2009.03.19
UVa Insider, The Column
By DOUG DOUGHTY
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In trying to collect my thoughts after watching Virginia’s pro timing day, here’s the first thing that came to mind:
There was a lot of talent on a 2008 UVa team that finished 5-7.
First, you’ve got the five players who participated in the NFL Combine. They were offensive guard Eugene Monroe, outside linebacker Clint Sintim, running back Cedric Peerman, wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and tight end John Phillips.
(I first typed “senior talent,” but then I realized that Ogletree was a redshirt junior who decided to pass up his final season of college eligibility).
In any case, the five NFL Combine participants were not among those tested for vertical leap, 225-pound repetitions in the bench press or 40-yard dash.
Five 2008 UVa seniors went through all the tests. They were inside linebackers Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, safety Byron Glaspy, defensive end Alex Field and wide receiver Maurice Covington.
Also on hand were former Cavaliers Kevin McCabe and Andrew Pearman, as well as William and Mary quarterback Jake Phillips, brother of the UVa tight end.
McCabe, a quarterback, transferred to California University of Pennsylvania following his May 2008 UVa graduation and led his new team to the Division II title game. Pearman, younger brother of former UVa star Alvin Pearman, played in parts of two seasons for UVa after transferring from the University of Hawaii.
The most impressive exhibition I saw was when Covington, listed at 6 foot 4 and 225 pounds, showcased his 40-inch vertical leap. Next best was Glaspy at 34 inches, followed by Copper at 32 inches.
When I told Copper that I was never aware of his leaping ability, he informed that his father had been a basketball player (at the old Natural Bridge High School, if I’m not mistaken).
Appleby did the most bench-press repetitions, 24, at 225 pounds. That was followed by Field at 23 and Copper, who kept clanging the bar against the rack, with 21.
Copper told me that he was clocked at 4.7 and 4.9 in his two attempts at the 40, but the pro scouts in attendance weren’t eager to share their clockings with me. When I attempted to look over the shoulder of a scout, the person who was administering the timed trials told me to back off.
What’s funny is that I was going to bring a stopwatch, but, when I went down to the basement to look for one, all I could find was a lightning detector. I actually put the lightning detector in the car and, for a while, it looked like it might come in handy Thursday.
It didn’t seem as if there were as many scouts at the tryouts as there had been the previous year, when UVa defensive end Chris Long was the No. 2 player chosen overall, but sports information director Jim Daves told me that 28 were represented Thursday – everybody but Seattle, Tennessee and Arizona.
All the players took part in some kind of position drills, headed by Monroe, who almost certainly will be taken in the top half of the first round.
MONROE WOULD BECOME the third UVa offensive lineman taken in the first round since 2006, following in the footsteps of D’Brickashaw Ferguson (New York Jets) and Branden Albert (Kansas City).
(Albert, incidentally, was one of the onlookers Thursday).
In any case, Monroe’s selection would emphasize the point that another Thursday spectator, UVa head coach, Al Groh, was making.
We were talking about Groh’s son, Mike, who served as offensive coordinator for three seasons before he was let go following the 2008 season. Al Groh said that new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon had observed after watching film that UVa’s schemes were sound but that the Cavaliers lacked explosiveness.
“He said we were efficient,” Groh said, “but efficiency doesn’t always translate into touchdowns. You need explosiveness.”
GROH SHARED SOME of his thoughts on the move of Andrew Devlin, who played tight end last season as a redshirt freshman but will be spending the spring at defensive end.
“He grew out of tight end,” Groh said. “He weighs 267 now and will be 275 before you know it.”
Groh doesn’t know who will play the defensive end spot vacated by Field, “but we didn’t move Devlin not to play him,” he said.
Groh has lost an average of 5 games-a-year for his 8 years here.
Is he a poor recruiter? UVa never has recruiting classes rated near the very top of the ACC.
Or is he a good recruiter who is too conservative to get the most out of his talent? Judging from the hype his players get as far as their NFL-related publicity goes, it seems that he has plenty of players in the NFL.
It seems to me that he's in the middle. He's an average recruiter who gets an average amount of performance out of the players he has.
So he's done an average job at UVa.
ZZZzzzzzzzzz!!!!
Comment by Nelson — March 19, 2009 @ 11:43 pm
In defense of Al Groh, Littlepage shoulders a lot of the blame for our football program as well as recruiting. We will never have the team that everyone wants due to the demands for academic excellence. We all know that the best players in the country are not the most intelectual and unless we lower the standards, other schools like Tech, FSU, & others will continue to get the best ball players. You can't have it both ways. Al Groh could win at FSU, Tech and schools like UT.
Comment by Bob Leasure — March 20, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
Copper is one of my favorite UVa players. We need more players like him, even if they have to come here as walk-ons! Great guy and a good player!
Comment by Nelson — March 20, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
Bob: I don't think I can speak to the matter of academic standards in football specifically and singularily but I think it's the attitude that prevails in the UVA athletic program overall and I reject it completely. Virginia is going to need to quit making excuses for the failures of their major programs singing the "academic standards" song. Too many schools win both on and off the playing fields. It can be done but my take is that neither the administration, students, or alum really care about it enough.
"We are UVA and we are better that the rest of the world". Keep thinking that way and just keep the record of failure going. The ACC has some extrodinarily fine academic schools...including UVA...but the others also tend to have winning athletic programs. It can be done if you want it badly enough.
Comment by Al — March 27, 2009 @ 8:50 pm
Al, cosider Wake Forest.They have 3600 students, very high academic standards, and their administration, students,alum, and community CARE about them. We would have the same at UVa when we develope a winning tradition. Terry did a fine job in B-Ball, George in Football, and the fans were high on the teams.....Maybe the "higher ups" (alumni big hitters) need to prod our ADMINISTRATION for a little support of our athletic programs.
Comment by Eb — March 27, 2009 @ 11:42 pm
You hit on a key concept..."winning tradition". Winning is something that begins inside the head first. Virginia players and fans too in my view, play and watch just waiting for it all to fall apart. And their expectations are always realized. In a game, or a season. The greatest athletic underachievers on the planet as far as I'm concerned. As to Terry, well yes maybe the record stood taller but let's face it. With a player like Sampson he could not even win an ACC tournament championship. And just ask yourself if Ralphie would have went to a school like Duke or UNC, what do you think their record would have looked like while he was there? And maybe more importantly, how would Ralphie done once he turned pro? His pro career was a reflection of the UVA program. Great potential gone bust. Personally, I never liked DL but he is only a small part of the problem.
Comment by Al — March 28, 2009 @ 9:04 pm