HIST 401: Offensive Greats Carved in Hokie Stone

0:56 Welcome back to the boundary Corner podcast. As you know, I am Curtis Wilson and along with my partner, Brad Siegel, what's up? How you doing, buddy? All dude, living the life, man. Having a cold one, there you go there, you know, enjoying some little down time with the kids. We were playing Sonic and Mario at the Winter Olympic Games. You go day. Yeah, dude, we don't have the switch but we have We and those games are so fun with kids about, you know, wide and Jack's age and our kids age, and just had a blast doing with that over the weekend, man.

1:38 Did a fancy take out, we, we did take out from toast off. Three Chinese food. You went up to him, we would Baby back ribs. I'll definitely do it and then just too because it's been a long week for Mama and Daddy.

2:31 Jalapeno Margaritas, there you go. Delicious. So yeah. Pretty awesome. And some good weather played out with the kids, but Brian you sent me some pics, I guess being cooped up in the house for close to 30 days. You just had to get out, uh, look a little pilgrimage with the family took a day off from work. You know, I'm working from home, but I took a day off for Mexico, moved. Be plugged into my computer for a day. So we're like, you know, we've driven around Mechanicsville, went to the cable battlefields and just kind of got out of the house a little bit. A few times we were like let's change it up. Lets you know take a three-hour trip to Blacksburg walk around, walk around Lane, walk around the drill field, walk around the duck pond you know, get some fresh air but in a in the The mecca as it is. So, you know, we took the trip those. My son's first time and in Blacksburg you get a hit a ball. So it was a good time.

3:36 Awesome. And I know you told me that the one weird thing was, especially, you know, me and you'd be in undergrads going to Tech and, you know, seeing our friends, the drill field. You. Every time you walk by, your Camp is always a ton of people out there. You told me like the area Spain was was when you went by there. And it was yeah, the go to the drill field. Phil and seeing like 30 people and like ten of those were, you know, like the guardian crew working on the mulching and Mowing and stuff like that. I was like, oh, this is a little little odd. Little, I'm not used to this like the most people, there were actually I think seniors from the 2020 class coming back to take senior portraits around campus.

4:18 Nice, where do you hope your house? Get the hell away by? No, yes sir. Got a burger 81. A one Burger, can't go wrong. Cannot go wrong with that man. Well it sounds like we both ate very well this weekend and you definitely had an adventure and you know it's crazy things going on but we're still we're still looking at alive, still living our lives. Like he said, we we kept social distance for everybody but we just felt like we needed to change the scenery for a little bit. So Blacksburg was hey dude with one Kids, you know, I wouldn't even dare attempt that because it would be like a bomb going off at some point driving down 81 on the way back or they're so good for you, too.

5:07 Good for you. All right, so man, we have had a lot of things. Kind of been going down in the Hokie Nation this week on man. I'm going to start off straight out with you Bryan Justice. Reed committing yes sir. The big boy, the big boy rumored for a while. All he was the top transfer player in the country by most defensive end he played at Youngstown State. Last year, got 12 and a half sacks in the SES level guy had a crazy journey. I know you've just kind of reading up on him, we knew who he was but getting more details. The two major injuries early in his career when he was down in Florida, just started to for that.

5:51 Be granted that tells you right there. The level of caliber player that he is that your You don't get her started to play defense of Florida for nothing. Exactly. And he got that rare seventh year of Eligibility and will be for the Hokies you know, tells a lot about what? Potentially tapped her on the Justin Hammer looking for in defensive end 63 to 70. This is matching the trend you, this is matching. The trend we've seen with longer and bigger defensive ends, but also guys that have speed can get off the edge. So it looks like we're moving away as per some of those Quick Gap, hitters and more of these big long guys they can get around the edge but also are long and can get separation for the running game as well. So yeah, I had a chance to look a little bit of this tape from Youngstown.

6:42 So you know what you're seeing as I've already said already. I mean, we're talking about a long and fast player but he's a seasoned player. He's got multiple pass rush moves he can speed rush, you can rip, he can swim he's got a Spin Hill bulrush. He's got the dumb enough size and strength to bull rush here. So I'll be I like what I'm seeing from him. He uses his hands. Well knocks down lyman's hands and pass for pass rush. He does a great job of bringing his hands and creating separation from Lyman when he's trying to shed the Block in the running game. The thing I like to see is he looks like he's a smart player to, which is important. I think so. You know, when there's a tackle pulling, he read that quickly got into hip-hop.

7:26 Pocket took the path to the running back as you stated, I mean he had two major injuries early in his career. So I mean there's always going to be a potential Health question mark just because of the that history. But I mean I like what I see because like I said, he trusts his eyes and with his reads and he does a really good job of making plays in the, in the pass game. But also he's going to guess the Russia's, well, he doesn't doesn't get eaten by blocks so that's important. Absolutely. Do you feel that you feel? He's weeks out our strong side. Just looking at the tape in. Is it going to be? Is it going to be him with Belmar him with gar? But how do you feel if when we roll out Liberty you know five months from now who's who is, is he opposite of someone? Or she rotating him I think he's going to be opposite, Garbutt. I think Belmar is going to be the odd man out in this case, in terms of the first two out there. Now I think you're still Gonna get heavy doses of Belmar but I think really is really good as kind of take over that role and make it his own and Belmar is probably going to come in there either as in a spell role or just to kind of switch up the looks.

