver,” Jeffries said of his experience with the Big 10 school.

But his close contact with Mike Groh and other Virginia assistants lured him southward, where he hopes to someday get his hands on the ball more than he has in high school.

Last season he caught only nine passes, but gained 230 yards (25.5 yards per reception) and scored 5 TDs.

“It’s tough being in a run-oriented offense,” DeRosa said.

“Thusly, his statistics aren’t phenomenal. But his numbers aren’t reflective of his ability. We’re not a throwing team, but with a receiver like him, he’s opened my eyes up to the passing game a little bit.”

The coach described Jeffries as a humble, hard-working athlete with natural gifts. Jeffries has impressed recruiters with his ability to run precise pass routes and with his reliable hands.

“He has big hands and coaches told me they liked how he aggressively goes for the ball,” DeRosa said. “Not only is he a good receiver, but he’s a great downfield blocker and blocker in general.”

Jeffries chuckled that he didn’t have any choice but to develop into a reliable blocker because of all the running plays his team calls. But he has a knack for making the right play at the right time.

“In the three years he’s been a varsity starter for us, he has won two games for us on the last play of the game,” DeRosa said. “As a sophomore, he made a great catch as the clock expired, and then last season he picked off the ball as the clock was expiring. He’s a winner and a playmaker.”

Jeffries, who made first-team all-conference last season and All-Group 4, said he was offered by UVa in June, visited the school in July and decided to commit Thursday in order to get that out of the way so he could focus on his senior season of football without recruiting distractions.

He is rated the No. 28 prospect in the state of New Jersey by Rivals and No. 18 by SuperPrep.




Work pays off for 2 UVa walk-ons
Walk-ons Tyrus Gardner and Mike Robertson are awarded scholarships.
By Doug Doughty
981-3229
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Now might be a good time for fellow walk-ons to get Tyrus Gardner and Mike Robertson to spring for dinner.

Gardner and Robertson, roommates from Southwestern Virginia, have been placed on football scholarship by Virginia head coach Al Groh. Both are third-year sophomores.

"My general criteria for walk-ons is to wait till their third year," Groh said. "Sometimes, your grant-in-aid numbers are such that you aren't able to do it, but we had some spots this year."

Gardner, from George Wythe High School, earned a letter in 2004 as the UVa snapper for punts. Robertson, from Blacksburg High School, played in two games as a wide receiver last year and frequently traveled with the Cavaliers as a back-up wide receiver.

"He's [Robertson] who you want him to be every day -- in school and on the football field," Groh said. "He's got toughness, he's got dedication, he's got work ethic. He's all for the team."

"It was only right that, before Mike Robertson left here, he was on grant-in-aid, whether it was his third year, fourth year, both years."

Robertson has lived in Blacksburg since the sixth grade. An older sister, Heather, graduated from Virginia Tech. His parents, Jack and Vicky, are Hokies' football season ticket-holders.

"I used to go to Tech games," said Robertson, whose former Blacksburg teammates Cory Price and Sam Wheeler are on the Hokies' roster."When we went to Tech last year, as soon as I got off the bus, I ran into my old middle school coach and all sorts of people I knew."

Gardner was awarded a grant one week before Robertson, who wasn't expecting a scholarship at this point.

"I was surprised," he said. "My parents were elated."

There was a similar reaction in the Gardner household, which shares the Robertsons' Tech ties.

Gardner's mother was on the drill team at Tech and a younger brother, Jacob, was a walk-on with deep-snapping aspirations last year at Tech.

Tyrus Gardner was an All-Group A linebacker and also played fullback at George Wythe. He worked at fullback last year but now does all of the snapping. Starting center Zac Yarbrough snapped for field goals and extra points last year.

"I wish I still could be playing fullback and linebacker and hitting people," Gardner said Thursday, "but Coach Groh doesn't want me to have any contact, for fear that I might jam my wrist or hurt myself some other way

"They were always worried about Zac hurting himself last year."

Gardner picked up snapping from his father, Joseph, and has also received tips from Yarbrough and Ryan Childress, a walk-on from Shawsville who was the Cavaliers' deep snapper from 2000-03.

During a three-year period, four walk-ons from "Timesland" have been awarded scholarships at UVa, including Childress and defensive back David Hale from Pulaski County.

Gardner's only regret is that his mother, Kathy, didn't live to see him go on scholarship. After a long bout with cancer, she died last December.

"This is something she really wanted for me and I thought about her when I got it," he said. "It was a very tragic situation, but I know she's still here watching my games and she's still here in spirit."




Caution understandable with Brooks debut
Groh sides with wideouts
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

It’s just a hunch, not based on anything Virginia head coach Al Groh has said to the media this week, but I’d be surprised if All-ACC linebacker Ahmad Brooks is in the lineup for the Cavaliers’ opener Sept. 3 against Western Michigan.

If Virginia can get past 32-point underdog Western Michigan without using Brooks in the opener, an open date the next weekend would give Brooks another full month (since Wednesday) to rehabilitate his surgically repaired knee.

When asked Tuesday what that surgery entailed or if a doctor could brief the media, Groh said any comment should come from Brooks or his family, considering the effect that it might have on his career either from a physical or a negotiating standpoint.

The explanation I have used is that Brooks underwent surgery to regenerate bone growth in one of his knees.

“I don’t know if that’s how a physician would say it,” Groh commented, “but that’s in the ballpark.”

Groh said the condition did not manifest itself until after the MPC Computers Bowl. When Brooks complained of soreness in one of his knees, doctors did tests for what they expected to be a common problem and found a condition that may have existed prior to his arrival at UVa.

Based on the fact that Brooks has been cleared medically to work out, presumably the operation was successfully. However, with just over two weeks to go before the opener, he has not been going through contact work and it appears the Cavaliers are taking every precaution.

They won’t need him against Western Michigan. Their Sept. 17 visit to Syracuse and the Carrier Dome is a different story.

GROH SAID WEDNESDAY that he thinks there “is a club of people who have been wide-receiver bashers. I’m not in the wide-receiver bashers club.”

Think he was talking about me?

I don’t think he was, but media gadfly Jeff White felt I was a little harsh on Deyon Williams and Fontel Mines last week. For three years, at least, Mines has been White’s guy. White’s contacts in the fitness industry tell him that Mines is in the best condition of his career.

I do feel the time has come for Williams and Mines to take the next step, but I’m not down on the wide receivers as a whole. Fifth-year senior Ottowa Anderson for 2004 vet Michael McGrew is a good tradeoff and I saw some good things from the freshmen, especially Maurice Covington, who I had overlooked because he committed so early.

Since last week, Williams has returned to practice and he made “a number of good plays” in Wednesday morning’s practice, according to Groh. Williams always has had outstanding speed and, said Groh, more precise route-running has enabled him to get better separation from defenders. “And, he was making the tough catch,” Groh added.

Mines “looks like he’s close to being able to move at full speed,” but Theirrien “Bud” Davis, who had been getting a lot of work early in drills and is listed in the media guide as a co-starter, has a muscle pull that has kept him from running at full speed in recent days.

The “X” factor might be Emmanuel Byers, a 5-9, 191-pound sophomore who played in three games last year, with a total of four receptions, and seemingly was a roommate of the since-departed Ron Morton in Groh’s doghouse.

“His whole game has progressed,” Groh said. “He’s more confident, more active. Emmanuel is amongst the players having a very good camp.”

ODDS ‘N’ ENDS: UVa hasn’t released new heights and weights, but Groh said that tight end Tom Santi, lasted at 6-5, 225, in the media guide, has gained 12-15 pounds. Santi received the team’s Dudley Award as the most outstanding freshman player in 2004. … In a Wednesday news conference, Groh said the battle for the No. 2 quarterback job is not confined to junior Christian Olsen and sophomore Kevin McCabe. … Sophomore defensive tackle Chris Johnson, a starter in the final four games of the 2004 season but absent from the preseason two-deep deep, is “much improved,” Groh said. … Groh said that Elton Brown, two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy that goes to the ACC’s top offensive lineman, called Tuesday to say he had been moved to the first team in Arizona. The Cardinals were able to get Brown in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. … Marquis Weeks, a free-agent with Seattle, had eight carries for a a team-high 59 yards in the Seahawks’ 34-15 victory over New Orleans in a preseason opener. Weeks, who started at safety last year had Virginia, had consecutive runs of 21 and 19 yards on one drive. He also returned three kickoffs and had a 4-yard reception.




Leukemia claims former Cavalier
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Ljubomir Stamenich, a three-year starter at defensive end for the Virginia football team, died Thursday of leukemia. He was 26.

Stamenich, whose last season was 2001, died around 3:30 a.m. at Inova Fairfax Hospital near his hometown of Great Falls. He went to his doctor earlier this month after experiencing shortness of breath. Doctors found a lump in his chest about half the size of a Nerf football.

Stamenich was in and out of the intensive care unit last week and was back in the ICU on Wednesday evening with an irregular heartbeat caused by the lump.

"They think the heart failed," said Anne Ritchey, a family friend who has known Stamenich since his sophomore year at Langley High. "I think we were just so grateful that he didn't have to suffer."

Stamenich started 35 of the final 36 games of his career at U.Va. and finished with 13 sacks, tied for 12th in school history. Coach Al Groh told his team about Stamenich's death during a team meeting.

"It was a very sad thing and a very sobering thing," Groh said. "It was very touching to see the players' reactions. It was kind of one of those comrade-has-fallen type atmospheres."

Said Jermese Jones, Stamenich's teammate and roommate: "He was a true friend, the most loyal guy that I know."

Stamenich, whose parents emigrated from Serbia, is survived by his father, Zlatan; mother, Yelena; sister, Milica; and brother, Draza. Stamenich's funeral will likely be on Monday, Ritchey said. Virginia athletics officials are planning a moment of silence and video tribute during the season opener on Sept. 3.

BROOKS A QUESTION MARK

Virginia's 15th of 29 possible preseason practices is today, and preseason All-American inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks has yet to fully participate. Brooks didn't show up for Thursday's media day and hasn't spoken publicly during training camp. He likely won't until he starts playing. Brooks had offseason surgery to regenerate bone growth in his right knee and has mostly jogged during camp. Kai Parham, Brooks' fellow junior inside linebacker, was cautiously optimistic about Brooks' status.

"From what I've seen, I feel like if he needed to play right now, he could," Parham said. "Based on how he looks."

If Brooks misses the season opener against Western Michigan, he'll have a bye week to recover before the Cavaliers play at Syracuse.

AREAS OF CONCERN

Groh said he remains concerned about four facets of his team: kickoff coverage, offensive performance inside the 20-yard line, pass protection and his defensive line, which features a new nose tackle and defensive end.

