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Post by elp525 on Jul 8, 2011 4:30:10 GMT -5
July 7, 2011
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a series of previews on West Virginial football opponents.
Date with WVU: Saturday, Sept. 17, noon (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Site: Byrd Stadium (54,000, grass), College Park, Md.
Coach: Randy Edsall (1st year, 0-0; 13th year overall, 74-70)
Checking them out
Anyone who thinks West Virginia's decision to replace Bill Stewart after three straight nine-win seasons was unique hasn't been paying attention to the goings-on at Maryland. In December, just after WVU began the process of forcing Stewart out, Maryland outright fired Ralph Friedgen after a 9-4 season in which he won ACC coach of the year honors.
Just as was the case at West Virginia, the decision was made because of a desire to go from good to great. Friedgen's 10-year tenure started strong and ended strong, but the middle years were mediocre at best.
Maryland's answer to an upgrade? Hire Connecticut's Randy Edsall, who in 12 years in Storrs led the Huskies from Division I-A infancy to last season's Fiesta Bowl.
Edsall will, of course, begin the process with Friedgen's recruits, and that's not a bad thing right now. The Terps have 14 starters returning, including a top quarterback in 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore Danny O'Brien (2,438 yards passing, 22 touchdowns against only eight interceptions in 2010) and a potential 1,000-yard rusher in 5-9, 215-pound Davin Meggett (720 yards in 2010 on just 126 carries). There are some big question marks on the offensive line, and there aren't many experienced receivers around, but this doesn't figure to be a flashy offense, not with Edsall's history at UConn and that of his offensive coordinator, Gary Crowton, whose offenses at LSU the past two years were nothing explosive.
On defense, the unquestioned best player is 6-4, 220-pound senior Kenny Tate, who moves from free safety to a rover linebacker position. But he's not alone. There are seven starters back and plenty of experienced reserves. There are three starters back on the line, Tate adds to an already talented group of linebackers and there are hard-hitting young players ready to step in in the secondary, where the cornerbacks return but the safeties will be new.
All-conference candidates
Offense: QB Danny O'Brien, RB Davin Meggett
Defense: LB Kenny Tate, DT Joe Vellano, LB Demetrius Hartsfield, CB Cameron Chism
Special teams: PR Tony Logan
Notes
Maryland would seem to have a bit of an advantage over West Virginia in how the schedule breaks. Yes, the Terps have a more difficult opener, facing Miami at home on Labor Day, but they have an open week prior to playing host to the Mountaineers. WVU, after opening with Marshall, isn't likely to have to overexert itself during Maryland's off week while playing Norfolk State. If anything it could be a chance to further refine things and work on offensive timing. ... The Terps, by the way, don't play a road game until October and have eight of their first 10 games in their back yard (seven at home and a Notre Dame game at FedEx Field). ... Maryland senior Tony Logan might be the best punt returner in the country. He averaged 18.1 yards per runback a year ago and took two of them for touchdowns. ... Three of the top five crowds in Byrd Stadium history were for games involving WVU.
2011 schedule
Date Opponent 2010
Sept. 5 (Mon.) Miami* L 20-26
Sept. 17 West Virginia L 17-31
Sept. 24 Temple DNP
Oct. 1 Towson DNP
Oct. 8 at Georgia Tech* DNP
Oct. 15 Clemson* L 7-31
Oct. 22 at Fla. State* L 16-30
Oct. 29 Boston College* W 24-21
Nov. 5 Virginia* W 42-23
Nov. 12 x-vs. Notre Dame DNP
Nov. 19 at Wake Forest* W 62-14
Nov. 26 at N.C. State* W 38-31
x-Game at Landover, Md.
* Atlantic Coast Conference games
2010 record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 ACC (won 51-20 over East Carolina in Military Bowl)
Dropped: Duke (W 21-16), Florida International (W 42-28), Morgan State (W 62-3), Navy (W 17-14)
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7/7/11
Jul 7, 2011 11:00:29 GMT -5
Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 11:00:29 GMT -5
She ate my Taco Bell......so I keeled her!
