ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611250149
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
THE ATHLETES say people act like the whole team is "just a bunch of thugs," and the rest of them resent it.
It's not easy being a Virginia Tech football player these days.
In the wake of Tech's long list of recent off-the-field woes, many players have found themselves wrapped up in a tough-to-pass course of guilt by association.
``After everything that has happened,'' said junior guard Todd Washington, ``there seems to be a prejudiced thing about you if you're a football player.
``All of a sudden, a lot of people around here seem to think we're all just bunch of thugs. But that just isn't true.''
When eight Tech players were indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on Nov.6, Washington said the simple procedure of walking to class became a difficult chore.
"When all the stuff came down on the news, I was going to class with one one of my friends and I'm hearing four or five people walk by saying, `Did you see these football players got indicted? Football players are nothing but trouble,' and so forth.
``It really makes me mad because there are a lot of good people on this football team who don't do anything wrong.''
No doubt, outsiders' perceptions of the Tech players has taken a sudden U-turn. No longer are these guys the revered, big men on campus they used to be.
``That's safe to say,'' said Jay Hagood, senior offensive tackle. ``I think some people think if one is bad, they're all bad.
``Of course, we stick out like a sore thumb. I do think us being who we are may have caused problems.''
Washington said he would like for everyone to realize ``it's not all what you see on the news or in the newspaper.''
``People just don't want to sit down and find the real football players off the field,'' he said. ``They say to be a football player, you've got to be like schizophrenic, you got to have two mentalities - one on the field and one off the field. When you bring that on-the-field mentality out in public or out in the open, you're going to have problems.''
Senior linebacker Brandon Semones, a scholar in the classroom, said: ``It's disturbing that people have these kind of thoughts just because you're a football player.
``I don't like it. Nobody does. Sure, some players have gotten into some things. Then again, there are a whole lot more who haven't.''
Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, who had a charge of malicious wounding against him dropped in May, said the players are much more in focus out in public than, say, a normal student.
``In my situation, I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time,'' he said last summer. ``But I was at the scene, and that was enough for some.
``Everyone knows your face when you're a football player. It doesn't matter if you're doing something or not. They see your face and your name is brought up.''
Druckenmiller, who likes to hit the town as much as anybody, said every time he goes out he finds eyes monitoring his behavior.
``I'll be somewhere and I'll look around and I'll see two here watching, then another two over there. So you've really got to watch what you're doing.''
Many of the players said they feel that their off-field behavior has become much more scrutinized since the team became more successful.
``It's funny,'' said senior offensive tackle T.J. Washington. ``When we were 2-8-1 [in 1993], there may have been little instances here and there, but you didn't hear anything about it. Now, we're winning and it's front-page news.
``All I know is we have over 30 guys who go to elementary schools to work with children and read to the kids. Personally, Ken Oxendine [junior tailback] and I get up at 7:30 every Thursday to go to Margaret Beeks Elementary School [in Blacksburg] and read to the kids from 8 to 9.
``Hey, we don't have to do that. We don't do it for public relations. We do it for ourselves.''
As many players noted, the majority of those kind of deeds never make the news.
``We understand that when football players get in trouble that it's going to sell newspapers,'' T.J. Washington said.
``But at the same time, there are football players - a lot of football players - doing some good things.''
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines KEYWORDS: 2DAby CNB