THIS AND THAT

Josh Zidenberg, a walk-on fullback from Poquoson, said he hasn't been offered a scholarship yet but assumes he's a candidate to receive one by the end of camp. Zidenberg is U.Va.'s second-string fullback and has worked with all four special-teams coverage units. He played primarily on the punt-return team last season. ... Offensive coordinator Ron Prince said he's not comfortable calling his unit a West Coast Offense, as some people have done because of its similarities to the scheme used in the NFL. "I'm hopeful to call it Successful," Prince said.



Two defensive line spots up for grabs
Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 19, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia defensive end Chris Long was a little surprised to see an orange defensive starter’s jersey in his locker when training camp began. He wore it for about a week before he was back in blue.

Long may well be the frontrunner for the starting right end position (as of UVa’s last open practice on Saturday, only left end Brennan Schmidt wore an orange jersey on the defensive line), but the competition for playing time is greater this year than in the past.

“You’ve got somebody breathing down your neck at your position every day because this is college football,” Long said at UVa’s Meet the Team Day at Scott Stadium on Thursday. “But this (year) it’s even more (competitive). Our depth is awesome.”

“Each of the previous four seasons, it was pretty apparent who the three best defensive linemen were and that there was separation between them and the next level,” UVa coach Al Groh said. “So the top three were going to play by necessity most of the time.

“Whether it’s just equality or more competition, we certainly, I would say, have more playing time up for grabs right now than what we’ve had.”

Long is battling Kwakou Robinson and Chris Johnson for the starting right end spot. Robinson is part of a three-way battle for the starting nose tackle position with the pre-fall depth chart No. 1 Keenan Carter, who has missed some practices with a broken hand, and offensive line convert Ron Darden.

Left end, where Schmidt is a three-year starter, is the only position not up for grabs, though the development of the ever-steady Allen Billyk could give Schmidt some more plays off.

That’s seven experienced defensive linemen who could see playing time, a luxury UVa has not had in the past.

“The first thing you’ve got to do is get your frontline as good as your competition,” Groh said. “Then you’ve got to get your playable depth as good as your competition so that when you get to a point where you can play teams evenly, you’ve got as much juice at the end of the game as they do.

“It’s been an advantage (in past seasons) that some teams had that we didn’t have.”

Santi ready for bigger role

While replacing the production of tight end Heath Miller, a unanimous All-American and first-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be nearly impossible, sophomore Tom Santi is up to the challenge. At the very least, he has a strong working knowledge of the whole offense.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Santi made his first collegiate start as a fullback last season after Jason Snelling went down with an injury. He spent time both in the backfield and on the line of scrimmage as a true tight end, catching 13 passes for 155 yards.

“I think it is very helpful because it forces you to learn the offense itself, not just to learn where a certain position is,” Santi said of moving around. “It makes you learn how the whole offense works together.”

Santi, who missed spring practice with a shoulder injury, is battling fellow sophomore Jonathan Stupar for the starting tight end spot, though he could duplicate his hybrid role of last season.

“I think I’ll do a lot of different things this year and probably move around a little bit,” Santi said. “Whatever (offensive coordinator Ron) Prince has in mind for me, I’m ready to do it.”

Will Brooks be ready?

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks to work out with a trainer but has yet to suit up and take the field with his teammates during training camp, raising the question of whether he’ll be ready for Virginia’s opener against Western Michigan on Sept. 3.

“We’ll use him when he’s ready,” said Groh, rather ambiguously.

“He continues to do more and that’s better than doing less. We have to keep adding it up and determine when more means he’s really ready to get out there and do everything.”

Brooks is one of 40 players on the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch list, which was released Wednesday.

UVa loses a family member

Virginia received some sad news Thursday morning when it was learned that former defensive end Ljubomir Stamenich died after a brief battle with Leukemia.

Stamenich was a member of Groh’s first Virginia team in 2001, his third year as a starting defensive end.

“We had two (undersized) defensive ends that year, Darryl Sanders and Ljub … and they just fought it out heroically, every day, every game, and that’s the way (Stamenich) approached this circumstance,” Groh said. “Unfortunately … from the time we first found out, I think it’s a day short of two weeks, he never really had a chance to get in the fight.”




Ex-Virginia standout dies at 26
Leukemia claims Stamenich, who was a three-year starter at defensive end for Cavaliers
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 19, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The University of Virginia football program is mourning the loss of Ljubomir Stamenich, one of the cornerstones of its 2001 team.

Stamenich, a three-year starter at defensive end, died this week, about a month after being diagnosed with leukemia. He was 26 years old.

At U.Va., Stamenich spent four seasons under coach George Welsh, including a redshirt year in 1997. Welsh retired after the 2000 season, and Al Groh left the New York Jets to return to his alma mater as coach. Groh immediately installed the 3-4 defense, even though his top two defensive ends, Stamenich and Darryl Sanders, were undersized for that scheme.

A lack of bulk didn't faze Stamenich, who was listed at 6-3, 262 pounds that season.

"He was a leader from Day One," U.Va. de- fensive coordinator Al Golden said yesterday. "When you talk about Al Groh guys, guys that we're trying to have in the program that fit the model, [Stamenich] was the model. He was the heart and soul. He was a captain. He was a weight-room guy. He loved the game, he loved practice, he loved preparation. He'll be missed in the Virginia family."

Stamenich, a graduate of Langley High, made 180 tackles at Virginia. He played as a graduate student in 2001, when newcomers to the program included defensive end Brennan Schmidt, now a fifth-year senior.

"If there was anybody to go to war with, it'd be Lube," Schmidt said yesterday. "If you were going against 20 guys, he'd take them all on himself."

In the 2001 regular-season finale, U.Va. upset Penn State at Scott Stadium, a victory that ranks among the most significant in Groh's tenure.

The Cavaliers' defense excelled that afternoon, Groh recalled yesterday, and "I can remember being in the locker room, giving out game balls and giving one to Darryl and Lube, and saying, 'Hey, look you two guys, for what you did for us this year, if there's ever anything that you guys need, we owe you.'

"That's the sad thing [about Stamenich's battle with leukemia]. When there was something he needed, we couldn't do anything to help him."




Former Cavalier Overcoming Obstacles
Canty 'blessed' in Dallas After two injuries and draft letdown, he won't take things for granted
BY JAMIE ARON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Aug 19, 2005

OXNARD, Calif. Something as simple as suiting up for practice is all it takes for Dallas Cowboys rookie Chris Canty to think about how close he came to never playing in the NFL.

And he thinks about it every day.

Strapping a brace onto his left knee, Canty, a former University of Virginia standout, remembers the three ligaments he tore less than a year ago. Then he grabs his helmet, the one with all the plastic behind the facemask. The two shields that protect his fragile left eye remind Canty of the freak, gruesome episode that nearly ruined his life in so many ways.

Together, the injuries made Canty a draft day risk, a defensive lineman with first-round talent - big, strong, fast, smart and versatile - but someone who also might have to sit out at least a year. The Cowboys gambled on him in the fourth round and are already reaping the rewards.

"We were just wishing," coach Bill Parcells said Tuesday. "Now, knock on wood, it looks like we have a pretty good player and that's just a big, big plus. . . . It looks like it could turn out like we hoped it would."

Canty knows how quickly he's gone from an injured-reserve candidate to having a prominent spot in the defensive-line rotation. Yet after so many setbacks, all he's talking about is hoping to make the 53-man roster.

"I don't take things for granted any more," he said. "I know it's a blessing every time I come through that gate and run onto the field."

As a sophomore and junior at Virginia, the 6-7, 295-pound Canty led the ACC in tackles by a defensive lineman. He also was close to earning his degree. Still, he decided to return for his senior year.

It lasted all of four games. His left knee came apart during a tackle on Sept. 25 and he was operated on within a week. Despite the severity of the damage, NFL training camp was far enough away that many teams still considered him a first-rounder.

Until Jan. 30.

While in Scottsdale, Ariz., getting ready for the pre-draft combine, Canty went to a nightclub. A fight broke out across the room and a thrown beer bottle slammed into his face, leaving a bloody mess - and a detached retina.

His doctor said Canty would eventually play football. He just couldn't say when.

"He said it would be unlikely for me to play this year," said Canty, jagged scars still visible above, around and below his damaged eye.

The eye slowed the rehabilitation of his knee. He had to cut back on most of his work out of fear that he would jar loose the reattached retina. The combination sent him sliding down draft boards.

The draft became the low point in his ordeal. Worse than the "why me?" agony of two fluke injuries was sitting at his parents' house in Virginia and not hearing his name called.

"Through all the situations," he said, "I thought I'd still have an opportunity to be a first-day pick."

Early on the draft's second day, there was a heated debate over Canty in the Cowboys' draft room. It continued to broil after they took running back Marion Barber with the eighth pick of the fourth round. Twenty-three picks later, Dallas made a trade and snagged Canty at No. 132 overall.

The Cowboys had some inside knowledge about Canty. His college coach was Al Groh, who spent many years working for Parcells. Groh assured them of Canty's character, work ethic and how perfectly he fit Virginia's 3-4 scheme, the same one Dallas is installing.

Canty had a second eye operation in May to remove scar tissue. His doctor was so pleased with how things looked that he told Canty to expect to play this season. Then came the best-case scenario: He was cleared to play again following another exam earlier this month.

He has a contact lens he can wear to sharpen vision, though he says he hardly needs it. He wore it during the 13-11 loss to Arizona and probably will in all games.

Canty is doing his best to make up for lost time. During a drill Monday afternoon, offensive lineman Tyson Walter screamed at Canty for coming after him too hard. Canty didn't react, but Parcells did. He smiled.

"Just being in the pads and the cleats gives me a chance to get my competitive edge back," Canty said following that practice. "I'm trying to get back that competitive fire, that tenacity, that will make me a better player."

His motivation comes from wanting to be the best, not from proving anything to his doubters or trying to recoup the millions of dollars lost by being a fourth-round pick instead of a first-rounder.

"In April, I didn't know if I'd be here. But I've been truly blessed. I'm eternally thankful," he said, smiling. "I love this game. To have the opportunity to play again is like I've been reborn."



U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Aug 19, 2005

GARDEN STATE SOUTH: During Media Day at Scott Stadium, Mark D'Onofrio was asked about U.Va.'s emphasis on recruiting in New Jersey. D'Onofrio, like two other Virginia assistants, Al Golden and Mike Groh, graduated from a high school in Jersey, and he previously coached at Rutgers.

New Jersey produces 50 to 60 Division I prospects each year, D'Onofrio said, and U.Va. isn't a difficult sell.

"This place is appealing," said D'Onofrio, who coordinates Virginia's special teams and coaches the inside linebackers.

"It's a beautiful campus, you get a great degree, you're playing in a great conference, and the more Jersey guys that are here, it kind of gets itself going. You get more guys that feel comfortable with it, knowing that they have guys from their area."