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7/7/11
Jul 7, 2011 8:38:55 GMT -5
Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 8:38:55 GMT -5
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Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 8:32:50 GMT -5
07/06/2011
Chip Fontanazza Morgantown
The City of Baltimore, Maryland has been an area the Mountaineers have recruited in the past, but it seems to be more relevant this year. Recently the Mountaineers received verbal commitments in the 2012 recruiting class from Baltimore natives Da’Quan Davis and Deontay McManus.
The last significant recruits that came out of that area were wide receiver Tavon Austin and safety Terence Garvin. Both of them have made solid contributions to the Mountaineer football team and more will be expected from them this upcoming season. Garvin feels that WVU has been spending more time recruiting that area because there are some great prospects.
“West Virginia is just looking for talent in general,” said Garvin. “We do have talent so I feel people are just seeing it a little bit more.”
One of the reasons Garvin feels many of the prospects are looking at West Virginia is because of Austin. He is looked at as legend in Charm City and according to Garvin, as long as Austin is a Mountaineer everyone will want to be a Mountaineer.eHe
“He’s the man back at home,” said Garvin. “Everybody knows Tavon at home. People see Tavon at West Virginia, so people will be like I want to come to West Virginia. Like when we were growing up we saw the Pat Whites and Steve Slatons. So we would be like ‘I want to go there, I like it there.’”
“People knew Tavon since he was a sophomore in high school,” continued Garvin. “Tavon has been like that for a long time, it’s just starting to get more noticed now.”
Austin was a five-star prospect by many recruiting outlets when he was at Dunbar High School. In his high school career he was named the Baltimore Sun Player of the Year three times and has four major state records including: most career points (790), touchdowns (123), total offensive yards (9,258) and most rushing yards (7,962). With video game numbers like that in high school, it’s kind of obvious why he has so many fans in Baltimore.
“Everybody loves Tavon back at home,” said Garvin. “Everyone wants to be like Tavon.”
“People know Tavon back at home,” continued Garvin. “Like Dunbar football, they’ve got real popular now. They got a lot more kids that wanted to go to Dunbar after that year he did good…They want to follow successful people, that’s always how it is and it’s always how it will be.”
Right now the count is at two players from Charm City, but the better both Austin and Garvin play, there may be a few more Baltimore natives in the future recruiting classes.
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Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 8:31:38 GMT -5
07/06/2011 Metronews Statewide Sportsline Morgantown
This is a busy time of the year for college basketball coaches. It’s the time of year when coaches are allowed to hit the road and watch high school basketball players across the country in a variety of AAU tournaments. Larry Harrison was a guest on Wednesday night’s Metronews Statewide Sportsline. He was in Indianapolis watching an AAU tournament. He says he and the other Mountaineer coaches will hit five tournaments in the next two weeks, including one in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are getting ready for a trip to Italy in August and Harrison says they may be without incoming freshman Jabarie Hinds who is still not enrolled at WVU.
“I don't think he'll be going, but that's not final” said Harrison. Hinds must be enrolled in summer school to be eligible to go with the team. He is one of two incoming players yet to enroll. Harrison says Domenic Rutledge should be in Morgantown next week and enrolled in summer session on July 18th. Hinds is expected to arrive in Morgantown at the beginning of August.
On the Italy trip the Mountaineers will be playing a new style of ball, according to Harrison. He says head coach Bob Huggins wants to play a style more similar to his days in Cincinnati that played up-tempo, full-court, trapping defense.
The Mountaineers will be allowed to practice ten times before they head overseas and Harrison says they will try to teach the team the fast-paced style in the ten practices and then play that way in Italy, “We’re going to throw them into the fire right away becasue that's the way we want them to play.”
While the 2011 recruiting class is about as large as they come, next year’s class will be more reasonable. With only two seniors on the team (Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones) the Mountaineers will have two scholarships available for the 2012 class. Harrison says they are looking for a wing player and a pure shooter, something that is lacking now with the transfer of Dalton Pepper to Temple.
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Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 7:51:38 GMT -5
Thursday July 7, 2011
by Mike Casazza Charleston Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Anyone who says everything is going to change on offense with Dana Holgorsen in charge at West Virginia this coming football season overlooks something far more obvious and no less concerning.
The defense will have major changes and with personnel as opposed to philosophy.