8:37 Okay. And like I said we've got some other guys coming into that are that are younger that might be pushing for some of this time as well but in terms of the first three guys out there, I think you're going to see reading garbett and then Belmar is going to be the guy that's working in. Nice. All right. Well you know is as nice as that was a few days before that. We got one on the outside then we got one on the inside big Pious. Martin out of Jacksonville, Arkansas, degree tackle, 63 318 pounds number three, ranked recruit in that state. Number 27, defensive tackle in the country at three star in potentially, I think this kids going to make it to a four-star before he signs that line because of what Did at the 24/7 combine where he got one of the, all combine team honors Braun. You looked at some of this tape.

9:32 What is it, what's, what's the impressive part? And what can we look to probably clean up a little bit? The big thing is, he's got a quick first step for a guy, his size. He's, he gets in the whole shoots, the Gap with quickness. He's going to give a lot of people, a lot of problems, just because of that combination of quickness and size. That's going to be a big, big problem for centers and guards to handle. So I like that about him. He doesn't give a lot of ground, he's double team from what I can see on tape. He does have a couple areas where I'd like to see him and prove with his senior year particularly playing lower.

10:13 Its, you know, it's common for a guy that big with that size and frame, you know, bending at the hips and staying low. So he'll need to work on that hip flexibility and just a keep Lower center of gravity and I'd like to see your maybe uses arms and hands better to create separation in the running game. But he does a really good job of just getting in the Gap and creating havoc and redirecting the running back and making the quarterback have to make a decision because he can't step up nice and Brian. It's telling us more and more as we look at how we recruited defensive tackle. I mean, we've said this in some episodes before we're trying to get big. Yeah, and it's One of those things where when I hear you say some of that stuff and how we're recruiting linebackers. And you know, you take a look at like will Johnson is probably going to pay their whipper outside linebacker. He's a smaller guy, probably going to play somewhere around to 15 to 20 but it's almost like well the goal isn't like the gaps anymore.

11:09 The goal is we're going to clog and it's almost going to be where it used to be spilled. Two lanes it's going to be no we want to spill out there that's going to specific Lanes anymore. We're spilling outside because we're going to be so big up front. That's the gold. So it's great to see man. Let's move on dude. I sent you the article. I know you've read it, we're on the verge of potential free agency in football and basketball at the Collegiate level, the one-time weight, transfer waiver. It looks like that on for 20, for the NCAA is going to have the meeting according to Kindle Rogers at D1 base. If all.com with the vote probably happening in, May the rule in general, just grants a one-time. No, sit out for every sport.

12:03 Brian, give me just a, from a guy who played collegiately, you know, you've had friends that played a levels guys, you coached. What's your take? The just this in general, just in general. What do you think it is? I mean, I think we saw this coming when we started with the transfer portal and we started with a little More of a loosening of that in terms of player flexibility, this is, this is just taking this a step further with not penalizing a kid for wanting to transfer before their, they obtain their degree from whatever their initial institution is or unless there's a coach or, you know, if they get a waiver, whether a coach leaves, or there's a medical situation or whatever it is, you know, this kind of takes those waivers out of play for a lot of these kids because now, you know, as long as it's within within grounds, they can go ahead and make them. Move.

12:53 Now, for some players that might still be in their interest to still try to go, the waiver route, if they would apply just because it gives them flexibility in the future to use their one time the one time, you know, down the road, if they so desire, but I think it's good for players in terms of Institutions. I think in the short term, it's probably beneficial to us because now we don't have to sit and wait, mrs. Hester weather-ready, blacks year is going to be eligible for the 2020 season because y'all know I hate this kid up since I heard that he was coming to play for the Hokies so that, that will take some of that suspense out of the game. Like, we had with Brock last year, waiting and waiting, and then getting bad news and then waiting for the appeal and then getting more bad news.

13:42 So, That'll that'll take a lot of that out of it. Especially last year. Brock was a big, a big kid and we were excited to get him on the field. I think just like that, this year, we're excited to get Graham last year on the field and see what he can do. So not having to jump through those Hoops is going to be nice long term, you know? I'm not sure, I think as a fan base, we've had positive and negative responses to how the transfer portal is has treated the Hokies, I think. Year. One was rough. I think you're too. Has been better other than the potential miscommunication with what you fou said.

14:23 After, whether whether the guys that were, there could come back. But outside of that, I think year to is went a lot better. So we'll see what the future holds, but I think in the short term, it's a win for us and long term. We'll see. I mean everybody else is Is going to be impacted that. So it's all going to be kind of a trickle down in a trickle up, depending on, you know, where these guys are and where they're trying to head to see now. So I think where we are currently in the pecking order of, you know, NCAA football, I think it's beneficial either way for us because, you know, you think about some of the guys, we go after five-star, we miss on the high fours that go to Ohio, state, Alabama.