The Cavaliers' freshman class includes four players from Jersey. Of U.Va.'s 14 commitments for 2006, five are from Jersey. The latest addition to the class is wide receiver Cedric Jeffries, who picked U.Va. over Wisconsin yesterday, a few days after receiving a phone call from George Johnson, a linebacker from Jersey who committed to Virginia in February.

Jeffries is a 6-2, 185-pound senior at Egg Harbor Township High, where he also plays basketball and runs track. He said last night that he had scholarship offers from Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Temple too.

Mike Groh led the Cavaliers' pursuit of Jeffries, who caught 10 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns in an injury-marred junior season.

YOUNG GUNS: Of the seven outside linebackers on the U.Va. roster, none is a senior - or a junior, for that matter.

The group comprises sophomores Jermaine Dias and Marvin Richardson, redshirt freshman Clint Sintim and true freshmen Olu Hall, Aaron Clark, Denzell Burrell and Jason Fuller. Dias and Sintim have taken over for Dennis Haley and Darryl Blackstock, last year's starters.

"There's a lot of young talent," said associate head coach Danny Rocco, who oversees the Cavaliers' outside 'backers.

"What I like about this group right now is it's a physical group. These guys are going to play hard, they're going to be physical, it's a more powerful group, it's a stronger group . . . So I think that's all positive. The big challenge for us is going to be: How many plays are we going to make? Can we make some big plays? I feel really good about our development to this point, but the proof will be in the pudding."

THE NEXT GENERATION: As a senior at Robinson High in 2003, Hall was considered by some recruiting analysts to be the state's top prospect. After spending a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy, the 6-3, 220-pound Hall appears ready to contribute immediately at U.Va.

Hall wears jersey No. 56, which previously belonged to Blackstock.

"He is a very quick athlete," Rocco said of Hall. "He's explosive, he's got an excellent motor, he chases the ball, he's tough, and he's got some pass-rushing skills. He's got some speed up the field, and that is exciting."

- Jeff White

 

Groh fine with receivers' progression
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 18, 2005

Virginia’s wide receivers were common targets for complaints in the offseason.
Some of the criticism was justified - at least statistically.
The wide receiving corps combined to catch just
66 passes last season and the most frequent target from that unit - Michael McGrew
(30 receptions) completed his eligibility.
Of the returning players at wide receiver only fifth-year senior Ottowa Anderson (five touchdowns) and juniors Deyon Williams (two TDs) and Fontel Mines (one TD) have found the end zone.
Despite those numbers, Virginia coach Al Groh remains positive about the progression of the players working out at the position in training camp.
“I am not in the wide receiver-bashing club,” Groh said Wednesday. “We have had good competition and we have had some guys step up their game here in camp.
“That collective evaluation is probably raised by the performance, particularly of certain individuals with a positive camp so far.”
One of the biggest stars in camp according to Groh has been Williams, who is listed at
6-foot-3, 188 pounds. Williams missed a number of practices with a “muscle pull” but has since returned and in fine fashion.
“Deyon Williams, in particular, has made a number of really good plays in the last couple of days, two in particular [on Wednesday] for long balls,’ Groh said. “Through his route running he has created very good separation and made the tough catch.”
Another player pushing for playing time is Emmanuel Byers, a redshirt sophomore.
Byers saw action last year in Virginia’s first three games. The 5-foot-9, 191-pounder had three receptions for 41 yards and completed a 32-yard pass to McGrew, that would have likely gone for a touchdown if it were not under thrown.
Byers was then benched and did not play in the Cavaliers’ final nine games.
Through Virginia’s first 14 preseason practices, Byers has re-emerged as a weapon and received praise from Groh.
“His whole game has progressed. It probably would be unfair to Emmanuel to say that it is one thing or the other [as to why he is improved], but he’s a more confident, more active and certainly a more productive player,” Groh added. “Amongst the players who are having a very good camp, Emmanuel is very much one of them.”
Mines, like Williams, missed time during the preseason practice period with a muscle pull but Groh said, “It looks as if [Mines] is getting close to being able to run at full speed.”
Thierrien Davis, a sophomore, was expected to earn a spot in the rotation at wideout but he too has been hampered with a minor injury, Groh said.
“[Davis] has been slowed up here with the typical wide receiver circumstance where he has a strained muscle that is keeping him from going full speed.”

GAINING FLEXIBILITY. Like every coach, Groh loves having versatile players who can play more than one position.
He proved that last year when former tailback Alvin Pearman lined up at wideout for a contest.
While he did not go into detail, Groh said the team has once again worked in training camp on finding players who can play at various spots.
“We are trying some different things to see whether they become full scale changes or just things that will add some versatility and depth in the same fashion that we did with Pearman last year, with what we did with him in training camp,” Groh said. “We had him available in a tight spot to go play receiver for us.”

TUNING IN. With preseason practice taking most of his time and energy, Groh has been unable to watch a great deal of NFL’s preseason action, but he did admit that he snuck in a few plays from this past weekend’s game with Arizona and Dallas during a replay of the contest on TV.
Four of Arizona’s players - Darryl Blackstock, Elton Brown, Isaiah Ekejiuba and Jermaine Hardy - played for Groh last season. Also, former UVa defensive lineman Chris Canty is playing for Dallas.
“I tried to at least keep my ears open and every once in while look over on the screen while I was working on practice schedules to see what I could see with all the Arizona kids and with Chris Canty,” Groh said.
Blackstock assisted on a tackle on special teams in the third quarter but had the play erased when he was called for a penalty - ineligible receiver downfield. Nine plays later, Canty assisted on a tackle.
“I do try to keep up with how some of them are doing either by talking to them on the phone or talking to some people in the organization,” Groh said. “I had a nice conversation with Elton [Tuesday night] and got the great news from him that they moved him up to the first team.”
The best news for Groh?
“It is reinforcing to hear them say how well prepared they think they are,” Groh said.

QUICK HITS. The battle for the back-up spot at quarterback behind Marques Hagans remains wide open. The candidates include, but are not limited to, junior Christian Olsen and sophomore Kevin McCabe, Groh said. … The same can be said for the battle for the starting spot at punter. Sophomore Chris Gould and junior college transfer Ryan Weigand have been battling for the nod in the opening game against Western Michigan on Sept. 3. “I’d say that we are not ready to declare somebody one or somebody two,” Groh said of the situation. … Junior linebacker Ahmad Brooks is listed as a candidate for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. …
Virginia’s “Meet the Team Day” will be held this afternoon at Scott Stadium and is free and open to the public. Among the activities: tours of the locker room and autograph opportunities from players. The West and North gates open at 3 p.m., and the team is scheduled to arrive at
3:30 p.m. The event is slated to end around 5 p.m. …The team will not practice today. After practicing once on Friday, the squad is scheduled to hold two sessions on Saturday.




Behind Vick, QBs find opportunity limited
BY PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 18, 2005

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Backup quarterbacks for Michael Vick must find their purpose in the saying, "They also serve who only stand and wait."

Some stand more than others, though.

Matt Schaub, a graduate of the University of Virginia, is the Atlanta Falcons' No.2 quarterback. He gets his fair share of work in preseason practices. He plays quite a bit in preseason games. And once the regular season begins, Schaub waits until the Falcons have clinched a playoff berth or until Vick is injured in order to play.

"This is Mike's team, and as long as he's the quarterback here, he's going to be on the field," Schaub said. "I understand my role here, and it's doing whatever I can to help the team win."

Bryan Randall, a graduate of Virginia Tech, doesn't really have a role yet with the Falcons. Randall, a rookie free agent, is trying to survive through the preseason and, he hopes, in some fashion in the regular season.

Randall was the ACC offensive player of the year in 2004, but he went undrafted last spring. The Falcons signed him, and Randall is doing all he can to show they made a wise decision.

"That was a little frustrating," he said of being bypassed in the draft. "But you never know what will happen in the draft.

"I put that behind me. The day I signed with the Falcons, I moved on."

Randall, 22, arrived here with the idea that he would do anything that was asked of him and some things that weren't asked of him.

He has volunteered for special-teams duty and makes the most of any work he gets during practice.

Ty Detmer is the Falcons' No.3 quarterback, and the 14-year veteran is nearing the end of his career. But he has 25 NFL starts to his credit, and the Falcons, who hope to be Super Bowl contenders, find that hard to overlook.

Randall's best chance to stay with the Falcons probably would be as a member of the eight-man practice squad.

Schaub, 24, played in six games last season. He started once, against New Orleans, and played in three-quarters of the Falcons' season finale at Seattle. For the season, he completed 33 of 70 passes for 330 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

"I'm a lot more comfortable this season," Schaub said. "I've got the offense down. I'm more comfortable in the huddle, I know my teammates, and they know me.

"I gained a lot of confidence playing against New Orleans and Seattle. That gave me a taste of what December and January football is like in the NFL. Those teams were fighting for a playoff spot. We were getting their best shot. It's hard. It's tough. Every play can be the difference in the game, and you have to be on top of your game."

Schaub, 6-5 and 237 pounds, might never be the starter in Atlanta. But he has size, throws with accuracy, gets a reasonable amount of velocity on his passes and learns quickly. And every snap he takes in a preseason or regular-season game is an audition for a team that one day might give him a reasonable chance to start.

"I definitely think he's a starter in this league, and I think he's going to be a good one," Falcons quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson said. "He's coming along great, and we have no problems at all with Matt going into games."

For now, Schaub's biggest challenge is with techniques, especially footwork.

"When his feet are set, and he's properly balanced, he's an accurate passer," Johnson said.

Randall, 6-0 and 222 pounds, hopes one day to be in a situation similar to Schaub's.

"The pre-team part of practice is very important for him, the one-on-one passing, the individual drill time," Johnson said. "He takes it very seriously.

"Bryan is like a Thoroughbred. You don't judge him by the clock. You judge him in the race. He's a guy who has to play, and I think when he gets an opportunity to play, he's going to do very well."




Cavs look for more from wideouts
Despite critics, Groh takes positive view of his receiving corps
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 18, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When the subject is the corps of wide receivers at the University of Virginia, critics and skeptics abound. The Cavaliers' wideouts know that.

"We've got something to prove," Deyon Williams said in April after U.Va.'s spring game.

In 2002, Al Groh's second season as Virginia's coach, Billy McMullen led the team with 69 receptions, and another wideout, Michael McGrew, caught 27 passes.

In'03, U.Va.'s most productive receivers, Ryan Sawyer and Ottowa Anderson, had 39 and 33 catches, respectively. Marques Hagans, who'd come to Virginia as a quarterback, played wideout that season and added 28 receptions.

Hagans moved back to QB last fall, and the receiving corps' production declined again. Of the 179 passes that Virginia completed, running backs or tight ends caught 112. McGrew led U.Va.'s wideouts with 30 catches, and Williams added 19.