The Mountaineers are looking to replace a cornerback and two safeties in the defensive backfield and two of the three linebackers in front of them. Just about everything will be different on the defensive line, too, where WVU graduated nose guard Chris Neild and defensive tackle Scooter Berry.
To make the fix, Julian Miller will move from end to tackle and Bruce Irvin will be asked to be an every-down player at end as opposed to a pass-rush specialist. The identity of the starter at nose is unknown - maybe veteran Josh Taylor, possibly still-suspended Jorge Wright, perhaps junior college transfer Shaq Rowell - but the Mountaineers know they'll have a very different look up front.
If that's where success starts for WVU's defense, that's where the concern must begin, too.
"This is going to be different than what we usually have," said Irvin, a senior who had 14 sacks last season, his first with the Mountaineers. "We had Scooter at about 280 pounds and Neild at - I don't know how much Neild was, but he was a heavier guy. We had a heavier defensive line.
"This year, we'll be on the thinner side, but we'll be faster with more speed rushers. Hopefully Shaq got right and he and Jorge can clog the holes up and Julian and I can do what we do."
That would be to bombard the backfield and the passer.
Miller had nine sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in each of the past two seasons with just about all of that coming from the end position. He's played tackle and even some nose in spots in the past, but never for the amount of time he'll have to play at tackle this season.
With a change of position comes a change of expectations. Miller, who once thought eight sacks was a very good season, has new and expansive goals.
"I almost feel like - not to sound wrong in saying this - it's almost expected of me," he said. "Being a senior, being the type of player I am, I expect to do that. I expect to make plays, but I want to go outside and make the interceptions for touchdowns and the fumble recoveries for touchdowns. I want to go out there and do bigger things to help us out. I want to be more opportunistic."
To get ready, the fifth-year senior, who showed up in 2007 at a little less than 210 pounds, is up in the 270s. The motivation? Miller was sure he was going to see more double-teams in 2011.
That may be true, but so, too, will the 235-pound Irvin.
"Teams are going to get their game plan against us, but it's up to me and Bruce to learn how to play together and switch it up," Miller said. "I know we're most likely going to be undersized and going against double-teams, but if we play with good leverage and good technique, we should still be all right."
WVU's three-man defensive front is always outnumbered, but opponents can't double-team both Miller and Irvin.
"They're going to double me and that's what I keep telling Julian," Irvin said. "I'm sure Marshall is going to double me with a tight end and chip me with a running back. I told him he's got to get off, he's got to jump off real fast so they're like, 'Dang, I've got to worry about him now.'
"Everyone knows about me, but people forget about Julian. He's had nine sacks the past two years. Nine sacks isn't easy. Once he goes off, people are going to notice and say, 'Dang, I've got to worry about both these dudes.' That's when we both start getting free and making plays."
The man in the middle makes life easier for his teammates on the outside. Neild excelled in playing at around 300 pounds and taking on constant double-teams in the middle of the offensive line or making the offense pay for not giving him that attention.
The Mountaineers have no one like him right now. Taylor is a former walk-on, fifth-year senior who weighs around 285 pounds and has filled in nicely in the past.
Wright, a 280-pound junior, was a standout during spring practice, but was arrested and indefinitely suspended before the Gold-Blue Game when he was pulled over with an unlicensed gun and marijuana.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Rowell is the most intriguing of the group, but he only enrolled last week. He played previously at Iowa Western Community College and had 32 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two sacks in 2010 playing in the middle of the line.
The Mountaineers don't know much about him yet. Miller remembered Rowell as a "cool guy" when Rowell visited during WVU's winter conditioning drills. Irvin, who understands the travails of a junior college transfer, has high hopes.
"It depends on the type of person he is," Irvin said. "I think you wouldn't normally expect as much from a player coming out of high school. Shaq was a junior college player, like me.
"Coming out of junior college, you're a little more ahead of the others with a little more knowledge of the game. As long as you do what's expected of you, he'll be all right."
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Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 7:48:43 GMT -5
I personally hope you keep up that trend!
