Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993 TAG: 9308080059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In the three recruiting years that have followed, however, UVa has signed a total of three Florida players - hardly a significant trend in comparison to the pre-Florida State days.
Florida State was not even a glimmer in the ACC's eye when Scott Gardner from Sarasota, Fla., finished his career as UVa's all-time passing leader or John Ford, from Belle Glade, Fla., became the Cavaliers' all-time receiving leader.
The current UVa roster includes three scholarship players from Florida, none of whom has played in a game for the Cavaliers. All three are linemen whose names begin with "L" - Jeremy LeFeber from Fort Myers, Tom Locklin from Jacksonville and Matt Link from Tampa.
"I wasn't disappointed," said former UVa assistant coach Mike Archer, who recruited Florida until he left to become defensive coordinator at Kentucky. "The two years I was down there were not great years [for prospects].
"One of the things you deal with is academics, which eliminates some of the best athletes. But there are still enough [prospects] to go around and this year it should be even better."
Archer said Kentucky is sending five coaches to Florida this year to take advantage of scholarship limitations that have left the three Division I-A programs in the Sunshine State - Florida, Florida State and Miami - with a total of 28 grants to award this year.
For the first time, Virginia will send three coaches to Florida this year, with defensive coordinator Rick Lantz moving from Northern Virginia and Philadelphia to Miami. He joins Bob Petchel and first-year assistant Larry New, who takes over Archer's territory.
"There's no question we're in the South more than we used to be," Welsh said. "I'm not disappointed because I don't think we've worked [at cultivating Florida]. Our talent level's been pretty good."
Of the 79 recruited players on UVa's roster, 38 are from Virginia. Another 23 are from Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina. Florida and New Jersey are the only other states with as many as three.
Welsh said the Northeast has not been as productive for Virginia in recent years; nevertheless, the Cavaliers have signed coveted linemen Mark Krichbaum and John Slocum from Connecticut. It's a matter of where to pull back.
"I don't think you're ever satisfied," said Gerry Capone, UVa's recruiting coordinator. "That's the thing about recruiting. You're always saying, `If we'd just gotten . . .'
"Our approach now is: We're going to put people in Florida. There are a lot of players down there, a lot of speed. With Florida State on the schedule, we're in the papers more. We've got more visibility."
Florida State was UVa's chief competition for its lone signee from Florida this year, Link. However, it's hard to say that the Seminoles' entry into the ACC influenced his decision.
"I can remember filling out questionnaires my junior year and, where it asked for favorite conference, I put down ACC and SEC," Link said. "My mom grew up in North Carolina; that's how I knew about the schools up there."
Virginia found out about Link almost by accident. A girl in the grade ahead of him at Chamberlain High School was going to UVa, and when Link received an invitation to summer football camp, he thought it was worth a look.
"I think I was just a name they'd gotten off some list," he said. "I'd gotten a couple of letters, but the first indication I got they would recruit me was on the last day of camp."
Link was an outstanding student, with a grade-point average of better than 4.0 (because of honors courses) and a score of 1,100 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Florida State was prepared to offer him a full academic scholarship.
"I think they felt they could get me for football without me counting [against the scholarship limit]," said Link, whose older brother graduated from Florida State but did not play football.
"When I committed to Virginia, I had a visit to Florida State coming up in two weeks. [The Seminoles] just seemed noncommittal, real standoffish. It's the caliber program that can recruit all over the country."
Nobody at Virginia expects to beat Florida State on a regular basis for prospects in Florida, but there are advantages to wooing a player while the Florida powers are taking their time.
"That was the point I kept hammering [to Link] in the fall," Archer said. "I told him what was going to happen. I said, `Don't let Florida State come in late.' He liked the fact we were making a commitment to him."
Virginia was the southernmost of the schools Link was considering. He was talking with West Virginia, Purdue and Boston College when he committed, but Florida State was the only other official visit he had scheduled.
"It all comes down to evaluating a player and deciding if he can play for you," Capone said. "I don't have a problem taking Florida State's or anyone else's seconds if he fills a need for you."
by CNB