2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Program

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Contents The 2009 ACC Football Championship program is an official publication of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Produced by Destination Media

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Contributing Writers Craig Barnes Mark Blaudschun Ron Green, Sr. Andrew Middleman Steve Phillips Jerry Ratcliffe Tom Sheridan Bob Sutton Ben Tario

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Cover Illustration Phil Wheeler

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Publisher Gary Jones

For More Information Contact The Atlantic Coast Conference 4512 Weybridge Lane Greensboro, NC 27407 Without the efforts of the staff at the ACC office, this program would not have been possible. In particular, we thank John Swofford, Barb Dery, Allison Doughty, Mike Finn, Heather Hirschman, Amanda Jones, Michael Kelly, Scott McBurney, Andrew Middleman, Donald Moore, Steve Phillips, Tom Sheridan, Ben Tario, and Amy Yakola.

To purchase additional copies of this program, visit www.theACC.com Or call 336-854-8787

Welcome from ACC Commissioner John Swofford Welcome from Governor Charlie Crist Meet John Swofford Staff of the ACC Traditions of Excellence 48-Hour Celebration Orange Bowl History 2009 Bowl Lineup ACC Championship Recap ACC Football: By the Numbers Mark Herzlich Stadium Information The Right Notes Legends of the ACC The ACCIAC The ACC Youth Football and Cheerleading Celebration Taste of Tournament Town ACC Social Media

THE ACC SCHOOLS 68 BOSTON COLLEGE 70 CLEMSON 72 DUKE 74 FLORIDA STATE 76 GEORGIA TECH 78 MARYLAND 80 MIAMI 82 NORTH CAROLINA 84 NC STATE 86 VIRGINIA 88 VIRGINIA TECH 90 WAKE FOREST 92 HOME FIELDS OF THE ACC

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPION CLEMSON SCHEDULE RESULTS 35 STATISTICS 36 COACHING STAFF 37 TEAM ROSTER 37

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPION GEORGIA TECH SCHEDULE RESULTS 41 STATISTICS 42 COACHING STAFF 43 TEAM ROSTER 43

A WEEK BY WEEK REVIEW OF THE 2009 ACC FOOTBALL SEASON 46 FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS AND STATISTICS 52 OFFENSIVE/OVERALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 54 DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 55 OFFENSIVE/OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 56 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 57 COACH OF THE YEAR 58 JIM TATUM AWARD WINNER 59 THE PICCOLO AWARD WINNER 60 THE JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD 61 ALL-ACC TEAM 62 ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS 64

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11/5/09

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January uary 5, 2010 • Land Shark Sta Stadium orangebowl.org

LETTER FROM COMMISSIONER

Dear ACC Football Fans, On behalf of the Atlantic Coast Conference, welcome to Raymond James Stadium and the Fifth Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.

Our Conference and the Tampa Bay community have worked hard all year to make this a very special and exciting time for all of the players, coaches, and fans. We sincerely hope you enjoy this weekend’s celebration of ACC Football and that you find your trip to the Tampa Bay area to be a pleasurable experience.

As a league, our schools have compiled a rich football history that includes 10 national championships, five Heisman Trophy winners, 659 AllAmericans, 149 bowl victories, 141 No. 1 rankings and 222 NFL first-round draft picks. We hope you will enjoy this year’s football championship game as you watch two of the leagues’ top teams showcase their talents and vie for the coveted bid to this year’s FedEx Orange Bowl.

The ACC’s 12 member institutions have a tremendous tradition of academic and athletic balance. As a conference, we are extremely excited to shine the spotlight on what has made this league so strong throughout our history – our student-athletes, coaches and fans.

It is our hope that all the dedicated followers of the ACC will continue to bring meaning to the ACC’s promise – A Tradition of Excellence … Then, Now and Always.

Sincerely,

John D. Swofford Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

Leon Washington

ACC GLORY

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www.flasports.com Florida Sports Foundation, 2930 Kerry Forest Parkway, Suite 101, Tallahassee, FL 32309 • (850) 488-8347

COMMISSIONER JOHN D. SWOFFORD NOW IN HIS 13TH YEAR AS COMMISSIONER, John Swofford has made a dramatic impact on the Atlantic Coast Conference and college athletics.

Swofford has built his career on the appropriate balance of academics, athletic achievement and integrity and is regarded as one of the top administrators in the NCAA. Swofford assumed his role as the fourth full-time commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference in July of 1997. He follows James H. (Jim) Weaver, the league’s first Commissioner from 1954-1970, Robert (Bob) James, who served from 1971-1987 and Eugene F. (Gene) Corrigan, who held the position from 1987 to 1997.

In addition to overseeing one of the nation’s largest athletic conferences, Swofford has been pivotal in positioning the Atlantic Coast Conference for the future. In 2003, on behalf of the nine league institutions and the ACC Council of Presidents, he introduced Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College as the newest members of the ACC. With the expansion, Swofford’s leadership and negotiating skills helped bring the conference extended and enhanced television contracts in both football and basketball. In May of 2004, the league extended its relationships with ABC, ESPN and Raycom Sports by renegotiating its football television agreements.

Highlights included the rights to the Inaugural ACC Football Championship Game and significant increases in the number of televised games through 2010.

In May of 2000, Swofford negotiated one of the nation’s most lucrative basketball television contracts with Raycom Sports through the 2010-11 season. After the addition of the three new conference members, under Swofford’s guidance, Raycom increased its financial commitment to the ACC basketball package in May of 2004. During his tenure, the ACC has become the only conference to have television packages with two national cable networks - ESPN and Fox Sports Net. The results of these packages increased the television audience of ACC basketball by over 25 percent.

In order to reach the expanding audience of ACC fans, Swofford also negotiated an agreement with XM Satellite Radio, to broadcast the league’s football, men’s and women’s basketball games nationally.

In the sport of basketball, Swofford was a prime mover in the creation of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge that began in men’s basketball in 1999. Then in 2007, the two conferences hosted the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge.

Highly respected by his peers, Swofford was a force in the development and growth of the Bowl Championship Series and is the only person to serve two terms as its Coordinator.

Since becoming Commissioner, Swofford has been responsible for securing increased bowl opportunities for the ACC. The past four seasons, at least eight ACC teams have earned bowl bids and, in 2008, the conference set an NCAA record when 10 of its 12 teams (83%) participated in bowl play. This year, the ACC has agreements in place with nine bowls including the

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

FedEx Orange Bowl, home to the ACC Champion since 2006. During Swofford’s first 12 years as Commissioner, ACC teams have won 43 national team titles and 1,206 ACC teams have participated in various NCAA championships - an average of over 100 NCAA teams per year.

A long-time advocate of the importance of academics and student-athlete welfare, Swofford stimulated the formation of the league’s first-ever ACC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This group of current ACC student-athletes gives the conference direct feedback on their experiences participating at the highest level of college athletics.

In 2006, the prestigious ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament was awarded out to 2015. Throughout Swofford’s tenure, the iconic event will have traveled to many dynamic cities within the footprint of the league including Atlanta, Ga., Washington D.C. and Tampa, Fla., in addition to the traditional stops in Greensboro and Charlotte. The 2001 ACC Tournament in Atlanta set NCAA attendance records for single session (40,083), per session average (36,505) and total attendance (182,525).

Swofford placed an added emphasis on the development of women’s basketball in the ACC with the hiring of an Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball to oversee all aspects of the sport on both a conference and national level.

The Director of Athletics at the University of North Carolina from 1980 to 1997, Swofford was instrumental in building North Carolina’s athletics department into one of the country’s most respected programs. He became the school’s athletic director on May 1, 1980 and at the age of 31, he was the youngest major college Athletics Director in the nation at the time.

During his tenure, Tar Heel athletic teams claimed 123 ACC championships and 24 national collegiate titles, including two in men’s basketball and one in women’s basketball. During the 1993-94 year, the Tar Heels captured the inaugural Sears Directors’ Cup, emblematic of the collegiate all-sports champion and finished in the Top Six of the Sears Cup standings in each year of Swofford’s tenure that the award was given.

Under his leadership, North Carolina enjoyed tremendous growth in its athletic facilities, including the construction of the Smith Center, a complex which includes a 21,572-seat basketball arena, the Koury Natatorium and the Frank H. Kenan Football Center.

He initiated the idea and provided the impetus for the founding of North Carolina’s trademark licensing program.

The University chose to recognize his many accomplishments by establishing the John D. Swofford women’s athletics scholarship and naming an auditorium in the school’s football complex in his honor.

John and his wife Nora reside in Greensboro, N.C. Together they have three children, Autumn, who is married to Sherman Wooden; Chad Swofford; and Nora’s daughter, Amie, who is married to Keith Furr. •

EDUCATION High School Wilkes Central High School North Wilkesboro, NC College University of North Carolina, 1971 Morehead Scholarship Recipient Graduate Ohio University, 1973 MEd. in Athletics Administration PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1965-67 Two-time All-State QB and three-sport MVP at Wilkes Central High School 1969-71 North Carolina varsity football team quarterback and defensive back Peach Bowl, 1970 Gator Bowl, 1971 ACC Champions, 1971 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE 1973-76 Ticket Manager/Asst. to the Director of Athletic Facilities and Finance University of Virginia 1976-79 Assistant Athletics Director and Business Manager University of North Carolina 1979-80 Assistant Executive Vice-President of the Educational Foundation University of North Carolina 1980-97 Director of Athletics University of North Carolina 1997Commissioner Atlantic Coast Conference MEMBERSHIP ON BOARDS AND COMMITTEES • BCS Coordinator, 2000-01, 2008-present • IA Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (Chair), 2005-07 • NCAA Football Board of Directors (President), 2004-05 • NCAA Executive Committee, 1995-97 • NCAA Division I Championship Committee (Chair), 1995-97 • NCAA Special Committee to Study a Division I-A Football Championship, 1994-95 • President of NACDA, 1993-94 • NCAA Special Events Committee, 1987-91 • NCAA Communications Committee (Chair), 1987-89 • NCAA Football Television Committee (Chair), 1984 HONORS AND AWARDS • North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, 2009 • Homer Rice Award, 2005 (presented by the Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association) • Horizon Award, 2004 (presented by the Atlanta Sports Council recognizing the National Sports Business Executive of the Year) • Chick-fil-A Bowl Hall of Fame, 2003 • Fifth most influential person in U.S. sports by the Sporting News, 2003 • Outstanding American Award for the Triangle Chapter of the College Football Hall of Fame, 2002 • North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame, 2002 • Ohio University’s Charles R. Higgins Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1984

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE STAFF COMMISSIONER

JOHN D. SWOFFORD

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

BRIAN MORRISON MEN’S BASKETBALL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

LINDSEY BABCOCK COMPLIANCE & GOVERNANCE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

STEVE PHILLIPS COMMUNICATIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

JENNIE BARRETT CHAMPIONSHIPS

INTERN

AMANDA JONES PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

JEFF ELLIOTT CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

DAVIS WHITFIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIRECTOR

LYNNE HERNDON BUSINESS OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

KRIS PIERCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

TRACEY HAITH COMPLIANCE/ STUDENT-ATHLETE WELFARE INTERN

ANDREW MIDDLEMAN COMMUNICATIONS

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

NORA LYNN FINCH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL/SWA

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

AMY YAKOLA PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR

CHRISTINA TRACEY INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

BEN TARIO TECHNOLOGY/OPERATIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

GEORGIA DAVIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INTERN

DONALD MOORE ADMINISTRATION

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

MIKE FINN FOOTBALL COMMUNICATIONS

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER

W. SCOTT MCBURNEY ADVANCED MEDIA

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

LINDSEY ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

STEVE “SLIM” VOLLINGER ADVANCED MEDIA

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

BARBARA J. DERY COMMUNICATIONS/ MARKETING/PR

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

KARL HICKS MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR OF OFFICIALS

JOHN CLOUGHERTY MEN’S BASKETBALL

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

ALLISON DOUGHTY FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

EXEC. ASST. TO COMMISSIONER

CEL DIAMICO

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

KARRIE TILLEY MEN’S BASKETBALL/ OFFICIATING

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

MICHAEL KELLY COMMUNICATIONS & FOOTBALL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR OF OFFICIALS

CHARLENE CURTIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

BRAD HECKER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WEBSITE COORDINATOR

HEATHER HIRSCHMAN

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

EMILY WATKINS RECEPTIONIST

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER

SHANE LYONS GOVERNANCE/ COMPLIANCE/HR COORDINATOR OF OFFICIALS

DOUG RHOADS FOOTBALL

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

KATHY HUNT MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

SUSAN ANTHONY ADMINISTRATION/BUSINESS

INTERN

ALYSSA FRANCONA CHAMPIONSHIPS

INTERN

TOM SHERIDAN WEBSITE

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 7

THE ATLANTIC COAS T CONFERENCE

Traditions of Excellence

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TRADITIONS OF EXCELLENCE

The Tradition Consistency . It is the mark of true excellence in any endeavor.

However, in today’s intercollegiate athletics, competition has become so balanced and so competitive that it is virtually impossible to maintain a high level of consistency.

Yet the Atlantic Coast Conference has defied the odds. Now, in its 57th year of competition, the ACC has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. And that is not mere conjecture, the numbers support it.

Since the league’s inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 111 national championships, including 60 in women’s competition and 51 in men’s. In addition, NCAA individual titles have gone to ACC student-athletes 127 times in men’s competition and 79 times in women’s action. The ACC has also won 15 NCAA titles in relay competition.

The conference had an immediate impact on the national college football scene in the fall of 1953 when the University of Maryland captured the first of what would eventually be five national football titles for the ACC. Clemson laid claim to the league’s second national title in 1981 while Georgia Tech followed suit in 1990.

Florida State pocketed national titles No. 4 and 5 in 1993 and 1999, respectively.

Additionally, Miami has laid claim to five national gridiron titles over the past 22 seasons.

Four of the Hurricanes’ five national titles (1983, 1987, 1989, 2001) were unanimous with both the sportswriters and coaches polls, while in 1991 Miami (AP) shared the national title with Washington (coaches).

Prior to the 2009 season nine ACC players earned first team All-America recognition, while six others garnered second or third team honors.

The 12 institutions that take to the field this fall under the ACC banner have produced 547 first or second team gridiron All-Americans and 73 first team academic All-Americans.

Since becoming a 12-team league in 2005, the ACC has consistently made history in the NFL’s annual professional football draft. In this past year’s draft the ACC had four of the top nine players chosen including the first linebacker (Aaron Curry, Wake Forest, 4th overall) selected. In the past four years, no other league has achieved that feat and while the ACC has accomplished it twice (also in 2006).

In 2008, led by Virginia defensive end Chris

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

Long, the second overall selection by the St. Louis Rams, and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, the third overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons, the ACC achieved a first for any conference in the NFL Draft, having two of the top four players selected in each of three consecutive seasons.

Over the past four years, the ACC has had more players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (30) than any other conference and, in that time, has had more overall players taken in the NFL Draft (148) than any other intercollegiate league except one. In 2006, the ACC set NFL draft records with 12 first-round selections and 51 players drafted overall.

Long, who was the first defensive player chosen in the 2008 draft, became the third straight ACC player to achieve that feat. No other league has ever had the top defender chosen in the draft for three straight years.

Heading into the 2009 football season, no league in America has sent more linebackers to the NFL, as no fewer than 62 former ACC standouts began the summer on NFL rosters, the next closest athletic conference had produced 51.

The 12 current ACC schools have had 2,190 players selected in the annual professional football draft, including 222 first round selections.

If success is best measured in terms of wins and losses, then the ACC has proven itself to be among the elite in intercollegiate football. In 2008, the ACC won more non-conference games than ever before, posting a 41-17 record including 17-14 (55 percent) against teams from the SEC, Big Ten, PAC-10, Big 12 and Big East.

This past season, the ACC set an NCAA record sending 10 of its teams to post-season bowl games. Since 2005, the ACC leads all conferences with 34 of its teams travelling to post-season bowl games. Additionally, four of its teams—Boston College (4th, 13-7, .650), Florida State (7th, 22-14-2, .605), Georgia Tech (9th, 2215, .595) and Miami (14th, 19-15, .559)—rank among the Top 15 winningest bowl programs of all-time.