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Post by elp525 on Jul 7, 2011 7:46:26 GMT -5
July 6, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind while enjoying the blissful relative silence surrounding West Virginia's football team:
That's relative, of course, to most of the month of June, when if the former coach wasn't being tied to plots and subplots, the new one was tarnishing his image and then almost immediately resurrecting it by, of all things, jumping out of an airplane.
And this is the offseason? When nothing much happens?
And hey, I'm not the only one who is enjoying the silence. Julian Miller doesn't turn on ESPN and see the Flying WV nearly as much.
"And that's a good thing,'' the senior defensive tackle said.
Still, in some ways, even bad press is good press, if for no other reason than people are talking about West Virginia football again.
And let's face it, wasn't that the real issue with Bill Stewart's tenure? Yes, his teams won nine games in three straight years. Not many programs in the country can match that. But there's also no question that the buzz was gone. No one, at least on a national scale, was talking about West Virginia football.
So in some possibly warped way, Miller figures even the nonsensical publicity his team received in June was better than no publicity at all. Regardless of the reason, there is again curiosity about the Mountaineers.
"You don't want the negative media attention, but at the same time some attention is good,'' Miller said. "People out there in the nation can see, 'All right, we've got to look out for West Virginia. There's something going on there.' People want to see if we can get through this.
"A lot of people think that we can't, but I think there's something special here this year. And I think we're going to be able to show the nation when fall starts.''
nn
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a fan of preseason polls and rankings and lists.
Sure, I understand that in the long run they are actually bad for Division I college football. Very bad. In the only sport known to man where public opinion - and not actual on-the-field competition - goes a long way toward determining an eventual champion, establishing the framework for that opinion months before the season even begins is ludicrous.
(And, by the way, don't let anyone associated with the BCS lead you to believe that that group's convoluted ratings system eliminates the problem. Even the BCS formula consists of one-third computer ratings and two-thirds public opinion polls.)
The inherent problem, of course, is that if a pecking order is established prior to the season, the teams that are thought to be strong have a huge advantage over those who are not. How often does a team picked to finish in the top 10 lose three or four games and never drop out of the rankings? Conversely, how often does a lightly regarded (at least in May) team get on a roll and have too much ground to cover to climb in those same polls?
Still, I'm a fan of these ridiculous ratings because I want to know what people think. And so do you.
I bring this all up because there's a new phenomenon out there now that I just can't enjoy. It's the watch list.
Sure, they've been out there for a few years now, touting a group of defensive backs or offensive linemen or receivers or punters or whatever for some award named after a guy few of the potential honorees even know (show me a kicker who knows who Lou Groza was or a quarterback who has ever heard of Davey O'Brien).
When there were only a few of these awards it was kind of novel, I suppose.
But now, get this: There's actually a group that organizes these watch lists and has a list of release dates for them. Really. It's the National College Football Awards Association, and now through July 18 the group is publishing its watch lists for 15 different awards.
Shoot, at least in the case of preseason Top 25 lists it's always some independent publication or a writer or blogger for the publication (until the actual preseason writers and coaches polls in August) who is just trying to show how smart he is by throwing that stuff out there. But an organization coordinating watch lists? Wow.
Then again, even reputable organizations get carried away sometimes. Sure, all conferences have preseason team ratings, and some have preseason all-star teams voted on by either coaches or the media. The Big East asks the media to vote on preseason football rankings and the coaches to vote on the basketball rankings and a preseason all-star team. All of which is great.
But then they also ask those coaches to pick a preseason rookie of the year in basketball. Before he's ever laced up a sneaker for the official start of practice.
Isn't it all just getting out of hand?
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7/5/11
Jul 6, 2011 5:12:31 GMT -5
Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:12:31 GMT -5
Psst......please help me escape!
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7/6/11
Jul 6, 2011 5:11:30 GMT -5
Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:11:30 GMT -5
I hear he died from blunt trauma.
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7/6/11
Jul 6, 2011 5:10:06 GMT -5
Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:10:06 GMT -5
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Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:08:21 GMT -5
07/06/2011
Chip Fontanazza MetroNews Sports
Last year, Bruce Irvin was a highly touted JUCO prospect for the Mountaineers and he was trying to prove himself on the field. If you ask many of his opponents they’ll say he did a fine job and probably don’t want to face him again. He finished the season with a Big East best 14 sacks that ranked him second in the nation. Not bad for a guy who was originally a wide receiver in high school.