All-America tight end Heath Miller is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, and all-ACC tailback Alvin Pearman is with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but U.Va. hasn't scrapped its offensive philosophy. Tight ends and running backs will continue to be integral parts of Virginia's passing game.

Still, for the Cavaliers to contend for the ACC's Coastal Division title, they'll almost certainly need more production from their wideouts than they received last season.

Groh has nine scholarship receivers in training camp, one of whom, Andrew Pearman, must sit out this season after transferring from Hawaii. The rest of the group consists of one senior (Anderson), two juniors (Williams and Fontel Mines), two sophomores (Emmanuel Byers and Theirrien Davis) and three true freshmen (Kevin Ogletree, Maurice Covington and Brandon Woods).

Among them, Virginia's receivers have 107 career catches for 1,268 yards and eight touchdowns, most courtesy of Anderson.

On a teleconference with reporters yesterday, Groh said there's a "club of people who have chosen to be wide receiver-bashers ever since last season . . . wizards who said how terrible the receivers were."

Groh isn't a member of that club, and he said he has been impressed by his receiving corps' play in practice.

Competition among the receivers has been spirited, and "we've had some guys step up their games here in camp," Groh said. "Deyon Williams in particular has made a number of really good plays in the last few days, two in particular today for long balls."

The Cavaliers should be deeper at wideout than previously under Groh, and in the 6-3, 190-pound Williams they have a tall, fast receiver who, if he can stay healthy and keep his focus during games, has the talent to become an all-ACC candidate.

Asked yesterday in what areas Williams has shown improvement, Groh said, "Through his route running, he's created very good separation and made the tough catch."




ACC still is climbing in football
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW Aug 17, 2005

The question was put to Bobby Bowden a few weeks ago: Was it more fun in the old days? Specifically, was it more fun in the '90s, when his Florida State crew motored into the ACC like a steamroller on steroids and proceeded to flatten its fellow lodge brothers into so many tamales?

It was FSU and the Little Eight back then. The 'Noles won 70 of their first 72 ACC outings and finished atop the standings nine consecutive times. They've since lost gasp! -- six games over the past four years, wound up second in the pecking order twice and now are part of a beefed-up league that includes Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College

So, what say you, Bobby?

"Was it more fun?" Bowden replied. "Ten years ago, if our chances of winning the conference championship were 95 percent, now it's 50 percent. When we won it every year, what did they say? 'That's a basketball conference.' Now they can't say it. I prefer it the way it is."

Not to dispute Saint Bobby, but here's the way it is: Until proved otherwise, the ACC still is a basketball conference. An altered basketball conference robbed of its double-round-robin format by football-influenced expansion, but a basketball conference nonetheless.

Evidence? Over the past five years, ACC hoops has spawned three NCAA champions, bringing its grand total to 10. It supplied half the Final Fours of 2001 and 2004. It's gobbled eight of 25 first-team All-America spots since 2001.

Football, eat your heart out.


This is not to say the ACC hasn't made strides with the oblong ball. Stadiums have expanded in Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Atlanta and Raleigh, and so has attendance. Support buildings have sprouted in -- among other locales -- College Park, Boston and even Durham. A championship game will punctuate the upcoming season's pennant races.

Inside the lines, ACC football has flexed its muscles. It's led all leagues in bowl wins over the past four years. It boasted four consensus All-Americas in 2004, two of them -- Heath Miller and Elton Brown -- from Virginia. Only the Big Ten has a spiffier record against BCS conferences during the past three seasons.

But . . .

(You knew there'd be a "but," didn't you?)

We're still not talking SEC here. We're still not talking football mega-league. Maybe one day ACC football will grow into its 12-team body, but for now it remains ambition in search of performance. For all its self-proclaimed bowl success, for example, the ACC still hasn't crashed a second team into the BCS party since that apparatus began ruling the postseason in 1998.

Since then, the ACC is 1-6 in BCS games -- the one win being FSU over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl that concluded the 1999 season.

Moreover, no ACC team has been in the AP poll's final top five since FSU in 2000. Take the Seminoles out of the equation, and you have to go back to Georgia Tech in 1990 to find an ACC entry that finished so high.

Work remains to be done, in other words, and maybe it begins this year. Quarterbacking is an issue around the conference -- only Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst and Georgia Tech's Reggie Ball have spent more than one season as a starter -- but stout defenses give several ACC squads shots at a bangup campaign.

Taking the long view, U.Va. coach Al Groh observed that "there's great potential out there to be the equal of any league and to be superior to any league."

Basketball rides that cloud. Football aspires. Some say the sky's the limit. But air space remains to be cleared between here and there.




UVa's Darden moves to defensive line
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 18, 2005

It was a year ago, during the middle of training camp, when Ron Darden's head mysteriously began to hurt.
The Virginia lineman had experienced headaches after practice before but never like this.

These were intense. They happened for apparently no reason and lasted all day, making even the most mundane of tasks difficult.

Darden couldn't eat, sleep or, in some extreme instances, stand. Football was secondary and, after seeing brief spurts as a backup left guard in six games last season, he took a timeout from football in November.

Fast forward nine months and there's Darden, now a junior, walking off a practice field in full pads, dripping with sweat but legitimately happy to have spent the previous two hours toiling in the hot August sun.

The headaches, for the most part, are gone.

His position - he's battling Keenan Carter and Kwakou Robinson to be the starting nose tackle - is new.

And his outlook - he just wants to get on the field - is the same as it was a year ago when all the trouble began.

"Last year at camp (was) when things really started, so it's my anniversary," Darden joked.

His headaches were no joke.

Darden could not control them. His mother, Regina, had a history of migraines but had a diagnosable problem that was fixed by a chiropractor.

Ron had no such luck. He went to doctors to see if his mother's condition ran in the family. It didn't. He went to chiropractors to see if they could solve the problem. They couldn't. He even went to Johns Hopkins University for help. After a series of tests, the cause of the headaches still couldn't be pinpointed.

"It stemmed from football, but really there were some other issues going on," Darden said. "I don't know exactly what was going on (though)."

His life, both on the football field and in the classroom, was a struggle. Darden entered last training camp as the starting left guard. He ceded that starting spot to Brian Barthelmes just before the season opener at Temple, a game Darden sat out. He played sparingly in the next six games.

Schoolwork was just as tough. Darden couldn't concentrate and barely made it through the semester. In November, he decided, with the coaching staff's blessing, that it was time to step away from football.

Darden didn't work out with the team over the winter and spring and gradually his condition improved.

"Toward the end of May I feel like I had control over (the headaches)," Darden said. "It was just kind of me willing it away. If my head was still hurting and my grades were still messed up, then maybe football was not really an issue. But I felt pretty comfortable about it."

Darden re-joined the team in June and quickly impressed teammates and coaches with his commitment, extending his workouts to six days a week, a day longer than the team's usual routine.

"He does seem to have a bit of a fan club," UVa head coach Al Groh said. "He's come back like gangbusters here in the summer. ? When a guy does that he really clearly defines his intentions to everybody."

Darden also switched positions from offensive guard to defensive tackle in June, attempting to help fill the void left by Andrew Hoffman, a three-year starter who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in April.

Why Darden?

"It's easy to see," Groh said. "(He's) 6-5 and 330 pounds. That's what we saw."

Darden says he's the "fastest and most fluid" he's ever been. While it will be hard to duplicate the quick hands and feet that made Hoffman so effective, Darden's sheer mass should make it hard for an offensive line to get any push.

"Regardless of whatever else was going on with Ron's game," Groh said, "he doesn't go backwards."

The orange defensive starter's jersey at nose tackle was still up for grabs at UVa's final open practice last Saturday. Darden says that would be nice to get, but he has other motivation.

"Last year ? my goal was to make it to the first game and I couldn't," Darden said. "So this year I want to stick to my same goal. I want to be out there Sept. 3."

 

Hagans' backup a mystery





By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times




For the first time in the preseason, Virginia football coach Al Groh is expressing some urgency over the depth chart behind No. 1 quarterback Marques Hagans.

Groh was asked Saturday if he would like to settle on a No. 2 quarterback by a particular time.

"Yesterday," Groh said.

When he addressed the media at the ACC Football Kickoff in late July, Groh said he placed a higher priority on identifying a No. 1 quarterback for 2006 than he did in establishing a backup for 2005, but that should not diminish his current search.

Christian Olsen, a junior, and sophomore Kevin McCabe are listed as co-No. 2 quarterbacks on the depth chart in UVa's media guide.

"Anybody that creates separation between himself and the rest of the pack is going to clarify the situation for us," Groh said in his teleconference Saturday.

Slated for time

Groh has seen enough of 6-foot-6, 230-pound John Phillips from Bath County to believe that Phillips will play this season as a true freshman.

Despite the departure of Heath Miller, the John Mackey Award winner as the nation's top tight end, UVa likes the potential of a crew of tight ends that includes sophomores Jon Stupar (6-3, 250) and Tom Santi (6-5, 225).

"We knew [Phillips] would play fairly early when we recruited him," Groh said. "We've always used tight ends. The more, the merrier."

Because of the way Virginia utilizes its tight ends, Groh said, receiving ability is critical. What the Cavaliers don't have is a blocking tight end in the mold of Patrick Estes, who was drafted in the seventh round by San Francisco last April.

Estes, now close to 290 pounds, has been moved to offensive tackle by the 49ers.

Odds 'n' ends

The performance of nose tackles Kwakou Robinson (6-4, 327), Keenan Carter (6-1, 324) and Ron Darden (6-4, 327) has raised the possibility of a three-man rotation during the season. The 324-pound figure is a media-guide weight for Carter, who was under 310 when the players reported. ... Groh said the move of sophomore outside linebacker Vince Redd to defensive end has been an early success. Redd, listed at 6-6 and 265 pounds last season, is now in the 290-pound range. ... Marvin Richardson, who has played in one game and for a total of three plays in his career, is listed as No. 2 at both outside linebacker spots. Aaron Clark (6-6, 235) from Rockbridge County is among four recruits bidding for early playing time at outside linebacker.




Steelers Notebook: Cowher anxious to see Miller in action after 'perfect' camp
Monday, August 15, 2005

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Heath Miller will get his first chance tonight to play against NFL competition in a game situation.
Click photo for larger image.



Rookie tight end Heath Miller hasn't had a good training camp, not a great training camp, but a perfect one. That's close to coach Bill Cowher's assessment of his top draft pick after two full weeks at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.

"The way he's picked up the offense -- we've moved him around quite a bit -- and he really has not missed an assignment," Cowher said. "I like the fact he's picking things up very quickly."

Tonight, Miller gets his first chance to show it in a game.

"I think it will be exciting to see where we are as a team and see where I'm at as a player," said the 6-foot-5 Miller, the 30th player taken in the NFL draft. "I'm looking forward to seeing the speed of the game, and how quickly things happen -- and how well I'm going to react."

