Walking tall: Size doesn’t slow UVa’s Vic Hall
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: August 30, 2009

When Rob Senseney showed up to interview for the head football coaching vacancy at Gretna High School in 2002, no one would have blamed him for feeling a little dubious a few minutes into the meeting.

Several minutes into the interview with an office full of officials, one of them asked Senseney, a disciple of I-formation power football, why he hadn’t talked about the passing game. The candidate wasn’t quite sure what to say other than he would have to evaluate the quarterback before he could offer more insight into that phase of offense.

The school principal interjected that not only did Gretna, a small school of about 750 students, boast a stable of star running backs, but looked at Senseney and said, “Coach, I really believe our quarterback is Division I.”

Senseney was more than skeptical. Yeah, right, a town with one stoplight has a Division I quarterback. Every community believes it has a Division I quarterback.

Well, this one did.

Senseney got the job and when he took the Hawks team to Virginia Tech for its summer football camp with other high school teams from all points in the multi-state area, he asked then-Hokies quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers for some help. The Gretna coach asked Rogers to give him an honest evaluation at the end of the day’s work.

“I’ll never forget going up to Coach Rogers and asking him how our kid looked,” Senseney recollected this week. “[Rogers] said, ‘I think he’s the best quarterback we have in the camp.’”

The evaluation didn’t mean much at first until the Gretna coached learned there were 150 other quarterbacks in camp.

“I said, ‘He’s that good?’” Senseney said. “He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘This kid’s the next Donovan McNabb.’”

It was that moment that Vicqual Hall’s life changed forever.

Virginia fans and Gretna fans know him simply as Vic Hall. Family members call him “Kell.” By any name, Hall spent the next three years keeping Virginia High School League officials reaching for the Wite-Out as he erased most of the state’s high school football records one after another.

Hall, who graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a degree in anthropology, will complete a dream this coming weekend when he lines up as quarterback for the Cavaliers in their season-opener against William & Mary. If there is a player on the roster who can pull Virginia’s program from a losing season and propel it forward, it’s Hall.

Waiting for a shot

Recruited as a quarterback, Virginia promised the Gretna star a shot at quarterback when he committed during his junior season en route to the first of back-to-back state titles. The Cavaliers were the first to offer and that stuck on the impressionable youngster, who if he has any ego, it’s undetectable. Other schools were squeamish about his size, 5-foot-9, and wanted him to shift positions.

Due to a lack of talent in its secondary, UVa moved him to cornerback during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2006 and left him there. There were also concerns about his size and whether he could take much physical punishment as a quarterback. Meanwhile, Wahoo Nation urged the Cavaliers to just give Hall a chance.

That came in the final game last season when Virginia, a heavy underdog to archrival Virginia Tech, traveled to Blacksburg. Coach Al Groh felt like his Cavaliers needed hope and as he said time and again, “Everybody believes in Vic Hall.”

Hall delivered an eye-popping performance and threw a scare into the eventual ACC and Orange Bowl champion Hokies. More importantly, he opened UVa’s coaches’ eyes to future possibilities.

Hall’s talents suit the Cavaliers’ new, no-huddle, spread offense because of his ability to run and throw the football. Then again, everyone in Gretna already knew that.

Gretna’s own rock star

Friday nights in Gretna used to be like a rock show and Hall was the rock star.

“High school football is king, and Vic almost had a cult following,” said UVa assistant coach and former Cavalier All-American Anthony Poindexter, who grew up close by in Forest. “It’s like I always told him, ‘They’re going to build a statue of you down there in Gretna, man.’ He’s a living legend in that area and anytime I go back there and start talking football, he’s one of the first names that comes up.”

Hall’s high school numbers are staggering. He compiled 13,770 career yards on offense, fifth all-time nationally, en route to Gretna’s state titles in 2003 and 2004 that included a 28-game winning streak. He broke numerous state records: 8,731 passing yards; 104 touchdown passes; 4,852 total yards his senior season. He also rushed for 5,039 yards and 66 more TDs.

Senseney said the mercy rule prevented the numbers from reaching astronomical proportions.

“I had high school takes of Chris Leak [who ranked ahead of Hall] during his high school days at Charlotte’s [N.C.] Independence High School and his coach never pulled him out of a game,” said Senseney, who is now head coach at William Fleming High in Roanoke. “You have to consider that Vic Hall, probably in the first five or six games each season, never saw the second half of football, or no more than the first series of the third quarter. We were beating Staunton River 56-0 at halftime and Vic had almost 500 yards of offense in that first half.”

Talk to anyone in Gretna about how those nights were magical, and they’ll tell you it was Hall who supplied the magic. Still, he never boasted and remained humble.

After games, no matter how brilliantly he performed, everyone knew where to reach Hall. He would go home, go to his room and get on his computer. Most don’t know it, but Hall has studied music since his high school days, composes his own rap music, has produced several of his own CDs and does most of the music, keyboards, drums and bass.

Close friend and fellow quarterback and roommate Jameel Sewell’s dad, Harry, sang for one of Hall’s songs.

Strong roots

Brought up by a close, God-fearing family, Hall has always relied heavily on is faith and always asks his grandmother, Frances, to pray for him and his car when he leaves Gretna heading to Charlottesville. Part of that may be attributed to his idol growing up, cousin Rondae Younger, dying after injuries from a car crash caused by a drunken driver. Younger had a scholarship to Penn State but didn’t live to appreciate the opportunity.

“Vic was just crazy about my son,” said Hall’s aunt, Terri Younger. “Vic wrote a song about Ron and that touched my heart. I can’t listen to it that much …”

Terri cooks for tailgates at UVa games, then cooks for seemingly half the Cavalier football squad after the game at Hall’s place. Fish, chicken, greens, and, of course, Grandma Frances’ sweet potato pies.

Hall dearly loves his mother, Rochelle, who used to take him to little league football practice, and always encouraged him when everyone told him he was too small. She knew better the day she showed up a few minutes late for one of Vic’s first games when the 7-year-old darted 80 yards for a touchdown and she just missed the action.

Hall says he’s a quiet person, just like his grandma, whom he, his sister and mother lived with most of his life.

“She may not know it, but [his grandmother Frances Hall] would talk and I would be in another room, like a sponge soaking up everything she said,” Vic Hall noted. “I learned a lot listening to her even though she didn’t know I was listening. She has meant a lot to me.”

Hall used to bring the whole Gretna team to Grandma Frances’ living room before games, line ‘em up and have her pray for them. Frances chose to listen to games on the radio because she didn’t want to see her grandson get hurt.

“Once they said on the radio he had cramps and I almost went over there to take care of him,” she said.

‘Kung-fu fighter’

Virginia’s Groh believes strongly in Hall’s abilities as a quarterback and a leader. He refers to Hall as “a kung-fu fighter,” because no odds or challenges are too great.

“Vic is tremendously, emotionally strong and self-confident … not cocky,” Groh said. “Football, the classroom, offseason workouts, you name it. Vic gets it done. He’s one of the most respected players, by coaches and players, that we’ve ever had here.”

Teammate Rashawn Jackson said that Hall isn’t the most vocal guy every day, but is the most vocal when it counts.

“We know about his selflessness, his sacrifice for the team,” Jackson said. “He’s the guy who’s going to do whatever he can to help the team. Quarterback, cornerback, receiver, returning punts, whatever it takes. I will guarantee you, if you ask Vic to go play noseguard, as long as it will help the team, Vic will be the first guy to do it.”

Senseney used to joke with Hall in practice that he was going to move him to right guard, and Hall would respond by telling the coach that “I’ll be the best right guard I can be.” Hall approached his coaches about playing defensive back in Gretna games to help out but they didn’t want to risk injury, so they only put him back there a total of six times, resulting in four interceptions.

The Gretna coach and teammates had complete faith in Hall. Senseney said his team once lost to (former UVa tailback) Cedric Peerman’s William Campbell High team in 2002. In overtime, Senseney called on the Hawks’ star running back four straight times on the goalline and didn’t score. As he walked off the field, the coach told an assistant that if ever a future game was in doubt, then it would be in Vic Hall’s hands.

“I made that mistake that night, but I never made that mistake again,” Senseney said. “He’s just that kind of kid.”

Two years later, when Hall injured his ankle against Brookville and was told to come out of the game, Hall told his coach, “I’m not coming out.”

They decided to just allow him to hand the ball off the rest of the night until momentum swung Brookville’s way. With a fourth down and 10 at Gretna’s own 20, Hall looked at Senseney and said, “Let’s go for it … I’m going to run it.”

Senseney remembered his promise to himself and gave Hall the green light. On an injured ankle, Hall dashed for 40 yards and preserved the win.

Familiar feeling

It was no wonder that Wahoo Nation felt collective chills when Hall lined up at quarterback in the Virginia Tech game last November and nearly pulled off the upset.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Rochelle Hall. “I was all over the bed crawling, watching on TV. I was hollering, laughing and crying all at the same time, yelling, ‘Kell, you show ’em what you can do.’”

Aunt Terri, who like her sister has high blood pressure, was equally excited.

“My blood pressure went up and I had to sit down. I buried my head in a pillow and screamed to the top of my voice,” Terri Younger said. “I had to take me a pill. But there was lots of screaming in Gretna that day.”

Virginia fans are hoping Hall will supply plenty to scream about this fall as well.

Finally, Vic Hall really is a Division I quarterback.
 