Irvin will admit he learned a lot from last season and he is hoping to pass that knowledge and experience along to new JUCO transfer Shaq Rowell. Who is in the same situation that Irvin was in. He is a defensive lineman, he spent two years at a community college, he didn’t take part in spring practices and he is expected to contribute as soon as possible.
Rowell played JUCO ball at Iowa Western Community College and is now on campus and training with the Mountaineers. Irvin has already given Rowell advice about adjusting to the Division I level and finding success in the Big East. The coaching staff is still trying to figure out what Rowell can do on the field and they will find out what he can do when fall camp comes around.
Irvin says Rowell has a great chance to contribute right away, but he still has a lot of work to do.
“It depends on what type of person he is,” said Irvin on Rowell playing early. “I think you wouldn’t expect as much from a player if he’s coming out of high school, but Shaq was a junior college player like me. Coming out of junior college you have a little bit more knowledge of the game and what’s expected of you.”
Last season Irvin was used on third downs and he proved how valuable he is to the team. Now he is listed as the starting defensive end and is expected to play every down this season. The ferocious defensive end knows many WVU fans wanted him to play every down last season, but Irvin says he found plenty of success in his role last season and that was the coach’s plan all along.
“Coach [Jeff] Casteel and coach [Bill] Kirelawich do a good job of putting you in the best situation,” explained Irvin. “I didn’t know a lot so they put me in the best situation to help me succeed and I did. Hopefully they’re going to do the same for Shaq. They’re going to find out his strengths and weaknesses at fall camp and they’re going to put him in the best situation like they did [with] me.”
This season fans can expect to see Rowell on the field and hopefully he will find success, just like Irvin.
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Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:06:49 GMT -5
07/05/2011
Chip Fontanazza MetroNews Recruiting
Hard work and passion describes the people of West Virginia and that is the same statement that can be used to describe new WVU verbal commitment Bret Niederreither. The 6-foot-3 prospect from Red Land High School committed to the Mountaineer football team on the Fourth of July and is the 11th commitment in the 2012 recruiting class.
He is one of the top linemen in all of central Pennsylvania and has been one of the leaders on the Patriots’ defense. Red Land head coach Chad Weaver said since day one Niederreither has been one of the team’s most talented players.
“From his sophomore year on he’s been a starting player and he’s always been one of those kids that’s been bigger than everyone else, but still very athletic and you don’t see that very often in your bigger players,” said Weaver.
“He’s a kid that’s going to work really hard,” continued Weaver. “He’s been working his butt off here the last couple of years and in the offseason he’s gone the path where we thought he could and he’s really started to put on some size. He’s going to give you all he’s got and he’s just a great young man.”
He certainly caught the eyes of long WVU defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich. Weaver says Kirelawich was impressed by everything Niederreither could do.
“I knew right away from day one when he came in and talked to us a little bit he was excited about him,” said Weaver. “Loves his size, really likes how he moves and he thinks he’s going to be a really good ball player.”
Niederreither is the second defensive lineman in the 2012 recruiting class and is the first commitment from the state of Pennsylvania. Continue to check MetroNews for more information on this new prospect.
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Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:05:37 GMT -5
07/05/2011 MetroNews Sports
On Tuesday Mountaineer football players Geno Smith, Keith Tandy and Bruce Irvin were named to two watch lists from the Maxwell Football Club. Smith was named to the Maxwell Award watch list while both Tandy and Irvin were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.
The Maxwell Award has been given to America's outstanding collegiate football player since 1937 and is named in honor of sportswriter Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation's top defensive player since 1995. A former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chuck Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
Last season, Smith threw for 2,763 yards and 24 touchdowns and was named second team All-Big East. Tandy led the Mountaineers with six interceptions and Irvin led the Big East and was second in the nation with 14 sacks.
As always, the watch lists incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast. Returning Maxwell Award semifinalists from 2010 include Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles, Baylor QB Robert Griffin, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Michigan QB Denard Robinson.
The Bednarik Award watch list features just three of last season's semifinalists, Florida State DE Brandon Jenkins, Boston College LB Luke Kuechly, and Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.