While he and his coaches are eager to see him play, it also will be interesting to see how they use him. They have not thrown much to their tight ends the past decade, ever since Eric Green left as a free agent after the 1994 season. Mark Bruener caught 26 passes as a rookie tight end in 1995 and none has caught 20 since. Starter Jerame Tuman caught nine passes to lead all of their tight ends last season, when the whole group caught 22.

Like Bruener, their first-round pick in '95, Miller caught a ton of passes in college -- 144 in three seasons at the University of Virginia, where he won the Mackey Award as Division I's best tight end last season. But Steelers tight ends must learn to block before they run, and sometimes -- as in Bruener's case -- that becomes their most dominant feature.

"From what he's shown on the practice field, it seems like he's going to be a good player," offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. "He catches the ball extremely well, especially away from his body. He does a good job separating on his routes at the top.

"But the thing that really stands out is his blocking. He did a good job in the one on ones with the linebackers, against pretty good linebackers, and his in-line blocks in our team drills have been pretty good. He gets in front of guys and his technique has been good."

One of those linebackers, 2004 team MVP James Farrior, has covered Miller in practice and has taken him under his wing off the field. Farrior also played at Virginia.

"He has good feet and he's quick, he's sort of a crafty receiver when he's out there running routes. I think he's going to be a good pass-catching receiver for us. I don't think I ever saw him drop a pass in college.

"There's not too much I can teach him about playing tight end, just about being in the NFL. I just tell him to be humble."

That doesn't seem to be a problem for Miller, who came to the Steelers as humble as Bruener. In fact, Bruener called Miller this summer to wish him well, an unusual move for someone who plays elsewhere, with the Houston Texans.

"I'm sure he feels a kindred spirit there," Whisenhunt said.

Said Miller, "He just kind of offered his hand out. He just welcomed me to Pittsburgh, he said it was a great city, that I would enjoy playing here and if I had any questions about anything, whether it be living, football, anything, give him a call.

"It really was impressive. It just kind of fulfilled his reputation of everything I've ever heard about him before."

Now, it's Miller's turn.




Snelling knows pain all to well


By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 16, 2005



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hurt is a word that Jason Snelling has learned to live with.

After storming onto the scene in 2002 as a rookie, the fullback redshirted in 2003 to deal with an undisclosed injury.

Snelling was thrown another curve ball last year when he suffered a high ankle sprain in the first play of the Clemson game on Oct. 7. It sidelined him for the next five games.

When he made his return in the regular season finale at Virginia Tech it was a brief one. Snelling’s only carry went for five yards and it came on the final play of the third quarter.

Virginia went on to lose to its in-state rival, 24-10, which ultimately sealed its bowl fate - the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

“That was tough not being able to be 100 percent in that game [against Virginia Tech],” Snelling said. “The tougher thing was the loss. I really wasn’t too upset about not being able to play, I was just sick that we let the game slip out of our hands and that we lost.”

The Richmond native finished the 2004 season with

189 yards rushing, 80 of which came against North Carolina.

Snelling said the time on the bench and in the training room was “rough.”

“I was out there supporting my team, that was the main thing, but it is always rough when you can’t get out there and participate and help your team,” Snelling said. “I love football and that is what I want to do so it was kind of tough.”

When healthy, Snelling is one of the best fullbacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He takes pride in blocking. He has excellent hands proven by his 36 career receptions. And he has the speed of a tailback.

So would Snelling rather play halfback, his position at L.C. Byrd in high school when he gained 3,300 yards?

“My position is fullback and I pretty much just like to do the job that I do,” Snelling said. “In our offense, a fullback has a lot of different jobs so I am able to get the ball a lot. My position is kind of interchangeable.

“I love being in an offense that includes the fullback a lot. It gives me the opportunity to get the ball in my hands and make big plays outside of blocking. Sometimes fullbacks don’t get the glory, but I will do whatever it takes for this team to win.”

That being said, Snelling still wants the ball.

“Any player at a skill position wants to get the ball in their hands,” Snelling admitted.

Snelling, an anthropology major at UVa, said his future goals include making it to the NFL.

“My main goal right now is to win,” Snelling added. “I am in college so I want to win at UVa, but the future goal of most people that love football is to take it to the next level.”

Those aspirations were amplified when Snelling watched his former teammate Alvin Pearman get drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars last spring.

“That does motivate me to think about it,” Snelling said. “I do see Alvin and how he was inspiring here. I played with him for three years and he was the heart of the team, especially in the running back room.”

Snelling said he is looking forward to playing his first full season at UVa. If that doesn’t happen, Snelling is confident in the other options that the Cavaliers have.

Former walk-on Josh Zidenburg was listed on the preseason depth chart as Snelling’s backup.

“[Zidenburg] is progressing. He came in under-sized and was a running back in high school but he has made the adjustment and he’s doing real well,” Snelling said. “He knows his stuff and he is getting better everyday.”

Another option includes shifting tight end Tom Santi into the backfield, something the coaching staff tried last year during Snelling’s absence.

“You saw [how good Santi could be] last year,” Snelling said. “He came in and stepped in and did real well at the fullback position. He is interchangeable. His talent was shown.”

When asked how good Virginia could be this season, Snelling smiled, rubbed his hands together and said: “This team can go as far as the players want to take it. It is in our hands, we just have to do the little things to get better as a team and everything else will fall into place.”

BROOKS OR NO BROOKS: With only 18 days until the season opener with Western Michigan, the questions still linger about the availability of linebacker Ahmad Brooks in that contest.

Brooks, a junior, had offseason surgery to regenerate bone growth in his right knee and has not returned to practice with his teammates, instead working out on his own.

Virginia coach Al Groh said Brooks has added activities to his workout plan.

“I don’t think there is more or less [optimism about Brooks’ return]. It is what it is. He is continuing to work and he continues to do more and that’s better than doing less,” Groh said. “We just have to keep adding it up and determine when more means he is really ready to get out there and do everything.”

Virginia’s schedule includes a bye week in the second week of the season, which would give Brooks an extra week off if needed. The Cavaliers play Sept. 17 at Syracuse.

“We will use him when he is ready,” Groh added. “It just means that if he is not ready until Sept. 17, he will miss one game, instead of two. If he’s not ready until Sept. 24 [against Duke], he’ll miss two instead of three.”



Sports Focus: U.Va. Football
Snelling hoping for health Misfortune has slowed versatile fullback's rise toward college stardom

BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 16, 2005


CHARLOTTESVILLE In Division I-A football, there may not be a more talented fullback than Jason Snelling. For that talent to benefit the Virginia Cavaliers, however, Snelling needs to stay healthy, and that's been an issue during his star-crossed college career.

An unheralded recruit coming out of L.C. Bird High, Snelling emerged as a playmaker as a true freshman in 2002, particularly as a receiver, but a medical condition caused him to miss two games that season.

In 2003, the former Skyhawk chose to redshirt. Snelling used the time off to address his condition, which a neurologist brought under control with medication, and he regained his spot on the first team during spring practice in 2004.

Snelling, who prefers not to discuss his condition in detail, started the first five games last season, all U.Va. victories. In the opening moments of the fifth game, however, he suffered a high ankle sprain.

And just like that, his season was essentially over. He missed the next five games and didn't rejoin the starting lineup until the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Did his 2004 season frustrate Snelling? Absolutely. But the 5-11, 245-pound junior insisted recently that he doesn't believe he's doomed to never stay healthy for an entire season at U.Va.

"It's just life," Snelling said. "Everything in life doesn't go right. You've just got to pick back up and keep moving forward."

When Snelling touched the ball as a freshman, he was usually on the receiving end of a pass. He rushed only nine times but had 31 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore, Snelling saw his role change as the Cavaliers shifted to a run-oriented attack. He carried 26 times for 189 yards and one TD and caught only five passes last season. But whether he's running or catching -- or simply blocking -- No. 38 clearly is a special talent.

Snelling "has proven, when he is available, he's one of our best players," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

To senior quarterback Marques Hagans, Snelling is "like a running back playing fullback. He's big, but he can move, he can block, he can catch. He's got a little bit of moves, too. It's good to have a guy back there like that."

Like U.Va. tailback Wali Lundy, Snelling can "catch the ball, turn upfield and get you like 15 or 20 extra yards off a 2-yard pass," Hagans said. "I think sometimes we do miss him when he's not in there. When he is in there, the offense does click a little better."

Snelling, who's run with the first-team offense throughout training camp, hasn't worked solely at fullback. He was an All-Metro tailback at Bird, and he may take some turns at that position this season.

"He's certainly a player we would consider an option there," Groh said.

Snelling said he came into camp with the "mind-set that I've got to put last year behind me. It was kind of upsetting, going through all the things I had to do and then getting hurt with the ankle injury, but I'm just trying to focus on the new season. It's a new year."

And if he can stay healthy for a full season?

"I can do big things," Snelling said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I plan on doing that this year."
 

At arena, big nods to Jefferson
By James Fernald / Daily Progress staff writer
August 13, 2005

Below the towering columns adorning the John Paul Jones Arena, which has been under construction for more than two years, hundreds of workers toil through the summer heat to build the University of Virginia’s new, signature sports and events venue.

In less than two weeks, 26 columns were erected outside the east and west ends of the arena, “as an attempt to build off what Thomas Jefferson did on the Lawn,” said Bob Moje, principal of the design team for the arena. There are 16 columns on the front entrance facing Massie Road and 10 on the east end near Emmet Street.

“It’s fantastic to put those up so quickly,” Laurance said. “We’re very pleased with the progress of the construction. We’re pretty confident we’ll have the best arena in the U.S.”

The $129.8 million, 15,000-seat arena is still within its budget and scheduled for completion in June, according to Dick Laurance, project director.

The roof truss and roof installation was completed in June and the last steel beam was placed on the roof in July, which signaled the “topping off” party. Now, the workers, of whom there are more than 270, can begin interior work, including the drywall, ceilings and flooring.

By the first week of October, Laurance said, the ventilation system will be installed and the structure will be enclosed. While the roof is in place, parts of the sides of the arena remain open.

The enclosure includes glass panels, of which about 65 percent have been installed.

By mid-November, the practice building on the east end by Emmet Street will be fully enclosed.

“It’s an enormous project with a lot of different trades,” said Moje, of Charlottesville-based VMDO Architects. “It’s been remarkable coordination and it’s proceeded very smoothly.”

Of the 510,615 bricks that will cover the building, about 85 percent have been put in, Laurance said. The rest will be in by Oct. 1.

The seats will be installed in January. The 366,000-square-foot arena will have “state-of-the-art electronics” including a 31,000-pound video board, which includes instant replays, “very similar to the NBA, but tailored to UVa,” Laurance said. The video board will also be installed in January.

“It’s a great recruiting tool,” Laurance said. “Players are going to say, ‘Wow, they’re committed to basketball,’” he said.