Spreading the wealth
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: August 30, 2009

For the past three seasons, Virginia has fielded one of the worst offenses in major college football.
Last year’s putrid numbers speak for themselves. The Cavaliers finished
No. 115 out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in scoring offense; 108th in rushing offense; 105th in total offense.
Gregg Brandon arrived in Charlottesville just before Christmas as UVa’s new offensive coordinator. The packages Brandon delivered included a brand new offense wrapped in a bow.
The former Bowling Green head coach’s scheme is sprinkled with all kinds of possibilities. Brandon’s high-octane offense is a
no-huddle, up-tempo, spread formation designed to keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
Endless possibilities
You want a short passing game with elements of the West Coast offense? You got it.
You want a deep passing game? Yeah, it’s in the package.
You like running the football? This spread features a strong running game.
You like unpredictability and imagination, versatility? Look no further. Virginia coach Al Groh believes that because the Cavaliers’ three quarterbacks — Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell, and Marc Verica — are so versatile, that they put defenses to a distinct disadvantage.
“Hall and Sewell are very quick, athletic kids that are perfect for the system,” Brandon said, referring to their abilities to both run and throw. “Verica isn’t as quick as those two, but he can still do what we’re asking him to do. He throws the ball well, has a nice arm and is very well-schooled.”
Could it be that somewhere down the line we could see both Hall and Sewell in the game at the same time, or even all three? Wouldn’t that be a nightmare trying to defend?
“I hope so,” Brandon said with a canary-chomping, Cheshire cat grin. “We’re going to find out.
“I’m not giving any secrets away, but you don’t have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to see we’re going to get our best guys on the field,” he continued. “That’s the whole deal. Get your best six out there.”
Go with what you know
When Brandon took over for Urban Meyer at Bowling Green (Brandon had been Meyer’s offensive coordinator), his offenses in 2002, 2003, and 2004 were averaging 500 yards and 40 points a game over that three-year span.
That’s when programs from around the country came in to visit and steal ideas. While Brandon has tweaked and refined parts of the offense over the years, he is basically running that same stuff from his early days at Bowling Green.
“Everybody that runs it that I’ve been associated with, runs their own version of it,” Brandon said. “What we’re doing here is a lot of the elements from its beginning. It’s just what I know.
“To run the offense in its purest form is not that difficult, although it looks difficult because there’s so many moving parts,” he explained. “But it’s still blocking, tackling, and execution.”
Verica said all three quarterbacks have done a good job of adjusting to the new schemes and likes what he sees.
“I think the exciting aspect of this offense is that I’m kind of acting like a point guard and I’m just trying to get the ball to the playmakers,” Verica said. “We’ve got some playmakers and we want to get the ball to them and let them do their thing.”
Of course, that goes for Hall and Sewell as well. There appears to be more speed, more athleticism on the field than in recent years, including some true freshmen and redshirt freshmen that have impressed the offensive coaches.
“The good thing about the kids that just came in is that they didn’t have to unlearn anything,” Brandon said. “I’ve been impressed with those kids. They’re going to have to play for us and they’re getting good quality reps against good quality defenders every day in practice, and that has to help.”
One of the biggest misconceptions about the spread offense is that all of UVa’s quarterbacks will have to ice their arms down after each game.
Not so much.
“By spreading the field, the idea is to create running lanes, something that has always intrigued me,” Brandon said. “People think it’s a passing offense — a la Texas Tech or Hawaii. We’re not going to throw it 60 times, but we have the ability if we want to.
“What I learned in the early years at Bowling Green is that if you have a dynamic quarterback that can do some things running and throwing, you can really be explosive.”
The Cavaliers have those kinds of guys and it’s even better that they have more than one.
Because Hall has one college start as a quarterback, four years separated from his sterling career at Gretna High School, and because Verica was baptized by fire early last season when perhaps he wasn’t ready, and because Sewell sat out last season due to academic woes, even though he has 3,000 career passing yards, Brandon has chosen to keep the passing game simple for all three.
Defenses are going to have to adjust to Virginia’s pace from time to time, although Brandon likes to dictate that pace.
While most offenses tend to get their plays off late in the time clock, say around 35 seconds, Brandon’s offense snaps it anywhere from 15 to 26 seconds.
That does a couple of things to defenses. They have to hurry up and line up because Virginia won’t be huddled. The Cavaliers will line up after each play.
Talking to UVa linebacker Aaron Clark back in July, he spoke of how difficult that can be for defensive players.
“Used to be that after a play was over, you’d stand up, try to catch your breath, gather yourself, get the defensive call and line up,” Clark said. “Now, you have to be ready as soon as the play is over. You look up and the offense is already lined up. You don’t have time to catch your breath.”
If you’re like me, it used to drive me crazy watching those kinds of offenses operate. They can line up quickly and snap it, or they can line up quickly and just stand there, waiting for the defense to show its alignment. Then, the offensive coordinator can see the defense and quickly signal in a play with a run or pass option that is suitable against that defense.
“There will be times when we’re standing at the line of scrimmage, staring something down,” Brandon smiled that smile again. “Yes, it can drive someone crazy.”
While it was suggested that it might be a challenge for Virginia’s own offensive line to keep up with the fast pace, Brandon said that isn’t the case.
“I think those guys love it because they don’t have to run back and forth to the huddle,” he said. “All they have to do is come back and stand at the ball and wait for the play ... an offensive lineman’s dream. But those guys have to be in shape, too.”
And, yes, that offensive line will feature wider splits than previous Virginia offenses, because Brandon likes the big splits. Those automatically help create running lanes and takes away some of the gap advantages of some defensive players.
If you think that Virginia is planning on keeping half of its offense locked away for Saturday’s opener against William & Mary, think again. Some have said that the Cavaliers will be vanilla and save the fireworks for nationally-ranked Texas Christian the next week.
Not so.
“We have to do anything and everything we can to win any game,” Brandon said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
We suspect this Cavalier offense will not be flirting with the triple digit rankings anymore. Brandon and Groh will see to that.
 

UVA Football Round Table: Will Virginia Sink or Swim in the ACC? by Ben Gibson (Columnist) Written on August 25, 2009
Ben GibsonColumnist, Featured Columnist

How Many Games Will UVA Win This Season?
0-5 6-7 8-9 10+ vote to see results It is my pleasure to introduce the University of Virginia football round table for this season here on the Bleacher Report. If you would like to join, make sure to just write on my bulletin board.

Here are our current members:
Aaron Mullins
Not only has Aaron been a Wahoo since the fetus, he has a strong memory, too. Check out his recent article here chronicling the tenure of coach Al Groh and his eight years in Charlottesville.
Wade Peery
Wade has been writing sports articles for quite some time and has a great deal of knowledge and experience with the Cavaliers. Wade has worked with cavscorner.com and has a great interview with former Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans which you can find here.
Ben Gibson
Then there's me. I hate when authors talk about themselves in the third person so let's just I've been covering Virginia sports since 2005 for various outlets and have loved my opportunity to write here on the Bleacher Report. If you want to join our Wahoo community, we welcome you!
Here is a look at the questions we discussed.

1. Complete the following sentence: Virginia will be successful people if...
Aaron Mullins
The young receivers are able to quickly pick up the spread offense and develop a good chemistry with whoever earns the starting quarterback job.
Don't worry about the linebackers. They will be fine. Say what you will about Al Groh, but he knows how to coach linebackers. The name Lawrence Taylor comes to mind.

Wade Peery
The Cavaliers follow through on my prediction and go 8-5 this season. I honestly think that all of the preseason magazines are not giving the Cavaliers enough credit. Granted the ACC Coastal Division will be extremely tough this season, with teams like GT, UNC, Miami, and VT looking extremely strong.
I still think you have to put the Cavs right in there with that group and say they could easily beat any of those teams on any given day. Although I think the chances the 'Hoos beat the Heels at UNC are very, very slim.
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech come to Scott Stadium and I honestly feel like many people tend to forget how good Virginia plays on their home turf.

Quarterback Vic Hall is a natural born leader who is one of the more complete and versatile football players in Virginia football history. As a coach, your eyes would have to light up when this guy walks into the room. When he was gliding down the field last year against VT, it seemed like it took him forever to turn the corner, but once he did he just glided down the field ever so smoothly and nobody could catch him.

No matter what anybody says about Virginia football, I feel like No. 4 is a proven winner—the guy led his high school team to back-to-back state titles as a QB. Virginia fans have been waiting for years to see Vic Hall at QB and I think he's just one of those types of players that will make big-time plays happen.
He reminds me alot of Marques Hagans in that he plays with a tremendous amount of heart and he's extremely versatile.

Ben Gibson
...if they just loosen up. I think the anemic offense for the past three years had the Cavaliers playing so tight, they had little margin for error.
If Virginia wants to be successful this season they need to come to the realization that they cannot just "out-talent" the competition. They have to take risks like they did under Bill Musgrave's offense. In 2002, Virginia was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team league and finished in a tie for second because they rolled the dice and utilized their play-makers (regardless of experience).
With a completely new offense being installed, Virginia is in prime position to surprise people again. They just have to learn it and execute it properly. Ultimately that will rely on letting the players play and have fun out there.

2. What game are you most looking forward to and why?
Wade Peery
First, the TCU game. I'm excited to watch the 'Hoos against a very tough top-25 opponent and I was actually shocked they priced the TCU game at $35 bucks, lower than many other games on UVA's schedule. Defensive end Jerry Hughes will be a treat to watch and Coach Gary Patterson has always been one of college football's most underrated coaches.
Hughes will be a big-time draft pick, possibly even a first rounder, so it's quite a treat to see a player of that caliber on your home turf. TCU's always had a dominant defensive unit, so it will be a fun matchup to watch with Virginia's explosive offense with players like Mikell Simpson going up against them.

