BLACKSBURG -- There are 110 theater arts majors at Virginia Tech. Only one of them is also a varsity athlete.

So if Scott Spangler falls to the ground during Friday's NCAA semifinal, writhes in agony and points to a Wake Forest player, the rest of the Tech men's soccer team shouldn't get too worried.

He could just be acting.

"They've seen me act on the field sometimes when I get kicked," Spangler said with a laugh. "Sometimes they make fun of me for my screams."

Spangler, a fifth-year senior midfielder, will conclude his Tech soccer career at this weekend's College Cup in Cary, N.C. The four-year starter has been part of all four of the program's NCAA tournament teams.

Patty Raun, the head of Tech's Department of Theatre Arts and one of Spangler's former professors, said sports and acting both require focus, confidence, desire and self-discipline.

Theater arts at Tech involves not only acting but also such aspects of the business as directing and scenic design.

"It's really hard to balance [athletics and theater arts], and that's one of the things I respect the most about Scott," said Raun, who once directed Spangler in an August Wilson play in which he was an understudy. "The theater demands 18 hours a day a lot of the time, and I know athletics have the same demand. ... For him to be able to balance both of them is pretty remarkable.

"He's got a great sense of humor and he takes his work really seriously at the same time. He's got some real ability."

Spangler chose the major after enjoying an introductory acting class; Hokies quarterback Sean Glennon and linebacker Vince Hall were also in his class.

Spangler's mother, Joy Spangler, said the major was the perfect choice because of how funny and outgoing her son is. He will sing in the locker room, and he likes to tell funny stories to his teammates.

And when he mentions to them that he has to prepare for a scene or design lab, they really giggle.

"We get our laughs in," midfielder Charlie Campbell said.

Spangler grew up in suburban Philadelphia, in the town of Media. He was raised by his mother, maternal grandmother and aunt; he has his mother's last name. His father didn't become a part of his life until he was in the sixth grade; he said they now have a good relationship.

Spangler lived in his grandmother's three-bedroom house with his mother, grandmother, aunt, two siblings and three cousins he also considers siblings. They were two houses down from a bar, which brought a bad element to the neighborhood.

Steered into sports by his family so he wouldn't get into trouble, Spangler spent a lot of time on the soccer field at the park across the street. He wasn't the only soccer standout in his family. One of the cousins he lived with, Andre Spangler, went on to play for La Salle.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Spangler was attracted to Virginia Tech because the team already had a black player from his high school, Harold Russell. Spangler reaped a partial scholarship, which was upgraded to full this year.

He has played midfielder, defender and forward this season. The co-captain is tied for third on the Hokies (14-3-5) with five assists, including one in the second-round win over California, and has also scored a goal.

Spangler has become indispensable because of his defensive talents, said coach Oliver Weiss.

"He's been the glue ever since he came here," Weiss said. "He's got a little bit of a swagger, but never cocky. ... From the leadership point of view, ... he is what this team embraces and needs."

"Everyone looks up to him on and off the field," Campbell said.

As a freshman, Spangler helped the 2003 Hokies advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time. But Joy Spangler said her son, who has Attention Deficit Disorder, had a difficult freshman year.

"His first semester, I think Scotty called me every single day," she said. "The high school he went to, ... the teachers liked him; they always gave him the extra help he needed. ... When you get to college, there's nobody there to hold your hand, and he was scared he wasn't going to be able to do it.

"He's very bright. ... Orally, he learns very well; it's just [a problem] when it comes down to putting it down on paper and explaining it."

Spangler was academically ineligible for the 2004 season, which he blames on a lack of maturity as a freshman. The 2004 season was the only year in his time at Tech that the Hokies did not go to the NCAA tournament.

He also was academically ineligible for the first half of last season. He said he finished a course early so he could gain the credits he needed to become eligible for the second half of that season.

Weiss isn't the only member of his family who has had a role in Spangler's life. His wife, Peggy, a learning specialist, has worked with Spangler since joining the athletic department two years ago.

"How wise she is, her input in life, ... it rubs off on anybody who knows her," Spangler said. "She's amazing. I have no words to describe how important she is."

Peggy Weiss helps athletes with organizational and study skills.

"It's been rewarding to watch the growth and change [in Spangler]," she said. "He's learned what he has to do to be successful in the classroom."

Spangler is on track to graduate in May.

"He persevered," his mother said. "He's grown into quite a young man."

He might pursue acting as a career. He finds it challenging and competitive.

"It's so hard to get to perfection, you'll never get there," he said. "It's just like soccer -- you want to perfect your game."