15:04 Well, they're probably still going to be going there but now those Almost half the out to say, wait a second. I don't like it here. Well, these guys sold me. They promised the, the Mercedes-Benz and oh yeah. Yeah, they're nothing. Like they acted on the road, man. I hate this, but it's also gone. Also open up doors for guys, slightly lower than us. Your two stars who are at a lower school, who said, I'm not getting the looks well. You know what? We got the ACC, we have great fan base as we Oil. So it's almost like, could we go start pecking? Those kids, I do think we need to get the recruiting department growing for this simple reason. You got to have a couple guys kind of to me looking at okay. Who are some of these smaller guys who probably if it would benefit from coming to a power 5 school? Who have power Five Guys who were sold the Mercedes but given the pinto who's not happy with their situation. And I think we're in that spot right now. We're kind of beneficial because we're in that, you know, 20 to 30 range where we're competing but we're not getting you know, 10 5 Stars every year.

16:18 So I like the way it shapes up for the Hokies. Now talked to me in two or three years, I could be like that. Yeah, these kids just transfer your whatever, I'm with you on all. But with you on one thing Because I think from a just a prestige level of our school, we're in a really good spot because we're not quite at the Blue Blood. Big dog era. But we've still got enough cloud and for Katie's where once guys are here, they kind of want to stay here. They're not looking to jump up. So I mean there's there's going to be a couple maybe here or there but that's going to be few and far between. Tween.

17:00 So we're looking at. Maybe you guys want to step down a little bit because they're not seeing the playing time because they're behind 2 or 3 5 Star guys, that Bama or Florida or Clemson is recruited. And then, you know, like you said, you know, guys like justice read that maybe were journeyman or had some situations that cause them to play at a lower level looking at step up as they close things out. So I definitely think it can benefit us well in both directions. I'm just hoping that, you know, we Only end up with a situation where guys come to play forest for two years. Look pretty good and all of a sudden jump to a to a big dog. So we'll see how that goes. Well, that's true. But you also got to think with the big dogs, you know, they're always getting the five-star so if you you know your attack and you're doing well I want to go to state.

17:49 Well dude, do you realize, you know, that's that's eleven five stars coming in for at your physician and we're not trying to say much but sometimes if the certain guys there they get a little differentiated with treatment. Some don't some do it's going to be a special case and with that I don't think that's going to be. Yeah, be widespread just because there's just from a Blueblood perspective, I don't think there's gonna be a lot of offers for that level of talent that late in the cycle because they're going to want to see how their recruiting class shakes out before they start looking at some of these transfers where as we're kind of building those transfers into our recruiting cycle, I go a little bit more because it helps us fill out our roster a little bit better. Absolutely.

18:35 All right, Brian, my name is Oleg, wrote an article in the Roanoke Times concerning behind Willis, and the Duke game. And you texted me and said, you have something to say, I have some feelings about this feeling feeling, so, do we need to go ahead and put the E on this up? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. All right. So this whole thing with, With I was injured but I was battling through it and I was trying to make myself, you know, there for the team, but I'll probably end up hurting the team. Is pretty much bullshit because At that point, he knew if he didn't play in that game, he was good while he picked and he didn't want to get while he pimped.

19:24 So that's what happened. That's the long and short of it. Anything else is kind of bullshit. All due respect to Willis in this case. But that's, that's a, that's an explanation. After the fact that wasn't into me. That wasn't the situation. We were drowning a little bit before Duke, we were definitely drowning after dude, and he was worried about getting Wild. And he did, he did, unfortunately, for us freaking Duke happened and it makes me angry as a fan when I read that article. Because remember, that was, that was about yeah. Going to that game. It freaking, we walk out of Furman and we know he's hurt significantly and then gets to start that kidding. It's not one week of practice.

20:10 He gets two full weeks of practice to and where it really irritates me as a fan is. Is you make the point of being Wally pipp? That is what it is, but you don't sacrifice your team like he did. Well, yeah, that's why. That's why it hurt me and hurt. The, the article her be worried it came off older than than that like I was trying to fight through this for the team. Like know you were trying to fight through this. So you didn't get while Egypt, you were trying to keep your job and it's you it wasn't like this was a minor ailment if you had a shoulder injury and you have a significant foot injury knowing that part of our offense are off some of these Zone reads where you got to shoot together you get Take off, you didn't look right in that game. So I know people feel like need you and a few people texted me but it just irritates me because if you take the projection of our season we're two and one going into that game you give him in those two weeks.

20:59 He showed the Miami game he was ready. He goes to probably the Duke game and I know we got our asses smack that night. I know we did but I think that games completely different because you saw the next week with a confidence. Those guys play with hooker we probably win that game in the seasons of different story. Virginia game doesn't matter because we were in the coastal regardless, what happens there? So it irritates me from a hindsight fan perspective because you know, we talked about that was an honor 1020. Yeah, that wasn't honor 10. When Team without Ron Willis, we don't lose BC. We don't lose Duke and maybe it's hinders development. We don't lose UVA. Yeah.

21:41 So. All right, I'm going to end my rant Aaron in with something, but, hey, this guy, Got the reply from the coach, what it further, what you mean? What if we throw at you? So first of all, I think one of foods, like maybe his jokey pieces is if he sees a famous artist he will like you saw the prince Drake thing, right? Yeah. So there's a picture of Angus Young and anyone that knows hard rock music. You know, Angus Young. What what is he tweet out? That's Axl Rose right with the like, what the goo Fe emoji on the inside. I just hit up and I said, hey, coach Appetite for Destruction or use your illusion and he pops back like, two minutes later Appetite for Destruction.