In 2008, the ACC broke its own NCAA record of percentage of teams going to bowl games set in 2002, as 83.3 percent of its teams were in postseason play. Also in 2008, the ACC recorded its second-highest total attendance figure in history, with 4,385,269 fans in 83 games. That marked the third straight year the Conference has exceeded 4.1 million fans in attendance.

ACC Football was also No. 1 with a diploma

in 2008 as the Conference led all Football Bowl Subdivision Conferences in graduation rate and APR. Florida State’s All-ACC safety Myron Rolle was honored as one of two ACC student-athletes to be awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the league’s first football player to be so honored in 47 years.

2008-09 in Review The 2008-09 academic year saw league teams capturing five national team titles and 16 individual NCAA crowns. In all, the ACC has won 47 national team titles over the last 13 years. The ACC has won two or more NCAA titles in 27 of the past 29 years.

A total of 130 ACC teams placed in NCAA post-season competition in 2008-09. League teams compiled a 130-74-1 (.637) mark against opponents in NCAA championship competition. In addition, the ACC had 198 student-athletes earn first team AllAmerica honors this past year. Overall, the league had 266 first, second or third team All-Americans and the ACC produced nine national Players of the Year and five national Coach of the Year honorees.

2008-09 National Championships Field Hockey............... Maryland Women’s Soccer .......... North Carolina Men’s Soccer ............... Maryland Men’s Basketball ......... North Carolina Women’s Tennis .......... Duke The Championships The conference will conduct championship competition in 25 sports during the 2009-10 academic year - 12 for men and 13 for women. The first ACC championship was held in swimming on February 25, 1954. The conference did not conduct championships in cross country, wrestling or tennis during the first year.

The 12 sports for men include football, cross country, soccer, basketball, swimming, indoor and outdoor track, wrestling, baseball, tennis, golf and lacrosse. Fencing, which was started in 1971, was discontinued in 1981.

Women’s sports were initiated in 1977 with the first championship meet held in tennis at Wake Forest University.

Championships for women are currently conducted in cross country, field hockey, soccer, basketball, swimming, indoor and outdoor track, tennis, golf, lacrosse, softball and rowing with volleyball deciding its champion by regular season play.

Gone Bowling

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

When it came to bowl game participation in 2008, the Atlantic Coast Conference topped itself – and every other football conference for that matter.

Nearly a year later, the numbers remain staggering. A national-record 10 of the ACC’s 12 teams spent part of their holiday season taking part in a postseason game. The 83.3 percent of conference members that went bowling set another national mark.

But while last season’s numbers were exceptional, ACC teams in bowl games have become the norm. Conference teams have made a combined 46 bowl appearances since 2003, tying the Big 12 for the most in terms of sheer numbers and leading all major conferences in percentage of teams taking part (67.6).

The ACC not only plays in bowl games, it wins them. The numbers further tell the story: • At least eight ACC teams have played in bowl games each of the past four seasons.

• Four ACC teams are ranked among the nation’s top seven when it comes to consecutive bowl appearances. Florida State ranks first with 27, while Virginia Tech is third nationally with 16. Georgia Tech is tied for fourth with 12 straight bowl games, and Boston College is tied for seventh with 10.

• ACC teams have made 23 Orange Bowl appearances, including Virginia Tech’s 20-7 win over Cincinnati last Jan. 1. ACC teams have taken part in 37 Gator Bowls and 33 Chick-fil-A (Peach) Bowls, and have appeared in the Sugar Bowl 17 times.

• Conference teams have won 149 games and posted a .524 all-time winning percentage in bowl contests that ranks third in the nation among BCS conferences and just a shade behind the Pac 10 (.535) and the SEC (.533).

• Boston College (4th), Florida State (7th), Georgia Tech (9th) and Miami (14th) all rank among the nation’s Top 15 winningest bowl teams among those that have made a minimum of 15 appearances.

Expect more of the same, especially in the immediate future. The ACC last month announced renewal agreements with the FedEx Orange Bowl, the ChickFil-A Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl and the EagleBank Bowl.

Under terms of the renewals, which run through the 2010-13 seasons, the ACC Champion will continue to punch an automatic ticket to the FedEx Orange Bowl and will serve as host team.

“We are delighted to have the FedEx Orange Bowl continue to serve as the home of the ACC Champion,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said. “The relationship between the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Orange Bowl Committee is a truly special one.”

In addition, the ACC announced new agreements with the Brut Sun Bowl and Advocare 100 Independence Bowls, a pair of postseason games that boast a combined 110 years of existence.

And in the event the ACC has nine bowl eligible teams – a likely scenario given the league’s recent success --- the conference added a conditional arrangement with Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

ACC teams’ potential opponents under the latest bowl agreement will include teams from the SEC, Big East and Pac-10.

“These bowl partners provide the opportunity to play unique opponents in quality destinations, while also significantly increasing revenue for our institutions,” Swofford said. •

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 11

TRADITIONS OF EXCELLENCE

ACC Institutions Rank High in Academic Performance Rate

BY ANDREW MIDDLEMAN While several of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s institutions boast nationally prominent athletic programs, collectively they cultivate a growing importance in the first half of the term “student-athlete.”

Known as an intercollegiate athletic conference that takes pride in the balance it maintains between its academic and athletic reputations, the ACC and its 12 institutions have consistently displayed a strong commitment to the academic progress of both their individual studentathletes and their overall athletic programs.

The ACC ranks among the nation’s best conferences in Academic Performance Rate, a tool used to measure a team’s effectiveness in retaining players and helping its players maintain their eligibility on a per semester basis. Each of the ACC’s 12 institutions exceeds a 925 APR— the minimum score needed before the NCAA sanctions an institution by revoking scholarships—making it one of only two conferences (Big XII) that receives an automatic bid to a Bowl Championship Series game to have all its member institutions meet the minimum standard.

Duke’s league-leading 980 APR is tied for second with the BIG EAST Conference’s Rutgers and sits behind only the Pacific 10 Conference’s Stanford among the 65 schools in conferences that send its regularseason champion to a BCS bowl. Miami (977) ranks fourth to make the ACC the only such conference with two of its schools among the topfive, and Boston College (970) ranks seventh, making the ACC the only conference to boast three teams among the top-10.

“We are very pleased with and take great pride in the accomplishments our institutions achieve in the academic arena,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s a true testament to the commitment each individual makes to being a student-athlete, as well as the work each athletic department’s academic support staff puts in.”

Also in the top-20 from the ACC is Wake Forest (966) in 11th, Georgia Tech (957) in 15th, and Clemson (955) in a tie for 19th. The ACC lays claims to six schools in the top-20, and is trailed by the Southeastern Conference (5), Big Ten Conference (4), Pac-10 (3), and the BIG EAST (2).

In addition to the ACC’s strong APR rating, nine institutions’ football programs meet or exceed the Graduation Success Rate national average (among Football Bowl Subdivision schools)—a measurement of the percentage of scholarship student-athletes who graduate within six years of enrollment—according to the most recent data collected by the NCAA, which was released in mid-November.

Duke also leads all ACC institutions in the GSR with a 96 percent success rate, and is closely followed by Boston College’s 91. Wake Forest (81), North Carolina (80), Miami (75), Florida State (73), Virginia Tech (71), and Clemson (67) all meet or exceed the national average.

“Again, the conference is excited about the progress we’ve made as a whole, and look forward to continued success,” echoed Swofford. •

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

A History The Atlantic Coast Conference was founded on May 8, 1953, at the Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, N.C., with seven charter members - Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest - drawing up the conference by-laws.

The withdrawal of seven schools from the Southern Conference came early on the morning of May 8, 1953, during the Southern Conference’s annual spring meeting. On June 14, 1953, the seven members met in Raleigh, N.C., where a set of bylaws was adopted and the name became officially the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Suggestions from fans for the name of the new conference appeared in the region’s newspapers prior to the meeting in Raleigh.

Some of the names suggested were: Dixie, Mid South, Mid Atlantic, East Coast, Seaboard, Colonial, Tobacco, Blue-Gray, Piedmont, Southern Seven and the Shoreline.

Duke’s Eddie Cameron recommended that the name of the conference be the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the motion was passed unanimously. The meeting concluded with each member institution assessed $200.00 to pay for conference expenses.

On December 4, 1953, conference officials met again at Sedgefield and officially admitted the University of Virginia as the league’s eighth member. The first, and only, withdrawal of a school from the ACC came on June 30, 1971, when the University of South Carolina tendered its resignation.The ACC operated with seven members until April 3, 1978, when the Georgia Institute of Technology was admitted. The Atlanta school had withdrawn from the Southeastern Conference in January of 1964.

The ACC expanded to nine members on July 1, 1991, with the addition of Florida State University.

The conference expanded to 11 members on July 1, 2004, with the addition of the University of Miami and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. On October 17, 2003, Boston College accepted an invitation to become the league’s 12th member starting July 1, 2005. •

ACC MEMBERSHIP CHRONOLOGY May 8, 1953 ACC formed with Clemson College, Duke University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State College, South Carolina and Wake Forest College as charter members.

December 4, 1953 University of Virginia admitted as the league’s eighth member.

June 30, 1971 University of South Carolina tenders resignation from league membership.

April 3, 1978 Georgia Institute of Technology admitted as the league’s eighth member.

July 1, 1991 Florida State University admitted as the league’s ninth member.

October 17, 2003 Boston College admitted as the league’s 12th member starting with the 2005-06 academic year.

July 1, 2004 The league expands to 11 members with the addition of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the University of Miami.

Five Teams, 15 Individuals Win National Championships

BY TOM SHERIDAN In 2008-09 the Atlantic Coast Conference continued its tradition of excellence with five teams capturing national championships and 17 studentathletes earning individual crowns. Since its inception in 1953, ACC schools have won 113 team national championships and 207 individual NCAA titles.

The North Carolina Tar Heels finished off an impressive Final Four run by winning the men’s basketball national championship for the fifth time in school history and second in four years. It’s the 11th time an ACC school has brought home the title. The Tar Heels were equally impressive on the pitch, also winning a national championship in women’s soccer for the 20th time overall,

still the only ACC team to do so.

Maryland made it a clean sweep for the ACC in soccer with its men’s team capturing its third national crown and the 11th in conference history. The Terrapins field hockey team also won a national championship, their fifth title and 14th for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In women’s tennis, Duke won its first national championship, the second time in three years that an ACC school has won the team title.

Atlantic Coast Conference studentathletes excelled in individual competition as well, racking up 15 individual NCAA championships. Nine men and six women brought home titles in wrestling, indoor

and outdoor track & field, men’s golf, diving, men’s and women’s tennis as well as two in individual team competitions.

ACC student-athletes also earned awards for their outstanding performances in 2008-09. Nine earned National Player of the Year honors, three were named National Freshmen of the Year and 266 earned first-, second-, or third-team AllAmerica recognition.

Overall, the ACC placed 144 teams in postseason play, including 130 in NCAA Championships. In the final national rankings, the ACC had 33 Top 10 showings, including six at the No. 1 position. •

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ACC Coaches & Awards Luncheon 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm *Special Ticketed Event Tampa Bay Convention Center Presented by Tampa Bay & Company The ACC Coaches & Awards Luncheon officially kicks off the weekend with both participating coaches discussing their respective roads to Tampa Bay. The 2009 ACC Football Awards will also be presented at this time.

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ACC Outreach - Mascot and Children’s Cancer Center Bowling Championship 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Channelside Bay Plaza The Children’s Cancer Center will dress up and show its team spirit as they take on the ACC Mascots in the 2009 Mascot and Children’s Bowling Championship. The event will feature mascots and cheerleaders from all 12 league schools along with almost 100 patients from the Children’s Cancer Center. Boston College’s Mark Herzlich is a special guest and will share his journey as part of the event.

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

ACC Night of Legends 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm *Special Ticketed Event Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay Presented by Florida Sports Foundation The ACC Night of Legends is an exclusive party that will honor outstanding football legends from each ACC institution. Held at the ACC Headquarter Hotel, this event will celebrate the careers of the 2009 ACC Legends Class and feature food, beverage and entertainment indigenous to the Tampa Bay community.

Channelside’s Toast to the Atlantic Coast 7:00 pm – 12:00 am Free to the Public Channelside Bay Plaza Come join in the spirit and excitement of the ACC Football Championship at the biggest downtown pep rally of the weekend.

Make your way to Channelside Bay Plaza for a night of entertainment, including each participating school’s marching ban and mascot.

Hours

ALL CELEBRATIONS S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 9

Youth Football and Cheerleading Celebration *Pre-registered event South Lot – Raymond James Stadium The ACC Youth Football and Cheerleading Celebration is a program that will bring together 5,000+ youth football players, cheerleaders, coaches, officials, families & friends from throughout Florida for an afternoon and evening of ACC Football excitement. A youth football combine, cheerleading instruction, officials’ mini-clinic and on-field salute will highlight the Celebration!

ACC FanFest Open to All Game Ticket Holders ACC Raymond James Stadium Presented by the Official Corporate Partners of the ACC 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm The biggest party on Championship Weekend!

ACC FanFest is over 200,000 square feet of interactive games, team mascots, pep rallies, food and beverage, autograph signings, game merchanidise, jumbotrons, and general family fun! This event will feature country music star James Otto live in concert!

James Otto Pre-Game Concert Open to All Game Ticket Holders Raymond James Stadium Lot

2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game 8:00 pm, ESPN Raymond James Stadium

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 15

The Color of a Champion is Orange

By Craig Barnes

I

n the 1999 comedy “Runaway Bride,” Maggie Carpenter [Julia Roberts] sprints from the church with fiancée Ike Graham [Richard Gere] in pursuit and jumps on a FedEx truck rolling down a rural road.

Ellie Graham, Ike’s first wife, asks her current husband, Fisher, “Where is she going?”Fisher [Hector Elizondo] turns to Ellie [Rita Wilson] and answers, “I don’t know, but she will be there by 10:30 tomorrow.”

Every season, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 12 football teams jump on a FedEx truck figuratively with a desired destination and time of arrival in mind.

An ACC Championship guarantees delivery to the FedEx Orange Bowl in January. “The merging of the ACC and Orange Bowl brands,” said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford, “creates a special incentive to be our champion.

“The ACC champion earns the opportunity to represent the conference in a bowl with a long tradition and great history. We are fortunate to have such a desired destination for our schools, teams, players, coaches and fans.”

The road to the BCS National Championship Game

for the ACC champion, if its ranking is high enough, goes through the Orange Bowl.

“You have to go undefeated in the ACC, win the championship and be eligible for the Orange Bowl,” said Miami Coach Randy Shannon. “Otherwise, you have no shot at the national championship.”

National championships and the Orange Bowl are synonymous. It has hosted 19 champions and 17 Heisman Trophy winners.

“The FedEx Orange Bowl is proud of its record of hosting national champions,” said Orange Bowl Chief Executive Officer Eric Poms. “We are committed to continuing that tradition.”

Current ACC teams have won 10 football national championships, nine in the Orange Bowl. Miami was the last current ACC team to play for the BCS national championship in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in 2002.

“In the first five years of the Bowl Championship Series, Miami or Florida State played for the national championship,” Poms said. “It goes in cycles. A decade ago, Florida, Alabama, and Texas weren’t where they are today.”

Miami has five titles but none since joining the ACC in 2004. Three were won in the Orange Bowl CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

16

1940

2004

where the Hurricanes have played nine times.

“I was sitting in the stands when we won the first one, [beating Nebraska 3130 in 1983],” said Shannon, a graduate of Miami’s Norland High School.

He was a linebacker when the Hurricanes went 12-0 in 1987, beat Oklahoma 20-14 in the Orange Bowl and won the national championship “It was special to play in the Orange Bowl in my hometown and win the national championship,” Shannon said.

“The Bank of America tower in Miami spelled ‘Canes’ in orange green, an indication of community pride.”

Florida State has played in the Orange Bowl eight times. The Seminoles won the first of two national championships in 1993 with an 18-16 win over Nebraska.

“The Orange Bowl is special to my family,” said former Seminole quarterback Danny Kanell. “My three sisters played in the Orange Bowl Junior Tennis Tournament, and my family went to several parades.

