Nick Acree undergoes MRI, Der’Woun Greene switches positions and an assortment of Monday notes
The Hokies’ light scrimmage Sunday was closed to the media, so we won’t have a chance to ask Frank Beamer about what he thought of the 36-play workout for youngsters until after tonight’s practice.
Virginia Tech’s athletic site freshman walk-on receiver Charley Meyer, quarterback Mark Leal and running back J.C. Coleman all looked good. We’ll see what the coaches have to say later.
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Until then, here are a few odds and ends …
** Backup tackle Nick Acree suffered a left knee injury that was serious enough to require an MRI. The redshirt sophomore hasn’t done a whole lot in his Hokies career other than in the weight room, but Beamer’s website made it sound like he had turned a corner in the first few practices. Virginia Tech will know more about the injury later today probably.
** Left guard David Wang was in a green, no-contact jersey for Sunday’s scrimmage after spraining his ankle Saturday. Odds are he probably would not have played much anyway (the scrimmage was for younger players to show their stuff), but Tech apparently did not want to take any chances.
There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury. Matt Arkema worked with the first team in his place. You wonder if it’s serious if Caleb Farris would work at the left guard spot too. He established himself as the top backup on the interior line last spring but has worked at center and right guard so far. Another thing we’ll try to get an update on later today.
** Receiver D.J. Coles and linebacker Tariq Edwards were in blue for the scrimmage again. We’ve covered Edwards’ situation quite a bit on the blog here. Coles’ injury is the same one he had a couple years ago. It wasn’t serious enough to get surgery then, but he re-tore his PCL in the ACC championship game last year. He thinks he’ll be ready for Georgia Tech, though. “If I’m still on the pace I’m at right now, I should be available,” he said to reporters Saturday. “When the time gets here, we’ll see what happens.”
** Other jerseys of note during the scrimmage: freshman kicker Brooks Abbott (hip), defensive end Justin Taylor (unknown), cornerback Donaldven Manning (unknown) and freshman tackle Adam Taraschke (hamstring) were in blue as well. VT said its daily injury report for Sunday listed 14 hamstring issues.
** Freshman Der’Woun Greene from Portsmouth has moved from wide receiver to cornerback. That probably is a good indication of how the coaches feel about their depth at both positions right now. A two-way player at Woodrow Wilson who dabbled in a bit of everything, Greene was a two-time All-Eastern District choice at defensive back, so he might be stronger on that side of the ball anyway.
** Not a fan of the whiteout helmets? You’re not alone. Quarterback Logan Thomas tweeted his thoughts on them today: “Our whiteout helmets are so ugly.”
August 13, 2012 - 9:41 AM
If Thomas feel that way about the helmet, why don’t the players tell the equipment manager they would rather wear a retro helmet instead of something that would attract the attention of kindergarten kids?
My guess is it’s out of their jurisdiction. It’s a marketing thing. They don’t say no to Nike very often. And with good reason. ($$$)
Yeah, money talks these days. Doesn’t mean it don’t have to make the football team look juvenile with that cartoony bird tracks. If that’s the case, then perhaps fans should show up with turkey feet and mini bells attached to it, and shake them on 3rd down. That will intimidate Bowling Green, for sure!
The new helmets look pretty lame to put it mildly. Why would you ever want to take VT off the helmet?
Does Nike have say on the helmets? Or is that more a Riddell thing?
Are these the only 2 alternate helmets that you’ve heard about for this season?
Sorry, I meant, Austin Peay.
Dude! $$$$$ dictating something in college sports? Say it ain’t so!
Even if it is so at least they don’t have to make us a luaghing stock with those %%$%#%% turkey feet.
Trevor, it is simple, no matter how big you are (Logan), or how little the equipment manager is (Lester Karlin) – you don’t cross Lester! Truth be known, he is the most powerful person in the football program . . . . with the players. He doles out the goodies. If Lester isn’t happy with you, you aren’t getting those nice gloves you thought you were entitled to. He runs a tight ship!
Those might be the uglist helments I have ever seen. I just hope they look and play better then the helments look that day.
hokie24, Riddell is the helmet supplier, but I’m sure Nike has a say in all the logos. That’s an aesthetic thing.
As to the quote unquote Turkey tracks is that one turkey or 2 arrows pointing in a lost yards. direction
Thanks Andy. Yeah I’m sure Nike has input on the graphics, I was more wondering how much of that input on graphics that Riddell also had. Riddell is selling mini-helmets decorated with the turkey tracks, not Nike.
The white-out helmets get auctioned after the game for a children’s charity, Herma’s Readers, too… right?
I’ve definitely seen better, but it’s still a design that’s unique to VT, so I can deal with it.
I’m not worried about the helmets, I’m worried about why we have 14 hamstring injuries this early in the season. I know from the time I played (50 yrs ago) and now they have developed training to strengthen the hamstring. We didn’t have that many hamstring injuries and all we did was stretch. Tech is coming up with injuries that make me question their training methods.
I noticed that too, Tom L. In addition to your comments about proper stretching and strengthening exercises, would you think it’s possible that something as simple as a cleat/shoe change or choice could be affecting this as well?
That helmet is just plain but ugly,, I can see it now.. the Hokies wearing this chicken track on the helmet and Austin Peay has that decal ( you see it on pick ups) of the kid peeing on theirs with the Hokie bird getting peed on…Now that would be a helmet…!!!!
1 point awarded to ‘proof reader’ @ 15 for creativity……from the Russian judge no less.