22:27 But I always try to whistle patients. Boom in and patience is a great song, The whistling, it is tough. I do. Wonder if Axl Rose did that with one take but it was just like if again it's a different side of our coach, he's popping answering people and it was just kind of cool to see that I've got the Pain. So yeah, like, yeah, and appetite is as you know, from being a jack, malar, Miss Guns, and Roses fan. I'm a huge one as well. That is that, that is the best album cover to cover their. Oh, yeah. And I mean, what I love about that album is that it's the top selling debut album of all time and for the first eight months, no one paid any attention.

23:13 No one paid any attention but then they went on tour with Aerosmith and all of a sudden then album sales started climbing it's like oh okay this I need to buy that album. Okay so literally favorite cut from the album man mr. Brown stone. Yeah, you we put in drunken conversation, you always say that. I'm always Paradise City. I don't know why, probably, because of the road, I lived on as a, as a kid and, you know, just just stuck with me. All right.

23:55 So folks, we've been kind of typing it up this week. We are having a two-part series of the Hokey Mount Rushmore this week. We are starting with the offense. It's we did ourselves a favor made it a little bit easier by starting with the offense. Yes, if not, we would still be in delegation changer, probably discussing the offense but we will I will say this. The four guys you here today for me and Brian. These are unanimous. Yes, I think we had a slight different order, but these are the four guys, but we want to give some love to the honorable mentions.

24:37 One of my honorable mentions did not make the list. Jump on great offensive, lime and All-American and FL. And you know, I get it, I get it. But you know, I want at least throw that out there. Jim was right there on the cusp for me. He did not make the top four now, Bryan with you, I believe both of yours or here, right? Yeah. Both of yours. Oh yeah. Alright, so the modern world, both of them made honor amended all the to that. I had honorable mention are both in the honorable mention category for us. So we had we decided we wanted to have two, honorable mentions and my two were were five and six and Curtis has, I think we're with five and seven or six and seven.

25:26 So yes, I'm like that. Exactly. Yes. So let's start it. The first honorable mention main that man, that shares my last name, mr. David Wilson bamboo Danville, Virginia, George Washington, High School arrivals our Rivals. Exactly guys, you played against, I didn't play against David, but you played against some good guys there, Kenny Lewis! Another holy Louis! Another hooky! Exactly! But the one thing I always kind of wood, stuck out to me, with David, and one of our best friends coach, Robbie Compton show of him, but he gambled, shout-out Campbell and got to see David. Up close and personal as he was coaching the defensive line at Halifax and man, he talked about all these how fast he was. And don't get me wrong, David was fast, I think it was like a 441 and if you if you remember how David was built, David wasn't some skinny guy.

26:31 David was what right 5 11 and a half like to 10 and it was muscle to run as fast as he could. But dude what always got me and We've discussed this before and always goes that Clemson ACC Championship game in one of those runs what he went to the right kind of went back in a guy called him, and dude, he's on one leg. Continuing to move forward. And that balance? Yes, man. Oh my God. It was just like, he should have lost 15 yards. He gained like eight because he kept his balance. And then when he finally got a second foot down and took off towards the corner, should have went to the ET freaks thing and just watch that again. But you know I can still ingrained in my mind that run. What about what do you think about David? Yeah I mean you mentioned it the balance. I mean there were several runs throughout his career where like I had him by the shoulder pads, maybe a foot off the ground but he's still got leg drive and he's dragging this guy. I'm like, how are you still moving forward with the guy literally, pulling your shoulder pads to the ground? It was just It was amazing.

27:41 And then all the, all the clutch kick returns that he had, man. I mean, the guy just has that rate. Carry Your Vision on those kickoffs man. I mean, probably, as good as we've ever had doing that since I can remember. And just being a likable guy. I mean, do with your lips and just, you're looking, like always got a smile on his face. Everything he's doing I mean you never saw the guy without a smile. So I think mean career numbers aside I mean we're talking career numbers of 2662 yards, rushing 363 receiving and 23 touchdowns. But I mean just what he did that kind of carrying that team especially in the the 2011 season but also with two NFL talents and still being able to break out in 2009 and 2010 as well.

28:37 So yeah and I mean in 2011 he won't ACC player the Year was first team ACC you mentioned the career rushing he holds the Virginia Tech you know single season rushing that year with 1709 and the kickoff returns. You mentioned 1324 yard which is crazy. But 2010 when he was the primary backup in 2010, well the primary backups 26 and a half yards per kick return. That's insane. That's literally insane. That's like saying, hey Hey even in today's age to we're all just let it go in the end zone but you know, don't worry about it. Let it go.

29:17 You better be careful kicking it to the end zone because he can bring it out. And then he went on, you know, first-round pick of the Giants. Unfortunately, that neck injury, you know, stopped his career. But you know what? Even through that, he never quit smiling. He never quit, being a happy guy. I got a chance. I think it was 14. Yeah, 14 was a year like he played 12 and 13 in the neck injury having 14, but he was up at Tech right there in the Hokie Village. Next, Lane Stadium out there talking to people had a chance and just just so happy, just so engaging such a great man. Now Brian, your guy, we've helped them up on our last episodes.

