MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring (left) chats with offensive line coach Curt Newsome.

BLACKSBURG -- How fast does a guy run the 40? What's his size? How strong is he?

Speed. Size. Strength.

It's a given any team wanting to be a major player at college football's highest level must be loaded with such ingredients.

Virginia Tech knows the recipe. The Hokies have possessed all the measurables for years now. That said, it's an immeasurable part of the mix that has the Tech coaching staff and players smiling and excited about the upcoming season.

It's called team chemistry.

Yes, coaches use the term all the time. Often, on cue, listening reporters will roll their eyes and desist taking notes.

"Yeah, I know you guys think it's corny," Tech offensive line coach Curt Newsome said. "But, I'm telling you, any team that wants to be really successful had better have good team chemistry."

From all accounts, the Hokies have a mother lode this year. It's a strong intangible that Tech had last year when it repeatedly rebounded from adversity and won another ACC title, followed by a victory in the Orange Bowl.

So what makes for good team chemistry? It's tough to define. However, Tech coach Frank Beamer smiled and took a shot at an answer.

"I really like this football team," said Beamer, reciting a line he's used often lately. "I like the players, I like their character, I like the way they respect other people, I like their work habits. And I like the way you like being around them. They're fun to be around."

It hasn't always been the case at Tech. Particularly in 2002 and 2003, when Tech collapsed down the stretch in both seasons, losing four of its final six games to go 10-4 in '02 and finishing 2-5 to wind up 8-5 in '03. Each squad had some players who went on to become high NFL Draft picks, but both clubs severely underachieved. There was talk about some guys playing for themselves, not the team.

"We really had a lot of talent those years," senior tight end Greg Boone recalled. "I don't know what happened to them."

Well, all that's changed now. The Hokies are doing things right -- on and off the field -- and are having fun. They all truly seem to like each other, respect each other, and like to play for each other.

"Yeah, that's rare," senior linebacker Cody Grimm said. "I don't know if it something in the Gatorade here or what, but it seems like the last two years we've really had a close team for some reason.

"We just really enjoy being around each other. You come to practice and you get to hang out with your friends, and it's not as much work. It really helps us get stuff accomplished and work better together. If you like each other, you'll play a lot harder for each other."

Sophomore tight Chris Drager noted: "Yeah, all this stuff is very underrated. You can have all the speed and strength in the world, but if the team doesn't work together, it's nothing."

Newsome, in his fourth year at Tech, said the fact the players are so tight makes things much easier for coaches in the daily position meetings.

"When you walk in your room, you like everybody in there," Newsome said. "Sometimes, that's not always the case because of personal conflicts. Never so much between a player and a coach, but sometimes you just have young men who don't always get along.

"This group gets along. You have no issues as far as how hard they're going to work. You know you're going to get maximum effort. As a coach, you love it."

Operations director Dr. John Ballein, who unlike the coaches has to deal with every player on the 105-member roster, said the current unity in the program has been a spinoff of Tech recruiting "the right kind of kids" in recent years.

"It used to be that you would have a couple of guys who were on the edge, and they would kind of draw other guys to them to be on the edge," Ballein said.

"Now, we have so many good guys that if somebody is on the edge, they're drawn into those good guys. Even the young guys coming in, they're accepted immediately, they're part of it.

"Last year was the most enjoyable group of kids I've ever been around. This year, it's the same thing. Trust me, that hasn't always been the case."

Sounds like one huge happy family here, right? Are these guys really nothing but a bunch of choir boys?

"No, we're not quite choir boys!" said senior linebacker Cam Martin, bursting into laughter. "But it is a fun group to hang out and play with. There are no bad apples here."

Plus, they clean up their room. Ballein noted Beamer hasn't once had to get on this bunch about leaving the locker room in an untidy state.

"Yeah, I need to bring Daniel Stinespring [his 15-year-old son] over here for a little bit. He needs a little work on that," offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring cracked.

"Of course, Shelley Stinespring [his wife] would say I need to get a little work in that regard, too. She says I need to clean up my [office] a little."

There you go. There had to be one knucklehead in the crowd, right?