“My experiences were unbelievable.

Every ACC team wants to play for the national championship, but the Orange Bowl is the first target.”

Kanell, a Fort Lauderdale native, held for Scott Bentley’s four field goals,

18

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

1993

including the 22-yard winner, against Nebraska and threw for four touchdowns in a 31-26 win over Notre Dame to finish the 1995 season.

“We wanted to give Coach [Bobby] Bowden his first national title,” Kanell said. “I had no idea that my roommate would be the difference, especially with our history of wide rights and lefts.

“Before he kicked the winner, I told him, ‘After you make it, you jump in my arms. I want to be on the front page of every sports section in the country,’” and he was.

Clemson, in its last of three Orange Bowl appearances, won its only national championship in 1981, beating Nebraska, 22-15, to finish 12-0.

“The ACC was looked at as a basketball conference then,” said former linebacker Jeff Davis, the captain who was the Defensive Most Valuable Player against Nebraska, “and nobody knew where Clemson was.”

Clemson was 11-0 in 1948 and 9-0-1 in 1950, but the 1981 Tigers were the first team to take it all the way.

“When it was over, it felt good to ask people, ‘Do you know where Clemson is now?’” said Davis who played six years in the NFL. “We put Clemson on the map.

It was great for our school, state, players,

1943

students and fans.”

Maryland came to the first of three Orange Bowls as the already-crowned 1953 national champion.

Without injured All-American Bernie Faloney, a quarterback and cornerback, the Terps lost to Oklahoma, 7-0., to finish 10-1.

“Back then, teams were ranked at the end of the regular season,” said former running back and safety Chet Hanulak.

“A bowl meant nothing to the rankings.

It was just a gift for a great year.

“People say that we lost to Oklahoma, but I say that we still won the national championship. It kept us from being unbeaten and that was disappointing.

Oklahoma was a good team, but I still believe we win with Faloney.”

In 1951, Maryland went to the Sugar Bowl where the Terps beat national champion Tennessee, 28-13, to finish 10-0.

“If you weren’t national champions, you wanted to play them,” said Hanulak, now 76. Hanulak came back to the Orange Bowl in 2002 when Florida beat Maryland 56-23.

“The ACC and Orange Bowl was a good pairing in my day,” he said, “and it still is. South Florida is close to the ACC and its fans.”

1955

2007

Georgia Tech, national champions in 1990, has played in five Orange Bowls, the last one to end the 1966 season, the final game of legendary Coach Bobby Dodd’s career.

Virginia Tech has played in the last two games and three overall. Duke has two appearances and Wake Forest and Boston College have one each for a total of 35 ACC teams in the 76 games hosted by the Orange Bowl.

“Expansion [in 2003] led to our conference becoming the singular partner of the Orange Bowl,” Swofford said, “allowing the connection between our schools, players and fans and the Orange Bowl to expand and strengthen.”

The ACC and Orange Bowl had a fiveyear agreement, including the Big Seven [now Big 12], from 1954-59. Duke’s 34-7 win over Nebraska in the 1955 game was the only ACC victory in that period.

Bob Pascal had a 7-yard touchdown run, and Jerry Barger threw two touchdown passes in the game.

“For a kid from a New Jersey [Bloomfield] street corner, playing in the Orange Bowl seemed unreal,” Pascal said. “It was the highlight of the season, and the reward for busting your hump.

“The possibility provided added motivation, and it was an

1948

1984

“The ACC champion earns the opportunity to represent the conference in a bowl with a long tradition and great history.

We are fortunate to have such a desired destination for our schools, teams, players, coaches and fans.”

—ACC COMMISSIONER JOHN SWOFFORD acknowledgement for a job well done.”

Pascal, who is 74, donated $6 million to Duke’s football program in April. To him, the Orange Bowl win was the high point in a distinguished career. “I believe Duke can be in the conversation for the ACC championship and Orange Bowl again soon,” Pascal said.

With the formation of the BCS in 1998, the Orange Bowl had its choice of the ACC or Big East champion. In 2004, the ACC champion became the Orange Bowl’s exclusive anchor team.

“It is a fledgling relationship,” Poms said. “We would like to see it grow into one similar to what the Pac 10, Big Ten and Rose Bowl have shared for decades.

“You can’t replace time and history.

The BCS model is entering a new cycle, and I don’t think anyone know s where it is going.” Poms expects a continued evolution of the relationship, even if the BCS model changes.

“We share a common geographic footprint with the ACC making the partnership a natural,” Poms said. “Its

academic and athletic missions are ones what we endorse and promote.”

As the current BCS coordinator, Swofford expects some changes in the BCS model.

“I don’t believe any of them will be significant enough to undermine the future relationship of ACC and Orange Bowl,” Swofford said, “as we continue to merge our brands in a growing partnership.”

With at least one ACC team in 19 of the last 31 games hosted by the Orange Bowl, a historical past is already shaping a framework of tradition.

“Hardly a day passes when someone doesn’t come up and say, ‘I was at the Orange Bowl in 1982,’” Davis said.

“We made history for Clemson and the ACC in that game, and those who were there will never forget it.

“The Orange Bowl is a great venue for ACC teams, students and fans.

Maryland, Clemson, Miami and Florida State made history there, winning their first national titles, and history only gets better when it is repeated.” •

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 19

DATE

BOWL

TIME

SITE

CONFERENCES

NETWORK

Dec. 19

New Mexico Bowl

4:30 PM

Albuquerque, NM

MWC vs. WAC

ESPN

Dec. 19

St. Petersburg Bowl

8:00 PM

St. Petersburg, FL

Big East vs. C-USA

ESPN

Dec. 20

New Orleans Bowl

8:15 PM

New Orleans, LA

C-USA vs. Sun Belt

ESPN

Dec. 22

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl

8:00 PM

Lag Vegas, NV

MWC vs. Pac-10

ESPN

Dec. 23

Poinsettia Bowl

8:00 PM

San Diego, CA

MWC vs. Pac-10/Navy

ESPN

Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl

8:00 PM

Honolulu, HI

C-USA vs. WAC

ESPN

Dec. 26

Motor City Bowl

1:00 PM

Detroit, MI

Big Ten vs. MAC

ESPN

Dec. 26

Meineke Car Care Bowl

4:30 PM

Charlotte, NC

ACC vs. Big East

ESPN

Dec. 26

Emerald Bowl

8:00 PM

San Francisco, CA

ACC vs. Pac-10

ESPN

Dec. 27

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl

8:15 PM

Nashville, TN

ACC vs. SEC

ESPN

Dec. 28

Advocare 100 Independence Bowl

5:00 PM

Shreveport, LA

Big 12 vs. SEC

ESPN

Dec. 29

EagleBank Bowl

4:30 PM

Washington, DC

ACC vs. Army/C-USA

ESPN

Dec. 29

Champs Sports Bowl

8:00 PM

Orlando, FL

ACC vs. Big Ten

ESPN

Dec. 30

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl

4:30 PM

Boise, ID

MWC vs. WAC

ESPN

Dec. 30

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

8:00 PM

San Diego, CA

Big 12 vs. Pac-10

ESPN

Dec. 31

Texas Bowl

3:30 PM

Houston, TX

Big 12 vs. Navy

ESPN

Dec. 31

Armed Forces Bowl

Noon

Forth Worth, TX

C-USA vs. MWC

ESPN

Dec. 31

Brut Sun Bowl

2:00 PM

El Paso, TX

Big 12/Big East/ND vs. Pac-10

CBS

Dec. 31

Insight Bowl

6:00 PM

Tempe, AZ

Big 12 vs. Big Ten

NFL Network

Dec. 31

Chick-fil-A-Bowl

7:30 PM

Atlanta, GA

ACC vs. SEC

ESPN

Jan. 1

Outback Bowl

11:00 AM

Tampa, FL

Big 10 vs. SEC

ESPN

Jan. 1

Capital One Bowl

1:00 PM

Orlando, FL

Big Ten vs. SEC

ABC

Jan. 1

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl

1:00 PM

Jacksonville, FL

ACC vs. Big 12/Big East/ND

CBS

Jan. 1

Rose Bowl Presented by Citi

5:10 PM

Pasadena, CA

Big Ten BCS vs. Pac-10 BCS

ABC

Jan. 1

Allstate Sugar Bowl

8:30 PM

New Orleans, LA

SEC BCS vs. BCS at-large

Fox

Jan. 2

Papajohns.com Bowl

2:00 PM

Birmingham, AL

Big East vs. SEC

ESPN

Jan. 2

AT&T Cotton Bowl

2:00 PM

Arlington, TX

Big 12 vs. SEC

Fox

Jan. 2

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

5:30 PM

Memphis, TN

C-USA vs. SEC

ESPN

Jan. 2

Valero Alamo Bowl

9:00 PM

San Antonio, TX

Big 12 vs. Big Ten

ESPN

Jan. 3

International Bowl

Noon

Tornonto, Canada

Big East vs. MAC

ESPN2

Jan. 4

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

8:00 PM

Clendale, AZ

Big 12 BCS vs. BCS At-Large

Fox

Jan. 5

FedEx Orange Bowl

8:00 PM

Miami, FL

ACC BCS vs. BCS At-Large

Fox

Jan. 6

GMAC Bowl

7:00 PM

Mobile, AL

ACC vs. MAC

ESPN

Jan. 7

Citi BCS National Championship

8:00 PM

Pasadena, CA

BCS #1 vs. BCS #2

ABC

20

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

championship

recap THIS YEAR IS AS GOOD A TIME AS EVER TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST FOUR DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

22

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

[ 2005]

27

22

Florida State’s Willie Reid returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown and Drew Weatherford threw for 225 yards and one touchdown as the Seminoles upset No. 5 Virginia Tech 27-22 in the inaugural ACC title game ... the victory marked the Seminoles’ 12th ACC title in 14 years … Reid, who finished with 210 all-purpose yards, was named the game’s most valuable player … sparked by Reid’s return to open the second half, FSU scored 24 unanswered third quarter points, snapping a 3-3 halftime tie … Marcus Vick led the Hokies to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter that cut the Seminole lead to 27-22.

MVP: Willie Reid, Florida State AWARD WINNERS: Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Barclay, Wake Forest Defensive Player of the Year: D’Qwell Jackson, Maryland Rookie of the Year: James Davis, Clemson Coach of the Year: Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech Tatum Award: Brendan Lewis, Duke & David Castillo, Florida State Piccolo Award: Ryan Best, Virginia Jacobs Blocking: Eric Winston, Miami

2005 ACC Legends: Mike Ruth (Boston College), Jeff Davis (Clemson), Leo Hart (Duke), Marvin Jones (Florida State), Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech), Jack Scarbath (Maryland), George Mira Sr. (Miami), Roman Gabriel (NC State), Don McCauley (North Carolina), William “Bill” Dudley (Virginia), Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech), Bill Armstrong (Wake Forest)

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 23

[ 2006]

9

6

Wake Forest’s Sam Swank kicked three field goals, including the game winner with 2:55 left to play as the 16th-ranked Demon Deacons claimed their first ACC title since 1970 with a 9-6 victory over No. 23 Georgia Tech ... Swank, who made good on three of four field goal attempts and punted seven times for a 42.6 yards per kick average, was named the game’s most valuable player ... freshman QB Riley Skinner completed 14-of-25 passes for 201 yards including a 45-yard completion to Willie Idlette that set up Swank’s game-winning field goal ... Deacon LB Jon Abbate had a game-high 15 tackles and keyed a defense that limited the Yellow Jackets to a pair of field goals and 272 yards in total offense ...

Tech WR Calvin Johnson finished with eight catches for 117 yards while Tashard Choice had his sixth-straight 100 yard effort, finishing with an even 100 yards on 21 carries.

MVP: Sam Swank, Wake Forest

2006 ACC Legends: Doug Flutie (Boston College), Michael Dean Perry (Clemson), Art Gregory (Duke), William Floyd (Florida State), Marco Coleman (Georgia Tech), Randy White (Maryland), Gino Torretta (Miami), Jim Ritcher (NC State), William Fuller (North Carolina), Jim Dombrowski (Virginia), Carroll Dale (Virginia Tech), James McDougald (Wake Forest)

24

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS: Player of the Year & Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech Defensive Player of the Year: Gaines Adams, Clemson Rookie of the Year: Riley Skinner, Wake Forest Coach of the Year: Jim Grobe, Wake Forest Tatum Award: Josh Wilson, Maryland Piccolo Award: Glenn Sharpe, Miami Jacobs Blocking: Josh Beekman, Boston College

[ 2007]

16

30

Virginia Tech held the high-powered Boston College offense scoreless over the final 35 minutes of play, overcoming a nine-point first half deficit to claim their second ACC title since joining the league in 2004...Led by junior quarterback Sean Glennon, who was named the championship game MVP, the Hokies scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out the 30-16 win...For the game, Glennon completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 174 yards and three touchdowns...Hokie receivers Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal and Josh Hyman combined for nearly 150 yards and three touchdowns...The Hokie defense forced two turnovers, scoring one TD on an interception return, and the special teams unit blocked two kicks, including a PAT that was returned for two points...For BC, Matt Ryan passed for 305 yards and running back Andre Callender set a championship game record with 13 receptions in the losing effort.

MVP: Sean Glennon, Virginia Tech AWARD WINNERS: Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Ryan, Boston College Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Long, Virginia Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year: Josh Adams, Wake Forest Defensive Rookie of the Year: Deunta Williams, North Carolina Coach of the Year: Al Groh, Virginia Tatum Award: Tom Santi, Virginia Piccolo Award: Matt Robinson, Wake Forest Jacobs Blocking: Steve Justice, Wake Forest

2007 ACC Legends: Pete Mitchell (Boston College), Jerry Butler (Clemson), Clarkston Hines (Duke), LeRoy Butler (Florida State), George Morris (Georgia Tech), Dick Shiner (Maryland), Jim Kelly (Miami), Dennis Byrd (NC State), Harris Barton (North Carolina), Joe Palumbo (Virginia), Antonio Freeman (Virginia Tech), Norm Snead (Wake Forest)

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 25

[ 2008]

12

30

Virginia Tech came up with a solid defensive effort to defeat Atlantic Division rival Boston College 30-12 in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. The win marked the second straight ACC title and the third in four years for the Hokies, who defeated the Eagles 30-16 in the 2007 championship game.

Freshman Darren Evans added 114 yards rushing on 31 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown run, and Dustin Keys set an ACC Championship Game record with a 50-yard field goal. Orion Martin capped the win for the Hokies (9-4) when he recovered a fumble and returned it 17 yards for a TD. Boston College (9-4) scored a second-quarter touchdown on Dominique Davis’ 16-yard pass to Rich Gunnell, who finished the game with seven catches for 114 yards.

MVP : Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech

2008 ACC Legends: Steve DeOssie (Boston College); Levon Kirkland (Clemson); Claude “Tee” Moorman, II (Duke); Danny Kanell (Florida State); Pat Swilling (Georgia Tech); Stan Jones (Maryland); Russell Maryland (Miami); Marcus Jones (North Carolina); Bill Yoest (N.C. State); Tiki Barber (Virginia); Don Strock (Virginia Tech); John Henry Mills (Wake Forest)

26

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS: Player of the Year & Offensive Player of the Year: Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Herzlich, Boston College Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year: Russell Wilson, NC State Defensive Rookie of the Year: Sean Spence, Miami Coach of the Year: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech Tatum Award: Darryl Richard, Georgia Tech Piccolo Award: Robert Quinn, North Carolina Jacobs Blocking: Eugene Monroe, Virginia

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ACC FOOTBALL Heisman Trophy Winners

National Titles

Pro Football Hall of Famers

AFCA Graduation Awards

Coaches in National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Players in the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Academic All-A as selected by CoSI

By the Numbers All-Americans y CoSIDA

No. 1 National Rankings

Bowl Victories

NFL First-Round Draft Picks

All-Americans

Mark Herzlich An all american player defeats his toughest opponent yet — Cancer.

BY MARK BLAUDSCHUN

In a few weeks, Mark Herzlich will step back into the shadows.

He will hit the weight room, attempting to fine tune his body as he prepares for a role he played so well a year ago – an All American football player at Boston College.