Second, the Maryland game. If there is one team Virginia fans cannot stand it's Maryland—the rivalry between the two teams has only intensified over the years and Virginia's thrashing of the 'Terps last season in Scott Stadium surely doused a little gasoline on the fire. I think all Virginia fans are excited to watch Virginia go on the road to Maryland, because of the magical performance of Mikell Simpson two years ago.
I would love to see him "rekindle the magic" and have another phenomenal performance like he did on Homecoming in the Cavaliers "heart-stopping" 18-17 win in 2007.

Third, the Virginia Tech game. I think all Cavaliers fans would love to see the 'Hoos spoil the Hokies season by beating them for the first time since 2003. I think Virginia Tech is slightly overrated in the preseason rankings—I would rank them around 15 or 16 to start out the season, no way would I place them in the top 10.
I think it's ridiculous to put a team with an erratic passing quarterback like Tyrod Taylor in the top 10. He's a playmaker with his legs, but still very raw as a passer and I think too many people, fans and media alike, tend to forget that.

Ben Gibson
I would have to say the Georgia Tech game because I think it is a barometer for the rest of the season. The Yellow Jackets have not won in Charlottesville since 1990 and if the Cavaliers can pull off the upset it may be the difference between a bowl game and another losing season.
It will not be easy though, Georgia Tech remembers what happened last year when we shocked them on the road and they have the talent to do it certainly. I think we are helped out by the fact that this game is the week after their huge Virginia Tech duel.
If the Yellow Jackets win in Atlanta against the Hokies, it will be the perfect trap game and a chance for the Cavaliers to springboard into the second half of the season.

Aaron Mullins
The Virginia Tech game is always the highlight of the season for me, and with that game being at home this year, I am eagerly awaiting Nov. 28. However, that answer seems too obvious, so I will say the Georgia Tech game on Oct. 25.
Last year, the Cavaliers ventured down to Atlanta and shut down Paul Johnson's triple option offense. Experts say that the Jackets' offense will be even more dangerous in Johnson's second year, but look for Al Groh's infamous 3-4 defense to yet again pose problems for the Jackets.
3. Who will be the biggest surprise player this season?
Ben Gibson
I am going to say Joe Torchia. Let's face it, Groh loves tight ends and that is not going to change even in a spread offense.
In practice it is clear that Torchia is earning the respect of the head coach and has earned his time by playing tough on special teams. Once the offensive line solidifies in the spread offense I am certain Groh will use Torchia as a decoy.
Considering how limited Sewell's accuracy is and the jury is still out on Hall, I think that he will become a favored target and continue in the tradition of top tight ends to come out of Virginia.

Aaron Mullins
Javaris Brown made too much noise in the offseason, so I no longer consider him a secret. He will have a tremendous impact in Gregg Brandon’s spread offense, but he won’t be surprising anybody familiar with Virginia football.
My vote for surprise player goes to Rashawn Jackson. Nobody expects much out of the fullback position in the new spread offense, but Rashawn can play. Rashawn catches the ball very well out of the backfield, and has great speed for his size. Brandon insists that the best athletes will play regardless of position, so look for Rashawn to turn some heads this season.

Wade Peery
I think quarterback Jameel Sewell has the chance to be a big time player in Virginia's offense. Obviously Vic Hall is the go to guy at quarterback, but I would love to see Virginia utilize Sewell and Hall on the field at the same time. Offensive coordinator Greg Brandon needs to take advantage of Sewell and Hall's strengths.

Many Virginia fans might be down on Sewell, but they shouldn't forget that he was a very big part of their surprise 2007 season. Sure, he can't complete a pass over twenty yards, but he has excellent football fundamentals. His ball fakes are some of the best I've seen, his shovel passes and screen passes are excellent, and he's also excellent at hitting the tight ends and receivers with the shorter passes inside 15 yards.
This prediction hinges on how many snaps a game Sewell will get, but I think Gregg Brandon is innovative and creative enough to put Sewell out there more. I think he'll be making a big mistake if he doesn't, because Sewell was simply captain clutch in 2007 when it came time for the Cavaliers to move the sticks.

I think running back Keith Payne could have a big year as well and I think he's an excellent complement to Mikell Simpson. Payne is blessed with excellent hands and kind of reminds me of Jason Snelling. I think with all the attention focused on Simpson, Payne will have every opportunity to come out of the backfield and make plays as a receiver and as a bruising runner.

4. Who will be the biggest disappointment this season?
Aaron Mullins
This question kills me. I hope he proves me wrong, but I don’t see Mikell Simpson returning to his 2007 form. In the open practice that I attended, Mikell did not hit the holes well, and struggled to advance past the line of scrimmage. He looked very much like the Mikell from 2008.
If my prediction is true, look for Torrey Mack and the aforementioned Rashawn Jackson to excel out of the running back position.

Wade Peery
Quite honestly, I don't think there will be any disappointment.
If you want to talk about the weak link of the team, well there's no question it's the linebacker unit.
There are some extremely talented players in the linebacker corps, but they have very little to no game experience under their belts, which makes a huge difference. I'm expecting a big year from linebacker John Kevin Dolce—he's extremely strong and explosive and can lay the big hit.
Cameron Johnson has created quite a buzz in practice and Al Groh has high words of praise for him as well. I'm also excited to watch Steve Greer, from Solon, Ohio. The second I watched his high school highlights on Rivals.com I thought the kid was going to be a star on the Division One level.
He's remarkably good at shedding his blocks and making the play. I like his game alot and from what I've read so far about Greer, so far, so good. He'll get tons of experience for his very bright future in Charlottesville.

Ben Gibson
I hate to agree with Aaron but I also think it will be Mikell Simpson.
This kid came out of nowhere in 2007 and his performance against Maryland was legendary. However, injuries derailed him last season and he still seems to be far from 100 percent heading into training camp this season.
Simpson has struggled and I think with Jackson, Mack and even Payne in the mix, playing time will be hard to come by if you are not playing well. Let's not forget, I expect to see both Sewell and Hall running a fair amount this season as well.

5. What is your prediction for the season?
Aaron Mullins
8-4. The skid against Virginia Tech finally ends.

Ben Gibson
My official prediction is 7-5 for the Cavaliers this season. I think the Cavaliers will go 6-1 at home this season, their lone loss being again to Virginia Tech.
I would love for the Cavaliers to break the 1-7 mark against the Hokies but the weird thing is that they've done better at Lane Stadium than in Charlottesville.
That means Virginia will have to win at least one game on the road and that is not an easy task for Al Groh and company over the years. Southern Miss would seem like the smart choice but my bet would be Miami.
The Cavaliers trashed the Hurricanes in the final home game for Miami at the Orange Bowl ever 48-0. Two years before that, Virginia had only lost by 8 points. Now the caveat with this is that Virginia has only won once in the Sunshine State in school history.

Let's make it two baby!

Wade Peery
I've already said it, but 8-5. I know the schedule is tough. Southern Miss on the road is extremely tough, TCU at home is tough, and VT, GT, UNC, and at Miami are tough, but I definitely think that Virginia is capable of winning a few of those.

In the end, it all comes down to the fact that Vic Hall will be at quarterback this season. One of the greatest quarterbacks in Virginia high school football history is finally at his natural position and it's going to be a thing of beauty.
He was born for the spread offense and the "zone-read", which I'm sure the 'Hoos will utilize as their bread and butter this season. Running back Mikell Simpson thrives in the "zone-read" play as well, just ask Maryland from 2007.

The Virginia Cavaliers are a far more talented team than many of the preseason magazines are giving them credit for. It's one of the best defenses Virginia fans will see in a while, of course the linebackers will likely go through growing pains. I think the rest of the defense is so talented that the 'Hoos will be able to bring their linebackers along slowly and not throw too much at them.

Many people might call me crazy, but I say the Cavaliers go 8-5 and yes, that's including a bowl win at the end of the season, something like a Champs Sports Bowl victory or maybe even a Meineke Car Care Bowl win.
 

Virginia Football: Analysis of the 2009 Recruiting Class by John Gilmer (Contributor) Written on August 27, 2009

 It’s time for my annual analysis of Virginia’s recently signed football class for next year. As always, I write as a fan and not as an objective journalist. And I will give the same disclaimer as I did last year: I am not a recruiting guru and don’t subscribe to any pay Web sites. So if you are a guru, you will not find anything new here. I am here to answer some pressing questions for the typical fan.

You might wonder why I am writing this article now. It’s because there were many articles written on the subject back in February. This is an introduction to those players that have recently arrived at school for those fans that might have forgotten what they read six months ago.

Let the questions and answers begin.

Which position unit am I most excited about?

I am most excited about the offensive lineman. Our O-Line corps has been very thin recently from several years of under-recruiting. We are very fortunate that we didn’t have many injuries this past season on the OL, or it could have been ugly—or should I say, uglier than it was.

Six offensive lineman signed, though Morgan Moses and Cody Wallace will end up prepping for a year at Fork Union Military Academy. Moses was expected to go, but Wallace's situation is a bit of a mystery.

This is a deep and talented group.

What’s the weakest position unit?

I don’t think we have anything to go on besides the ratings of the recruiting services. As I argued last year, though the services certainly are wrong in their evaluations of certain players, as an aggregate they probably have some validity.

As rated by Rivals, which is probably the most widely-recognized service, the defensive backs and linebackers were the weakest units.

Here they are with the number of stars in parentheses: Defensive backs Corey Lillard (three), Laroy Reynolds (three), Perry Jones (two), LoVante' Battle (two), and Javanti Sparrow (two), and linebackers Tucker Windle (three), Jeremiah Mathis (two), and Connor McCartin (two).

