Countdown to ACC Kickoff, No. 16: Cody Journell
The ACC Kickoff (aka media days) is fast approaching. I’ll be using the blog to count down to what we media members consider the unofficial start of the football season. This isn’t a list of the 25 best players on Virginia Tech’s roster. It’s a list of 25 things/people that will determine whether the Hokies’ 2012 season is a success or not. That includes players and coaches from both Virginia Tech and, occasionally, a few of its opponents.
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No. 16: Cody Journell, junior kicker
He’s still technically suspended after last December’s arrest on a breaking and entering charge, which was pleaded down this spring to misdemeanor trespassing and 100 hours of community service. But it seems likely that Cody Journell will be back on the team come fall after last year’s mistakes.
Athletic director Jim Weaver, who is in charge of the reinstatement process, said he’ll meet with Journell monthly over the summer to see how his community service is going. If it’s any indicator, Frank Beamer‘s personal website still lists Journell as being one of the football players in class for the second summer session, even though he’s not on the online roster.
Regardless of what you think about Journell’s possible return, his presence would be a boost to the Hokies’ kicking game. Strong-legged Justin Myer served the team well in an interim capacity in the Sugar Bowl, going 4-for-5 but missing a crucial kick in overtime, a rough way to finish but still a performance that exceeded expectations for the career kickoff specialist.
He’s gone, leaving plenty of question marks at the position. Conor Goulding had perhaps the best spring, although he doesn’t have the strongest leg. Punter Michael Branthover, who was a standout kicker in high school, is a candidate, as is true freshman preferred walk-on Brooks Abbott, a U.S. Army All-American who arrived for summer school this month and could be in the mix come August.
But Journell was a proven commodity last year, earning an All-ACC honorable mention. He went 14-for-17 on field goals, making his last 10. His last miss, in fact, was in September. There is a reason he was the first true place-kicker out of high school to earn a scholarship at Virginia Tech since Shayne Graham in 1996.
Beamer likes reliability out of his kickers. Journell provided that … on the field, at least. And while it would seem a bit high on this list to put a kicker, so many football games are decided by the smallest of margins, that a single kick could be the difference (Michigan 23, Virginia Tech 20, for instance).
It’s no lock that Journell gets back on the team or even back in the coaches’ good graces, but if he’s back and if he’s playing, he could be a difference-maker on special teams.
Coming Saturday: They’re some big boys.
Previous entries:
- No. 25: Randall Dunn, senior tight end
- No. 24: Donaldven Manning, freshman cornerback
- No. 23: Pick a punter
- No. 22: J.C. Coleman, freshman running back
- No. 21: Georgia Tech’s option offense
- No. 20: Antoine and Derrick Hopkins, defensive tackles
- No. 19: EJ Manuel, Florida State quarterback
- No. 18: Bud Foster, defensive coordinator
- No. 17: A fourth wide receiver
July 6, 2012 - 9:21 AM
I wish the kid well and I know there are many who think he is a terrific fellow.
But it is sooo hard to fix STUPID.
I don;t know if the incident was just a “kid thing” or the sign or true dumb.
I’m not going to revisit the Decision for the umpteenth time, so I’ll just comment on what I think about the kicking game. I feel Beamer ought to simply focus on the kickers he have, and make plan to use one of them. I truly feel that Journell would be better served transferred elsewhere and have a fresh start.
I’m sure Beamer is well aware of a cloud of controversy will hover Journell if he is fully reinstated to the team. If Journell does make it back on the team, I’ll just hope he is better as a young man than as a player because that’s the more important part than being another Hokies player.
There is no player that is above the team. Cody Journell clearly made a decision to be stupid and I’m amazed that Beamer would even entertain Journell on the roster. If Journell is on the team, everything that Frank Beamer stands for is garbage.
Trevor, I could not agree more. But he will be back. Seen it to many times before.
Journell will return to the team, because Beamer needs him for special teams, and Beamer knows his special teams play is weak in every component, whether he admits it publicly or not.
If he does his service and gets his act together, he deserves to be reinstated. College age kids sometimes make bad decisions. Even adults make bad decisions and do worse than he did, and get their lives back.
I wish he wouldn’t be back, but I’m sure he will. So proud of my alma mater.
Also, this type of thing doesn’t fall into the “boys will be boys” category.
Coaches “prostitute” themselves out like this all the time, if there were someone on the roster that was better than the suspended kicker, then it wouldn’t be and issue, but looking like they don’t, he will be back. With the AD incharge of reinstatement, it takes a lot of the pressure off of the HFC…
VT needs to cut its ties with this kid. Both Tech and kid need to move on. If this staff okays his return then it will non other become another black eye for VT athletics. God knows this program has had its share of them.
Good move coach….just goes to show you can do whatever you want and there wont be any real consequences. I am embarrassed for my school.