29:58 I want to give him a lot more height this week so honorable mention number two, Lee Suggs, One half of The Untouchables, I'm going to call him touchdown machines. Oh God. Yeah, why do you say that his two thousand year? Because score, 27 touchdowns. Yeah, that means he's averaging two touchdowns a game. So let's take you back to the. Let's take you back to the beginning. So William flame high school sophomore year, he was a defensive end and backup running back. Starter goes down first Carry 70-yard touchdown. So there was birth, the least the Lee Suggs myth. I've been chewin last episode he truck my boy Jesse Rogers on his way to the endzone.

30:54 He did when Halifax played Fleming People were at the 1998, vhs-c a All-Star game. People were mentioning his name right next to Ronald, Curry and Michael Vick. So restive, this, this was not a not somebody that to be fooled around with even in high school, you know, saw some spots I'm garbage time in the writing 1999 but Juggernaut in 2000, he just mentioned 27, touchdowns 1,200 yards rushing It's pretty much the whole 2001 season, he played in the one game that injured, but then right back at it, especially with, with KJ in there, The Untouchables. Yeah, thousand to Thirty one thousand, three hundred, twenty-five yards and another 22 touchdowns, while splitting carries with arguably one of the best running backs in the school history.

31:49 So, Lee was a beast man. And then he gets drafted in the fourth round. The Browns, he plays the like bleep late six or seven years. Pretty successful Lee was really was awesome man. And, you know, like you spent in last time, Lee ran was so much power but he had the sneaky speed. Yeah you would just think Lee. Just going to hit me and then he like turned on the Jets and it's like oh God I wasn't prepared to get hit and now he's up the field, he had a high A gear that you didn't see when he was running between the tackles once he got past the linebacker level, all of a sudden, oh, oh, he's got that gear.

32:29 Okay. Well, see you later touchdown. Good night and y'all say this, you're lucky I missed bleah because he was 02. My first game was 03 but still remember Lee running on the TV man. So all right. So folks we're here where we are at the for we are at the More Rushmore poke offense and Brian. I see here, you've wrote down, you're giving me the honor, you have the honor, sir. Well the honor and I don't think anyone will question this. The first man, that would be on this. It would be Michael Vick.

33:11 I don't think there's a question. There's no dispute there. All right, Michael Vick and all these do this, I just feel like for people that might be younger, listen to this, Michael Vick. What News, Virginia Warwick High School. This is the guy who put Virginia Tech in the upper echelon of college football, there is no doubt about it. 95, we had the Sugar Bowl, there was an Ascension, we were considered a top 25 team, what Michael Vick did in 1999, put us at a level that I think we, as fans strive to get back to. Here's 22 and one, as a starter, Brian will go my Epitaph now. Here we go. 1 for 2. In 1.

33:51 He lost to probably one of the greatest college football teams of all time, in for state. That's his only loss ever ever, and in my heart in my heart and my mind and my soul. If he's playing in that 2000, Miami game in which we went to war with them. Yep, we win that game. We go play Oklahoma for the national title. That is the way I feel grief grief and also he changed the game of college football. Because for anybody, for the first time you saw my Michael Vick. And it whether it be the flick, and I mean that little just and it would just start out or when he started running man, when he started running, you got it. It wasn't you set back and relaxed you got right on the edge of your seats.

34:34 And I was watching the third quarter of the national championship game on acc Network the other night and Gary Danielson who a lot of people pick on because you know, Gary's older. Now he makes some some goofy statements but he made a perfect summation of what Michael Vick is. Michael Vick is Holy Grail of cubies for this next century and I kind of sat there, and I thought about that as I heard it, and he's right, if you take a look, I want you to take a look at the four guys who were in the finals of the NFL, this year. Okay, thanks got that Jimmy Garoppolo you ever seen Jimmy's throated they have too little snap. It's a snap Jimmy's athletic to Mahomes with the big gun but an athlete Lamar Lamar wasn't there this year, excuse me, but Lamar's one of them 10 Anna Hill.

35:21 Who's an athletic Guy? This is this, this is what happened. He literally changed the position and I'm gonna get to his accolades after I throw it over to you. But as BT fans, we know how good he was. And when you in that game in Morgantown, man, I still can remember it. I can still visualize it, but that team was down. It was, it was over there, probably everybody in the country felt like, Cute story but it's over and what he did there and that run down the side line is he's going in those Defenders. Like we've got leverage on him and do what he turned it into Jets went on and he went another 25 yards up field to get in range for Shane G field gold its lore if that's cool. Absolutely.

36:14 And then watching the third quarter the other night did you speechless because yes, Yes. Kendrick had the runs. But when he ran those options that one option touchdown, dude. Those guys weren't worried about. Andre Kendrick and Andre kisses, good player in his writings of e.t. player did. You can see they were coming off and everybody's like what's it going to do pitch touchdown and then they're like oh we gotta remember the other guys here, cut him kicking yours at the field in a flick. Sorry. But you gotta think about one of the best teams ever. Took it as their role to shut down. Michael Vick. And they couldn't do it. They couldn't do that without.