I know that Reynolds might end up at receiver or grow into a linebacker, and that Sparrow could end up at receiver, but this is a guess where they might start at.

A couple weeks ago, Groh said Sparrow is already one of the fastest players on the team, so let’s hope he exceeds his two-star rating.

Which single player am I most excited about?

I am most excited about Tim Smith, as his senior year stats and his highlight videos are very impressive.

One video clip I remember especially fondly is from a kickoff return for a touchdown, and his acceleration through a hole was breathtaking.

He is the first four-star receiver to sign with Groh—though I remember thinking that Ogletree should have been a four-star when he signed—and Groh even said on signing day that he’s never signed a receiver with the accolades that Smith has.

In the 2004 recruiting class, Virginia was the runner-up for three four-star receivers, and it still hurts to this day. Of the three receivers, Dwayne Jarrett and Eddie Royal had tremendous college careers and are playing in the NFL, while Doug Dutch did nothing at Michigan.

It’s about time we got one.

Which player is least likely to red-shirt?

My guess would be Tim Smith, given his accolades coming in, the fact that we lost our two top receivers from last year, and the fact that we are switching to a spread offense that heavily uses four-receiver sets.

Another possibility for early playing time is at defensive end, where we are pretty thin, and Will Hill seems to be the most likely candidate since he started a semester early.

Groh has recently said that there are quite a few true freshmen that seem capable of earning playing time this year. Javanti Sparrow has impressed the coaches and is in the running to handle kickoff and punt returns.

How did we do in the speed department?

Groh’s teams have unfortunately not been known for speed. But in his press conference, Groh said, “It’s a class that makes us a lot faster. Speed on the edges has not been a cornerstone of Virginia teams long before we were here. This class brings cumulatively, more speed here than has been the case, and we certainly intend to take advantage of that.”

But judging from the 40 times listed on the recruiting Web sites, this class doesn’t seem faster than previous ones. In fact, it seems like every year, fans or columnists say that the incoming class will increase our team speed. But this is the first time I remember Groh saying it, so I trust his opinion and I hope he is right.

Groh has recently said this about Javanti Sparrow: "When we said this class would, amongst other things, make the team faster and be one of the faster classes we've had here, he certainly was one of the players in mind. We knew that by numbers and by video, but to see that with our own eyes, he's legitimately fast."

Did any position units get too many or too few recruits?

The recruits are pretty well distributed over the various position units. We got four defensive ends, which I think is a bit excessive—notwithstanding the fact that we are thin there—and no nose tackles.

We are pretty thin at nose tackle, so it wouldn’t surprise me if one of the defensive ends will end up at the nose. Will Hill and Justin Renfrow would be most likely because they have the body type needed.

Here are a few other things to like about the class

One player that won’t show up in most lists is Drew Jarrett, who is a recruited walk-on as a place kicker and was one of the best kickers in the state. He could end up being among the most important recruits, as a good place kicker can be among a team’s most important players.

It’s risky to offer a kicker a scholarship out of high school, since it’s a waste of a scholarship if they don’t win the starting position. Unlike most positions, it’s quite common for the starting kicker to begin as a walk-on.

For example, Connor Hughes, UVA’s best kicker in the last decade and arguably the best in the school’s history, started as a walk-on. Chris Hinkebein, who was offered a scholarship out of high school, is handling Virginia’s kickoff duties but doesn’t appear to have the accuracy to do field goals. Therefore, our field goal kicking was poor last year as we scrambled to find someone who could do the job.

So, it’s less risky to recruit good kickers as walk-ons and then give them a scholarship if they win the starting position, which is exactly the offer we made to Jarrett. He chose UVA over a scholarship offer from JMU, confident that he could become the starter.

If Hinkebein never wins the field goal kicking duties, I would say that his scholarship is a waste.

We got 14 players from Virginia, which is probably the most Groh has ever gotten in one class. Seven of those are from the Tidewater area, which is a hotbed for talent, and Virginia has been rightly criticized for not doing well there in the past.

Ultimately I want to recruit the best players that can survive UVA’s academic rigors and represent the school well no matter where they come from, but, as I persuasively argued in last year’s article, I think there are advantages of getting in-state players. I was appalled that we only got three in-state recruits last year.

This is a big class compared to the number of scholarships that seem to be available. Usually, Virginia seems to be a bit conservative in the number of players it signs, so it doesn't risk having the problem that some schools have where they sign too many players and have to ask some to wait a semester (called gray-shirting) or an entire year to enroll, or even finding ways to kick current non-contributing players off the team.

However, the Cavaliers always have unexpected attrition: Academic casualties, injuries, behavioral misfits, and guys who leave for personal reasons. When they don’t have 85 scholarship players, they give scholarships to several hard-working walk-ons who rarely see the field. While this is a magnanimous gesture to the loyal walk-ons, it’s not the best way to win championships.

Though a few months ago, it looked like they would have trouble getting to the 85 limit, it now appears that they have exactly 85, caused by “unexpected” attrition.

We didn’t have many de-commitments in the 2009 class, especially considering our losing record and the fact that three coaches were fired after last season.

It seems like every year we have at least a couple decommits. Caleb Porzel committed briefly last spring before changing his mind. The early ones don't hurt nearly as much as the late ones.

Tyree Watkins was the other decommit, as he was wavering for months before changing his mind. In the past, it seems like the guys that are iffy for several months usually decommit in the end, so it didn’t surprise anyone. After he changed his mind, the coaches we able to replace him in the last week with Bobby Smith, a tall receiver out of Richmond, so the damage was minimal.

So what’s the conclusion on this year’s class?

Most UVA fans seem pretty happy with the prospects we signed, and I feel the same way.

Most recruiting analysts put us in the middle of the ACC as far as recruiting classes go, which—if the rankings are an accurate predictor of future success—will keep us where we’ve generally been during Groh’s tenure: in the middle of the ACC. I don’t know however, if this is the sort of class that will get us to where we want to go: The ACC championship game.

Now, it’s up to the coaches to do something with the talent. In recent years, Miami and Florida State have gotten the highest-ranked recruiting classes, and it hasn’t necessarily translated to success on the field.

Virginia Tech, the most dominant team in the conference over the past five years, typically gets recruiting classes ranked in the middle of the pack. So, it’s not impossible to win championships with these guys.

What about next year’s class?

Virginia won’t be graduating very many seniors next year, so I expect the recruiting class of 2010 to be small—maybe around 18 players.

Recruits want to play on a winning team. I think our weak recruiting class for 2008 was partly due to our 5-7 record in 2006 and our strong class this year was partly due to a 9-4 record in 2007. Our poor 5-7 record last year could spell trouble for next year’s class, so maybe it’s a good thing that it will be small in number. That will allow the coaches to focus on the best players that we have a good chance with.

We are off to a decent start so far, but unfortunately, it appears we aren’t in the running for many four- or five-star recruits, or for many recruits from the state of Virginia.

Go Hoos!
 

Season outlook: at VirginiaBy Coley Harvey - charvey@macon.com

Georgia Tech enters the 2009 season with high hopes of turning head coach Paul Johnson’s second campaign at Bobby Dodd Stadium into a memorable one. Between now and Sunday, Telegraph Georgia Tech reporter Coley Harvey will guide you through a game-by-game analysis of what to expect:

There must be something in the air in Charlottesville, Va.

Or maybe it’s the water.

Either way, whenever Georgia Tech travels to the small Virginia college town, something bad seems to happen. It just doesn’t show up to play.

In 12 road meetings against the Cavaliers, the Yellow Jackets have won just twice.

Each year, Georgia Tech seems to field the better team, but the Cavaliers find a way to emerge victorious.

Take last season, for example, when Virginia visited Bobby Dodd Stadium with the 6-1 Yellow Jackets as the clear favorites. But on an afternoon in which Georgia Tech’s run game floundered, the four-win Cavaliers turned the tables and upset the host team with a 24-17 victory.

Running back Cedric Peerman dealt the final blow, when he muscled in a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:29 remaining in the game. It was the Virginia back’s only score of the day and finished off his 25-carry, 118-yard rushing performance. Georgia Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer, on the other hand, had just 70 rushing yards on his 17 carries.

But this year, Peerman is gone, along with much of Virginia’s highly heralded linebacking corps that slow down quell Dwyer last season.

The Cavaliers even have a new look at quarterback, after head coach Al Groh announced that speedy cornerback Vic Hall would be moving to become a signal-caller in Virginia’s new spread option offense. The senior speedster is expected to leapfrog starter Mark Verica, who completed 29 passes in a 270-yard passing performance against Georgia Tech last season.

Virginia’s new-look offense could pose problems for a lot of teams in 2009, and the Yellow Jackets may not be immune. While they face the option during practices to stop their own offense, the Yellow Jackets’ defenders may find keeping up with Hall to be difficult.

Add that to the unmistakable Georgia Tech hex that seems to linger above Charlottesville, and the Yellow Jackets could find victory over Virginia to be a bit of a challenge.

The last time Georgia Tech won a road game in the series, it took a legendary field goal by Scott Sisson to be the difference. That infamous 1990 kick, made with seconds remaining, propelled the Yellow Jackets through a strong season finish and into a share for the national championship.

Will the Yellow Jackets get a similar late-game moment out of place-kicker Scott Blair? Only time will tell, but in this series, history isn’t really on Blair’s side.

Prediction: Virginia over Georgia Tech
 

Mac is back: Voice of Cavs leaps to rival
by Lisa Provence Write a letter to the editor
Mac McDonald starts broadcasting August 31 and takes his former UVA play-by-play colleague Adam Gottschalk’s afternoon slot on WKAV while Gottschalk moves his sports talk to the morning.