But it will be different, because Herzlich is different. He also is healthy.

When this story began last spring, the BC linebacker had just learned that he had a rare and deadly form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Winning a football game? Forget about it. This was about winning a much bigger game – simply surviving.

“The end game – and what probably should have happened – was that I had surgery to remove part of the bone (in his cancerous left femur),” Herzlich said. “I would have gotten sick, lost a lot of weight and probably not played (football) ever again. But the way it turned out has been incredible.’’

Herzlich is not guaranteed of the latter yet. But he is getting close. After an aggressive response, which included chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Herlzich is cancer free, with the final process involving the insertion of rod in his left leg to provide stability.

But that is only part of the story. As Herzlich went through the treatments, while staying in touch with his teammates as an assistant coach on Frank Spaziani’s staff, Herzlich also became the rallying point in a “Beat Cancer” campaign which has netted in excess of $120,000 in donations.

While BC played each week, Herzlich made appearances around the Atlantic Coast Conference as league schools made donations to the Uplifting Athletes Foundation, another fund-raising campaign.

Contributions included: • $5,000 from the Orange Bowl Committee to the Sarcoma Foundation of America • $5,000 from Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers to Uplifting Athletes • $9,400 (Herzlich’s uniform number is 94) from Florida State University groups • $9,494.94 from Virginia Tech • $10,000 from NC State to Uplifting Athletes

30

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

•

At Boston College more than 6,000 gold Beat Cancer T-shirts have already been sold with the proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society in support of Ewings Sarcoma Research.

• $12,494 from the North Carolina football program and the North Carolina Dance Marathon to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center for in support of Ewings Sarcoma Research • $8,194.94 from Virginia’s ‘Hoos for Herzlich’ campaign to Uplifting Athletes • $3,000 from the ACC Football Officials Association to Uplifting Athletes It has been the same each week at different ACC schools, where Herzlich was introduced in pre-game ceremonies.

Herlzich says he has been overwhelmed by the response. “Thousands of people coming together, tributes throughout the ACC in general with all the schools and coaches who have been involved, it’s been incredible.’’

Herzlich has embraced the spotlight, instead of avoided it. “With all the negative stuff in the news, I think people are looking for a rallying point.

Unfortunately, I’ve got this disease. But my attitude was simply to fight back.

It’s all about never accepting defeat. I kind of learned that in high school about never accepting defeat and now I’ve been tested through all of this.’

Herzlich, who will receive his undergraduate degree at BC later this month and then take some graduate courses in the spring and next fall as he prepares to finish his career at BC next season, concedes how tough the battle has been.

“At the start, it was very hard with no football,’’ he said.”Then after the first couple of games, I got into my mind that I wasn’t going to play football this year and I accepted that and I focused my energy on beating cancer and raising money. Then it was easier to deal with.’’

Herzlich knows that there are no guarantees of what will happen. But his mind set is different. For the past six months, he has focused on beating cancer and as he said, raising money and becoming a positive rallying point.

A year ago, Herzlich was with BC preparing to play in his second consecutive ACC championship game. Herlzich is again at the ACC title game this season, but finishing out his year as an ambassador of good will and hope as the honors and tributes keep combining his way.

But Herzlich wants to go back and do things the old fashioned way, earning them for what he does on the field.

Now, his mind set is simply that of a football player who is recovering from an injury. Doctors have told him that he is cancer free, although there was some question that the radiation treatment would weaken the bone in his leg where the cancerous tumor developed.

Herzlich says the surgery to insert the rod should take care of that concern.

“There’s always a risk the bone was weakened,’’ said Herlzich, who heard initial reports that even if he was cancer free, his football career might be over.

“The doctor said when he puts a rod in, he never expects it to break.’’

Which is probably a good description for the will of Mark Herzlich. • On Friday, December 4, 2009 Commissioner John Swofford presented Boston College’s Mark Herzlich with the Commissioner’s Cup in recognition of his tremendous courage, perseverance and inspiration. The cup is given at the Commissioner’s discretion; this marks the first to be awarded to a student-athlete.

In addition to this award, Herzlich will be presented with a check from the Atlantic Coast Conference at the championship game.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 31

DECEMBER 5, 2009 • RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM • TAMPA, FL • theACC.com 12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 33

34

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPION / CLEMSON

2009 SEASON RESULTS Sept. 5, 2009

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

W

37-14

Sept. 10, 2009

Georgia Tech

L

27-30

Sept. 19, 2009

BOSTON COLLEGE

W

25-7

Sept. 26, 2009

TCU

L

10-14

Oct. 3, 2009

Maryland

L

21-24

Oct. 17, 2009

WAKE FOREST

W

38-3

Oct. 24, 2009

Miami

W

40-37

Oct. 31, 2009

COASTAL CAROLINA

W

49-3

Nov. 7, 2009

FLORIDA STATE

W

40-24

Nov. 14, 2009

NC State

W

43-23

Nov. 21, 2009

VIRGINIA

W

34-21

Nov. 28, 2009

South Carolina

L

17-34

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 35

TEAM STATISTICS

CLEMSON

SCORING

381

Points Per Game FIRST DOWNS Rushing

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

234

RUSHING

GP

Att Gain Loss

Net

Avg

TD

C.J. Spiller

12

181

962

50

912

5.0

7

66

76.0

Andre Ellington

12

59

412

4

408

6.9

3

55

34.0 27.2

Long Avg/G

31.8

19.5

216

201

Jamie Harper

12

69

333

6

327

4.7

3

69

97

96

Jacoby Ford

12

16

123

7

116

7.2

2

17

9.7

Kyle Parker

12

54

243

137

106

2.0

1

19

8.8

Passing

107

85

Penalty

12

20

PASSING

G

Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct

Yds

TD

Lng

Avg/G

1882

1621

Kyle Parker

12

124.97

187-338-10

55.3

2294

19

77

191.2

2178

2022

Willy Korn

6

122.71

12-17-1

70.6

90

1

18

15.0

Jacoby Ford

12 496.00

2-2-0

100.0

55

1

32

4.6

C.J. Spiller

12 286.40

1-2-0

50.0

17

1

17

1.4

RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing

296

401

Rushing Attempts

429

499

Average Per Rush

4.4

3.2

RECEIVING

G

No.

Yds

Avg

TD

Average Per Game

156.8

135.1

Jacoby Ford

12

50

703

14.1

5

77

58.6

Michael Palmer

11

38

439

11.6

4

26

39.9

TDs Rushing

Comp-Att-Int

Long Avg/G

17

6

C.J. Spiller

12

32

440

13.8

4

63

36.7

2456

2033

Xavier Dye

9

13

218

16.8

3

43

24.2

202-359-11

161-317-21

11.3

PASSING YARDAGE

Average Per Pass

6.8

6.4

Terrance Ashe

11

11

124

11.3

0

25

Andre Ellington

12

11

55

5.0

0

12

4.6

Dwayne Allen

12

10

108

10.8

3

17

9.0

Average Per Catch

12.2

12.6

Jamie Harper

12

9

42

4.7

0

14

3.5

Average Per Game

204.7

169.4

Rendrick Taylor

11

8

53

6.6

0

14

4.8

22

18

Marquan Jones

11

7

156

22.3

1

38

14.2

4338

3654

Total Plays

788

816

SCORING

TD

FGs Kick Rush

Average Per Play

5.5

4.5

C.J. Spiller

16

0-0

Richard Jackson

0

Jacoby Ford

8

0-0

TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE

Average Per Game

|----PATs ----| Rcv

Pass

DXP

Saf

Points

1-1

0

0-0

0

0

98

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

94

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

48

0-0

20-29 34-36

361.5

304.5

KICK RETURNS: #-Yards

39-941

71-1429

Michael Palmer

4

0-0

0-0

0-0

1

0-0

0

0

26

PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards

26-374

22-253

Jamie Harper

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18

INT RETURNS: #-Yards

21-342

11-127

Andre Ellington

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18

Xavier Dye

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18 18

KICK RETURN AVERAGE

24.1

20.1

Dwayne Allen

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

PUNT RETURN AVERAGE

14.4

11.5

Spencer Benton

0

1-1

4-7

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

7

INT RETURN AVERAGE

16.3

11.5

Kyle Parker

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

1-1

0

0

6

FUMBLES-LOST

25-11

31-8

TOTAL OFFENSE

G

Plays

Rush

Pass

Total

Avg/G

PENALTIES-Yards

58-524

73-578

Kyle Parker

12

392

106

2294

2400

200.0

PUNTS-Yards

54-2100

74-2777

C.J. Spiller

12

183

912

17

929

77.4

Andre Ellington

12

59

408

0

408

34.0

Jamie Harper

12

69

327

0

327

27.2

Jacoby Ford

12

18

116

55

171

14.2

Willy Korn

6

34

12

90

102

17.0

Rendrick Taylor

11

13

37

0

37

3.4

Chad Diehl

11

3

4

0

4

0.4

TIME OF POSSESSION/Game

36

OPP

28:43

31:17

3RD-DOWN Conversions

65/172

66/179

4TH-DOWN Conversions

3/13

4/15

SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st

2nd

3rd

4th

OT

Total

Daniel Barnes

1

1

3

0

3

3.0

Clemson

70

141

100

64

6

381

Ronald Watson

3

3

-1

0

-1

-0.3

Opponents

66

64

49

52

3

234

Marquan Jones

11

1

-2

0

-2

-0.2

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPION / CLEMSON

Coaching Staff

Dabo Swinney Head Coach

Brad Scott Associate Head Coach

Kevin Steele Defensive Coordinator

Charlie Harbison Co-Defensive Coordinator

Billy Napier Offensive Coordinator

Danny Pearman Assistant Head Coach

Dan Brooks Assistant Coach

André Powell Special Teams Coordinator

Chris Rumph Assistant Coach

Jeff Scott Recruiting Coordinator

2009 Team Roster NO. 2 3 5 6 7 8 8 9 11 12 13 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 37 38 40 41 42 44 45

NAME DeAndre McDaniel Willy Korn Rendrick Taylor Jacoby Ford Ricky Sapp Jamie Cumbie Jamie Harper Spencer Adams Kyle Parker Marcus Gilchrist Spencer Benton Coty Sensabaugh Michael Wade Crezdon Butler Richard Jackson Brandon Maye Xavier Dye Jonathan Meeks Andre Ellington Kevin Alexander Marquan Jones Sadat Chambers C.J. Spiller Xavier Brewer Chad Diehl Rashard Hall Carlton Lewis Kavell Conner Tarik Rollins Byron Maxwell Kantrell Brown Ronald Watson Chris Chancellor Andre Branch Daniel Andrews Byron Clear Scotty Cooper Corico Hawkins

POS. S QB FB WR DE DT RB S QB DB PK CB QB CB PK/P LB WR S RB DE/LB WR S RB CB FB S S LB LB CB S RB CB DE LB DE LB LB

HT. 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-5 6-7 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-9 5-10 6-5 5-11 6-5 6-1 6-0

WT. 210 215 265 185 240 290 230 185 200 190 190 180 210 185 195 230 210 205 180 265 195 195 195 180 255 195 205 235 210 200 190 195 170 265 200 235 220 230

CL. Jr. *So. *Sr. Sr. Sr. *Jr. So. *Fr. *Fr. Jr. *Fr. *So. *Jr. Sr. *Jr. *So. Jr. Fr. *Fr. Sr. So. *Gr. Sr. *Fr. *So. *Fr. *Fr. *Sr. *Fr. *Jr. *So. *Sr. *Gr. *So. So. *So. Jr. Fr.

HOMETOWN Tallahassee, FL Lyman, SC Clio, SC Royal Palm Beach, FL Bamberg, SC Morris, IL Jacksonville, FL Charlotte, NC Jacksonville, FL High Point, NC Myrtle Beach, SC Kingsport, TN Greer, SC Asheville, NC Greer, SC Mobile, AL Greenwood, SC Rock Hill, SC Moncks Corner, SC Raiford, FL Columbia, SC Pageland, SC Lake Butler, FL Jacksonville, FL Lyman, SC Saint Augustine, FL Saint Augustine, FL Richmond, VA Hollywood, FL North Charleston, SC Saint Matthews, SC Mauldin, SC Miami, FL Richmond, VA Jacksonville, FL Hoover, AL Lake City, SC Milledgeville, GA

NO. 46 48 50 52 54 55 58 61 62 64 65 70 71 72 73 74 76 78 79 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

NAME POS. HT. WT. Jonathan Willard LB 6-2 215 Jeremy Campbell LB 6-2 225 John Wright DT 6-2 250 Phillip Fajgenbaum LS 6-0 215 Matt Sanders OG 6-6 315 Dalton Freeman C 6-5 280 Caleb Simmons OL 6-0 255 Chris Hairston OT 6-7 325 Mason Cloy OL 6-4 310 Wilson Norris OG 6-4 310 Thomas Austin OG 6-4 310 Jamarcus Grant OL 6-5 320 Matt Skinner LS 6-7 225 Landon Walker OT 6-6 305 David Smith OL 6-5 290 Antoine McClain OG 6-6 320 Cory Lambert OT 6-6 300 Ben Ramsey OL 6-4 280 Phillip Price OT 6-6 265 Chris Richardson DE 6-2 235 Brandon Ford WR 6-4 210 Jaron Brown WR 6-2 195 Durrell Barry TE 6-4 250 Dwayne Allen TE 6-4 255 Brandon Clear WR 6-5 210 Michael Palmer TE 6-5 260 Terrance Ashe WR 6-2 190 Kyle Johnson WR 6-3 205 Miguel Chavis DT 6-5 285 Kasey Nobles TE 6-1 240 Da’Quan Bowers DE 6-4 280 Rennie Moore DT 6-4 265 Drew Traylor TE 6-4 245 Dawson Zimmerman P 6-2 200 Malliciah Goodman DE 6-4 265 Brandon Thompson DT 6-3 305 Jarvis Jenkins DT 6-4 310 * spent one season as a red-shirt player

CL. *Fr. Sr. *Jr. Fr. *Fr. *Fr. *So. *Jr. *So. *So. *Gr. *Sr. *Fr. *So. *So. So. *Sr. *Jr. *So. *So. *Fr. *Fr. *Gr. *Fr. *So. Sr. *Jr. *Gr. Jr. *Jr. So. *So. *So. So. Fr. So. Jr.