36:54 That's what it was. I mean, they went, they went into that game saying, we have to shut down, Michael Vick and they still cannot do it. Now, they won the game but they didn't stop bike. And I mean, we talked about the the miracle Morgantown. I think of that run and I think of the Beastie run because the PC run it advises everything that Michael Vick could do as an athlete. And everything kind of, you know, it encapsulated his abilities and kind of how he played the game you know you had to drop back, you had the Escape ability in the backfield there, you had the get to the edge and then all of a sudden you had the acceleration where they think they still got it, but they don't, then there's the broken tackles and he cuts back to the middle of the field and then one guy left.

37:40 I don't put on the spin cycle. Make this a little flashy. Absolutely touchdown. And then some of those passes over the top to Andre Davis this in. We saw it early. And I think the one that epitomizes him, most and this is his Pro game at pasta. DeSean Jackson against the skins for like he literally threw that ball. 76 yards on the fly. Yeah, and it was, it wasn't. He got into it if you remember that it was like a little step flick. He had settled in at the 5-yard line and then just took a big step in flow. Get. It was crazy and it's just like, I remember doing that time Terry. Davis, like, where Andre Gets behind the defense is like oh Mike's going to put that on the money without a without a question, just good. A good arm quarterback would have had to like Crow Hop once or twice to get the ball that far. Knock Mike, man, freak of nature. Um, just to run down some of his, the accolades, third and Heisman voting.

38:39 He should have won if the dead gum committee wasn't so staunch as they were conservative. Yeah it's took eight years later for a freshman to finally win. Mike deserve that trophy they. Ron Dayne should literally drive to Newport News just like leave it at Mike's Door and say it's yours do because for real it should have been he was the Big East player 9 E9 long with the Rookie of the Year. Another insane, stat, Rhonda. Don't you think about how college football was 21 years ago? He was, he led the, he led the nation in passing efficiency? That's still third all time. Do you think about 20 years ago, you could press you can hit quarterbacks? He still third all-time 21 years later when the game has significantly changed to more Airaid Concepts, where it's guys are getting crazy stats.

39:32 Yeah, I mean, I know they're throwing more with their also throwing more high percentage passes in with a lot more wide. Open lanes. Exactly Archie Griffin award that year, which is the NCAA MVP first pick in the draft numbers. Again, they weren't mine. Bowling, thirty two, hundred yards. Passing 21 touchdowns 1,200 yards, rushing 17, touchdowns the numbers aren't spectacular but is hokey fans like us who have been fans for years. We were running to 70% of the time with the elite or Kendricks or some of those other was stiff was on those teams to. Well I mean, look at, look at 2000 we just mentioned earlier, I mean, 26th and 27th but how he opened everything up is, why that year number seven offense in the country.

40:21 Again, a peak we desperately if we ever got back to with, you know, some of the defensive talents, it would have been over. So number one of one slap it on the wall, boom, Mike Vick, I brown. Well, I'm going with with, what I know here for, for our second, not rough, more recipient here, and it's going to be Jake Grove. Oh, yeah. J.Crew, Robes thinner, Jefferson Forest, High School, product grew up on a cattle farm outside of Lynchburg in Bedford County. We were taught, we talked about the lunch pail with the defense, but if there's a offensive player that epitomize lunch pail, it was this guy, we got two offers coming out of high school, Virginia Tech, VMI, This was an undersized player coming out of high school and went on to be the one of the best centers that we've ever had.

41:24 Remington Trophy winner in 2003, first-team all-big, East unanimous, All-American, five years in a row, super iron hokey. This is a guy that again came in undersized and then broke the center record for power clean and Year One. So this is the type of ball in that I'm talking about, I mean, and another thing, when you talk about centers standing out to players and then sent to fans, usually it's for the wrong reasons. Usually, it's because they missed the line check or they missed the block or something like that. Bad snaps, Jake, Grove is a center that stood out for good reasons. He was great at calling protections. He was great at the Justin for blitzes. And he was a guy that was nicknamed, dirty and earned that title from time to time.

42:11 Time because he was willing to take you to the ground and you got to like somebody that has that dog in them and is willing to do what he needs to do to win. Do what he needs to do for his team and do what he needs to do for himself? He was drafted, second round by the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and the Hokies retired his number in 2006. So, this is an all-time guy here. And like I said, from a lunch pail perspective, this is as good as it gets, on the offensive side of the ball in my And I'm agreeing with you and you said so much about it. And again, there's not a lot of stats for Sinners but Jake anchored, those lines in those years, at Virginia Tech, you know, 2002-2003, especially, especially 2003 to the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame.

42:59 Drafted played six years, got banged up and didn't play as long, but if you make the point, he he is one of those offensive guys who had the lunch pail mentality. He was one of those guys would have the old statement was gentrified, right? Yeah. Sighs coming out in high school and he grew into a mountain of a man. And you know, again, we kind of look back in those offensive lines were really, really good back in the early 2000s with the guy like Grove and in Jake's. Now, I think Jake's just living back in forest and coaching at Jefferson for us. Because what else is there more to do with a guy like that? And I'd love.

43:43 He's one of those guys that I'm sure you'd love to meet ya. You love to me just as an offense. Absolutely, to talk, just talk shop with him in. You know, in I think I put him at ye how I want to say. I put Jake it to you but have been to, I think I put him in three. Okay, so there we go. Yeah. So, but just because he was that good and You know, you could argue say maybe maybe maybe the best center in college football history. I'm sure they can be arguments about that, but when you win the Remington, you're definitely on the elite level.