The 2010 Maxwell Award winner, QB Cam Newton of Auburn, and Bednarik Award winner, LSU CB Patrick Peterson, both left school early following their junior seasons. Newton was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers, while Peterson was taken fifth in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals. Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 31st and the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 21st. The winners of the 2011 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 8th. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 2nd 2012.
The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, evaluating past performance and future potential. The Club reserves the right to make additions and deletions to these lists as the 2011 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, head coaches, and selected national media are eligible to vote for the awards. The Maxwell and Bednarik Awards are members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association's official website, ncfaa.org.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association's 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the complete 2011 preseason watch list calendar:
Tues., July 5: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award
Wed., July 6: Biletnikoff Award/Mackey Award
Thurs., July 7: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Fri., July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy
Mon., July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Tues., July 12: Rotary Lombardi Award
Wed., July 13: Rimington Trophy
Thurs., July 14: Butkus Award
Fri., July 15: Davey O'Brien Award/Doak Walker Award
Mon., July 18: Walter Camp Award
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Post by elp525 on Jul 6, 2011 5:02:52 GMT -5
Wednesday July 6, 2011
by Mike Casazza Charleston Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Tyler Rader has known since just a few days after the Gold-Blue Game April 30 that he was going on scholarship at West Virginia. He's still not tired of hearing the congratulatory messages.
"Oh, no," he said. "That's still nice to hear. I've been here for almost five years now, so I like that. I don't want to say I like the publicity, but it is nice to hear.
"And I still tell myself every day that for now, it's nice, but come camp it doesn't mean anything."
The fifth-year senior from Nitro High has at least earned the opportunity to enjoy the admiration. He's been through a redshirt year, an ACL injury, weight gain and weight loss, and position changes. He's now a right guard and will begin camp next month as the starter.
He understands this is more of a beginning than a conclusion, but given everything he's overcome, what's next qualifies as a welcome relief.
"Right now, I feel really good about everything," Rader said.
"My confidence level is really high, but it's like my dad always tells me: It means nothing. It means I earned a scholarship, but I've got a starting job to earn now."
He showed up in the summer of 2007 as an offensive lineman. After two days of preseason camp, he was moved to tight end. Destined to redshirt, he was asked to move to the defensive line to play the scout team defense.
Rader teamed with Julian Miller and Josh Taylor to give Ryan Stanchek, Greg Isdaner, Mike Dent, Jake Figner and Selvish Capers all sorts of trouble.
"We gave them everything they could handle," Rader said. "We had a great line that year, but I'd like to think we had a little to do with it."
In the next spring, he was the first-string tight end and down about 40 pounds to 245. He ended spring practice as the starter, but was bumped to the backup spot once Tyler Urban showed up that summer for his freshman year.
Rader hung around as a walk-on and figured he'd put in the needed work to get on scholarship at the end of the spring. He never made it, though, and blew out his left knee during a scrimmage.
"That was my low point," he said. "I really thought I could get a scholarship after the spring and I was having a pretty good spring until I tore my knee up.
"Then I didn't go on that year and it was pretty rough for me, but my parents picked me up out of the dumps and told me everything would work out and everything happens for a reason. They were right."
Rader was healthy enough to play during the season, but was too big to play tight end. He was moved back to the offensive line and then started to eat his way into shape.
"I blew up pretty fast," he said. "Once I knew I was back to the offensive line for good, I started going to the Chinese buffet a lot. I got up to about 305 pounds, but I've lost it now. I'm 292 and feeling really good."
Rader played in just three games last season, but made the most of the fresh start provided by the coaching change in the past spring practice. Eric Jobe's graduation opened a spot at right guard and Rader took control of the competition.
"Right place, right time," Rader said. "This system is what I ran in high school, so I feel pretty comfortable."
A few days after the spring game, Dana Holgorsen met with Rader for exit interviews and told him he was getting a scholarship. Rader texted offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh to say thanks and then called his parents to tell them the news.
"They were ecstatic," Rader said. "They didn't know what to say. My mom was yelling into the phone and my dad had to tell her to calm down. But it was great. I was waiting to make that phone call for four years."
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