FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Virginia Tech's No. 1 businessman has one serious meeting left to conduct in his college football career.

If the Hokies' "X-man" has his way, fifth-ranked Tech will cross out No. 8 Kansas during Thursday night's Orange Bowl.

"I'm trying to enjoy the time here," Hokies senior linebacker Xavier Adibi said Monday. "But this game right now is everything to me and everything to a lot of players on this team, especially the seniors. This win would send us off just right."

When it comes to taking care of business, Adibi is Tech's resident "Fortune 500" guy.

"Xavier is a real laid-back guy off the field, but once he steps on that green grass he's all business," quarterback Sean Glennon said. "That's one thing I've noticed and respected about him. A lot of guys take football seriously, but they still kind of goof off or whatever.

"But when he's on the field, he's strictly business. When he's in the weight room, he's strictly business. Anything to do with football, I don't see too many people outworking him."

Take last summer. Coming off a junior season in which he was a second-team All-ACC selection, Adibi could have chosen to stand on a pat hand. This guy doesn't operate that way, though. Instead, he all but took up residence in Tech's weight room, busily bulking up his 6-foot-2 frame from 219 to 236 pounds. The added muscle, parlayed with his already top-level speed, has transformed him into a better linebacker.

All the extra work reaped huge dividends. Adibi's career-high 108 tackles, including 12 stops for a loss, paced the Hokies' stout defense. He had two interceptions, including a 40-yard pick for a touchdown that sealed Tech's 30-16 ACC championship game victory over Boston College.

"I did work real hard this year and it has paid off in results," said Adibi, a first-team All-ACC choice this season. "I wanted to make sure that I could be the best that I could be."

Mission accomplished.

"Xavier might be the fastest guy and the most athletic linebacker I've had the opportunity to coach," Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "His first asset is he's got great speed. Plus, he's physical. He's a complete linebacker. On top of all that, he has a good football IQ and will be a great team guy."

Outside of opposing offenses, no one has had more of an up-close view of Adibi this season than the guy who plays behind him, safety D.J Parker.

"Talk about a guy who can run from sideline to sideline," Parker marveled. "I see some things that are almost crazy ... how he just runs down plays. You watch film and No. 11 sticks out. He's gotten a lot bigger and a lot stronger, and he's running through people now.

"He just does it all. He's everywhere. It's crazy, but he can be backside on a sweep, and he'll run it down. I'm like, 'wow, I didn't think he could get there.' But he gets there and he's proven it this year. He's just an animal out there."

If anybody knows Adibi, it's Parker, who grew up playing against Adibi as a youngster before becoming his teammate at Phoebus High School in Hampton.

"Xavier has always been the beast of the league," Parker said. "I remember back in little league football, we couldn't tackle him! He plays the game real hard. The great thing for me since those youth-league days is he's on my side. The guy is all business, man."

Adibi may be a humble, laid-back guy off the field, but he's become more and more nasty between the chalk lines, especially the last few years, Parker noted.

"He's quiet off the field, but don't let that fool you," Parker said. "I've done heard him say some things and stare some people down. He has a little mean side to him. If he can get a good hit on you, he's going to let you know he got you."

Adibi's father, Abiodun, immigrated to the United States from Nigeria. He played soccer at Oklahoma State and now serves as a biology professor at Hampton University. Xavier, who was born in Stillwater, Okla., loved basketball growing up, but turned to football as he followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Nathaniel, who was a stellar defensive end at Tech from 2000-03.

Nathaniel Adibi, a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004, bounced around with a couple of NFL teams before leaving the game. He now works in the real estate business in Blacksburg.

"Nah, I don't want to be doing that," Xavier replied with a laugh.

All of the early projections point to Adibi being taken somewhere among the second 25 selections in April's NFL Draft. It's a certainty that he will be joining his longtime Tech linebacking sidekick, inside guy Vince Hall, somewhere next fall in the NFL.

"Me and Vince have played a lot of snaps together and it's going to be sad to walk off that field knowing I'm not going to be playing beside him anymore," Adibi said. "He's the best player I've probably ever stepped on the field with.

"But we're just moving on to bigger and better things."

Just some more business to tackle.