Thursday, March 23, 2006
Hite working for a paycheck this spring
Randy King
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Normally, Billy Hite has the pie job on the Virginia Tech football coaching staff. Not this spring, though. The guy who has coached in Blacksburg since the 1970s disco era knows he's going to work up a little more of a lather on the dance floor these days.
"I've got a lot of work to do this spring," Hite said as Tech's first spring practice session wound down Wednesday. "People always talk about me coaching in a rocking chair because we always have so many talented tailbacks here. Well, this time my job's not so easy, I'm telling you."
The numbers in the normally fully stocked Tech tailback stable are running short this spring. In addition to losing seniors Cedric Humes and Mike Imoh off last season's squad, Hite is without the services of the guy who appears to be destined to be the Hokies' next great back -- Branden Ore. The star sophomore is not around this spring after he withdrew from second-semester classes to return home to Chesapeake to rehabilitate from right shoulder surgery he underwent in early January.
Thus, Hite entered spring drills with only three tailbacks -- sophomore George Bell, redshirt freshman Elan Lewis and freshman Kenny Lewis. Three is not nearly enough to suit the Hokies' longtime running backs boss.
"This is the first spring I've gone through in a long time in which the tailback spot is a little bit questionable," said Hite, who will enter his 29th season in Blacksburg this fall.
"George Bell is the only one who has had any reps in a game and I like what he's all about right now. With Branden Ore having surgery on his shoulder and George coming off the knee surgery from a couple years ago ... now I do think he's completely healthy right now ... but I needed to make sure we have some backs that we can get through the season with."
When Tech whiffed on four tailback prospects it pursued in this year's recruiting class, Hite's plight became a little more urgent.
"Coach [Frank] Beamer and I were talking the other day," Hite said. "We recruited four kids this past year and didn't get any of 'em. And I was totally shocked. Number one, if you're a tailback you ought to be look to be looking at Virginia Tech with the success that we've had. But the kids, for whatever reason, decided to go somewhere else."
Hite noted that Tech lost one sure-fire tailback recruit, Knowshon Moreno, because he didn't take Algebra II high school and couldn't get into school. Moreno eventually signed with Georgia.
"So, Coach Beamer and I starting talking about how we've two other guys on the defensive side of the ball who could come over [to tailback]," Hite said.
Translation: Add sophomore cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris to the mix, with redshirt freshman corner Jahre Cheeseman likely to move over for the second half of spring workouts. Both were standout high school backs.
Harris, who has bulked up from 175 to 195 pounds, is getting the first audition. He turned some heads in the first practice.
"I think he can do everything," said Hite of Harris, who averaged 10.4 yards per carry in running for 2,346 yards and 27 touchdowns in his 2004 senior season at Highland Springs High School.
"He's got the shake and bake, he can jump cut, and he's got the great speed just to beat you down the field."
The 5-foot-10, 224-pound Bell, who is built like a fire hydrant, figures to get the majority of the spring totes. The 5-8 Lewis was listed at 210 pounds last August, but entered practice tipping the Toledos much heavier. Meanwhile, Lewis is returning to football after spending three years playing minor-league baseball in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system.
"Bell has done great and I'm really happy and looking forward to his spring practice," Beamer said. "Elan Lewis is probably a little bit heavy right now, but I know [last] fall when he got in those middle drills with us he was a load and we expect him to be that spring. And Kenny Lewis, he's been a great addition. He's a guy with speed and he certainly has that maturity being an older guy."
In regards to Ore, Hite said the Hokies' No. 1 horse is scheduled to return today to Blacksburg, where he will be checked out by Tech's medical staff.
"Branden is going to see our doctors this weekend and hopefully they're going to clear him and he can start lifting and doing all things he needs to do," Hite said.
Ore, who was Tech's best back last season, underwent surgery a few days after Tech's Jan. 2 Gator Bowl victory over Louisville. He said he had been playing with a bad right shoulder since his senior year at Indian River High. Ore decided to go home to rehab the shoulder this semester.
"I've been in touch with Branden a bunch," Hite said. "I think it was good for him go home. He couldn't do it all [referring to classwork and football], that's the thing. He's eligible to come back and he'll be ready. He can make up the 12 hours that he would taken this semester in summer schoool, so he'll be good to go."
When asked if he thought Ore might be possibly concerned about his starting tailback job while he sits back home, Harris broke out laughing.
"Mmmm ... I don't know ... you might have to call him and ask him that? I'm pretty sure he read the headlines," Harris cracked.