More than a year ago, Mac McDonald abruptly left his job doing sports radio play-by-play on WINA radio. Almost as unexpectedly, he’s back on the air starting Monday, August 31, not for UVA nor his old pals at WINA, but with his own drive-time syndicated show airing on the competition AM station, WKAV Sports Radio 1400.

McDonald says he was about to move to Orlando after working on a book for the past year. “I had people pushing me to get back on radio and do UVA and ACC sports,” says McDonald.

He found a partner– MLC Advertising in Harrisonburg– and the MLC Network was formed.

“Inbound with Mac McDonald” airs from 3 to 6pm weekdays in Harrisonburg, Staunton, Lexington, Lynchburg and Roanoke, as well as Charlottesville. They’re looking to expand to other markets, and McDonald hints he has something in the works with NBC29.

McDonald calls it a case of doing what you know best. “I’ve been in radio for 35 years,” he says, “and I’ve never had my own show for any length of time.”

The show will focus on colleges in the region. “A lot of UVA, a lot of Virginia Tech, a lot of ACC,” he says. “I’m going to talk about what fans want to talk about.”

That includes unjailed football star Michael Vick and disappearing former Glenmore homeowners’ treasurer Michael Comer. “I would have done that from the golf standpoint,” explains McDonald, whose promos seem to promise inside info.

The biggest change being back on the radio? No longer the Voice of the Cavaliers, he doesn’t have to flack for the UVA football and basketball. He says he parted on good terms with UVA and its coaches, expects good access, and isn’t interested in an attack show. However, he does get to opine.

“For the first time,” he declares, “I’ve got a venue, and I can voice my opinion.”

***

With McDonald taking the afternoon slot, Adam Gottschalk, host of “The Fourth Quarter,” moves to the a.m. on AM.

“It’s great,” says Gottschalk, whose own departure from the Virginia Sports Network and calling UVA games coincided with McDonald’s. “Everyone in radio aspires to mornings.”

Gottschalk foresees a more fast-paced show. “It’ll still be driven by my opinions, and it’ll still be my show,” he says.

“His audience is younger,” says WKAV program manager Joe Thomas. “There are no AM morning sports shows. He’ll draw 25 to 34 males– the same audience as 3WV.”

Gottschalk is working on a new name for the 7 to 9am show, maybe “The First Quarter” or “Kickoff.” For now, it’s just “WKAV Morning Show.”

“I’m nervously optimistic,” Gottschalk says. “I’m excited at the chance to do it and to be the first voice people hear in the morning.”

 

Undrafted receiver forces Dallas Cowboys coaches to take notice
01:09 PM CDT on Thursday, August 27, 2009
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com

IRVING – No one called his name on the first day of the draft.

Or the second.

That's fine. He's made sure people will talk about him now.

Kevin Ogletree isn't a lock to make the Cowboys' final roster. The fifth receiver spot is tenuous by nature.

But the rookie from Virginia has inserted himself into the conversation with a solid training camp. His touchdown reception in Friday's preseason win over Tennessee is a play that forces coaches to take notice.

Big plays are important when you live on the NFL bubble.

"I take it day by day," Ogletree said. "I'm not looking through lockers or over my shoulder. I'm just coming out, trying to get better every day, doing what I can."

What Ogletree did against the Titans was catch three passes for 37 yards. His touchdown came on a fade route when he made a nice play on the pass from Jon Kitna.

He leads the Cowboys with 107 yards on four kickoff returns this preseason.

When Isaiah Stanback was out for an extended period in training camp, Ogletree took advantage of the extra reps to emerge from a crowded pack that includes Stanback and seventh-round pick Manuel Johnson.

Quarterback Tony Romo saw from the first day that Ogletree had ability. Receiver Miles Austin said the rookie runs good routes and has a shot to make this team.

"We've been pleased with Kevin," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "I don't want to say surprised, but we were pleased with the progress he made early on. He picked things up very quickly.

"He's still a young guy. He still has a long way to go, but he's definitely making progress and going about it the right way."

Ogletree appreciates the praise but is far from complacent.

"You've got to keep pushing," he said. "There is a lot more time to impress, a lot more time to do some things to excite the coaching staff and the players on our team.

"Ultimately, that's my goal, to earn the respect of the coaches, the whole organization and my peers."

Thirty-four receivers were taken in the April draft.

Ogletree wasn't one of them. His 58 catches for 723 yards and five touchdowns as a junior with the Cavaliers weren't enough to get teams to bite.

"That's my little candle I'm keeping lit," Ogletree said. "It's burning inside."

The moment the draft was over, the phone began to ring. Ogletree estimates that his agent fielded calls from 20 to 25 teams. Why did he select Dallas?

Well, Ogletree has a relationship with tight end coach John Garrett, who was his receivers coach at Virginia. The two formed a strong relationship in their two years together. Ogletree trusted that John Garrett had his best interests at heart when he told the receiver he had a good chance to play.

"I knew at the end of the day I was going to have to make a team," Ogletree said. "The draft is just one part of this process. Making the team is next."

Lawrence and Patricia Rossianno were the grandparents who raised Ogletree. They died a year apart when he was in college.

He sports the tattoo of an angel on the inside of his right forearm in honor of his grandmother. A portrait of his grandfather graces the inside of his left forearm.

The two inspire Ogletree to this day, pushing him to do things that would make them proud. Making an NFL team would qualify.

"I mean, I'm in this locker room right now," Ogletree said. "That's a great feeling. Every day walking in, being proud of what you do."

It's hard for an undrafted rookie to be in a better position entering the final two preseason games.

"It's an even better position to stay in," Ogletree said.

"It kind of stinks I didn't get drafted. But I couldn't ask for a better position to be in right now."
 

Bills' Butler adjusts to new line position
Kevin Oklobzija • Staff writer • August 26, 2009

When Brad Butler was drafted out of the University of Virginia, he had been the Cavaliers starting right tackle for three straight years.

The Buffalo Bills, however, decided he'd be better at right guard and had him switch positions for his rookie NFL season of 2006.

This spring, after drafting two guards in the first two rounds, the Bills told Butler he'd be shifting back to tackle.

And Butler's reaction?

He probably should have said, "Can you make up your mind?" Instead, he took the approach that there's no "I" in Brad or Butler.
"Hey, if they want me to move to field goal kicker, then that's what I'm willing to do," Butler said.

With Rian Lindell nearly automatic on kicks (80 percent on field goals in his career), the Bills are set at place-kicker. They do need Butler to block, though.
The fourth-year veteran is part of an all-new offensive line, since none of the five played their current position for the Bills last season. The rookies, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, are starting at guard. Langston Walker has been moved from right tackle to left tackle. The center, Geoff Hangartner, was a free-agent signee from the Carolina Panthers.
While Butler played tackle in college, the adjustment from guard is still considerable. For the past three years he has been immersed in the life of a guard, from blocking assignments to blocking techniques.
"I wouldn't say it's as hard as George Wilson switching from wide receiver to safety, but it's a little difficult," Butler admitted.

The biggest adjustment: Becoming accustomed to the blocking area. As a guard, the world of blocking is pretty much contained between the center and tackle. It's more difficult trying to contain the opposing defensive end when there's seemingly a state park worth of free space to the outside.
"Because there's a lot more space, you have to strive to be perfect with your technique," Butler said. "When I was at guard, it was maybe a yard to your right or left. Not there's 5, 10 to the back and side."
So far coach Dick Jauron says he has been satisfied with Butler's progress. And as he improves, so does the line as a whole.

"He's a very smart guy, very dedicated guy and a tough guy," Jauron said. "And he really works at it. He'll get better and better.
"And the group, we're banking, will get better and better the longer they're together and with the more work they have together. But we really do like the group. We've just got to get there fast."
That's why the weeks of practice — and the preseason games — are so important for the linemen leading up to the Sept. 14 season opener at New England.
"Two of the three preseason games are against teams that play the 3-4, so that's good for us to get used to going up against because we play 10 3-4 defenses in the regular season," Butler said. "It's important for us to get used to the nuances of the 3-4.
"I try to take every rep seriously in practice so then in a game I can say, 'OK, on this play, I need to do this.' It's coming but I still have a lot to learn."
 

Alvarez's versatility should help propel Belen Jesuit
Three-sport star Pablo Alvarez, who will attend the University of Virginia, is expected to play multiple positions for the Wolverines again this season.
BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ

Pablo Alvarez belongs to a fading breed in high school sports -- the three-sport star.

Alvarez was Belen Jesuit's most valuable player last season in basketball and track and field.

But his talents on the football field earned him first-team All-Dade honors in 2008 and led to multiple scholarship offers from major college programs.

``We've never had someone as athletic overall as he is,'' longtime Belen football coach Rich Stuart said. ``He brings a big athletic presence to our team. He's very versatile and fast.''

Alvarez chose to take his skills to the University of Virginia, committing verbally to the Cavaliers on June 29. When Alvarez officially signs, he would be the second major college football signee in the past four years at Belen, a school whose strong academics helped send 10 players to Ivy League schools in the past six years.

``Before my recruiting process began, I had my mind on a few schools,'' said Alvarez, who owns a 3.4 grade-point average. ``I knew I wanted a place that had a strong academic background. When I visited Virginia, I liked their academics and the chance to play at a Division I school.''

Alvarez (6-3, 190), rated the No. 19 overall prospect in Dade by The Miami Herald, also has offers from Duke, Colorado State, Iowa and Northwestern, among others.