With its large capacity, it will trail in size only three Atlantic Coast Conference schools, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and the University of Maryland. “Size is not the goal - it’s to be the best,” Laurance said.

Parking will be available for 1,500 cars in the adjacent parking garage and in spaces provided outside.

Laurance said that people are “not only going to see great basketball,” but up to 60 shows per year of non-basketball events, including concerts, presidential debates, Cirque Du Soleil, orchestral concerts and rodeos.

“I think it’s going to fill the site for years,” Laurance said



All's well with Wali
Last year's forgotten man in UVa's backfield has no ill feelings for his diminished role.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- If the last 25 years represent the "modern" era of Virginia football, who would be the Cavaliers' greatest running back? Terry Kirby? Tiki Barber? Thomas Jones?

None of the three rushed for as many yards in their first three seasons as Wali Lundy.

Or caught as many passes.

Or scored as many touchdowns.

In this era of self-absorbed athletes, Lundy has plenty of reasons for resentment.

He lost his starting job in late 2004. He frequently is ignored in listings of college football's top running backs. There are repeated questions about his speed and durability.

"I've got a chip on my shoulder," Lundy said, but, really, he doesn't.

With a smile on his face and determination in his heart, he just wants to improve.

"I don't want to be forgotten," Lundy said in an interview last spring. "I want to be in the record books. I want people to know that Wali Lundy went to Virginia."

Toward that end, Lundy began preseason workouts in the best shape of his career. After playing at close to 215 pounds last year, Lundy now weighs between 205 and 210, with weightlifting tests indicating he's stronger than ever.

"It's interesting," UVa coach Al Groh said. "The feedback I get on Wali Lundy is like, 'Hey, Wali Lundy's back,' so everybody likes Wali Lundy. But, Wali Lundy never went any place.

"We've been pleased with everything Wali Lundy's done since he's been here. He's a non-maintenance player. He's ready for class. He's ready for the weight room. He's ready for practice. He's ready for the games. He's a player with a purpose."

As a freshman in 2002, Lundy was named most valuable player in the Continental Tire Bowl, in which he scored four touchdowns in Virginia's 48-22 victory over West Virginia. That same season, he caught 58 passes, the school record for a running back until Alvin Pearman had 63 receptions in 2003.

Lundy has rushed for 2,619 yards, good for seventh on UVa's all-time list, and almost certainly would have topped the 3,000 mark if not for the presence of Pearman, named first-team All-ACC in 2004.

"We happened to have a guy who got very hot for us last year," Groh said. "If it was a basketball team and Wali was the starter and we told the other guy he was going to go in at the seven-minute mark, and that other guy suddenly hit four 3-pointers, you'd have to be pretty foolish to go back to the way things were."

After getting 106 carries in the first six games of the season, Lundy had 69 carries over the last six games when Pearman was the starter.

"Was it a blow to me?" Lundy said. "I don't know how I felt about it. Coach Groh was trying to change things up [after a 36-3 loss at Florida State]. He came and talked to me about it. If I had to come off the bench to make us a better team, that's what I was going to do."

The low point might have come in the regular-season finale, when the Cavaliers lost at Virginia Tech 24-10 with a share of the ACC championship on the line. In the first quarter, UVa had a first-and-goal at the Tech 4-yard line when Lundy fumbled, with the Hokies recovering.

In the fifth game of the season against Clemson, Lundy fumbled at the Tigers' 5-yard line on the first play of the second half and did not get another carry.

"He only had two fumbles," Groh said. "One of them we remember because it was one of the defining moments of a very important game [at Tech]. That's hard for any of us who were there to put behind us, whether you were the guy carrying the ball or the guy on the side or the guy writing about it.

"In terms of 'is this a condition that he has to put behind him,' it only happened twice last year and I can't remember any other fumbles during his career."

Groh has a good memory. Counting rushing attempts, receptions and kickoff returns, Lundy has touched the ball more than 700 times in his career. Those are the only fumbles he has lost.

"It hurts when you fumble," he said. "I feel that fumble against Clemson was the turning point of my season. The other one, I felt, was a missed exchange. It happens. Every running back who has ever run the ball has fumbled. Obviously, you've got to hang onto the ball, but you can't let it change you as a runner."

Off the field, Lundy's story has been well-documented. One of three brothers who have played college football, he lost both of his parents by the time he was 8 and was raised by his grandmother in Willingboro, N.J., where he became an All-American at Holy Cross High School.

He later graced the cover of Sports Illustrated On Campus because of his interest in rap music, but the media has seen a different side of him since the end of the 2004 season. So have his teammates.

"I think I'm more of a leader," said Lundy, who will serve as one of UVa's co-captains. "Well, I know I'm more of a leader. I'm pushing myself, but I'm also pushing other people. We've won [25] games since I've been here. That's good but we haven't won any championships."

That's one sure way for Lundy to be remembered.

"The old Wali was good," Lundy said, "but this is the new and improved Wali. I want to leave a mark however I can, whether it's the university, the ACC, or the NCAA. I'm not saying I've been mediocre, but I feel I've got a lot more inside of me."




Cavalier Football notebook
August 13, 2005

LETS PLAY TWO: It is widely known that Virginia coach Al Groh likes to use references to baseball.
You can now add another reference to his list.
With two open practices today for fans, Groh took another chance to compare the open practices to a double-dip on the diamond.
“All of those old doubleheaders in baseball were great,” Groh said. “Two games for the price of one. Now you get two practices for free. What a deal!”
Today’s first open practice starts at 8:45 a.m. The second session is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. It will mark the final time that the public can watch the Cavaliers’ practice.
Groh said both sessions would be “entertaining.”
“We have a different approach to each one,” Groh said. “I am looking forward to both. I think they are both going to be good practices, or at least they are planned to be.
“We have a plan in place that will make them that way if we can get the cooperation of the players.”
The two-a-day session will be the first of the preseason for Virginia.

STAYING HYDRATED: With the two-a-days comes the need to keep the players hydrated. Groh said that process starts long before practice.
The team encourages the players to take in fluids long before the start of each session.
“If a guy goes out there a little light on hydration it is going to catch up with him,” Groh said. “We try to make sure they are very aware of it.”
Many of the players also take the opportunity to soak in large tubs of ice water before or after practice. Groh said there is a false impression of the jobs of the “cold tubs.”
“There is a misconception that those cold pools are specifically because of hot weather,” Groh said. “They are actually for their legs. It helps bring their legs back a bit. A side effect to that is in this hot weather, obviously it does help take down body temperature after practice.”

TALL TARGETS: Virginia’s incoming class of freshmen includes nine players who stand 6-foot-5 or taller.
Three players in that group - Branden Albert, Will Barker and Alex Field - are listed at 6-foot-7.
A shorter player in the class, at least when compared to the other giants, is wide receiver Maurice Covington. The Durham, N.C. native stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs close to 215 pounds.
“[Covington’s] obviously a substantial target and that’s something that the quarterbacks sure like to see - those substantial targets,” Groh said.
Covington, a three-star recruit by Rivals.com out of high school, caught 22 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns during his senior season at Southern Durham. His team last year, which included current teammate and fellow wideout Brandon Woods, went 13-1.

JUST FOR KICKS: If all went as planned, Virginia’s sophomore punter Chris Gould was going to try to watch his older brother, Robbie, kick for the New England Patriots in the teams’ first preseason game on Friday.
Robbie Gould, a well-acclaimed placekicker out of Penn State, was scheduled to handle the kickoff duties for the Patriots in the opener.
“Most of the time that is how you break in the NFL anyway,” the younger Gould said Friday. “I am really excited and any thing that happens ... I will still be proud of him. To get to that level is unbelievable.”




Weigand making transition
California punter comes to Virginia from junior college level
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 13, 2005

Most students get things like cards, gifts or balloons on their Graduation Day.

Ryan Weigand got a phone call.

On June 10, Weigand was set to graduate from Pasadena City College, a junior college in California. As he walked into the school’s football office to say goodbye and thank-you, an interesting phone call came.

A member of the coaching staff at Virginia called Pasadena City coach Dennis Gossard to inquire about a punter for the 2006 season.

The call came as a shock to Weigand, who had made a verbal commitment to Tulsa and was all but set on playing college football as a Golden Hurricane.

Virginia’s recruitment of Weigand quickly picked up steam. He mailed a videotape to the coaching staff.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

Weigand was leaving the following week for a family vacation in Hawaii and said, “If everything was going to go down, it had to happen that week before I left.”

After the footage arrived, Weigand got another phone call. A roster spot and a scholarship at Virginia had his name on it.

He flew to Charlottesville from Seattle, where he was on a trip with a friend.

It was a perfect match.

The only thing left was to tell the coaching staff at Tulsa that he had changed his mind.

To say the least, Tulsa was not happy. And rightly so. They had just lost the services of one of the top junior college punters in the country.

“[A coach at Tulsa] was reaming me for two or three days,” Weigand said. “When you let anybody down you feel bad about it. I am a man of my word.

“I don’t like going against my word, but this is the rest of my life that we are talking about. My education is the most important thing and this is a better academic school and a better football program.”

Playing at Tulsa or Virginia would have never emerged but two other programs - Oregon State and USC - wanted Weigand to play a fourth season of junior college football, before coming to their respective programs in the fall of 2006.

That was possible because Weigand took a “grey shirt” as a rookie, meaning he did not take enough credits to be a full-time student. In 2003, Weigand took a medical redshirt after he tore “his groin” in training camp and played just one game.

His first full season on the field did not come until last year (2004), as he averaged

40.3 yards per punt, the school’s best average in 20 years.

“Oregon State and USC wanted me to play at my junior college for another season,” Weigand said. “They wanted me to stay because USC had Paul Malone, one of the best punters in the country, and Oregon State has a senior guy that they are getting rid off. Oregon State had already offered for next year, but for some reason they couldn’t pull a scholarship. I don’t know why.”

Virginia’s original plan was similar, as sophomore Chris Gould was set to come back this season. Gould emerged as Virginia’s top punter over the final three games last year.

Virginia had a scholarship available and offered, telling Weigand that they did not want to miss out on his services.

“Coach [Al] Groh wasn’t looking for a punter until next year, but they were able to pull a scholarship from next year’s team,” Weigand said. “I saw that as if they are willing to go to bat for me and these other schools weren’t, so I am going to take Virginia.”

Weigand admitted that he could name Virginia’s mascot on June 10.

“I knew it was the Cavaliers,” said Weigand, who turns 23 in December.

The head coach at UVa? That answer was an unknown.

“No. We don’t really follow ACC football too much,” Weigand said. “I didn’t even know anything about the school or how good it was academically.”

He went back to his high school and asked.

“I went to my old high school and I said ‘Do you know anything about Virginia because I know absolutely nothing?’ They said: ‘Virginia. It is them and Cal every year competing for the best public school.’ I was like ‘Wow. That’s good to hear,’” Weigand recounted.