44:24 You put your name in the conversation especially when you block for guys, going out there and getting that many touchdowns rushing to wrong, and, you know, winning those unanimous. The unanimous All-American is the big thing for me on top of the Remington is that, you know, that that Stu accolades side by side, when you put them together and says a lot. Oh, 100%. And you talk about being unanimous and when you hear unanimous, I think what they're there for All-American poles for 5:30. There's a few out there. He was 11 every single one. That's impressive. That's impressive.

45:06 All right. All right buddy. I will throw this next. We'll meet you, man, so I know this is near and dear to your heart. Absolutely. I'm gonna let you take it away and see, where we go from here. Yeah, that well that 2003 year, when he was open and holes, he was opening holes for one, Kevin Jones annexed on the Hokey Mount Rushmore, you know, Springfield Pennsylvania, Cardinal O'Hara. Man, you know, last episode, y'all know, the emotion with Kevin Jones. Me first touching, I never saw on Lane stadium was Kevin, but Kevin was the one one of the 2001 screwing class the 11.

45:49 Yep, nobody higher than and he was the US Army player the year. We know about that game, we see it every year as we get into January, to December. So he was there Player of the Year and and dude, Kevin Jones. One's lived Pub to everything. He was billed as everything. Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's one of those things where, if people ever question, hey, you know, Top guys, can't go to Tech and succeed. Bullshit, not only did he succeed, he went over the top, you know, I sit here and I think about it. Brian you mentioned that Rutgers Ron, and I had to go back and see it.

46:34 So I did and man that run is all encompassing of what he was as a player. He was that short side run in the blocks, didn't materialize, he stopped went back. 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the next thing, you know, he's starting to run away from guys and then yeah down there and Rutgers thought they had in leveraged. He made it look like he was going to go out. He just talked about it last time that cut, he did that quick cut left. Burners gone touchdown and, you know, Kevin and you hear stories about Kevin, you see, Kevin zeese, uh, successful guy. Now he just seems like the nicest guy in but And just how he how he played.

47:24 Brian. Can I can, I can I just ask a question? I love, I love email. I love some of those guys from 2014. Dude, what if he was honored for? Yeah, it's true. It's true. But what mean, you saw him in person like God, did I think in the future? We're going to talk about the O 40 min more more depth so we'll get to love. Sure, we'll get to that a little later. Sounds well, but Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely no to bend that have been kind of the the icing on the cake there. Yeah. And career-wise, you know, 30 475 yards 35 TD's with only one season as the primary starter and that was 03.

48:06 He was backing up li the first two years and then he split time in 2002-2003, the big year, 1600, 47 yards, you know, 21 touchdown, which led the NCAA 5.9, / Rush, consensus All-American, second all-time leading rusher, in Tech, History, third, and single season, third and single game with 241. That's just an insane number. Whoo, first round draft pick by the lines and I stated before if he doesn't get that limbs Frank injury, which caused some other injuries, I really do believe. He would have been considered one of the best running backs of that era of football and, you know, twenty five and seven, man point seven, seven and yeah, well, Kevin just love Kevin and he is the to me, he is the best running back in Virginia Tech History.

49:16 Yeah, I mean there's so much you can say about Kevin. I mean, you said it and I made a point on the last last time we were talking about our first trip saline in the records room. He said, that's what I kind of really, kind of everything Hammer home for me was just watching, you know, Kevin Jones and Lisa was just completely tear up a field going for 350 yards, rushing combined, I mean, that's, that's something I didn't know that could happen in real life at that point. So it was just, it was so cool to see and You know, Kevin was always, he can make the big play but he also can make the good play and I think that that was probably one thing that was maybe underrated about him. Is that he knew he could hit the home run. But he was out there.

49:57 Getting those tough yards to you didn't see it as much because we got a lot of those tough yards early on him in the run. But, you know, three was out there. Getting those tough yards on his own to and I mean, he could do it, he was really an all-purpose back. That also had, you know, that that home run potential. Lutely, man. All right, so let's go to the final Stone. We have carved out on the hooky Mount Rushmore. This is yours big guy. This is mine, and it might be a little controversial, even though it was Mutual between both of us to put him up here. It was, it was Mutual. So in our last slot here, we're giving it to Tyrod Taylor five-star out of Hampton.

50:41 Number one, dual-threat quarterback in the country. Number three overall Court. Like a country came to us. It came down to Virginia Tech in Florida, and he came to Virginia, Tech piggybacking off what Curtis said, that's kind of him. And Kevin Jones are kind of the two times. We've gotten those really big time five-star guys that really had no other affiliation with Virginia Tech other than one to be a part of it. Some some of what I'm going to tell here, is the sad story. I just got to tell the sad story so we can get to Nebraska and we can get to T10. So the sad story is that, you know, we probably should have had a neither 08 or 07 some sort of red shirt year for this guy and we didn't you shouldn't play burned his Redshirt against LSU, why?