HOMETOWN Loris, SC Port Orange, FL Anderson, SC Raleigh, NC Crestview, FL Pelion, SC Lake City, SC Winston-Salem, NC Columbia, SC Pickens, SC Camden, SC Mullins, SC Jacksonville, FL North Wilkesboro, NC Greenville, SC Anniston, AL Greenville, SC Greensboro, NC Dillon, SC Lithia Springs, GA Wando, SC Cheraw, SC North Charleston, SC Fayetteville, NC Hoover, AL Stone Mountain, GA Cheraw, SC Charlotte, NC Fayetteville, NC Lake Butler, FL Bamberg, SC Saint Marys, GA Birmingham, AL Lawrenceville, GA Florence, SC Thomasville, GA Clemson, SC

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 37

38

2 DeAndre McDaniel

3 Willy Korn

5 Rendrick Taylor

6 Jacoby Ford

7 Ricky Sapp

8 Jamie Cumbie

8 Jamie Harper

9 Spencer Adams

11 Kyle Parker

12 Marcus Gilchrist

13 Spencer Benton

15 Coty Sensabaugh

16 Michael Wade

18 Crezdon Butler

19 Richard Jackson

20 Brandon Maye

21 Xavier Dye

22 Jonathan Meeks

23 Andre Ellington

24 Kevin Alexander

26 Marquan Jones

27 Sadat Chambers

28 C.J. Spiller

29 Xavier Brewer

30 Chad Diehl

31 Rashard Hall

32 Carlton Lewis

33 Kavell Conner

34 Tarik Rollins

36 Byron Maxwell

37 Kantrell Brown

37 Ronald Watson

38 Chris Chancellor

40 Andre Branch

41 Daniel Andrews

42 Byron Clear

44 Scotty Cooper

45 Corico Hawkins

46 Jonathan Willard

48 Jeremy Campbell

50 John Wright

52 Phillip Fajgenbaum

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPION / CLEMSON

54 Matt Sanders

55 Dalton Freeman

58 Caleb Simmons

61 Chris Hairston

62 Mason Cloy

64 Wilson Norris

65 Thomas Austin

70 Jamarcus Grant

71 Matt Skinner

72 Landon Walker

73 David Smith

74 Antoine McClain

76 Cory Lambert

78 Ben Ramsey

79 Phillip Price

79 Chris Richardson

80 Brandon Ford

81 Jaron Brown

82 Durrell Barry

83 Dwayne Allen

85 Brandon Clear

86 Michael Palmer

87 Terrance Ashe

88 Kyle Johnson

89 Miguel Chavis

92 Kasey Nobles

93 Daâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Quan Bowers

94 Rennie Moore

95 Drew Traylor

96 Dawson Zimmerman

97 Malliciah Goodman

98 Brandon Thompson

99 Jarvis Jenkins

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 39

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPION / GEORGIA TECH

40

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

2009 SEASON RESULTS Sept. 5, 2009

JACKSONVILLE STATE

W

37-17

Sept. 10, 2009

CLEMSON

W

30-27

Sept. 17, 2009

Miami

L

17-33

Sept. 26, 2009

NORTH CAROLINA

W

24-7

Oct. 3, 2009

Mississippi State

W

42-31

Oct. 10, 2009

Florida State

W

49-44

Oct. 17, 2009

VIRGINIA TECH

W

28-23

Oct. 24, 2009

Virginia

W

34-9

Oct. 31, 2009

Vanderbilt

W

56-31

Nov. 7, 2009

WAKE FOREST

W

30-27

Nov. 14, 2009

Duke

W

49-10

Nov. 28, 2009

GEORGIA

L

24-30

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 41

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPION / GEORGIA TECH

TEAM STATISTICS

GT

SCORING

420

Points Per Game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty

Att Gain Loss

Net

Avg

TD

12

197

1267

31

1236

6.3

12

Long Avg/G 74

147

888

3.7

17

39

74.0

82

48.2

103.0

Josh Nesbitt

12

237 1035

250

205

Anthony Allen

12

56

585

6

579

10.3

5

182

80

Roddy Jones

11

49

293

15

278

5.7

3

23

25.3

Marcus Wright

12

29

186

9

177

6.1

3

22

14.8

115

16

10

3660

1628 1908

Yards lost rushing

285

280

Rushing Attempts

686

359

Average Per Rush

5.3

4.5

Average Per Game

305.0

135.7

43

11

1626

Comp-Att-Int

GP

Jonathan Dwyer

24.1

3945

PASSING YARDAGE

RUSHING

35.0

Yards gained rushing

TDs Rushing

2599

PASSING

G

Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct

Yds

TD

Lng

Avg/G

Josh Nesbitt

12

157.78

64-137-4

46.7

1553

9

87

129.4

Jaybo Shaw

6

25.60

1-2-1

50.0

18

0

18

3.0

Tevin Washington

1

276.40

1-1-0

100.0

21

0

21

21.0

Scott Blair

12

715.60

1-1-0

100.0

34

1

34

2.8

RECEIVING

G

No.

Yds

Avg

TD

Demaryius Thomas

12

44

1077

24.5

7

Long Avg/G 76

89.8

Embry Peeples

11

6

223

37.2

1

87

20.3

Stephen Hill

11

5

129

25.8

1

53

11.7

Anthony Allen

12

5

112

22.4

1

31

9.3

Tyler Melton

8

3

30

10.0

0

13

3.8 2.2

67-141-5

218-352-9

Orwin Smith

12

2

26

13.0

0

21

Average Per Pass

11.5

7.4

Daniel McKayhan

5

1

18

18.0

0

18

3.6

Average Per Catch

24.3

11.9

Jonathan Dwyer

12

1

11

11.0

0

11

0.9

Average Per Game

135.5

216.6

10

21

SCORING

TD

FGs Kick Rush

Rcv

Pass

DXP

Saf

Points

5286

4227

Josh Nesbitt

17

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

102

Jonathan Dwyer

12

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

72

Scott Blair

0

10-15 40-41

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

70

TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays

827

Average Per Play

KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards

|----PATs ----|

711

6.4

5.9

Demaryius Thomas

7

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

42

440.5

352.2

Anthony Allen

6

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

36

43-979

70-1586

Roddy Jones

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18

Marcus Wright

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18

Average Per Game

19-272

9-62

Jerrard Tarrant

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

18

INT RETURNS: #-Yards

9-45

5-48

Chris Tanner

0

0-0 14-14

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

14

KICK RETURN AVERAGE

22.8

22.7

Stephen Hill

2

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

12

Embry Peeples

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

6

Richard Watson

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

6

Preston Lyons

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0-0

0

0

6

PUNT RETURN AVERAGE

14.3

6.9

INT RETURN AVERAGE

5.0

9.6

FUMBLES-LOST

33-12

20-13

PENALTIES-Yards

70-560

60-502

PUNTS-Yards

30-1221

46-1787

34:03

25:57

TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions

89/169

61/151

4TH-DOWN Conversions

13/23

5/10

SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st

42

289

52

RUSHING YARDAGE

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

OPP

2nd

3rd

4th

OT

Total

Georgia Tech

103

110

98

103

6

420

Opponents

62

102

53

69

3

289

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

TOTAL OFFENSE

G

Plays

Rush

Pass

Total

Avg/G

Josh Nesbitt

12

374

888

1553

2441

203.4

Jonathan Dwyer

12

197

1236

0

1236

103.0

Anthony Allen

12

56

579

0

579

48.2

Roddy Jones

11

49

278

0

278

25.3

Marcus Wright

12

29

177

0

177

14.8

Embry Peeples

11

26

133

0

133

12.1

Preston Lyons

11

27

129

0

129

11.7

Stephen Hill

11

5

84

0

84

7.6

Jaybo Shaw

6

14

51

18

69

11.5

Tevin Washington

1

7

40

21

61

61.0

Coaching Staff

Paul Johnson Head Coach

Brian Bohannon Quarterbacks/ B-Backs Coach

Brian Jean-Mary Linebackers

Charles Kelly Cornerbacks Coach

Jeff Monken Slot Backs / Special Teams Coordinator

Al ‘Buzz’ Preston Wide Receivers Coach

Mike Sewak Co-Offensive Line Coach

Giff Smith Defensive Line Coach / Recruiting Coordinator

Todd Spencer Co-Offensive Line Coach

Dave Wommack Defensive Coordinator

J.R. Dorman Football Office Assistant

Brett Gilliland Football Office Assistant

Chris Hampton Graduate Assistant Coach

Lamar Owens Graduate Assistant Coach

2009 Team Roster NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 44 45 46 49

NAME Morgan Burnett Mario Butler Marcus Wright Brandon Leslie Stephen Hill Rod Sweeting Ty Rawlings Demaryius Thomas Josh Nesbitt Martin Frierson Jaybo Shaw Anthony Barnes Tevin Washington Scott Blair Correy Earls Orwin Smith Chris Tanner Anthony Allen Roddy Jones Jonathan Dwyer Cooper Taylor Quentin Sims Embry Peeples DeRon Jasper Dominique Reese Jonathan Malone Rashaad Reid Jon Lockhart Richard Watson Mario Edwards Steven Sylvester Michael Peterson Lucas Cox Jerrard Tarrant Jemea Thomas Julian Burnett Anthony Egbuniwe Malcolm Munroe Albert Rocker Jason Davis Preston Lyons Jamal Paige

POS. S CB AB S WR CB K WR QB DB QB LB QB PK/P DB AB K/P AB AB BB S/LB WR AB DB DB AB CB DB BB DB/LB LB CB RB CB DB LB DE LB DL DB BB AB

HT. 6-1 6-1 5-8 6-0 6-4 6-0 5-8 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-9 6-0 6-4 6-3 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-9 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-4 6-3 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-10

WT. 210 182 173 206 196 174 150 229 217 215 191 230 203 180 200 206 181 231 195 235 208 195 173 213 198 167 185 191 228 216 233 198 232 202 178 221 255 222 241 196 213 182

CL. Jr. Jr. So. Fr.-R Fr. Fr. So.-R Jr.-R Jr. Sr.-R So. Jr.-R Fr.-R Jr. Jr.-R Fr. Fr.-R Jr.-R So.-R Jr. So. Fr.-R So. Jr.-R Jr.-R Sr. So. Fr.-R Fr.-R Jr.-R So. So.-R Jr.-R So.-R Fr. Fr. Jr.-R Fr.-R So.-R Sr.-R So.-R Fr.-R

HOMETOWN College Park, Ga. Jacksonville, Fla. San Antonio, Texas Fresno, Calif.

Lithonia, Ga. Locust Grove, Ga. Griffin, Ga. Montrose, Ga. Greensboro, Ga. Columbia, S.C. Flowery Branch, Ga. Cartersville, Ga. Wetumpka, Ala. Calhoun, Ga. Macon, Ga. Phenix City, Ala. Norcross, Ga. Tampa, Fla. Stone Mountain, Ga. Marietta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Cincinnati, Ohio Orlando, Fla. Dunwoody, Ga Auburn, Ala. Marietta, Ga. St. Augustine, Fla Blountstown, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. College Park, Ga. McDonough, Ga. Tampa,Fla. Lewisberry, Pa. Carrollton, Ga..

Fitzgerald, Ga. Macon, Ga. Greenville, S.C. Miami, Fla. New Market, Ala. Duluth, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.

NO. 51 53 54 54 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 63 64 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 94 95 96 97 98

NAME Brad Jefferson Jeff Lentz Sedric Griffin Michael Ray Osahon Tongo Austin Flanary B.J. Machen Brad Sellers Phil Smith Omoregie Uzzi Chase Hudson Tyler Morgan Mike Johnson Steven Powers Zach Fraysier Kevin Crosby Joseph Gilbert Cord Howard Jason Hill Austin Barrick Zach Krish Nick Claytor Nick McRae Dan Voss Clyde Yandell Sean Bedford Daniel McKayhan Zach Fisher Kevin Cone Tyler Melton Chandler Anderson Geoff Greco Onu Okebie Paul Reese T.J. Barnes Derrick Morgan Jason Peters Izaan Cross

POS. HT. LB 6-2 LS 6-5 LB 5-11 LS 5-10 DE 6-3 LB 6-1 LB 6-1 OL 6-2 OT 6-6 OG 6-3 OL 6-2 LS 6-3 OL 6-4 DL 6-2 OL 6-3 P 6-3 OL 6-4 OL 6-5 DT 6-4 OT 6-3 OL 6-5 OT 6-6 OL 6-4 C 6-4 OL 6-5 OL 6-1 WR 6-0 WR 6-2 WR 6-2 WR 6-0 PK/P 6-0 WR 6-3 WR 6-1 AB 6-0 DT 6-7 DE 6-4 DT 6-4 DE 6-4 Christopher Crenshaw DE 6-3 Logan Walls DT 6-2 Robert Hall DE 6-3 Ben Anderson DT 6-2

WT. 237 242 225 210 247 226 233 257 285 308 268 189 280 232 263 191 280 308 312 284 293 284 286 296 287 274 198 204 206 206 191 221 175 185 341 272 273 272 238 286 259 275

CL. Jr. Jr.-R Sr. Sr.-R Jr.-R Fr.-R Fr.-R Sr.-R Fr.-R Fr.-R So.-R Fr. Fr.-R Jr.-R Fr.-R Jr.-R So.-R Sr.-R Sr.-R Jr.-R Jr.-R So.-R Fr.-R Sr.-R So.-R Jr.-R Fr.-R So.-R Jr.-R So. So.-R Fr.-R Jr. So.-R Fr.-R Jr. So.-R Fr. Fr. So.-R Jr.-R Jr.-R

HOMETOWN Wrightsville, Ga. Marietta, Ga. Blair, S.C. Roswell, Ga. Naperville, Ill. Scottsdale, Ariz.

Hilliard, Ohio Grand Prairie, Texas Tampa, Fla. Lithonia, Ga. Dacula, Ga. Fayetteville, Ga. Lithonia, Ga. Rome, Ga. Ball Ground, Ga. Alpharetta, Ga. Cartersville, Ga. Phenix City, Ala. Atlanta, Ga. Moody, Ala. Snellville, Ga. Gainesville, Ga. Dublin, Ga. Cherry Hill, N.J. St. Augustine, Fla. Gainesville, Fla. Decatur, Ga. Marietta, Ga. Stone Mountain, Ga. Houston, Texas Columbus, Ga. Wexford, Pa. Lawrenceville, Ga. Albany, Ga. Enterprise, Ala. Coatesville, Pa. Baton Rouge, La. Flowery Branch, Ga. Louisville, Ga. Dawsonville, Ga. Hawkinsville, Ga. Aiken, S.C.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 43

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPION / GEORGIA TECH

1

44

Morgan Burnett

2 Mario Butler

3 Marcus Wright

4 Brandon Leslie

5 Stephen Hill

6 Rod Sweeting

6 Ty Rawlings

8 Demaryius Thomas

9 Josh Nesbitt

10 Martin Frierson

11 Jaybo Shaw

12 Anthony Barnes

13 Tevin Washington

14 Scott Blair

15 Correy Earls

17 Orwin Smith

17 Chris Tanner

18 Anthony Allen

20 Roddy Jones

21 Jonathan Dwyer

22 Cooper Taylor

23 Quentin Sims

24 Embry Peeples

25 DeRon Jasper

26 Dominique Reese

27 Jonathan Malone

28 Rashaad Reid

29 Jon Lockhart

32 Richard Watson

33 Mario Edwards

34 Steven Sylvester

35 Michael Peterson

36 Lucas Cox

37 Jerrard Tarrant

38 Jemea Thomas

40 Julian Burnett

41 Anthony Egbuniwe

42 Malcolm Munroe

44 Albert Rocker

45 Jason Davis

46 Preston Lyons

49 Jamal Paige

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

51 Brad Jefferson

53 Jeff Lentz

54 Sedric Griffin

54 Michael Ray

56 Osahon Tongo

57 Austin Flanary

58 B.J. Machen

60 Brad Sellers

61 Phil Smith

62 Omoregie Uzzi

63 Chase Hudson

63 Tyler Morgan

64 Mike Johnson

67 Steven Powers

68 Zach Fraysier

69 Kevin Crosby

70 Joseph Gilbert

71 Cord Howard

72 Jason Hill

73 Austin Barrick

74 Zach Krish

75 Nick Claytor

76 Nick McRae

77 Dan Voss

78 Clyde Yandell

79 Sean Bedford

80 Daniel McKayhan

81 Zach Fisher

82 Kevin Cone

84 Tyler Melton

85 Chandler Anderson

86 Geoff Greco

87 Onu Okebie

89 Paul Reese

90 T.J. Barnes

91 Derrick Morgan

92 Jason Peters

94 Izaan Cross

95 Christopher Crenshaw

96 Logan Walls

97 Robert Hall

98 Ben Anderson

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 45

THE ROAD TO TAMPA BAY

WEEK ONE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 South Carolina 7 NC State

3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Jacksonville State 17 Georgia Tech Northeastern 0 Boston College Baylor 24 Wake Forest Middle Tennessee 14 Clemson The Citadel 6 North Carolina William and Mary 26 Virginia Richmond 24 Duke Alabama 34 Virginia Tech Maryland 13 California

37 54 21 37 40 14 16 24 52

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Miami 38 Florida State

34

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Jacory Harris, QB, Miami, Offensive Back Alan Pelc, G, North Carolina, Offensive Lineman Brandon Maye, LB, Clemson, Defensive Lineman Brandon Harris, CB, Miami, Defensive Back C.J. Spiller, RB/KR, Clemson, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

46

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

WEEK TWO

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 Clemson 27 Georgia Tech

WEEK FOUR

E

WEEK THRE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Georgia Tech 17 Miami

33

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Stanford 17 Wake Forest 24 North Carolina 12 Connecticut 10 Duke 35 Army 19 Marshall 10 Virginia Tech 52 Kent St. 7 Boston College 34 Texas Christian 30 Virginia 14 Jacksonville St. 9 Florida State 19 James Madison 35 Maryland 38 (OT) Murray St. 7 NC State 65

