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Virginia Tech football practice to stay physical despite spate of injuries
Hokies practice has resembled a triage unit but coach Frank Beamer doesn't plan to change his approach as the Hokies prepare for No. 1 Alabama in less than two weeks.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
BLACKSBURG — After J.C. Coleman sprained two ankles that will keep him out a couple of weeks and Tony Gregory re-tore an ACL that will end his season, Virginia Tech running backs coach Shane Beamer could only joke about the injury prevention methods he’ll use to preserve likely starter Trey Edmunds.
“We’re going to get him a full body armor outfit to wear from this building to his apartment every night,” he said after a defensive-dominated scrimmage at Lane Stadium Saturday.
Tech’s bad run of injuries this month is no laughing matter, however. The Hokies found out Thursday that they lost outside linebacker Ronny Vandyke (shoulder) and Gregory for the year, offensive lineman Mark Shuman (knee) for 4-6 weeks and Coleman (ankles) for possibly two weeks.
Add in cornerback Antone Exum’s continuing recovery from offseason knee surgery for an ACL tear and bone fracture plus nagging injuries to several starters and Hokies practice has resembled a triage unit lately.
Head coach Frank Beamer’s goal has been to instill a tough mentality by having one of the more physical training camps in his time in Blacksburg. Despite the injuries, he doesn’t plan to change his approach as the Hokies prepare for No. 1 Alabama in less than two weeks.
“You’re concerned about it, but I think we’ve just got to keep going and doing what we plan on doing,” Frank said. “You’ve got to do it to be in the best position you can be for Alabama. And going easy is not the answer, I can tell you that. That’s not a choice.”
Beamer said Tech simply must go about finding replacements for the injured.
“Really, the test of the team is how you overcome those injuries,” he said. Walk-ons Josh Trimble and Derek DiNardo both moved up the depth chart at whip linebacker to replace Vandyke. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster said Trimble has shown he can make plays as a special teams gunner and called DiNardo “as solid as the day is long,” adding that there are things the defense can do from a coverage standpoint to protect those two.
Trimble, a 6-foot, 216-pound sophomore from Ashburn, made 13 tackles last year on special teams, second on the team to standout gunner Alonzo Tweedy.
What was Vandyke’s advice to him for transitioning to the regular defense?
“If you do your role, then the defense will work out,” Trimble said. “Try not to make every play. You don’t have to. You’ve just got to play the way the defense is set up.”
DiNardo, a 6-foot, 216-pound sophomore from Cox High in Virginia Beach, has bounced around positions at Tech, playing tight end, safety and both inside and outside linebacker. Even if he doesn’t get many reps on the defense, he should on special teams. He blocked a punt in Saturday’s scrimmage.
Foster has an ace in the hole if his options at whip aren’t working: Kendall Fuller. The freshman cornerback, who replaces the whip linebacker in Tech’s nickel formation, continues to draw rave reviews.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a guy as sharp mentally,” Foster said. “He’s a tell-him-once guy.”
On the offensive line, freshman Wyatt Teller asked if he could move from defense to offensive tackle to give the team more options at a thin position. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder played on both sides of the ball at Liberty High in Bealeton but was expected to be a defensive tackle in college (and still hasn’t ruled it out).
“The first thought that came to my mind was, ‘Can I do this?’ and ‘Can this help out the team?’” Teller said. “It’s a whole different ballgame.”
He took third-team reps at left tackle Saturday, hoping to eventually be another option behind junior Laurence Gibson and freshmen Jonathan McLaughlin, Augie Conte and Parker Osterloh. Teller’s move doesn’t appear to be for an emergency situation only, either.
“I think we’ll try to get him ready to play as quickly as possible,” Frank Beamer said.
The Hokies are being a little more cautious at running back. They were encouraged that Coleman was out of his protective walking boot Saturday, even though he didn’t practice. Shane Beamer remained optimistic he’d be ready for the Alabama game.
With Joel Caleb suspended for the opener and Gregory’s career over, Tech moved Chris Mangus back to running back after a brief stint at receiver. He got seven carries Saturday, running for 17 yards. Edmunds got only one carry.
“We didn’t want him, Joel or Chris in there with anybody but the first-team offensive line,” Shane said, protecting his few remaining options at tailback. “Just to keep them healthy.”
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THE ROANOKE TIMES