On the track, Alvarez ran the second-fastest time in the state at one point last season in both the 110-meter hurdles (14.16) and 300-meter hurdles (37.26) before sustaining a right hamstring tear at districts. His times also ranked among the fastest in the country.

Alvarez said he enjoys football the best.

``It's a team game and it's a contact sport where you can make big hits or make a big catch,'' Alvarez said. ``The excitement of football, you don't get in any other sport.''

Alvarez had two interceptions while playing cornerback last season, and he also played wide receiver and safety. Stuart said Alvarez often plays linebacker in practice when simulating upcoming opponents.

``The best thing about Pablo is how humble he is,'' Stuart said. ``He's willing to play any role or position on the team.''

Alvarez will lead a confident Belen squad that remained in Class 3A after the Florida High School Athletic Association's reclassification but moves into a new district. For the first time in several years, the Wolverines will not have to play longtime rival Monsignor Pace.

The Wolverines typically run the ball often in their signature Wing-T set. But Alvarez could see action at wide receiver, a position that also returns starters Sergio Fernandez-Soto and Reggie Colas.

Belen returns 11 starters from a team that went 7-3 last season. The Wolverines haven't won a playoff game the past three seasons since their last district crown.

Belen's new district foes are Norland, Mater Academy and first-year programs Hialeah Gardens and Westland Hialeah, which has prompted many to consider it the favorite to win only its second district title.

``We are very confident in ourselves, but we're not getting caught up on any of the other teams,'' Alvarez said. ``We feel we have what it takes to be successful.''
 

Tom Knott: Mason staying close to his foundation

The NBA career of Roger Mason Jr. is a testament to grit and sacrifice and perseverance, all the good stuff, the intangibles, that personnel gurus routinely miss going into the draft each June.

Mason is looking to impart some of that stick-to-it stuff to the elementary students of the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School on Georgia Avenue in Northwest Washington. More about that later.

But first how Mason beat an omission that was not necessarily the fault of the NBA evaluators.

How do you measure what's inside someone? How do you know how a person will respond the first time he is hit with adversity? How do you know how he will adapt to the NBA lifestyle? You don't know. You can't know.

Mason was not a celebrated collegian coming out of Virginia after his junior season. He was a player with a utility, with the capacity to hit shots so long as his feet were set. All the rest was an unknown.

He was a second-round draft pick of the Bulls in 2002, which was the start of an odyssey that would take him to Toronto, Greece and Israel before he landed with the Wizards, his hometown team, at the start of the 2006-07 season.

His modest financial numbers fit the salary cap needs of the Wizards, and he could shoot some, and he was a high-character guy who would keep his mouth shut while picking up bits and pieces of minutes. That is what coaches like with their end-of-the-bench players. They like low-maintenance players who will accept their roles as the DNPs accumulate.

Mason's career took a fortuitous turn after Gilbert Arenas went on the shelf. Mason showed he was more than a spot-up shooter, that he had the capacity to put up the sort of numbers that could carry an injury-ravaged team on occasion.

That was the Mason of two seasons ago, helping a beat-up Wizards team make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Yet that is where it ended with Mason and the Wizards.

He signed with the Spurs last summer after the Wizards assumed Arenas would be back and DeShawn Stevenson would be able to log ironman minutes at the off-guard. That assumption did not work out so well; Arenas missed all but two games of the season. Stevenson, nursing a bad back, became a shell of who he was. Brendan Haywood succumbed to the injury curse as well.

Mason? He became a trusted a player on a team that is considered a civic treasure in San Antonio. He hit a bunch of shots, four that decided the game, and became an essential part of the Spurs because of the injury woes of Manu Ginobili.

That is Mason: quiet, steady, dependable. He is the guy behind the guy but ever capable.

His roots remain planted here, of course. You do not cut your basketball teeth at Sidwell Friends and Good Counsel and forget your travails if you're Mason.

You start a foundation, you connect with the community and you partner with the Haynes Charter School to provide a measure of inspiration to those students with big dreams.

His sponsorship commences Thursday night, when 50 students will attend a "Movie Night with Mase" after competing in an essay contest that highlighted the merit of hard work.

Mason read the essays, too, and was moved by the ones that referenced him. He wants that role.

"That means more to me than anything," he said Tuesday. "That's the cool part. That's the type of thing that is special to me."

This is not a one-time event, a photo opportunity designed to be a public relations event that celebrates an athlete. This is a commitment on Mason's part.

"I didn't want this to be a typical 'show up one time' and that would be the end of it," he said. "I wanted this to be a partnership."

Mason plans to maintain a relationship with the students during the NBA season through a shared blog on the Haynes Web site, video calls, Twitter and Facebook updates and personal visits.

And he hopes the relationship benefits the students in a persuasive way.

"My whole thing always has been about working hard," he said. "You use the same principles in everything, whether you're a basketball player or a doctor. It takes work and dedication."

It takes what Mason's NBA career has come to define.

His new best friends at Haynes surely will be taking notes.
 

U.Va.'s first bowl year, Tomlin strike chords
David Teel

August 30, 2009
E-mail Print Share Text size Nov. 3, 1984 — Virginia 27, West Virginia 7. En route to their first bowl bid, the Cavaliers earned their first national ranking in 32 years by manhandling the No. 12 Mountaineers in Morgantown. West Virginia had just defeated Boston College ( Doug Flutie's Heisman season) and Penn State in succession, but U.Va.'s Steve Morse and Howard Petty ran at will.

Dec. 1, 1984 — Army 28, Navy 11. The 19th of 25 consecutive Army-Navy games my father and I attended, and the only one I spent in the press box. From the pregame parade to the postgame academy hymns, Army-Navy is more spectacle than game. Dad and I ended our Army-Navy streak in 1990, and he died in 1992. I haven't gone back since.

Dec. 31, 1984 — Virginia 27, Purdue 24. The first bowl (Peach) in the Cavaliers' 96-year history. Hampton High graduate Kenny Stadlin kicked the winning field goal midway through the fourth quarter. I then rushed to the Atlanta airport, wrote during a flight to D.C., filed from a pay phone and rang in '85 with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at Warner Theater.

Sept. 2, 1988 — Tabb 10, Hampton 7. Those foolish enough not to arrive hours before kickoff at Bailey Field parked along Route 17 for the season-opening epic. Terry Kirby punished the Crabbers for 187 rushing yards, 45 on a last-minute fourth-and-1. He dedicated the win to his parents, who were celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Sept. 17, 1988 — Florida State 24, Clemson 21. Bobby Bowden called the most daring fake punt in memory as his visiting Seminoles toppled the No. 3 Tigers. The "puntrooskie" — think hidden-ball trick — came on fourth-and-4 from the 21 with 1:33 left in a tie game. LeRoy Butler ran 78 yards to the 1, and Richie Andrews kicked the winning field goal.

Sept. 8, 1990 — Virginia 20, Clemson 7. Scott Stadium lost a goalpost as the Cavaliers ended their 0-29 futility against the Tigers. Peninsula products Kirby (4-yard touchdown run), Chris Slade (sack and forced fumble) and Jason Wallace (79-yard punt return to set up final touchdown) shined. In 15 subsequent games against the Tigers, the Cavaliers are 7-7-1.

Nov. 3, 1990 — Georgia Tech 38, Virginia 35. The Cavaliers' three surreal weeks at No. 1 ended as Scott Sisson's last-minute, 37-yard field goal tumbled between the uprights for the visiting Yellow Jackets in the first-ever November collision of unbeaten ACC teams. Quarterback Shawn Moore and receiver Herman Moore were brilliant in defeat.

Nov. 4, 1994 — Hampton 22, Phoebus 21. Then in its infancy, the Peninsula's fiercest rivalry has yet to surpass this overtime clash of unbeatens. The Phantoms' Antwoine Womack scored first in OT. Freshman Ronald Curry countered, after which Crabbers coach Mike Smith disdained the tying extra point. Curry found Noell Rainey for the winning two-point conversion.

Aug. 26, 1995 — Michigan 18, Virginia 17. Commencing a wild season, the Cavs strutted into the Big House and led 1-0 early in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to Tiki Barber's 81-yard touchdown run. But on the final play, freshman Scott Dreisbach threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Mercury Hayes to prompt the loudest roar I've ever heard (the sellout crowd was 101,444).

Sept, 23, 1995 — Virginia Tech 13, Miami 7. The turning point for Frank Beamer's program. The Hokies were 0-2 in the season, 0-13 all-time against the Canes. Lose here and the season is toast. Instead, Tech abused a Ray Lewis-led defense for 300 yards rushing, 165 by Dwayne Thomas, to start a 10-game winning streak that ended with a Big East title and Sugar Bowl conquest of Texas.

Nov. 2, 1995 — Virginia 33, Florida State 28. The Cavaliers' finest moment at Scott Stadium and the Seminoles' first ACC defeat (FSU had been 29-0 in it). A Thursday night national telecast as well. Forgotten keys for Virginia: Rafael Garcia (4-for-4 on field goals, none chip shots) and Will Brice (47-yard punting average and four downed inside FSU's 10).

Nov. 28, 1998 — Virginia 36, Virginia Tech 32. The Cavaliers' most recent victory in Blacksburg. Newport News native Aaron Brooks passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns to lead U.Va.'s greatest comeback ever (22-point deficit). The rally improved the Cavs to 9-2, only the third nine-win regular season in program history.

Sept. 18, 1999 — Hampton 52, Bethel 0. Mike Smith's 300th victory as the Crabbers' coach was routine. But his preparation, which I shadowed from Sunday morning's tape session to Saturday's pregame pep talk, was remarkable. Then 58, Smith was nail-spittin' mad when Hurricane Floyd interrupted his routine. He vowed to coach until he was 80. Don't be surprised.

