Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Long's journey comes to an end
Aaron McFarling
Recent columns
Every handoff Tiki Barber took at Virginia, we took it with him. We danced with him through the holes, around tacklers and into the end zone.
Every time Matt Schaub dropped back to pass in a Virginia uniform, our eyes followed. You can still see it now, can't you? The way he stood tall in the pocket, scanning the defense, then uncoiled that NFL arm?
Chris Long is every bit the star these two were. But think about it: how many images will you actually remember?
Too often, defensive linemen get lost in the scrum at the line of scrimmage. The only evidence of their existence comes right at the last, when a hand pops up and knocks down a pass or a body shoots through and wrestles a quarterback to the ground.
Often, that hand or that body belongs to Long, but we only confirm it on the replay. We miss the important stuff in between. We miss the journey.
After today, Long will be off to make NFL millions. But for one more afternoon, he's in a UVa uniform as the Cavaliers take on Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl.
So do yourself a favor: Watch him.
Study the way he engages the blocker at the point of attack. Appreciate the methods he uses to fight through a double team.
See a sack develop from snap to stick -- provided there are any sacks.
And that's the key to today's game. As much as the Red Raiders throw the ball, more than any team in the nation, they've been aces at protecting the quarterback. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell leads the country in total offense and passing yards but has been sacked only 15 times this season, the third-lowest sack rate per passing attempt in Division I-A.
This is part protection, part schematics. Texas Tech features an offensive line that averages 331 pounds and a quick-strike spread offense. The three-step drops by Harrell don't allow for much disruption in the backfield.
But if anyone can find a way, it's Long. And Virginia needs him to be super today.
UVa's defensive secondary was already the most suspect part of an otherwise outstanding defense. Concerns increased last week when starting cornerback Chris Cook was ruled ineligible for the game. That leaves the coverage duties to Ras-I Dowling and Vic Hall, with two freshmen and a walk-on backing them up.
It's fitting, then, that the final game of Long's career will provide him with one of his greatest challenges. Already he's posted 14 sacks this season, an enormous total in UVa's 3-4 system. It was enough to earn him unanimous All-America honors and round-trip tickets to award ceremonies throughout December.
Coach Al Groh has repeatedly said that Long's best attribute is his relentlessness. We'll see it today, whether he's clawing toward the quarterback or trying to chase down a receiver from behind.
Enjoy it. Because while there will be plenty of years to appreciate Long -- he's projected a lock for the first round in the April NFL Draft -- the opportunity to appreciate him as a Cavalier is fleeting. And even he knows it.
"It hits you," Long said. "It's an emotional time. It really hits you when you get on the bus, when you hear the guys talk after practice. For me it was just 'thank you,' thanking all my teammates, thanking everybody all around. Thank, thank, thank."
Thank the stars that we have another shot to watch him play. So growl with him as he drops into a three-point stance. Celebrate with him when he makes a tackle. Win or lose, watch him work.
Give yourself one last chance to remember.