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Boston College 7 Clemson Duke 16 Kansas East Carolina 17 North Carolina Nebraska 15 Virginia Tech Middle Tennessee 32 Maryland Virginia 34 Southern Miss Gardner-Webb 14 NC State Elon 7 Wake Forest Florida State 54 BYU

25 44 31 16 31 37 45 35 28

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest, Offensive Back Caz Piurowski, TE, Florida State, Offensive Lineman Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech, Defensive Lineman Leon Wright, CB, Duke, Defensive Back Scott Blair, PK, Georgia Tech, Specialist Kyle Parker, QB, Clemson, Rookie

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Jacory Harris, Miami, QB, Offensive Back Rodney Hudson, Florida State, G, Offensive Lineman Ricky Sapp, Clemson, DE, Defensive Lineman Greg Reid, Florida State, CB, Defensive Back Richard Jackson, Clemson, PK, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

30

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Wake Forest 24 Boston College 27 (OT) TCU 14 Clemson 10 NC Central 14 Duke 49 South Florida 17 Florida State 7 North Carolina 7 Georgia Tech 24 Rutgers 34 Maryland 13 Miami 7 Virginia Tech 31 Pittsburgh 31 NC State 38 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Russell Wilson, QB, NC State, Offensive Back Blake DeChristopher, OT, Virginia Tech, & Sean Bedford, C, Georgia Tech, Co- Offensive Lineman Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech, Defensive Lineman Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech, Defensive Back Greg Reid, CB-KR, Florida State, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 47

THE ROAD TO TAMPA BAY

WEEK FIVE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 Virginia 16 Clemson 21 Virginia Tech 34 Florida State 21 NC State 24 Georgia Tech 42 Oklahoma 20

WEEK SIX

North Carolina Maryland Duke Boston College Wake Forest Miss. State Miami

3 24 26 28 30 21 21

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest, Offensive Back Jason Fox, T, Miami, Offensive Lineman Brad Jefferson, ILB, Georgia Tech, Defensive Lineman & Matt Conrath, DE, Virginia, Co-Defensive Lineman Cody Grimm, OLB, Virginia Tech, Defensive Back Nick Ferrara, PK-P, Maryland, Specialist & Robert Randolph, PK, Virginia, Co-Specialist Demetrius Hartsfield, OLB, Maryland, Rookie

48

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 Boston College 14 Indiana 7 Georgia Southern 12 Duke 49 Maryland 32 FAMU 16 Georgia Tech 49

WEEK SEVEN

Virginia Tech Virginia North Carolina NC State Wake Forest Miami Florida State

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Thaddeus Lewis, QB, Duke, Offensive Back Cord Howard, G, Georgia Tech, Offensive Lineman John Russell, DT, Wake Forest, Defensive Lineman Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia, Defensive Back Torrey Smith, WR-KR, Maryland, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

48 47 42 28 42 48 44

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 Wake Forest 3 Boston College 52 Virginia 20 Virginia Tech 23 Miami 27

Clemson 38 NC State 20 Maryland 9 Georgia Tech 28 Central Florida 7

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Montel Harris, QB, Boston College, Offensive Back Sean Bedford, C, Georgia Tech, Offensive Lineman Nate Collins, DE, Virginia, Defensive Lineman DeAndre McDaniel, CB, Clemson, Defensive Back Matt Bosher, PK-P, Miami, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

WEEK NINE

WEEK EIGHT

WEEK TEN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 Florida State 30 North Carolina 27

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 North Carolina 20 Virginia Tech

17

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 Georgia Tech 34 Maryland 13 Boston College 16 Wake Forest 10 Clemson 40

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 NC State 42 Coastal Carolina 3 Miami 28 Duke 28 Central Michigan 10 Georgia Tech 56

45 49 27 17 31 31

Virginia 9 Duke 17 Notre Dame 20 Navy 13 Miami 37 (OT)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State, Offensive Back Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State, Offensive Lineman Vincent Rey, ILB, Duke & Nate Collins, NG, Virginia, Co- Defensive Lineman DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson, Defensive Back C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson, Specialist Kyle Parker, QB, Clemson, Rookie

Florida State Clemson Wake Forest Virginia Boston College Vanderbilt

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Jacory Harris, QB, Miami, & Thaddeus Lewis, QB, Duke, Co- Offensive Back Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State, Offensive Lineman Tydreke Powell, DE, North Carolina, Defensive Lineman Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College, Defensive Back Will Snyderwine, PK, Duke, Specialist Conner Vernon, WR, Duke, Rookie

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Virginia Tech 16 ECU

3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Virginia 17 Miami 52 Maryland 31 NC State 38 Duke 6 North Carolina 19 Wake Forest 27 Georgia Tech 30 (OT) Florida State 24 Clemson 40 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson, Offensive Back Jason Fox, OT, Miami, Offensive Lineman Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina, Defensive Lineman Cody Grimm, OLB, Virginia Tech, Defensive Back Torrey Smith, WR-KR, Maryland, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 49

THE ROAD TO TAMPA BAY

WEEK ELEVEN SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Clemson 43 NC State 23 Georgia Tech 49 Duke 10 Florida State 41 Wake Forest 28 Virginia Tech 36 Maryland 9 Boston College 14 Virginia 10 Miami 24 North Carolina 33 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson, Offensive Back Cord Howard, G, Georgia Tech, Offensive Lineman Ben Anderson, DT, Georgia Tech, Defensive Lineman Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina, Defensive Back Casey Barth, PK, North Carolina, Specialist EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State, Rookie

50

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

WEEK TWELV

WEEK THIRTEEN

E

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Florida State 29 Maryland Miami 34 Duke North Carolina 31 Boston College Clemson 34 Virginia Virginia Tech 38 NC State

26 16 13 21 10

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Jacory Harris, QB, Miami, Offensive Back Sergio Render, G, Virginia Tech, Offensive Lineman Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami, Defensive Lineman Cody Grimm, OLB, Virginia Tech, Defensive Back Greg Reid, PR, Florida State, Specialist Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College, Rookie

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Wake Forest 45 Duke Clemson 17 South Carolina North Carolina 27 NC State Miami 31 South Florida Virginia Tech 42 Virginia Florida State 10 Florida Boston College 19 Maryland Georgia 30 Georgia Tech

34 34 28 10 13 37 17 24

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest, Offensive Back Orlando Franklin, OL, Miami, Offensive Lineman Darryl Sharpton, MLB, Miami, Defensive Lineman Luke Kuechly, OLB, Boston College, Defensive Back Matt Bosher, K/P, Miami, Specialist Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech, Rookie

09/10/09 L

27-30

09/10/09 W 30-27

9/19/09

W

25-7

9/17/09

L

17-33

10/3/09

L

21-24

9/26/09

W

24-7

10/17/09

W

38-3

10/10/09

W 49-44

10/24/09 W 40-37

10/17/09

W 28-23

OT

11/07/09

W 40-24

10/24/09 W

11/14/09

W 43-23

11/07/09

34-9

W 30-27 OT

11/21/09

W

34-21

11/14/09

TheRoadToTampaBay.com

W 49-10

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 51

STATISTICS

2009 RECAP FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS AND STATISTICS

ATLANTIC DIVISION

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

COASTAL DIVISION

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

CLEMSON

6-2

8-4

BOSTON COLLEGE

5-3

8-4

GEORGIA TECH

7-1

10-2

VIRGINIA TECH

6-2

9-3

FLORIDA STATE

4-4

6-6

MIAMI

5-3

9-3

WAKE FOREST

3-5

5-7

NORTH CAROLINA

4-4

8-4

NC STATE

2-6

5-7

DUKE

3-5

5-7

MARYLAND

1-7

2-10

VIRGINIA

2-6

3-9

TEAM STATISTICS SCORING OFFENSE 1. Georgia Tech 2. Clemson 3. Miami 4. Virginia Tech 5. NC State 6. Florida State 7. Wake Forest 8. Boston College 9. Duke 10. North Carolina 11. Maryland 12. Virginia

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

TD 56 46 48 47 48 45 40 38 35 33 29 26

TOTAL OFFENSE 1. Georgia Tech 2. Florida State 3. Miami 4. Wake Forest 5. NC State 6. Virginia Tech 7. Duke 8. Clemson 9. Boston College 10. Maryland 11. North Carolina 12. Virginia

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Rush 3660 1718 1733 1582 1451 2477 762 1882 1686 1269 1646 1189

TURNOVER MARGIN 1. Virginia Tech 2. Clemson 3. Georgia Tech 4. North Carolina 5. Duke 6. Virginia Florida State 8. Miami 9. Boston College 10. Wake Forest 11. Maryland 12. NC State

52

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

XP 54 38 48 44 46 37 40 38 33 32 26 23

2XP 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 1

Pass 1626 3333 3217 3259 3275 2182 3660 2456 2213 2529 2091 2046

Gained Fum Int 12 10 8 21 13 9 9 19 10 8 8 12 13 13 10 8 8 13 6 9 8 10 6 8

DXP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Plays 827 789 826 846 840 757 840 788 760 802 783 773

Tot 22 29 22 28 18 20 26 18 21 15 18 14

Saf 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0

Pts 420 381 380 377 364 358 316 309 302 292 256 232

Avg 35.0 31.8 31.7 31.4 30.3 29.8 26.3 25.8 25.2 24.3 21.3 19.3

SCORING DEFENSE 1. Virginia Tech 2. North Carolina 3. Boston College 4. Clemson 5. Miami 6. Georgia Tech 7. Wake Forest 8. Virginia 9. Duke 10. Florida State 11. NC State 12. Maryland

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

TD 18 21 25 28 29 34 39 36 42 50 49 46

Yards 5286 5051 4950 4841 4726 4659 4422 4338 3899 3798 3737 3235

Avg/P 6.4 6.4 6.0 5.7 5.6 6.2 5.3 5.5 5.1 4.7 4.8 4.2

TD 53 40 44 39 47 43 30 39 36 25 26 23

Yds/G 440.5 420.9 412.5 403.4 393.8 388.2 368.5 361.5 324.9 316.5 311.4 269.6

TOTAL DEFENSE 1. North Carolina 2. Virginia Tech 3. Clemson 4. Boston College 5. Miami 6. Georgia Tech 7. Virginia 8. NC State 9. Duke 10. Wake Forest 11. Maryland 12. Florida State

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Rush 1114 1664 1621 1253 1420 1628 2086 1669 1834 1972 1810 2439

Lost Fum Int 10 4 11 11 12 5 9 16 6 10 12 8 13 13 3 17 7 17 7 12 14 10 12 13

Tot 14 22 17 25 16 20 26 20 24 19 24 25

Mar +8 +7 +5 +3 +2 +0 +0 -2 -3 -4 -6 -11

Per/G 0.67 0.58 0.42 0.25 0.17 0.00 0.00 -0.17 -0.25 -0.33 -0.50 -0.92

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

FG 10 21 14 17 10 15 12 13 19 20 18 17

KICKOFF RETURNS 1. Clemson 2. Virginia Tech 3. Maryland 4. Georgia Tech 5. Duke 6. Wake Forest 7. NC State 8. Boston College 9. Florida State 10. Miami 11. North Carolina 12. Virginia

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

XP 16 21 24 27 26 32 37 34 40 43 47 39

2XP 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 3

Pass 2099 1937 2033 2568 2435 2599 2215 2666 2589 2625 2946 2884 Ret 39 39 65 43 62 49 61 42 63 52 35 63

DXP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Plays 775 778 816 830 763 711 852 762 799 800 817 781 Yds 941 937 1481 979 1375 1086 1332 883 1289 1055 704 1171

FG 21 18 19 13 22 17 14 22 16 8 11 18

Saf 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pts 189 203 233 234 268 289 315 316 340 369 374 375

Avg 15.8 16.9 19.4 19.5 22.3 24.1 26.2 26.3 28.3 30.8 31.2 31.2

Yards 3213 3601 3654 3821 3855 4227 4301 4335 4423 4597 4756 5323

Avg/P 4.1 4.6 4.5 4.6 5.1 5.9 5.0 5.7 5.5 5.7 5.8 6.8

TD 21 17 24 20 22 32 32 46 36 38 41 50

Yds/G 267.8 300.1 304.5 318.4 321.2 352.2 358.4 361.2 368.6 383.1 396.3 443.6

TD 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Avg 24.1 24.0 22.8 22.8 22.2 22.2 21.8 21.0 20.5 20.3 20.1 18.6

STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS RUSHING Team 1. Ryan Williams VT 2. Montel Harris BC 3. Jonathan Dwyer GT 4. C.J. Spiller CU 5. Josh Nesbitt GT 6. Toney Baker ST 7. Graig Cooper UM 8. Jermaine Thomas FS 9. Shaun Draughn NC 10. Ryan Houston NC INTERCEPTIONS 1. DeAndre McDaniel 2. Deunta Williams Rashard Hall 4. Kendric Burney Leon Wright Rashad Carmichael 7. Chris Cook Ochuko Jenije Morgan Burnett Cameron Chism

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 12 10 12

Att 268 285 197 181 237 160 129 138 124 167

Team CU NC CU NC DU VT VA FS GT MD

Yds 1538 1355 1236 912 888 773 666 711 567 630

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Avg 5.7 4.8 6.3 5.0 3.7 4.8 5.2 5.2 4.6 3.8

Int 8 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4

Yds 128 114 67 200 146 62 66 54 40 29

TD 19 13 12 7 17 6 3 7 1 9 TD 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0

Long 66 70 74 66 39 30 70 54 44 20

Yds/G 128.2 112.9 103.0 76.0 74.0 64.4 60.5 59.2 56.7 52.5

TOTAL OFFENSE 1. Christian Ponder 2. Thaddeus Lewis 3. Russell Wilson 4. Riley Skinner 5. Jacory Harris 6. Chris Turner 7. Tyrod Taylor 8. Josh Nesbitt 9. Kyle Parker 10. Jameel Sewell

Team FS DU ST WF UM MD VT GT CU VA

G 9 12 12 12 12 10 12 12 12 11

Rush 179 48 260 56 -218 22 344 888 106 167

Pass 2717 3330 3027 3160 3164 2069 2102 1553 2294 1848

Plays 402 535 481 470 416 387 327 374 392 428

Long 27 48 49 77 51 28 58 37 21 11

Int/G 0.67 0.50 0.50 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33

PUNT RETURN AVG 1. Greg Reid 2. Daâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Norris Searcy 3. Jerrard Tarrant 4. Jayron Hosley 5. Tony Logan 6. Chase Minnifield

Team FS NC GT VT MD VA

G 12 12 12 12 9 12

Ret 19 22 19 28 15 20

Yds 350 330 272 306 100 88

TD 1 1 2 1 0 0

PASSING AVG/GAME Team G 1. Christian Ponder FS 9 2. Thaddeus Lewis DU 12 3. Jacory Harris UM 12 4. Riley Skinner WF 12 5. Russell Wilson ST 12 6. Chris Turner MD 10 7. Kyle Parker CU 12 8. Tyrod Taylor VT 12 9. Jameel Sewell VA 11 10. T.J. Yates NC 12

Att 330 449 377 400 378 303 338 226 292 323

Cmp 227 274 226 264 224 180 187 126 157 195

Int 7 8 17 12 11 10 10 4 7 14

Pct. Yds 68.8 2717 61.0 3330 59.9 3164 66.0 3160 59.3 3027 59.4 2069 55.3 2294 55.8 2102 53.8 1848 60.4 1953

TD 14 20 23 26 31 10 19 13 7 12

Avg/G 301.9 277.5 263.7 263.3 252.2 206.9 191.2 175.2 168.0 162.8

PASS EFFICIENCY Team G 1. Tyrod Taylor VT 12 2. Riley Skinner WF 12 3. Russell Wilson ST 12 4. Christian Ponder FS 9 5. Jacory Harris UM 12 6. Thaddeus Lewis DU 12 7. Kyle Parker CU 12 8. Dave Shinskie BC 12 9. Chris Turner MD 10 10. T.J. Yates NC 12