Jan. 4, 2000 — Florida State 46, Virginia Tech 29. The world's fears of Y2K cyber meltdown proved unfounded. The Hokies' concerns of the Seminoles' myriad playmakers in the national title game were spot-on. Depth prevailed in New Orleans as FSU completed the first and only perfect season of Bowden's coaching career.

Sept. 22, 2001 — Virginia Tech 50, Rutgers 0. Hokies linebacker Brian Welch lost his father in the 1984 terrorist bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut. In their first game after the Sept. 11 attacks, Tech coaches asked Welch to carry the American flag while leading the team onto the field at Rutgers, not far from Ground Zero. On the second snap of his first career start, Welch intercepted a pass and returned it to the 1-yard line. Goose bumps, anyone?

Nov. 10, 2001 — Christopher Newport 14, Ferrum 11. As the Captains prepared for the de-facto conference title game, two players mourned the unexpected deaths of young cousins, and Coach Matt Kelchner welcomed his third child. The week concluded with a victory at Darling Stadium that secured a national playoff bid in the program's inaugural season.

Nov. 24, 2001 — William and Mary 47, Villanova 44. Of all the Tribe's pinball-frantic games in Coach Jimmye Laycock's 29 seasons, none tops this. The home victory clinched W&M's first playoff bid in five years and showcased Villanova's Brian Westbrook (332 all-purpose yards) and W&M's Komlan Lonergan (325 yards).

Dec. 8, 2001 — Phoebus 26, Patrick Henry of Ashland 7. The first of the Phantoms' four state championships was vintage Coach Bill Dee: Grind the opponent like Starbucks does coffee. Travis McCright rushed for 169 yards, Xavier Adibi for 155 in Richmond. Phoebus' final touchdown march was 17 plays, 85 yards and ran 9:05 off the fourth-quarter clock.

Jan. 4, 2003 — Falcons 27, Packers 7. Playoff football landscapes get no more iconic than Lambeau Field in the snow. The Packers were 11-0 at Lambeau in postseason, until Michael Vick outplayed Brett Favre amid the flurries. Making his playoff debut, Vick passed for 117 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 64 yards and, most important, did not commit a turnover.

Sept. 12, 2004 — Redskins 16, Buccaneers 10. The most revered Redskin of all (sorry, Sonny) returned triumphantly, after a 12-year absence, in front of more than 90,000 fawning faithful. Coach Joe Gibbs, who authored three Super Bowl championships, was back on the sideline, and all was well.

Dec. 4, 2004 — Virginia Tech 16, Miami 10. Less than two years after suing to block ACC expansion, the Hokies won the league in their first season of membership with this road victory. Bruton High grad Bryan Randall, the league player of the year, threw a 39-yard scoring pass to Eddie Royal, and the defense limited the Canes to 190 yards, their fewest in seven years.

Sept. 8, 2007 — LSU 48, Virginia Tech 7. There's little worth remembering about the Hokies' worst loss in 25 years. But the spectacle that is Death Valley after dark? Guitar Shorty, 68 years young, playin' and howlin' the blues the night before at Phil Brady's roadhouse? Now those are memories.

Nov. 10, 2007 — Virginia 48, Miami 0. The final game at football's most historic arena, the Orange Bowl, deserved better than the home team's astonishingly half-baked effort. Led by quarterback Jameel Sewell and linebacker Clint Sintim, the Cavaliers exposed the Hurricanes' disinterest early and often.

Sept. 27, 2008 — Virginia Tech 35, Nebraska 30. Football in Lincoln is different. A Cornhuskers home game attracts 4.5 percent, more than 80,000, of the state's residents, and each contest has sold out since 1962. Amid the Sea of Red, Tyrod Taylor quarterbacked the Hokies to their most compelling non-conference road victory of the Beamer Era.

Feb. 1, 2009 — Steelers 27, Cardinals 23. Mike Tomlin prefers the background, and in a Super Bowl replete with star turns from James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and The Boss, he got his wish. Still, Pittsburgh's last-ditch victory made Tomlin, a Peninsula native, the youngest head coach — he was 36 — to win a Super Bowl.
 

White: Final Tuneup Comes Tonight In Men's Soccer
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/29/2009
By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He's a competitor, and it wasn't easy for George Gelnovatch to watch his soccer team lose its first two exhibition games.
It was agonizing for the UVa men's coach, in fact. But Gelnovatch had a plan, and he stuck to it.
Typically, the Cavaliers play two exhibitions before starting their regular-season schedule. "We wanted three this year to take a look at some different things," Gelnovatch said.
"We know we have some talent and some depth. It gave us an opportunity these first two games to look at some different things and to play everybody. Literally everybody. That has been our focus, to accomplish those things, look at some different things. There's one or two guys playing in spots they've not played or rarely played before."
Gelnovatch was speaking the morning after his team's 3-1 loss to Old Dominion in Norfolk. That followed a 1-0 loss to George Mason at Klockner Stadium. Reserves, some of whom aren't likely to play much this season, were on the field late for UVa, in key situations, in both games.
"As I say, we're trying to do a couple of things, and one is team-build, and when you have a lot of guys busting their backside all preseason and working their tail off all summer, I'm going to use these first two preseason games to reward those guys with minutes," Gelnovatch said.
The rotation was set "before both of these games started, regardless of the outcome of the Mason game," he said. "It would have easy for me to say, 'Hey, we lost this game. Screw this. This is what I'm doing.' But the plan all along has been to treat these first two preseason games the same and to treat the third one as a dress rehearsal to the season."
That third exhibition is tonight at 7 o'clock against West Virginia at Klockner. UVa opens the season next weekend at the Nike Portland Invitational in Oregon. Virginia meets Portland on Friday night, then faces Washington two days later.
The 'Hoos' home opener is Sept. 11 against ACC rival Duke.
Virginia went 4-4 in conference play in 2008 and finished 11-9-1 overall after losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Expectations are much higher this season. UVa was picked to finish second in the ACC.
"It's the same team, a year older," Gelnovatch said. "It's the same team with a healthy Tony Tchani and, I hope, a healthy Chris [Agorsor], as he gets cleared."
When last season began, the Cavaliers' top scoring threats were freshmen Tchani and Agorsor. Neither made it through the season. Agorsor suffered a serious knee injury -- torn anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments -- in his seventh game. Tchani played 13 games before he tore his ACL. Even so, he was named ACC freshman of the year and led the 'Hoos in scoring with 21 points.
"When Tony went down, which was after Chris, Tony had nine goals and Chris had four, and our team had 19 at the time," Gelnovatch said. "I don't know what percentage-wise that is, but that's a big, big chunk. That hurt. I don't think I've ever [lost] two, with such an impact on our scoring, in such a short period of time in one season.
"So it meant a lot. Tony was on track last year to score 14, 15, 16 goals. Chris already had four goals. He was on track to score probably 10 or 12. I would hope and think that if he gets cleared and Tony gets sharp, that a lot of our scoring is going to come through those guys."
Doctors have cleared both to play, and Tchani has been with the team all preseason. Agorsor, however, is awaiting a ruling from the NCAA on his eligibility. Agorsor is likely to be cleared to play this season, but until that's official, Gelnovatch isn't allowing him to practice with the team.
Also waiting on clearance from the NCAA is first-year defender Ole Hengelbrock, who's from Germany. He's part of a well-regarded freshman class that includes forwards Will Bates and Ahkeel Rodney. Another newcomer is junior Diego Restrepo, a transfer from South Florida.
"He's our starting goalkeeper, and that's an upgrade for us," Gelnovatch said.
Even if Agorsor and Hengelbrock are cleared, as expected, UVa can't count on having a full complement of players throughout the season. Sophomore Brian Ownby leaves Sept. 14 to play for the United States in FIFA's under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Ownby, a forward, is a "guy that's super-dangerous," Gelnovatch said. He's expected to return to the University during the first half of October.
"I'm certainly going to get the most out of him until he goes, which is three games," Gelnovatch said. "But I also have to understand he's going to be gone for the next six games after that, and that we need to have in place what the Plan B is. Ross LaBauex, who has been playing there, is certainly one of those guys, but I think when we have everybody healthy -- Jimmy Simpson, Chris Agorsor gets cleared and Will Bates kind of integrated by that time, a little bit more -- that we'll be in good shape."
Of the players likely to have prominent roles for UVa this season, Gelnovatch said, only three are seniors: LaBauex and midfielders Jonathan Villanueva and Matt Mitchell.
"After that it's mostly sophomores, with a junior sprinkled in here or there," Gelnovatch said. "So it is a relatively young team still that is a little older than its years, in that we had six freshmen starting last year before those two guys got hurt. Six talented freshmen."
Those freshmen are now second-year players. They're capable of handling more responsibility, and so Gelnovatch is asking more of them.
"Offensively, we're lining up a little different," he said. "We're being very, very aggressive. We feel like we have a talented attacking team, although you look at the last two games, and we've scored one goal, you know. But we really made some changes in terms of how we're asking our guys to play, and it's very aggressive, very attack-oriented."
--30--
 

Virginia Falls To WVU In Exhibition, 2-0
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/29/2009
Courtesy: David Petkofsky/UVa Media Relations

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The Virginia men's soccer team was defeated in its final preseason exhibition contest, falling to West Virginia 2-0 on Saturday night at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers now turn their attention to the regular season, which kicks off Friday with the Nike Portland Invitational in Portland, Ore.

"I think if we get guys motivated and going we will be fine," Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. "The other part of it is going to be getting a couple guys healthy."