51:38 Sorry wrong. Yeah, yeah. Burn to the is Richard against LSU burned it again sophomore year against East. See you, because we wanted to chase 10 wins and meeting more offense before we started conference play. So, you know, we get to a situation where I think, in a lot of ways, we hamstrung his development, not only by burning those shirts, but by putting him in a timeshare once we did burn those shirts so that gets me to Sean Glennon. I feel like once we put him in over Shawn, we should have kept him in. I know he had a couple high ankle sprains they call Sean to get back in there but as soon as tie rod was ready to go he should have went full bore and I split time, I know he had that bad game against Duke where he threw five had five turnovers stick with your man. Anyway that gets us to 2009 the 2009. What went down significant for Tyrod? Taylor was turnovers You know, what happened? Wins went up and we also had, it's not quite as spectacular as the miracle in Morgantown, but it was tie rods miracle in Morgantown the drive against Nebraska, the miracle in Blacksburg.

52:57 Yes, sir. And I'm gonna, I'm gonna hold up for you. Any further did not see that live was at a wedding but my phone went insane sitting there at that reception table, man. I mean, so we get the, we get the long pass up, the sideline to set everything up and then tie rod dancing in the backfield. When's he going to throw it? Clock's. Ticking down clock and Dominican to breathing down his neck. Yes, sir. Su is coming. Dyrell Roberts. What's up? My man touchdown. There we go. It's okay. And what did Bill Ross? Say he did it. Just didn't see it live but called all the replays. But man, it just that, that was, that was kind of the thing that started turning the tide there.

53:50 And I think and then 2010 really put all the pieces together as a full full quarterback for us. I mean, he had 2007 and 43 yards passing 24 touchdowns, only five picks, another 659 yards, rushing and five touchdowns career numbers. 7,000 17 yards, forty four, touchdowns 2196 rushing, another 24 touchdowns, huh? I mean, the guy could do it all. He could run, he could pass the thing. You know, he came in as a dual threat. But the thing, a lot of people talked about throughout his career Virginia Tech and even in the prose is that he was a running quarterback that looked a past first.

54:32 Even when he got out of the pocket, his eyes were downfield. He was looking to make the, make the right play, not just the play, that was athletic. He was Going to go out there and be a hero every play and he played with them the game despite his athleticism. So I think that's the thing that's underrated about him. And we've seen that even more in the NFL with him, being able to protect the ball, the way he does and how ball security is Paramount for him. Speaking of the NFL 6, round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens and projected starter for the Chargers going into next season. Absolutely. And remember, he was the guy that took Buffalo back to the play. Laughs. Yeah, broad Taylor did that and tie rods, you know, he's a start early, he's been a leak. It's tough to think.

55:17 He doesn't like 10 years now, and he could tell he's, I think tie rods probably going to play another five or six years because he is that consonant backup, who is a professional, who helps the younger guys, but who listen to the older? Guys? Like you with Philip, like he didn't complain anything about that. You just saw him. Just go work and help the team out as much as I can. And you talked about something. That did make tie rod great was, he was looking to pass now. He broke one off like member of that run against FSU at Lane where they were just, you could just tell that was like, the will breaker. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. But I go to the Stanford game in the Orange Bowl. He goes down the left. Sideline the scramble drill and he could have ran it probably got 10 yards. In been closed, it in make it closer for the first time but he kept looking at past and David Wilson broke in out and tie rods.

56:11 Like, did that little spin move? And when he came back around, he fired it. And hit David right in the chest for a touchdown because he was wanted to be a quarterback. And like he said, no ties came in successful, has all the accolades. And just mean, tie rod was Kind of the guy that we got to see after we graduated. So we weren't always out, partying the night before sleeping. All part of the game during the day, but he was professional. And I've got a number 5 Jersey. That's my jersey. I'm not one of these people that buy a ton of jerseys, but when I came across that I said, I got to have it. I love tie rod as a player.

56:56 He's also one of those guys trying that I'm sitting here. If you're talking about the 04 season we might have to do Do the whole what if this guy comes back in 2011, with David Wilson, Danny Coale Jarrett Boykin and the potential Logan Thomas at tight end. Hmm, we might have another episode in the bag there man. Man, the the national champion that could have been there's like two or three of those and we can really talk about we lost two games that year. We lost two games, there about the Clemson, and there was a guy that was quarterback in Clemson at that time. That if we had done it right, would have been our backup.

57:37 That's another time for another day. As we wrap up our poke Mount Rushmore of Michael Vick. Jake probe, Kevin Jones and Tyrod Taylor. We're tweeting out, give us your Mount Rushmore of Hopi, offensive players. And I want to see some names because these guys are the guys that encapsulated our generation. Now I look back, Carol, Dale, Cyrus, Lawrence, couple other guys, too, but these this is our Cookies Mount Rushmore. So but give us. Yours, is there somebody we miss? Is there somebody that you feel is more deserving Brian walled City, In here doing this on a Tuesday night.

58:25 Have we missed anything in the twittersphere any commitments? Any top tens, while we loosen, all the winds up? Nothing that's worth mentioning in the podcast, buddy. Nothing that's worth mentioning in the podcast, will maybe tweak some stuff out later, but I think we're good to go at this point. Awesome bud. Awesome. Well, that wraps up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast, my name is Curtis Wilson, I'm Brian Sigler. As always we let Jason Long, play us out, catch him on Spotify and apple music. We thank you for listening and as always let's go. Okay. Wow.