THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040727
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The grooming and the pumping up is complete. Butler County Community College is now ready to unleash the new Greg Melvin.
The former All-Group AAA running back from Bayside spent his first season at the two-year school in El Dorado, Kan., as a utilityman. This year, the Grizzlies expect him to be simply The Man.
``He knows this should be his year,'' Butler coach Michael Calvert said.
But once the season is over, the new Greg Melvin plans to utter those same old words: ``I'm going to Virginia Tech.''
A little more than a year ago, after running for more than 1,400 yards for the Marlins but falling short of the academic qualifications to play Division I ball, Melvin made it clear that Kansas was merely a detour on his ultimate road to Blacksburg. So far, nothing has changed.
``Tech is still No. 1,'' Melvin said. ``My goals this year are to stay healthy and have a good enough year so Virginia Tech will still want me.''
The stage is set for Melvin to have just such a year. Never a serious weightlifter during his days at Bayside, Melvin has bulked up to 230 pounds - nearly 20 pounds heavier than his high school playing weight.
And he'll be the featured runner in an offense which likes to feature its runners. Last year's top tailback, Jermaine Williamson, accepted a scholarship from the University of Houston. Butler's No. 2 back signed with Idaho State.
In addition, the perennially strong Grizzlies figure to field another quality team in 1994. The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference champions return much of the talent from a group which posted a 9-2-1 record last season. Both losses came by two points, including a 52-50 defeat to Northeast Oklahoma in something called the the Mineral Water Bowl.
Melvin will be joined at Butler this season by David Turner, the all-everything defensive end from Norcom, and fellow ex-Marlin Ron Williams, a first-team All-Tidewater defensive back and the Beach District defensive player of the year.
Despite not seeing much action at tailback, Melvin contributed in a variety of ways last season, Calvert said.
``We used him on special teams, at fullback and even as a tight end and wide receiver,'' said Calvert, Butler's offensive coordinator last year who took the head job after Tom Saia resigned. ``He's too good an athlete for us not to find him a place on the field.''
In the one game he started at tailback, Melvin gained 164 yards on 26 carries.
Calvert said at times Melvin seemed frustrated with his lack of work. But Melvin said having to wait his turn was nothing new.
``Back in high school, I came up in the shadows of Ronnell (Williams) and Mario (Mullen) in basketball,'' he said. ``I'd been through it before. I know what goes around, comes around.''
Williams, who attended Butler for a year but was redshirted and never returned, and Mullen, now at Old Dominion, were two-time first-team All-Tidewater basketball selections. Melvin made the team in 1993.
Academically, Melvin said he's carrying a 2.9 grade-point average but has had to shelve his original plan to complete his coursework at Butler in three semesters and transfer to Tech next spring. Melvin now expects to be in Blacksburg by next fall.
Melvin said it's relatively easy to concentrate on schoolwork in El Dorado, a place with few distractions and even fewer things to do.
``There's a lot of farmland out there,'' he said. ``It's a lot like Sussex (County). You know, way out in the middle of nowhere.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Greg Melvin will be the featured runner for Butler County Community
College this season.
by CNB