Post by cviller on Sept 7, 2007 11:09:00 GMT -5
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN — There is one place Adam Bednarik probably never imagined himself playing when he arrived at West Virginia five years ago.
Well, actually there are a lot of places, including the main one at which he’s working now as a fifth-year senior — wide receiver. But that isn’t really much of a stretch.
His other role, though, is. Two years removed from being West Virginia’s starting quarterback, Bednarik has worked his way onto special teams, specifically the Mountaineers’ kickoff return.
That’s right. When the Mountaineers line up to receive their first kickoff of the game Saturday, out on the field will be a diverse assortment of speedy little returners, bullish blockers and a few sure-handed front-liners.
And a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback and wide receiver in Bednarik.
“I haven’t played special teams since I was a junior in high school,’’ Bednarik said. “And I never expected to again.’’
Yet there he is, lost and all but forgotten as the No. 3 quarterback, fighting to carve himself a niche at wide receiver and just trying to do whatever he can to get onto the field for his last season of college football.
And apparently doing it pretty well. Every week during the season, West Virginia’s coaches give a “black shirt” award to the special teams unit that most distinguished itself the week before. The members wear black practice jerseys the next week.
And there was Bednarik this week with a black shirt. After all those years of taking shots as a quarterback, he is finally giving out a few himself.
“It’s definitely fun, guys running down full speed at you,’’ Bednarik said. “To be able to unload on them and to try to get a knockdown yourself, it’s interesting.’’
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said he doesn’t remember if he’s ever had a quarterback who played special teams while he was still working as a quarterback.
“Charles Hales might have played some,’’ Rodriguez said. “But we’ve never had three quarterbacks like we have now. You have to do something to get them in the game. He’s a good athlete.’’
In West Virginia’s basic kick return scheme, there are five players on the front line, three on the second line, two forward receivers and one deep man. Bednarik is on the second line.
“We basically only have one kickoff return in now and it’s just a normal wedge,’’ Bednarik said. “I’m on the second line with Owen Schmitt and Trippe Hale and we just form a wedge among the three of us and pick up the first man we see.’’
And how did his first foray into special teams go last Saturday against Western Michigan?
“I actually got one good shot on one guy coming down on the edge right on our sideline,’’ Bednarik said. “I knocked him out of bounds and got a pretty good shot. That felt pretty good.’’
Of course, playing with the acknowledged king of delivering shots, Schmitt, means Bednarik has a pretty good critic right beside him. The fullback-tight end seems to find it a bit amusing that on a unit like that, he is playing beside a quarterback.
“It’s fun playing next to a quarterback,’’ Schmitt said. “We actually had a blowup in the game and he, well, he helped a little bit.’’
How long Bednarik remains on the kickoff return team probably depends — in addition to his performance, of course — upon whether he is needed at quarterback and how he progresses at wide receiver.
“But he’s an athlete,’’ Schmitt said. “He can do everything.’’
To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734.