He asked faculty members at Pasadena City as well.

“I talked to professors at my junior college and they said Virginia had the best campus in the country,” Weigand said, “I guess next to Chapel Hill.”

While he has not been to the North Carolina campus yet, he has fallen in “love” with “The Grounds.”

The humidity in Charlottesville, well, that is a different story.

“The humidity is a pain in the butt. I am not used to humidity,” Weigand said. “I am not used to stepping outside at midnight, 11 o’clock outside your dorm room or your hotel and you are sweating. That’s not cool. It’s definitely not 60 degrees and wind blowing in your face.”

In addition to the weather, Weigand admitted that he has had a tough time getting used to the speed and demands of being a punter at the Division-I level.

“Here, the get-offs, they want two seconds or below and 1.9 [seconds] if possible,” Weigand said. “In junior college, if you get a punt off in 2.2 [seconds] you are golden.

“That’s been the biggest transition for me. In the past week, I have been trying to work on my get-offs and get them lower and in the process, I have been speeding everything up and everything has [struggled]. It is going to take some time. I just don’t know if I have that time.”

Gould, who was recruited in 2004 as a placekicker, appears to have a leg up for the starting spot.

“Gould is pretty impressive for a guy that hasn’t punted before,” Weigand said. “I’d say he’s doing better than me right now. I am still trying to get used to everything but ‘Beep’ [as Gould is called by his teammates] is definitely kicking my butt right now.”

Groh said on Friday that both Weigand and Gould have been impressive in camp. That is good news considering the punting position was a spot that Virginia struggled in the first eight games of 2004.

“[Weigand] can hit some Division-I balls,” Groh said. “Let’s just say he has done well in batting practice. We’ve had them in the past that didn’t do so well in batting practice. [On Thursday], both he and Chris hit some that the return guys just couldn’t run back far enough back to catch.

“They really hit the ball. It is encouraging. We can see that he is certainly capable of hitting the ball in a big-time fashion, as is Chris. Now we are kind of looking forward to seeing a little bit more rush against these guys to see how they perform when that is the case.”

Sean Johnson, who started the ’04 campaign, finished with 32 punts for an average of 35.3 yards. The team finished with a net punting average of 29.9 yards, good for last in the ACC.

Groh said the battle for the starting spot would go well into training camp.

“It will probably be quite sometime until we finalize that,” Groh said. “This is going to be a pretty good competition. Both these guys are working well together. They are aware that there’s somebody else there. They know there is going to have to be some decisions made.”

Weigand knows those decisions are coming. He just hopes his play comes along before that day.

“It took me two weeks to find my rhythm at my junior college,” Weigand said. “I know I don’t have that much time here so I am trying to fast forward everything and hopefully it happens and if not, I guess ‘Beep’ will start and if he does well I’m assuming he will play the whole season, if he doesn’t mess up at all. If something happens and I am the best man, I guess I will take his spot.

“It is all based on performance and I am hoping I can step it up.”




McMullen gets his chance with Eagles
By Andy Jasner / Special to the Daily Progress
August 13, 2005

PHILADELPHIA - Billy McMullen’s first two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles have been relatively uneventful.

His third season should be just the opposite. With Terrell Owens in a contract dispute and No. 2 receiver Todd Pinkston out for the 2005 season with a torn Achilles, McMullen is moving up the depth chart. As training camp closes at Lehigh University, McMullen and Greg Lewis are contending for the starting receiver positions this season.

“It’s been a learning experience with everything that has gone on,” said McMullen, a former standout at the University of Virginia. “It’s been frustrating at times, but now I’ve got to take advantage of my opportunity. The more repetitions I’m getting, the more confident I’ll be.

“I’m getting more and more confident with each practice. They’re giving me a chance and I want to take advantage of it.”

McMullen had an impressive career with the Cavaliers while leading them in receiving four consecutive years. He left as their all-time leader in receptions (210) and yards (2,978) while finishing third all-time in touchdowns (24).

The Eagles had high expectations when they selected McMullen in the third round of the 2003 draft. But in two seasons, McMullen has compiled just four receptions.

He has been inactive for 19 games in those two seasons.

“I’ve been learning and waiting my turn,” McMullen said. “I’m anxious to show what I can do. I feel like things are coming together here in this camp.”

Eagles coach Andy Reid said McMullen is much improved over the past two seasons.

“He needs to keep working on consistency,” Reid said. “He’s had a good camp so far. He had a couple of drops [recently in practice], but he’ll work through that, and they will be far and few between.”

McMullen and Lewis have worked quite a bit together with Owens’ absence. They’re not viewing each other as the competition.

“We’re trying to be on the same page as far as the offense goes,” McMullen said. “The West Coast offense is complicated and it’s more than just going out there on the field. You have to be tuned in with everyone.”

Lewis offered the same explanation.

“We just have more opportunities to go out and make plays,” Lewis said. “If you worry about pressure you’re going to get squashed. We’re grown men who have been doing it at least 10 years.

“Billy and I have a great chance here. I want to help this team win and I’m sure he does, too. I’m out there helping him and he’s doing the same thing.”

McMullen admitted it’s been the most bizarre training camp he has attended with holdouts and Owens’ saga.

“I look at it like it’s an opportunity for me, and I have to take advantage of it,” McMullen said. “It has been a strange camp, but it may turn out to be a blessing for me.”



Cavs' Mines lends helping hand
Junior wide receiver looking out for fellow alums of Hermitage
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 13, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE Before they became Cavaliers, they were Panthers, and the bond that Fontel Mines, Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Jameel Sewell share is strong. The least Mines can do, then, is help Fitzgerald and Sewell cope with the rigors of their first training camp as University of Virginia football players.

"I just tell them everybody has to go through it," said Mines, a U.Va. junior who's contending for a starting job at wide receiver.

Fitzgerald, who plays defensive end, and Sewell, a quarterback, graduated from Hermitage High in June. Mines, whose best friends include Fitzgerald's older brother, Justin, is a member of Hermitage's Class of '03. He remembers his first training camp at U.Va.

"When you get here, you kind of feel like you're the underdog, you're under everybody, kind of lose your swagger," Mines said. "So you've just got to [remind yourself], 'Yeah, I can do this. I did this in high school, so I know I can come here and do it.' Once you regain your swagger, everything comes back."

Having Mines as a resource has helped tremendously, Sewell said.

"People just don't understand how much that helps," he said. "It helped me with how campus life is, how things are going to work here, with the coaches, with the deans and everything. Not just athletically, but academically also."

During training camp, which lasts most of this month, players stay in a Charlottesville hotel. Sewell and Fitzgerald room together. Until exams ended this week, they'd been juggling football and summer school, no small feat for guys barely removed from high school.

"That's the main problem right there, because you have to study the plays every night, or you're going to be very far behind," Sewell said Tuesday. "It's difficult, but once the [summer] school is over with, everything's going to be cool."

Fitzgerald, who's listed at 6-3, 245 pounds, has recovered from the knee injury that ended his senior season at Hermitage prematurely. U.Va. is stocked at defensive end, though, and he's expected to redshirt this season.

"Jeffrey's showed well here early . . . It'll just be a matter of him continuing to develop size and power," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said.

Said Sewell: "Jeffrey's doing real well with everything, his health, his endurance and even his skill. After that year he was off, his skill just went right back up. He never missed a step, he never missed a beat."

Virginia has six quarterbacks on scholarship, including true freshmen Sewell and Vic Hall. Like Fitzgerald, Sewell likely is to be a spectator on game days this fall. That's OK with the 6-2, 210-pound left-hander.

"If I redshirt, I think that's going to help me even more than going and playing, because I need this time to develop into a college quarterback," Sewell said. "Right now I still see myself as somewhat of a high school quarterback."

Other Cavaliers who played high school football in the Richmond area include fullback Jason Snelling (L.C. Bird), offensive guard Jeff Schrad (Atlee), safety Marshall Tucker (St. Christopher's), punter Noah Greenbaum (Collegiate), defensive end John Roberts (Benedictine) and defensive back Donta Harris (Lee-Davis).

No school - inside or outside the Central Region - has more players at U.Va. than Hermitage. Mines, for one, is delighted to have reinforcements from back home.

"It adds a little diversity with this team," he said. "This team's full of [area code] 757 kids, so we can kind of shout out, '804,' here and there now."



UVa football gets 13th commitment
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress Sports Editor
August 14, 2005

Virginia may have landed a diamond in the rough as its 13th commitment in the recruiting class of 2006 when Raynard Horne announced Saturday afternoon that he would sign with the Cavaliers.

Recruited by UVa as a running back out of Overlea High School in Baltimore, Horne had also attracted strong interest from Virginia Tech, Maryland and West Virginia. But those schools recruited him as either an outside linebacker or safety.

He caught the Cavaliers’ collective eyes at the Nike Combine camp at Penn State earlier this year. Virginia offered him in July when he came by the Cavs’ camp for a day. On Saturday, Horne said yes.

“I like their style of play and the way they run the ball,” Horne said. “I have watched their offensive line and those guys are big.”

The Cavaliers apparently liked what they saw in Horne, who measures 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and runs a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.

“Coaches liked me because I’m big and fast and hard to bring down,” Horne said. “You could definitely describe me as a power back because I like to run between the tackles.”

Overlea coach Keith Robinson said he wasn’t surprised that Virginia liked what they saw in Horne.

“In the last year he has physically gone off the charts,” Robinson said Saturday. “He has grown, put on almost 20 pounds of muscle in the last year [from 178 to 200] and did well in the combines. Last year we saw some big potential, but combined with the hard work he put in the off season, he’s really come on strong.”

Not only did Horne turn in the 4.46 at Penn State, but also recorded one of the top five vertical jumps (36.4 inches), and bench presses (320 pounds).

“He really opened some eyes there just like I thought he would,” said Robinson. “He played varsity basketball last season for the first time and ran track in the spring for the first time and was part of the 4 x 100 state champion relay team. He can take one step and dunk the ball. The fact that several schools recruited him as a defensive player shows what kind of athlete he is.”

Horne doesn’t have great numbers entering this season, partly because he was one of three running backs in Robinson’s Wing-T offense that averaged throwing the ball about 25 times a game last season. He rushed for around 500 yards and 12 touchdowns.

But that will change this year. With all three running backs returning and a new quarterback, Robinson plans on running the ball more. Horne will work as a halfback in the Wing and also as a tailback in some I-formation.

Defensively, Horne recorded 80 tackles last season and had three interceptions, returning one for a score.

“Physically he has all the tools,” Robinson said. “He’s a solid kid, respectful and hard-working.”

Horne took the SAT for the first time last spring and is still short of qualifying.

“He’s pretty close,” Robinson said. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”



Welsh enshrined
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
August 14, 2005

It may have rained on George Welsh’s parade in the physical sense on Saturday in drizzly South Bend, Ind., but from his personal point of view it was pretty much a perfect day.

