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   Welcome to TSLMail #92 - Friday, August 15, 2003    
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   TechLocker.com Featured Items


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   Tech Sports News

Recent Updates on TechSideline.com
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

With the football season rapidly approaching, we have started updating TSL to get it ready for football season -- mainly, our Football Page. Here's a look at the things we have done to prepare:

2003 Roster -- we have posted the 2003 football roster. The roster even includes the true freshman who have been assigned numbers. (And yes, we know that #65 is duplicated by Brandon Frye and Carlton Powell.) Note that the heights and weights are taken from the roster on hokiesports.com and may not agree with heights and weights recently published on BeamerBall.com -- one notable exception is John Kinzer, who we listed at 6-2, 230, instead of the 6-5, 255 on hokiesports.com. The roster can be accessed from a couple of places on the Football Page.

Conference Links -- in the left-hand border of the Football Page, we have added links to the ACC's web site.

Lane Stadium Info -- in the left-hand border of the Football Page, we have added links to hokiesports.com's Fan Guide and Parking Info. Note that both links go to PDF files.

Television Info -- in the left-hand border of the Football Page, we have included updated links to college football broadcast schedules for ESPN/ESPN2 and ABC.

Temple Game Time -- Temple University has set the game time for the VT/Temple game at 1:00.  This is subject to change based on TV (a move to noon might happen for Big East television), but we have updated all of our schedules to show 1:00.


Hokies Up for National Awards

The early watch lists have been released for many college football awards, and here are the Hokies who are up for awards so far. Typically, there are about 35-40 players on these preseason watch lists, and they are narrowed down to a smaller list of semifinalists and finalists after the season starts:

DeAngelo Hall, Jim Thorpe Award -- The Thorpe Award goes to the top defensive back in the nation.

Bryan Randall, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award -- The O'Brien Award goes to the top QB.

Cols Colas and Nathaniel Adibi, Ted Hedricks Award -- The Hendricks Award goes to the top defensive end. This is the second year both have been nominated, and Adibi was a semifinalist last year.

Jake Grove, Rimington Trophy -- The Dave Rimington Trophy is handed out to the top center in the nation. Grove's addition to the watch list was announced early today.


Your Five Key Players
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

Who are your five key players on the VT football team this year? Who are the five guys, that if they are lost to injury, would hurt the most? Here are my five:

FB Doug Easlick: The Hokies don't have an experienced or capable backup fullback at this point, and Easlick is a very good blocker and receiver.

WR Ernest Wilford: Wilford is head and shoulders above the rest of the receivers right now.

C Jake Grove: Grove is one of the top players in the country at his position and is the foundation of the offensive line. Not only that, but he's a team leader.

OT Jimmy Martin: The Hokies are thin at offensive tackle, and Martin will probably be their best, so they need him on the field.

FS Jimmy Williams: Tech is deep at most positions on defense, but Williams has the potential to be a real difference maker. With his talent, he might make a play this year that means the difference between winning and losing, so he needs to be on the field. His backup, Mike Daniels, is solid, but Williams could be really special.

Who are your five? Let us know on the TechSideline.com message board.


This Week in Recruiting

by Chris Horne

Fork Union Prep center Ryan Shuman, son of Fork Union Post Grad head coach John Shuman, likes Virginia Tech and Toledo, followed closely by UVA and UNC. He has received scholarship offers from the Hokies and Toledo, with UVA and UNC showing serious interest. Shuman is a gritty competitor likely to end up at center on the next level.

Deptford (NJ) linebacker/fullback Michael Green is up to six offers. UNC, VT, Temple, Indiana, Illinois, and Maryland have offered. Green is looking forward to September 1st - the date when colleges can resume calling recruits. Virginia Tech likes him as a fullback.

Ahmad Bradshaw has added offers from West Virginia and Maryland to his Virginia offer. The Graham (Bluefield, VA) star is a physical player who could play cornerback, running back, or wide receiver in college. His favorite position, however, is safety. Bradshaw is open but wants to decide sometime during his senior season. The Hokies have been sending letters, however have not offered a scholarship.

Lake Taylor’s defense was one of the best last season, and linebacker Purnell Sturdivant was a big part of it. The athletic, hard-hitting prospect is receiving heavy interest from many D-I programs including offers from Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Penn State, Syracuse, and Clemson. Sturdivant says he would like to leave the state, however mentioned a top four of NC State, Tennessee, Penn State, and Virginia Tech.

Outstanding Conestoga Valley quarterback Jordan Steffy lists a top-five of Maryland, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Clemson, and Syracuse. He has set an official visit to Michigan State for November 2. Steffy, who is one of Virginia Tech’s top targets as a dual-threat quarterback, hopes to decide by mid-season.

Virginia Tech has offered John I Leonard (Greenacres, FL) wide receiver Hilton Pitts. Pitts, who is big (6-3 215) and fast (4.5 forty), also holds offers from Iowa State and Cincinnati. The Hokies are also in on John I Leonard RB/DB Damian Sims, who just recently transferred.

Westlake (Waldorf, MD) speedster Jared Fagan likes Virginia Tech and Boston College, with the Hokies having the edge right now per his head coach Dominic Zaccarelli. A track star, Fagan has been timed at 10.42 in the 100 meters.

A decision could come soon for Westfield QB Sean Glennon. He will likely decide between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech before the end of August.

For updates and information on all these players and more, subscribe to TechSideline Pass. Information on how to subscribe follows.


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(Monthly and Quarterly options also available)

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As an additional bonus, all subscribers will receive a 10% discount on all purchases made at Techlocker.com, our online store providing Hokie-related apparel and gift items. If that's not enough, you should know that your subscription will help support your favorite website, TechSideline.com.

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here. To give TSL Pass as a gift (one-year subscriptions only), click here.

-- Will Stewart

   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week


2003 Football Preview: Defensive Backs
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 8/15/03, 12:10 am
The defensive backs are the biggest bright spot on the defense heading into the 2003 football season. The Hokies are experienced, talented and deep at cornerback, Michael Crawford returns at Rover, and at free safety, Jimmy Williams is creating a tremendous amount of buzz. Times are good for DB coach Lorenzo Ward.
in TSL Pass

Football Update
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 8/13/03, 3:20 pm
One week into fall football practice, here's a look at how the Hokies, including their freshmen, are doing.
in News and Notes

Jim Alderson's Big East Preview
by Jim Alderson, 8/12/03, 2:10 pm
The season inches closer. As Hokies everywhere continue to revel in ACC mania, there remains one final year of tangling with the Big East teams not named Miami. Tech’s Big East Farewell Tour will commence with the Hokies picked third by conference media. I don’t particularly care for that prediction, justified as it may be by recent performance, so I have decided to make my own. These conference predictions are guaranteed to be correct unless they are not.
in TSL Pass

Crossroads
by Jeff Ouellet, 8/11/03, 1:55 pm
In the career of virtually every student-athlete, there comes a point at which the athletic wheat gets separated from the chaff, so to speak. For some, that moment occurs as soon as they get on campus, as they either lack the natural ability, or in some cases the attitude, necessary to succeed.
in TSL Pass


 
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