Att 226 400 378 330 377 449 338 255 303 323

Cmp 126 264 224 227 226 274 187 135 180 195

Int 4 12 11 7 17 8 10 13 10 14

Pct. Yds 55.8 2102 66.0 3160 59.3 3027 68.8 2717 59.9 3164 61.0 3330 55.3 2294 52.9 1831 59.4 2069 60.4 1953

TD 13 26 31 14 23 20 19 14 10 12

Eff. 149.3 147.8 147.8 147.7 141.6 134.5 125.0 121.2 121.1 114.8

Total Yds/G 2896 321.8 3378 281.5 3287 273.9 3216 268.0 2946 245.5 2091 209.1 2446 203.8 2441 203.4 2400 200.0 2015 183.2 Long 68 77 85 64 43 23

Avg 18.4 15.0 14.3 10.9 6.7 4.4

RECEIVE YDS/GAME Team 1. Demaryius Thomas GT 2. Donovan Varner DU 3. Marshall Williams WF 4. Owen Spencer ST 5. Torrey Smith MD 6. Conner Vernon DU 7. Leonard Hankerson UM 8. Rich Gunnell BC 9. Jarrett Boykin VT 10. Bert Reed FS

G 12 12 12 11 12 11 12 12 12 12

Rec 44 65 60 30 61 55 44 54 36 58

Yds 1077 1047 867 765 827 746 773 750 715 710

TD 7 8 6 6 5 3 6 6 5 0

Long Avg/C Yds/G 76 24.5 89.8 64 16.1 87.2 80 14.4 72.2 80 25.5 69.5 64 13.6 68.9 74 13.6 67.8 52 17.6 64.4 44 13.9 62.5 64 19.9 59.6 44 12.2 59.2

SCORING 1. Ryan Williams 2. Josh Nesbitt 3. C.J. Spiller 4. Matt Waldron 5. Richard Jackson 6. Casey Barth 7. Matt Bosher 8. Montel Harris 9. Dustin Hopkins 10. Will Snyderwine

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11

TD 20 17 16 0 0 0 0 14 0 0

XPT 0 0 0 44 34 32 48 0 37 24

FG 0 0 0 17 20 20 14 0 15 17

2XP 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Team VT GT CU VT CU NC UM BC FS DU

Pts 120 102 98 95 94 92 90 84 82 75

Pts/G 10.0 8.5 8.2 7.9 7.8 7.7 7.5 7.0 6.8 6.8

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 53

AWARD WINNERS

OVERALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Ryan Williams VIRGINIA TECH

54

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Luke Kuechly BOSTON COLLEGE

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 55

AWARD WINNERS

O V E R A L L P L AY E R O F T H E Y E A R O F F E N S I V E P L AY E R O F T H E Y E A R

C.J. Spiller CLEMSON

56

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS

D E F E N S I V E P L AY E R O F T H E Y E A R

Derrick Morgan GEORGIA TECH

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 57

AWARD WINNERS

COACH OF THE YEAR

Paul Johnson GEORGIA TECH

58

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS

T H E J I M TAT U M AWA R D

Riley Skinner WAKE FORE ST

Skinner, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., has started 49 games at quarterback for the Demon Deacons and has compiled a 3.08 career GPA with a major in the Wake Forest business school. A member of the 2007 ACC All-Academic Football Team, he has been named to the Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List four times at Wake Forest and twice has earned selection to the ACC Honor Roll. In the midst of his best season athletically, Skinner has completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,160 yards and 26 touchdowns - both career highs. He is one of the most accurate passers in ACC history, having completed almost 67 percent of his passes and he completed his career ranked 2nd on the ACC career list with 903 pass completions, 4th in passing yardage with 9,762 yards and 7th in touchdown passes with 60. The Tatum Award is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior student-athlete (in athletic eligibility) among the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the fifties at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 59

AWARD WINNERS

THE PICCOLO AWARD

Toney Baker N C S TAT E

Baker suffered a severe knee injury in the opening game of the 2007 season against Central Florida which, at the time, was thought to be career-ending.

After surgery for cartilage implantation, he sat out the entire 2007 campaign with rehabilitation. In August of 2008, it was determined that Baker would need additional surgery, which forced him to miss a second consecutive season with rehabilitation for the knee. He played his first game in two years this fall in the season opener against South Carolina and he is NC State’s leading rusher and currently ranks 6th in the ACC in rushing with 773 yards and 6th in touchdowns scored with nine. He has topped 1,100 yards this year in combined yardage (1,128)—rushing and pass receiving—and has 2,045 yards rushing for his career. The Piccolo Award has been given annually since 1972 in memory of the late Brian Piccolo to the “most courageous” football player in the ACC. Piccolo was the ACC Athlete of the Year in 1965 and played for the Chicago Bears before his career was cut short when he was stricken with cancer. His courageous fight against that disease was an inspiration to the Bears and the entire football community.

60

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARD WINNERS

THE JACOB S BLOCKING AWARD

Rodney Hudson F LO R I DA S TAT E

A three-time All-ACC honoree at guard, Hudson, a 6-2, 283-pound junior, was named a first-team All-ACC selection in 2008 and 2009 and a second-team All-ACC pick as a freshman in 2007. A three-year starter for the Seminoles, he was the leader of an offensive line which paved the way for Florida State to rank 13th nationally in passing offense, 24th nationally in scoring offense and 19th nationally in total offense. He has not allowed a sack or QB pressure this season and has graded out to 88 percent for the year including a couple of 97-percent grades which FSU line coach Rick Trickett said were the highest of his 30-year career. The Mobile, Ala., native was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice during the 2009 season. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player voted the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head coaches and defensive coordinators. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 61

All-ACC Football Team

THE 2009 ASSOCIATED PRE SS ALL-ACC FOOTBALL TEAM AS VOTED ON BY 40 MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST SPORTS MEDIA ASSOCIATION. (TOTAL POINTS)

62

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

DEFENSE FIRST TEAM Defensive End

OFFENSE FIRST TEAM Quarterback Running Back

Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech, Jr. (50) Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech, Jr. (67) Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech, Fr. (63)

Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech, Jr. (76) Robert Quinn, North Carolina, So. (69)

Defensive Tackle

Nate Collins, Virginia, Sr. (47) Allen Bailey, Miami, Jr. (38)

Linebacker

Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech, Sr. (65) Luke Kuechly, Boston College, Fr. (53) Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina, Jr. (44) Alex Wujciak, Maryland, Jr. (44)

Cornerback

Kendric Burney, North Carolina, Jr. (59) Brandon Harris, Miami, So. (41)

Safety

DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, Fr. (57) Deunta Williams, North Carolina, Jr. (53)

SECOND TEAM Defensive End

Ricky Sapp, Clemson, Sr. (29) Willie Young, NC State, Sr. (24) Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech, Jr. (24)

Wide Receiver

Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech, Jr. (63) Donovan Varner, Duke, So. (50)

Tight End

George Bryan, NC State, So., (39) Michael Palmer, Clemson, Sr. (39)

Defensive Tackle

Marvin Austin, North Carolina, Jr. (32) John Russell, Wake Forest, Sr. (29)

Tackle

Jason Fox, Miami, Sr. (57) Anthony Castonzo, Boston College, Jr. (53)

Linebacker

Guard

Rodney Hudson, Florida State, Jr. (54) Cord Howard, Georgia Tech, Sr. (47)

Vincent Rey, Duke, Sr. (29) Darryl Sharpton, Miami, Sr. (21) Bruce Carter, North Carolina, Jr. (17) Colin McCarthy, Miami, Jr. (17) Dekoda Watson, Florida State, Sr. (17)

Center

Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech, Jr. (45)

Cornerback

Ras-I Dowling, Virginia, Sr. (26) Patrick Robinson, Florida State, Sr. (26)

SECOND TEAM Quarterback

Thaddeus Lewis, Duke, Sr. (18)

Safety

Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech, Jr. (51) Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech, Sr. (24)

Running Back

C.J. Spiller, Clemson, Sr. (62) Montel Harris, Boston College, So. (39)

Wide Receiver

Torrey Smith, Maryland, So. (25) Jacoby Ford, Clemson, Sr. (24)

HONORABLE MENTION Defensive Tackle Vince Ohgobaase, Duke, Sr. (26) Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson, Jr. (26) Joe Joseph, Miami, Sr. (13)

Tight End

Greg Boone, Virginia Tech, Sr. (16)

Linebacker

Tackle

Ed Wang, Virginia Tech, Sr. (31) Chris Hairston, Clemson, Jr. (26)

Brad Jefferson, Georgia Tech, Jr. (16) Steve Greer, Virginia, Fr. (16) Brandon Maye, Clemson, So. (10)

Cornerback Guard

Thomas Austin, Clemson, Sr. (39) Sergio Render, Virginia Tech, Sr. (37)

Center

Matt Tennant, Boston College, Sr. (29)

Rashad Carmichael, Virginia Tech, Jr. (22) Leon Wright, Duke, Sr. (19) Chris Chancellor, Clemson, Sr. (15) Crezdon Butler, Clemson, Sr. (12) Kenny Okoro, Wake Forest, Fr. (10)

Safety

Rashard Hall, Clemson, Fr. (13) Randy Phillips, Miami, Sr. (10)

HONORABLE MENTION (10 points or more) Quarterback Christian Ponder, Florida State, Jr. (16) Russell Wilson, NC State, So. (13) Riley Skinner, Wake Forest, Sr. (13) Wide Receiver

Marshall Williams, Wake Forest, Jr. (16) Rich Gunnell, Boston College, Sr. (15)

Tight End

Zack Pianalto, North Carolina, Jr. (11)

Tackle

Andrew Datko, Florida State, So. (18) Kyle Jolly, North Carolina, Sr. (14) Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, So. (14) Chris DeGeare, Wake Forest, Sr. (12)

Guard

Center

Thomas Claiborne, Boston College, Jr. (16) Jeff Griffin, Wake Forest, Sr. (12) Orlando Franklin, Miami, Jr. (11) Beau Warren, Virginia Tech, Jr. (11)

SPECIAL TEAMS FIRST TEAM Kicker Punter Specialist SECOND TEAM Kicker Punter Specialist

Matt Waldron, Virginia Tech, Sr. (27) Matt Bosher, Miami, Jr. (27) Brent Bowden, Virginia Tech, Sr. (57) C.J. Spiller, Clemson, Sr. (76)

Casey Barth, North Carolina, So. (21) Will Snyderwine, Duke, Jr. (21) Matt Bosher, Miami, Jr. (37) Torrey Smith, Maryland, So. (17)

HONORABLE MENTION (10 points or more) Kicker Robert Randolph, Virginia, Jr. (14) Punter Ryan Quigley, Boston College, So. (18) Specialist Greg Reid, Florida State, Fr. (15)

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 63

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS YARDS AVERAGE

83 389 5.1

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (376 yards), 2005 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (77 attempts), 2007 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (77 for 389), 2007

53 164 3

Virginia Tech vs. Boston College (150 yards), 2008 Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest (38 attempts), 2006 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2008

RUSHING CARRIES YARDS TDS

PASSING ATTEMPTS COMPLETIONS COMP. PERC YARDS TD

52 33 63.6 335 3

Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (33 completions, 305 yards), 2007; Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (26 completions, 335 yards), 2005 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (52 attempts, 305 yards), 2007 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College (21 of 33), 2007 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (26 of 52), 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007

FIRST DOWNS TOTAL RUSHING PASSING

24 9 16

Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, 2007 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007, 2008 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, 2007

PUNTING PUNTS YARDS AVERAGE

8 340 50.0

Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (340 yards), 2005 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (8 punts), 2005 Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest (5 for 250), 2006

PUNT RETURNS YARDS AVERAGE

98 32.7

Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (3 attempts), 2005 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (3 for 98), 2005

KICKOFF RETURNS YARDS AVERAGE

122 26.0

Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (6 attempts.), 2008 Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech (3 for 78), 2006

SCORING

What game records will fall this year?

MOST POINTS MOST TDS MOST FGS

30 4 3

Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007, 2008 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007, 2008 Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, 2006

DEFENSE LEAST POINTS ALLOWED LEAST RUSH YARDS ALLOWED LEAST PASS YARDS ALLOWED LEAST TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED MOST INTERCEPTIONS MOST TURNOVERS FORCED MOST PENALTIES MOST PENALTY YARDS TIME OF POSSESSION ATTENDANCE

6 41 129 272 2 4 17 143 35:54 72,749

Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, 2006 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech, 2005 Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, 2006 Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, 2006 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007, 2008 Virginia Tech vs Boston College, 2008 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (17), 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2008 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2005

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS YARDS AVG/PLAY TDR (TIE)

69 346 6.0 3

PUNTING Marcus Vick, VT (52 pass, 17 rush) vs. FSU, 2005 Marcus Vick, VT (335 pass, 11 rush) vs. FSU, 2005 Drew Weatherford, FSU (37 for 222) vs. VT, 2005 (minimum 10 plays) Sean Glennon, VT (3 pass) vs. BC, 2007 Marcus Vick, VT (2 rush, 1 pass) vs. FSU, 2005

PUNTS YARDS PUNT AVERAGE LONG PUNT

8 340 50.0 61

Chris Hall, FSU (340 yards) vs. VT, 2005 Chris Hall, FSU (8 punts) vs. VT, 2005 Durant Brooks, GT (5 punts, 250 yards) vs. WF,2006 (min. 5 punts) Durant Brooks, GT vs. WF, 2006

PUNT RETURNS RUSHING CARRIES YARDS AVERAGE LONG RUN

31 114 4.95 31

Darren Evans, VT (114 yards) vs. BC, 2008 Darren Evans, VT (31 rushes) vs. BC, 2008 Tashard Choice, GT (21 for 100) vs. WF, 2006 (minimum 10 carries) Tyrod Taylor, VT vs. BC, 2007

PR YARDS AVERAGE LONG

4 98 32.7 83

Eddie Royal, VT (23 yards) vs. FSU, 2005 Willie Reid, FSU (3 returns) vs. VT, 2005 Willie Reid, FSU (3 ret., 98 yards) vs. VT, 2006 Willie Reid, FSU vs. VT, 2005

KICKOFF RETURNS ALL-PURPOSE YARDS

210

Willie Reid, FSU (79 receiving, 98 PR, 33 KR) vs. VT, 2006

52

Matt Ryan, BC (33 completions, 305 yards) vs. VT, 2007 Marcus Vick, VT (26 completions, 335 yards) vs. FSU, 2006 Matt Ryan, BC (52 attempts, 305 yards) vs. VT, 2007 Matt Ryan, BC (4th quarter) vs. VT, 2007 Sean Glennon, VT (18 of 27) vs. BC, 2007 Marcus Vick, VT (26 of 52) vs. FSU, 2005 Sean Glennon, VT vs. BC, 2007 Matt Ryan, BC vs. VT, 2007 Reggie Ball, GT vs. WF, 2006 Dominique Davis, BC vs. VT, 2008 Dominique Davis to Montel Harris, BC vs. VT, 2008 Sean Glennon, VT vs. BC, 2007 (Min. 20 attempts)

PASSING ATTEMPTS

COMPLETIONS 33 CON. COMPLETIONS 8 COMP. % 66.6 YARDS 335 TD PASSES 3 INTERCEPTIONS 2

LONG PASS PASS EFF.

51 150.06

RECEIVING REC. YARDS AVERAGE TDS

13 128 24.3 1

Andre Callender, BC (92 yards) vs. VT, 2007 Josh Morgan, VT (7 receptions) vs. FSU, 2005 Willie Idelette, WF (3 receptions, 73 yards) vs. GT, 2006 Chris Davis, FSU vs. VT, 2005; Josh Morgan, VT vs. FSU, 2005; Josh Morgan, VT vs. BC, 2007; Eddie Royal, VT vs. BC, 2007; Josh Hyman, VT vs. BC, 2007; Rich Gunnell, BC vs. VT, 2008.

12

Marcus Vick, VT (2 TDs), vs. FSU, 2005 Tyrod Taylor, VT (2 TDs) vs. BC, 2008 Marcus Vick, VT vs. FSU, 2005; Tyrod Taylor, VT vs. BC, 2008 Sam Swank, WF (3 made) vs. GT,2006 Sam Swank, WF (4 attempts) vs. GT, 2006 Dustin Keys, VT vs. BC, 2008.

