ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610300029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
INJURIES HAVE KEPT the UVa receiver from realizing his considerable potential, but a big game against Florida State may be a sign of things to come.
In the year Virginia wide receiver Germane Crowell was supposed to become an impact player, most of the impact Crowell has been feeling has come from his right foot hitting turf.
Crowell, hampered by a dislocated middle toe, did not have a touchdown reception before the Cavaliers' game Oct.19 against North Carolina State.
``I envisioned having a real big season,'' said Crowell, a 6-foot-33/4, 210-pound junior from Winston-Salem, N.C. ``It was frustrating to look at the statistics and see that all I had was eight receptions after the first four games.''
Actually, that was five games for the Cavaliers. Crowell did not play against his hometown school, Wake Forest, on an afternoon when Virginia threw for a season-high 307 yards.
``I wasn't 100 percent the next week against Texas,'' said Crowell, originally injured against Maryland in the second game of the season. ``It was still hurting me, but I was determined to play.
``The trainer said there would be a nagging pain throughout the whole season because the only thing that can heal it is time.''
Crowell has emerged as the top threat among UVa's current receivers, although he has not yet put himself on a level with the best receivers to come through the program.
``He can be,'' said George Welsh, UVa's coach. ``He's missed too much time on the practice field; that's my opinion. He missed a lot of spring [practice] again. He's been hurt off and on for three years now.
``When preseason practice started, he had to watch because of hamstring problems. He wasn't full speed for a while. That's the only thing slowing him down. It's too bad he doesn't have two more years. We played him some as a [true] freshman because he looked so good.''
Even that season, Crowell missed four games with a separated shoulder. It interrupted a debut that began in spectacular fashion when he caught a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes at Florida State.
``For some reason, that field has brought me good luck,'' Crowell said of Doak Campbell Stadium. ``It was in my mind Saturday that, `If I could do it one time, I can do it again.'''
Crowell's good vibes carried over into the game, when he had six receptions for 112 yards - career highs in both categories - and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. That was for a team that failed to complete a pass until the final minute of the first half and was 10-of-32 for the game.
``It was really frustrating,'' said Crowell, who, as the son of a Baptist minster, has used his faith to deal with the situation. ``We were misfiring [or] not getting enough time to get the ball off. It seems like a lot of receivers were open, but we couldn't get them the ball.''
Crowell used the word ``frustrating'' seven times in the first five minutes of an interview, although he believes Virginia's pass offense has become more precise in the past two weeks. In a 62-14 romp over N.C. State, quarterbacks Tim Sherman and Aaron Brooks were 11-of-17 for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
That was the breakthrough game for Crowell, who had four receptions for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one from each of the quarterbacks. The first came on an alley-oop pass popularized by former Virginia wide receiver and current All-Pro Herman Moore.
``Growing up, I used to watch Herman Moore,'' Crowell said. ``He was my ideal receiver. I had a chance to come up and watch him play and envisioned myself doing some of the things he was doing.''
Crowell also is a Virginia fan of long standing - one reason he picked the Cavaliers over some of the other big-time programs in college football. He visited Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina and said he canceled trips to Florida State and Maryland.
``It was hard to turn down Tennessee,'' he said. ``When I visited there, I was with Peyton Manning and he was telling me this and that about the [Volunteers'] pass offense. But, I just didn't feel that comfortable.''
Crowell, a SuperPrep All-American in high school, is not approaching any of the records set by Moore or a player who previously wore Crowell's No.17 for the Cavaliers, John Ford, but his 10 touchdown receptions have him tied for ninth on UVa's all-time list.
``I was looking for maybe double the receptions I had last year,'' said Crowell, who caught 27 passes in 1996 and has 18 this season. ``I feel I have a lot more to show. It will come in time.''
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. 1. After battling injuries, UVaby CNBreceiver Germane Crowell (left), says, ``I feel I have a lot more to
show. It will come in time.'' color. 2. (headshot) Crowell.