The man who changed the face of Virginia football forever was officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday evening after more than a year of dinners and ceremonies to promote the event.

“I’m not one for pomp and circumstance, but this has been a great experience,” Welsh said Saturday night. “I’m very thankful and feel very privileged. When I started at Navy I was six or seven games under .500 after a couple of years, so it’s been a long haul.”

Indeed.

In the nine seasons before Welsh took over his alma mater, Navy had won only 28 times. Under Welsh’s guidance, the Midshipmen won 55 games over the next nine years, the most in Navy history and the Mids returned to the bowl scene.

When former Virginia Athletic Director Dick Schultz persuaded Welsh to come to Charlottesville, it was one of the great selling jobs of the century. Virginia was the Sad Sacks of college football, having enjoyed only two winning seasons in the 29 years prior to Welsh’s arrival.

The native of Coaldale, Pa., reversed those fortunes in a hurry as he directed the Cavaliers to 15 winning seasons in 19 years, a share of two ACC titles and a dozen bowl appearances. During one magical three-week stint in 1990, the Welsh-led Wahoos sat atop the college football world as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team in both polls.

The five-time ACC Coach of the Year, Welsh racked up 189 victories, which ranked him among the top 25 coaches in major college football history at the time of his retirement. As a result, he was the winningest coach in ACC history when he hung it up.

Visitors at the Hall of Fame today can see the Welsh exhibit, which also features a likeness of Cavaliers’ head coach. But later today, Charlottesville residents can just see the legendary Welsh going about his normal day-to-day business.

“I’ve been out of town a lot this summer, but I’m coming home [today],” Welsh said. “I’ve got one more trip I want to make and then I’m here for the whole football season.”

Saturday was a fun day for Welsh, who arrived with the other enshrinees on Thursday night. There has been a bevy of activity including a touch football game, a mayor’s breakfast, a parade, the formal induction and other events.

“We put on a clinic and then we had a touch football game with some of the enshrinees,” said Welsh, who coached against fellow inductees LaVelle Edwards of BYU. “I said to my guys afterwards that that’s another bowl game I’ve lost.”

Welsh was poking fun at himself over his 4-8 bowl record at UVa, one of the few sore spots of his career.

For the first time ever, the festive day included a parade through downtown South Bend, the scene of many a football celebration over the past century. But this time it rained.

“I felt bad for the bands and people on floats because they were drenched by the downpour,” said Welsh, who rode under cover in a car. “But the whole experience was a lot of fun.”

While the former Virginia coach said he enjoyed the Hall of Fame dinner in New York last December, that this weekend’s get together was just as memorable because he got to know many of the other inductees, including Ray Guy, Jim Mandich, Tony Cassilla, Frank Emanuel and many others, including Lydell Mitchell, whom Welsh coached as an assistant at Penn State before he took over the Navy program.

“There’s a lot of special people here, so it has been a thrill,” Welsh said. “The Hall of Fame here is great. Every college football fans owes it to themselves to pay this place a visit. Everything here has been conducted in a first-class manner.”

Being reunited with Mitchell was an enjoyable experience for Welsh, who was the backfield coach at Penn State when he worked with both Mitchell and Franco Harris, who was also on hand for the weekend.

For those who have known Welsh over the years, it was pleasing to find him relaxed and refreshed. He stepped down as Virginia’s coach in 2000, surprising most of the program’s followers.

It was then that he revealed that he was suffering from burnout, a phrase that had been associated with several other coaches in the business, including Dick Vermeil, Joe Gibbs and Bobby Ross.

Welsh said he lacked the energy to devote to the job for another year at the time.

“I just didn’t think I could do it for another year like that,” Welsh said. “I needed a year off. You can’t sleep and you have chest pains and tightness in your chest. When the season was over, it didn’t go away either. It did go away, but it took a couple of months.”

Welsh pointed to Gibbs, who had similar symptoms to Welsh when he stepped down as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Years later, Gibbs, Vermeil and Ross all returned to head coaching jobs.

While Welsh doesn’t want to go that far, he did say that now he is reenergized, that he would like to coach again, but only as a position coach and not a coordinator or head coach.

“I guess you could say that I’m flunking retirement,” Welsh chuckled. “The last couple of years I’ve looked into a couple of jobs that seemed like a good fit for me, but it didn’t work out. I think I’m going to give it a try again in 2006, whether it’s NFL or I-A coaching in college. I would give it another shot.”

Welsh, who turns 72 later this month, said that he would like to work as an assistant in the right situation, which includes knowing the people he’s working for. He’s not interested in going into a rebuilding program.

He did talk to former UVa Athletic Director Terry Holland, now AD at East Carolina, about becoming a consultant, but decided against the move.

Welsh still maintains an office at UVa and frequently visits successor Al Groh to talk a little football, something that Groh relishes.

“Whenever George has something to say, we’re very interested in it,” Groh said. “Because 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?”

Welsh said it was difficult putting the whole Hall of Fame experience into words, but did take satisfaction in getting the job done at Navy and Virginia.

“I’m sure that leaving a little bit of a legacy there for Virginia is something that will always be very special to me,” Welsh said.

And even more special to UVa.




U.Va. back weighs his options
Wali Lundy shed a few pounds during the offseason. Now he's ready to shed opposing tacklers as Virginia's No. 1 running back.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
Published August 14, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The sound of sizzling deep fryers and the scent of reheated beef patties are but a memory for Wali Lundy now. Time was, he had a voracious appetite for fast-food delights.

"Burger King, McDonald's, anything I felt like eating," Lundy said. "I used to be able to eat anything."

And while he never got a beer belly - or, more appropriately, a burger belly - Lundy resolved during the Virginia football team's offseason to cut back on fatty foods. He thought his weight (215 pounds) may have caused him to tire near the end of last season. So heading into this, his senior year, the 5-foot-10 tailback lost seven pounds.

He hit the weight room and opted for bananas over beef.

"I haven't had McDonald's in a month or two," he said. "But I'm not gonna say I don't eat it."

He was U.Va's No. 2 back last season behind Alvin Pearman, who beat out Lundy for the starting job. But Lundy still led the Cavaliers with 17 touchdowns.

Pearman now plays for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, so U.Va.'s running game hinges on Lundy, whose 2,619 career yards rank fifth nationally for active players.

"It's interesting, the feedback I get on Wali Lundy, it's like: Hey, Wali Lundy's back," U.Va. head coach Al Groh said. "So everybody likes Wali Lundy. Wali Lundy never went anyplace."

Indeed, Lundy started nine of 14 games a freshman in 2002, leading the Cavs in rushing with 826 yards. He scored four touchdown's in U.Va.'s bowl game, becoming the first freshman in modern-day U.Va. history to score four touchdowns in a game.

While Lundy rushed for 864 yards last season, Pearman led U.Va. with 1,037. Lundy's low point came during a 24-10 loss at Virginia Tech.

The game was scoreless in the first quarter when Lundy fumbled the ball at the Tech 8-yard line. Jonathan Lewis recovered, spoiling U.Va.'s chance to score.

"That's a hard play for any of us who were there to put behind us," Groh said. "It's one of the memorable things about why the game turned out the way it did."

But the way Groh sees it, Lundy wasn't bad last year; Pearman was just better.

Groh expects Lundy to improve this season - and not just because he'll carry the ball more often. Lundy set several personal bests in the weight room this summer.

"He's a little bit lighter," Groh said. "But we would expect he'll have a little bit more punch."

Lundy said he's feeling better, in part because of his weight loss. (He has weighed as much as 218 pounds during his career.)

"I'm just trying to get in better shape, be in the best shape of my life," he said. "Everybody's been telling me I look skinnier. I've had random people say, 'Man, you lost some weight.'

"I think, a lot of times, people want to do things but just don't focus on them. I took a lot of focus on what I wanted to do."




Wideouts center of attention at Virginia's camp
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
Published August 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The wide receiver position was already one of the most intriguing for the Virginia football team - what, with the departure Michael McGrew, the leading wideout from last year, and the return of Ottowa Anderson, who was suspended last season because of academics.

The position got more interesting last week, when Fontel Mines and Deyon Williams, the Cavaliers' top returning wideouts from last season, missed practices because of muscle pulls. The duo returned on Saturday, with Williams working out a bit more than Mines.

"Fortunately, we do have some competitive depth there, and we'll just let that play out," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

Besides Anderson's experience as a starter in 2003, sophomore Theirrien Davis is listed as a starter alongside Williams on the preseason depth chart. And the Cavs have three tall freshman wideouts: 6-foot-4 Maurice Covington, 6-foot-2 Kevin Ogletree and 6-foot-2 Brandon Woods.

Though Mines' and Williams' injuries don't appear serious, Groh seems willing to give his younger wideouts a shot.

"Obviously, if you miss too many turns at bat, you can't knock enough runs in, can you?" he said.

TURN UP THE HEAT
The heat and humidity during Saturday morning's practice - the first of U.Va.'s initial preseason double session - had several players looking for IVs afterward. Groh and his staff emphasized to the players that they should try to eat two meals between the first and second sessions.

"I had a couple Gatorades, that's for sure," Groh said. "It gets a little warm in that sweatshirt."

It might not be sweatshirt weather today in Charlottesville. The forecast calls for a high of 90 degrees. Then again, this is Virginia in August.

TWO-A-DAY STRATEGY
NCAA rules prohibit U.Va. from having back-to-back double sessions. But when the Cavs do practice twice a day, Groh has focused on regular-down running and passing strategy in the first practice and on third-down and situational passing in the evening. "There was little, if any, play-action passing last night," Groh said on Sunday of Saturday's second practice.

WHAT, NO WHITESNAKE?
Groh enjoys a little rock n' roll and has considered attending the Rolling Stones' concert at Scott Stadium on Oct. 6. Near the end of Saturday's teleconference with reporters, after assessing his running back combinations, he said he was listening to another mix.

"Got a great one going," he said. "Little Styx and REO Speedwagon combination."

THIS AND THAT
Poquoson's Josh Zidenberg is listed as the backup to Jason Snelling at fullback on the preseason depth chart. But Groh said freshman Rashawn Jackson is learning the tailback and fullback positions. Jackson played fullback at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J., but Groh said he must work on his fullback pass-protection skills more than his tailback running skills. Meanwhile, Snelling has taken some turns at tailback, where redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman and Heritage graduate Michael Johnson are listed as the backups to Wali Lundy. ... This will be the second year that kicker Connor Hughes, a Lafayette grad, has worked with holder John Phillips and long-snapper Tyrus Gardner. Groh said three others have shown promise while learning the sometimes-tricky long-snapper position: recruited walk-on freshmen Crutcher Reiss and Andrew Dewey and redshirt freshman Jackson Andrews.