West Virginia converted a penalty kick in the 18th minute to take a 1-0 lead. The penalty kick was awarded after a hand ball was called on a Virginia player in the penalty box. Alex Silva beat UVa goalkeeper Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) to give the Mountaineers the advantage.

WVU's second goal of the night came in the 31st minute when Gift Maworere headed home a cross by Raymon Gaddis.

Virginia had scoring opportunities in the second half, and out-shot West Virginia 5-1 in that period. Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) led the team with three shots, including a one-time rocket that missed high from close range in the 58th minute.

Tchani, Jonathan Villanueva (Grand Prairie, Texas) and Will Bates (Chester, Va.) each had a shot on goal.

Restrepo played the entire 90 minutes for the Cavaliers, tallying one save. West Virginia goalkeeper Zach Johnson also played the entire game and had three saves.

Friday's contest vs. host Portland in the Nike Portland Invitation kicks off at 7 p.m. pacific time (10 p.m. eastern time). The Cavaliers will face Washington on Sunday, Sept. 6 at noon pacific time (3 p.m. eastern time).
 

Cavaliers Earn First Win, Sweep Iona
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 08/29/2009
Courtesy: David Petkofsky/UVa Media Relations

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Virginia volleyball team rebounded from a tough first day at the Texas A&M Invitational by sweeping Iona, 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-16), on Saturday morning to earn its first win of the season. The Cavaliers conclude the season opening tournament with a record of 1-2, while Iona falls to 0-3 on the season.

Sophomore Simone Asque collected her first double-double of the year to lead the Cavaliers. Asque knocked down 12 kills to go with a season-best 12 digs and had two blocks.

Senior Lauren Dickson tallied 11 kills and hit .455 in the match, while freshman Rachel Gray dished out a personal-best 31 assists. Junior AJ Cushman led the defensive efforts, collecting 15 digs.

Colleen Genett and Rachel Whitten shared the offensive load for Iona, with each totaling 10 kills. Alyssa Erickson handed out 27 assists.

The Cavaliers took control of the first game right away. Asque knocked down a kill to open the frame before Gray landed an ace to put the Cavaliers up 2-0. Iona answered with a kill, but a 6-0 run behind the serving of Asque pushed Virginia ahead 8-1. From there, the Cavaliers fought off any attempt the Gaels had at getting back into the set and cruised to a 25-16 win.

The beginning of the second set was similar, with the freshman duo of Tobi Farrar and Jessica O’Shoney fighting to get the Cavaliers ahead. Farrar landed two of her six kills on the day in the opening of the set to earn Virginia’s first two points. O’Shoney then rattled off a service ace to spark a 4-0 run for the Cavaliers, pushing Virginia ahead 5-1. Iona eventually cut UVa’s lead back to one, at 10-9, but the Cavaliers used a timeout to regroup. Virginia outscored the Gaels’, 12-5, out of the slight intermission and ran away with a 25-18 win.

A series of errors plagued Iona toward the beginning of the third set, allowing the Cavaliers to use a 5-0 run to jump ahead 8-3. Virginia then extended its lead to eight by 23-15 and Asque landed back-to-back kills to bring the final score to 25-16, earning the Cavaliers their first win of the season.

Virginia (1-2) will return home to play host to the Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup on Sept. 4-5. Campbell, NC Central and VCU will all visit Memorial Gymnasium for the two-day tournament, with the Cavaliers’ home debut coming at 1 p.m. on Friday again NC Central. Virginia will also face in-state rival VCU at 7 p.m. Friday evening, before concluding tournament play with Campbell at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 

Virginia Tech and UVa: Trademarks and tradition before the football begins
The current University of Virginia and Virginia Tech logos were commissioned by a couple of coaches and designed by former students.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

In 1984 Chris Craft and fellow Virginia Tech architecture student Lisa Eichler shared first prize in a competition to design a new logo for the Hokies. The 2009 season will represent the 25th anniversary of the "streamlined" VT logo.
Chances are, some University of Virginia fans are familiar with Matt Welsh, son of former UVa football coach George Welsh.

Less recognizable to Virginia Tech supporters is William Christopher "Chris" Craft, a former Roanoker and 1983 graduate of Patrick Henry High School.

"If you did a Google search for my name, probably the first thing to come up would be a boat," said Craft, now the business manager for a Richmond catering company.

Yes, Chris-Craft is among the first names in powerboating, but, when it comes to brand identification, the other Chris Craft has notable credentials of his own.

In 1984, Craft and fellow Virginia Tech architecture student Lisa Eichler shared first prize in a competition to design a new Hokies logo.

"I wish I had a penny -- just a penny -- for every piece of apparel sold with that logo," Craft said. "Maybe I signed something that gave Tech the rights to it. I can't remember. I didn't think there was too much to it at the time."

No celebrations are planned, but the 2009 season will represent the 25th anniversary of that logo, originally described as the "streamlined" VT. Another anniversary takes place in Charlottesville, where the V-sabers logo was conceived in 1994.

Remarkably, the logos were commissioned by a couple of football coaches, Welsh and Bill Dooley, who won a lot of games and helped change the football culture of their respective programs, although neither was known for a sense of fashion.

"I don't think my dad was naturally inclined that way," Matt Welsh said.

However, his father had never been wild about some of UVa's traditions. He didn't like the nickname "Cavaliers" and was turned off by the extensive use of orange in athletics gear.

"I wanted to change the uniforms," said George Welsh, who had come to UVa from the Naval Academy. "I wanted to go to predominantly blue. I wanted to change the helmets. I never liked the helmets. So, I talked to Matthew and said, 'See what you can come up with.' "

Matt Welsh, then 25, had graduated from UVa with a degree in studio art.

"I probably rolled my eyes," he said. "I'd run a few things by him over the years, but he never liked them, so I was like, 'Are you really going to consider it?' "

Crossed sabers beneath a block "V" was an immediate hit with the old man.

"I liked it a lot," George Welsh said. "I don't think our president [John Casteen] liked it, but a couple people in the administration told me, 'I think your son hit a home run.' "

Merchandising wasn't the multimillion dollar industry in 1994 that it is now. Virginia Tech now has an office of licensing and trademarks, but in 1984, there were just a few guys and gals sitting around a table.

All they knew was, they wanted to get rid of the design that had a small "T" inside a larger "V." To this day, it's known as the "TV" logo.

"We weren't on television very much in those days," Tech sports information director Dave Smith said. "A [television] producer came in here once and said, 'Look, they're so happy to see us that they put the initials "TV" on the middle of the field."

Dooley, also the athletic director, had hired Jeff Charles as the Hokies radio voice and added "promotions director" to his job responsibilities. With Dooley's support, Charles staged a promotion to come up with a new logo.

On the other side of campus, Bob Fields, a professor in the visual arts school, got wind of the campaign and thought it would make an interesting assignment for his graphic design class.

It was Fields' recollection that the contest offered a $500 prize and that the winner's share was split between Craft and Eichler. Fields was responsible for the final version, a slanted "T" attached to a "V," that had elements of both Craft's and Eichler's designs.

"We were both trying to win the prize," Craft said. "I don't remember exactly, but I think hers had a curve at one end and, on mine, the original VT was a little bit flared out on the left side."

What Craft does remember, very distinctly, is that the reward was not $250.

"It was $50, a whopping $50," he said. "The total prize was $50 but since the two designs were so alike, they gave us each $50. I should have held out for season tickets."

Craft said he hasn't seen Eichler, a former architecture student, in more than 20 years. He doesn't know where to find her and neither does Fields, who came to Tech in 1976 and remained on the Tech faculty through the 2008-09 school year.

Craft describes himself as a "huge" Hokies fan who has season football tickets.

"Every once in awhile, somebody new will come to our tailgate, and it will come up, 'This is the guy that helped design the VT logo,' and people are like, 'No way,' " Craft said.

"I have to say, 'Well, yeah, and I got $50 for it.' "

It could have been worse. Welsh said he received no compensation for designing the V-sabers logo, although he later turned it into an online business venture, thesabre.com.

Carolyn Davidson, the Portland State student who designed the Nike "swoosh" in 1971, got $35 for her efforts.

"Yeah, but I hear she went back and got a bucket of money," Craft said. "You know, I held onto that project for a long time. God only knows where it is now. I got a B-minus on it."

Merchandising was such a novel concept that, in 1989, then-Tech athletic director Dave Braine asked for a meeting with Fields to see if the logo had been copyrighted. Turns out, it hadn't.

Part of Locke White's responsibility as Tech's director of licensing and merchandising is to protect against trademark infringements related to the VT logo and close to 10 other trademarked items, including the Virginia Tech seal and the Hokie Bird.

Nine ACC athletic programs belong to Collegiate Licensing Inc., while Tech and such programs as Ohio State handle their own licensing. Texas headed the CLI rankings in 2007 with royalties from merchandising and apparel estimated at $8.2 million.

"Shows you what a lame businessman I was," said Fields, poking fun at himself. "I should have requested 10 percent up front."

Ten years ago, when White came to Virginia Tech, yearly licensing revenues were in the $250,000 range. Last year, that figure was $1.5 million. UVa was slightly over $800,000, but that should change with an increase from 8.5 percent to 10 percent in its royalty rate.

"I couldn't tell you how much revenue comes in from the VT logo," White said. "We don't have it broken down that way, but the vast majority [of sales] involve the logo.

"I don't think we'll be changing it anytime soon, but there's a lot to be said for the success of the teams and people's love for the university. I imagine, if we were using the quote-unquote 'TV logo,' it would be doing pretty well now, too."