Jud Dunlevy, VT (4 made) vs. BC, 2007 Dustin Keys, VT (3 made) vs. BC, 2008 Jud Dunlevy, VT (4 attempted) vs. BC, 2007 Gary Cismesia, FSU (2 FGs, 3 PATs) vs. VT, 2005; Sam Swank, WF (3 FGs) vs. GT, 2006

SCORING POINTS TD FG ATTEMPTS FGS MADE LONG FG PAT ATTEMPTS. PAT MADE POINTS/KICKING

2 4 3 50 4 4 4 9

KICKOFF RETURNS 4 YARDS 85 AVERAGE 30.5 LONG 31

Eddie Royal, VT (85 yards) vs. FSU, 2005 Eddie Royal, VT (4 returns) vs. FSU, 2005 Alphonso Smith, WF (2 returns, 61 yards) vs. GT, 2006 Eddie Royal, VT vs. FSU, 2005

INTERCEPTIONS INTERCEPTIONS

YARDS RETURN TD LONG RETURN

1

40 1 40

Pat Watkins, FSU vs. VT (0 yds), 2005 Aaron Curry, WF vs. GT (30 yds), 2006 Riley Swanson, WF vs. GT (0 yds), 2006 Vince Hall, VT vs. BC(6 yards), 2007 Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC (40 yds), 2007 Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT (0 yds) vs. VT, 2007 Stephan Virgil, VT vs. BC, 2008 Brett Warren vs. BC, 2008 Paul Anderson, BC vs. VT, 2008 Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC, 2007 Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC (40 yards), 2007 Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC, 2007

FUMBLES LONG RETURN RETURN/TD

51 1

Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT, 2007 Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT (51 yards), 2007; Orion Martin, VT vs . BC (17 yards), 2008.

Next Stop:

Charlotte

BY RON GREEN, SR.

A king will be crowned in the Queen City in 2010.

Expect royal treatment.

Charlotte is known for embracing events and will give a big hug to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship football game when it makes its first appearance there on Dec. 4 next year to begin what will be at least a two-year run.

This game reunites longtime friends – the conference and the city. They had their first joint venture in 1968 when the men’s basketball tournament was played at the first of what would be three coliseums built by the city. That tournament featured perhaps the most bizarre game ever in the ACC tournament. In a semifinal game, Duke refused to come out of its zone defense and NC State refused to attack. Final score: NC State 12, Duke 10.

Since that time, the tournament has been played in Charlotte nine times, most recently in 2008, always at a faster pace.

Charlotte has always been aggressive in pursuing sports events and thanks to forward thinking leaders like former mayor Harvey Gantt and former Bank of America president Hugh McColl, cochairmen of the 2010 football championship game, the success rate has been remarkable.

“The City of Charlotte has been a long time partner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and we appreciate the excitement that continues to be generated for our teams,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “December will be an exciting month for postseason college football in Charlotte and we look forward to reaching new milestones in this renewed relationship.”

The city has the NFL Panthers, NBA Bobcats, PGA Tour’s Quail Hollow Championship, Meineke Car Care Bowl (featuring an ACC team each year), NASCAR’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway and NASCAR Hall of Fame, CIAA Basketball Championship, national swimming events featuring Olympic stars at Mecklenburg Aquatic Club, US National Whitewater Center, as well as minor league baseball, ice hockey and soccer.

The city has hosted the men’s and women’s NCAA Final Fours, NCAA basketball regional playoffs, conference basketball tournaments, tennis’ Davis Cup finals, the NBA All-Star Game, the USGA Men’s, Women’s and Senior Amateur Championships, everything from tractor pulls to horse jumping.

The ACC championship football game ranks among the most prestigious of the events hosted by Charlotte, determining not

66

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

only the champion but also the league’s representative in the Bowl Championship Series.

There are many plusses to having Charlotte as host of the football title game. Two stand out. One, the city is essentially at the heart of the ACC, with eight schools within 300 miles. The two previous sites – Jacksonville and Tampa – are toward the southern end of the conference footprint.

Two, Bank of America Stadium, an outstanding facility, is located downtown, within minutes of hotels, restaurants, cultural features and entertainment. The area is serviced by light rail, trolleys and buses.

If you venture into the suburbs, be aware that there are not one, not two but three Queens Roads in the Myers Park section.

(In Myers Park, you can get a glimpse of the city’s whimsical side – a statue of a man who for years felt it his duty to direct traffic at a busy intersection, even though there were several stoplights there. He died of injuries incurred when he was struck by a car. Charlotteans still smile fondly at the statue of a lovable character.)

The city bristles with skyscrapers and sprawls here and there with office parks and upscale shopping malls and museums and galleries and theaters and has one of the country’s busiest airports but it treasures its past. A years-long campaign was waged to keep a tiny restaurant called the Coffee Cup from being demolished in the name of progress. A big billboard advertising JFG Coffee that was for decades kind of a beacon to those arriving from the west side of town was lost only after much hand wringing. A dispute arose about removing a 1966 Volkswagen from the roof of an auto repair shop on the west side of town. People were used to seeing it there.

So it’s a big city with some small town flavor, a little something for all, now including a championship football game. •

About 50,000 tickets to the championship game will be made available to the public with another 20,000 to be distributed through schools and the conference. Public sale begins Feb. 1, 2010, on the ACC’s website, ACCFootballCharlotte.com, and will be available through Ticketmaster on Feb. 15.

12.4.2010 The Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship and FanFest are coming to Charlotte December 4, 2010.

Visit ACCFootballCharlotte.com or call 1-877-4ACC-TIX.

112 2 Teams.

Te Tea T ea eam msss. 2 Divisions. ms.

Diiv D viiission vis sion iio onss.. 1 Champion. on Ch ha ham am a mp pio pi iio on n.. 6 67 7

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

BOSTON OSTON COLLEG COLLEGE ATLANTIC ATLANT ATL ANTIC ANT IC DIV DIVISION DIVISI ISION ISI ON

BOSTON COLLEGE was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus to serve the sons of Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Irish immigrants and was the first institution of higher education to be founded in the city of Boston.

Originally located on Harrison Avenue in the South End of Boston, the College outgrew its urban setting toward the end of its first 50 years. A new location was selected in Chestnut Hill and ground for the new campus was broken on June 19, 1909. During the 1940s, new purchases doubled the size of the main campus. In 1974, Boston College acquired Newton College of the Sacred Heart, 1.5 miles away. With 15 buildings on 40 acres, it is now the site of the Law School and residence halls. In 2004, Boston College purchased 43 acres of land from the archdiocese of Boston; this now forms the Brighton campus.

REV. WILLIAM P. LEAHY PRESIDENT

68

ROBERT A. TAGGART, JR FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

GENE DEFILIPPO ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

FRANK SPAZIANI HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

#2 MONTEL HARRIS, RB

www.theACC.com/unitedway

The Atlantic Coast Conference and United Way, a partnership that shows how our student-athletes Live United all across the ACC!

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE â&#x20AC;Ś THEN, NOW AND ALWAYS.

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CONFER RE ENC EN NCE NC

#6 JACOBY FORD, WR

CLEMSON

ATLANTIC ATL AT A TL T LA AN NT N T IC C DIVI DIV DIVISION V IIS SII O S ON N

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina near the Georgia border, and the tiger paws painted on the roads make the return to I-85 easier.

The school is built around Fort Hill, the plantation home of John C. Calhoun, Vice President to Andrew Jackson. His son-in-law, Tom Clemson, left the land to be used as an agricultural school, and in 1893 Clemson opened its doors as a land grant school, thanks to the efforts of Ben Tillman.

JAMES F. BARKER PRESIDENT

70

LARRY LAFORGE FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

TERRY DON PHILLIPS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

DABO SWINNEY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

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SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE E

#9 THADDEUS LEWIS, QB

DUKE UKE KE U UNI UNIVERSITY NIVE VERS RSIT I COASTAL DIVISION

DUKE UNIVERSITY was founded in 1924 by tobacco magnate James B. Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. Originally the school was called Trinity College, a Methodist institution, started in 1859. In 1892, Trinity moved to west Durham where the east campus with its Georgian architecture now stands. Nearby are Sarah P. Duke gardens, and further west the Gothic spires of Duke chapel overlook the west campus.

RICHARD H. BRODHEAD PRESIDENT

72

MARTHA PUTALLAZ FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

KEVIN WHITE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

DAVID CUTCLIFFE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

A Tradition of Excellence... Then, Now and Always.

Success never comes easy.

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, success is the result of hard work, character and commitment to doing things right.

As ACC student-athletes strive for excellence in both the classroom and athletic competition, the Conference salutes its OfďŹ cial Corporate Partners: Food Lion, Gatorade, Geico, Pepsi, Progress Energy, and RBC Bank. These partnerships support ACC Championship events, provide studentathletes with scholarship assistance and help ACC outreach programs impact local communities. Together, the Atlantic Coast Conference and its OfďŹ cial Corporate Partners are succeeding at the highest level.

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#7 CHRISTIAN PONDER, QB

FLORIDA STATE ATLANTIC ATLANT ATL ANTIC ANT IC DIV DIVISI DIVISION ISIO ISI S ON ON

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY is one of 11 universities of the State University System of Florida. It was established as the Seminary West of the Suwannee by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1851, and first offered instruction at the post-secondary level in 1857. Its Tallahassee campus has been the site of an institution of higher education longer than any other site in the state. In 1905, the Buckman Act reorganized higher education in the state and designated the Tallahassee school as the Florida Female College. In 1909, it was renamed Florida State College for Women. In 1947, the school returned to a co-educational status, and the name was changed to Florida State University.

T.K. WETHERELL PRESIDENT

74

JOSEPH C. BECKHAM FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

RANDY SPETMAN ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

BOBBY BOWDEN HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

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SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#91 DERRICK MORGAN, DE

GEORGIA TECH COASTAL DIVISION

Next to I-85 in downtown Atlanta stands GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, founded in 1885. Its first students came to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, the only one offered at the time. Tech’s strength is not only the red clay of Georgia, but a restored gold and white 1930 model A Ford Cabriolet, the official mascot. The old Ford was first used in 1961, but a Ramblin’ Wreck had been around for over three decades. The Ramblin’ Wreck fight song appeared almost as soon as the school opened, and it is not only American boys that grow up singing its rollicking tune, for Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev sang it when they met in Moscow in 1959.

G.P. “BUD” PETERSON PRESIDENT

76

SUE ANN ALLEN FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

DAN RADAKOVICH ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

PAUL JOHNSON HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

MARYLAND

ATLANTIC DIVISION

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND opened in 1856 as an agricultural school nine miles north of Washington, D.C., on land belonging to Charles Calvert, a descendant of Lord Baltimore, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding father. The school colors are the same as the state flag: black and gold for George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and red and white for his mother, Alice Crossland.

Maryland has been called the school that Curley Byrd built, for he was its quarterback, then football coach, athletic director, assistant to the president, vice-president, and finally its president. Byrd also designed the football stadium and the campus layout, and suggested the nickname Terrapin, a local turtle known for its bite, when students wanted to replace the nickname Old Liners with a new one for the school.

C.D. MOTE, JR. PRESIDENT

78

CHARLES WELLFORD FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

DEBORAH A. YOW ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

RALPH FRIEDGEN HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

#54 ADRIAN MOTEN, LB

速

UNDER ARMOUR IS PROUD TO BE AN OFFICIAL SUPPLIER TO THE ACC

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#12 JACORY HARRIS, QB

MIAMI

COASTAL DIVISION

THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI was chartered in 1925 by a group of citizens who felt an institution of higher learning was needed for the development of their young and growing community. Since the first class of 560 students enrolled in the fall of 1926, the University has expanded to more than 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from every state and more than 114 nations from around the world. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colors, representive of the Florida orange tree, were selected in 1926. Orange symbolizes the fruit of the tree, green represents the leaves and white, the blossoms.

DONNA E. SHALALA PRESIDENT

80

CLYDE B. MCCOY FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

KIRBY HOCUTT ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

RANDY SHANNON HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

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SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#27 DEUNTA WILLIAMS, SAFETY

NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL C COASTA COA OA STAL STA L DIVI D DIVISION IVISIO IVI SION SIO N

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA NA, located in Cha Chapel hape pel Hi pe H Hill, illll,l, ha h hass b be been een ccalled alle al led “the “tthe e perfect perfect college town,” making its tree-lined streets what treets and balmy atmosphere atm tm mo ossp ph he errre ew wh hat a college sshould houlld ho look and feel like. Its inception in 1795 oldest and 5 makes it one of the ol lde d st st schools scch hoo ools in the th he nation, na a a d its an nickname of Tar Heels stems from the were principal e tar pitch and turpentine turpenttin ine e th that at w at we ere the er th he state’s sta st ate’s prin at incipa in al industry. The nickname is as old as the during Revolutionary e school, s hool, for it was born du sc duri ring ng g tthe he R he Re evolut evol uttio ona nary ry yW War arr when tar was dumped into the streams British ms tto o im iimpede pede the advance eo of Bri iittish h fo fforces. orces es.

HOLDEN THORP CHANCELLOR

82

JACK EVANS FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ENT NT TATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

DICK BADDOU BADDOUR OUR R ATHLETICS DIRECTOR DIREC R CTO TOR

BUTCH DA DAVIS AVIS HEAD D FOOTBALL FOOTBAL FOO BALL L COACH COAC A H

THE ACC RECOGNIZES THE FOLLOWING DEALERSHIPS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE CONFERENCE OFFICE. Capital of Cary Cary, NC

Crown Ford of Fayetteville Fayetteville, NC

Cox Toyota Burlington, NC

Folgers Buick – Subaru Charlotte, NC

Crown Honda Greensboro, NC

Lynchburg Nissan Forest, VA

Crown BMW Greensboro, NC

McNeill Family Investments, LLC Wilkesboro, NC

Mercedes Benz of Winston-Salem Winston-Salem, NC Reidsville Nissan Reidsville, NC Terry LaBonte Chevrolet Greensboro, NC Wray Automotive Group Columbia, SC

THE ROAD TO TAMPA WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SO SMOOTH WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT.

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

NC STATE

ATLANTIC DIVISION

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY is located in the state capital of Raleigh. It opened in 1889 as a land-grant agricultural and mechanical school and was known as A&M or Aggies or Farmers for over a quarter-century. The school’s colors of pink and blue were gone by 1895, brown and white were tried for a year, but the students finally chose red and white to represent the school. An unhappy fan in 1922 said NC State football players behaved like a pack of wolves, and the term that was coined in derision became a badge of honor.

JAMES H. WOODWARD INTERIM CHANCELLOR

84

SAM PARDUE FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

LEE FOWLER ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

TOM O’BRIEN HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

#16 RUSSELL WILSON, QB

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SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#61 WILL BARKER , RT

VIRGINIA

COASTAL COA OASTA OA STAL STA L DIVI D DIVISION IVIS IVI SION SIO O

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is one of three things on his tombstone for which he wanted to be remembered. James Madison and James Monroe were on the board of governors in the early years. The Rotunda, a half-scale version of the Pantheon which faces the Lawn, is the focal point of “the Grounds” as the campus is called. Jefferson wanted his school to educate leaders in practical affairs and public service, not just to train teachers.

JOHN T. CASTEEN, III PRESIDENT

86

CAROLYN M. CALLAHAN FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

CRAIG K. LITTLEPAGE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

AL GROH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

#5 TYROD TAYLOR, QB

VIRGINIA TECH COASTAL COASTA COA STAL STA L DIVISION D IVI DIVI IVISIO SION SIO ON

VIRGINIA TECH was established in 1872 as an all-male military school dedicated to the original land-grant mission of teaching agriculture and engineering. The University has grown from a small college of 132 students into the largest institution of higher education in the state during its 132-year history. Located in Southwest Virginia on a plateau between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains, the campus consists of 334 buildings and 20 miles of sidewalks over 2,600 acres. The official school colors — Chicago maroon and burnt orange — were selected in 1896 because they made a “unique combination” not worn elsewhere at the time.

CHARLES W. STEGER PRESIDENT

88

LARRY KILLOUGH FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

JIM WEAVER ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

FRANK BEAMER HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

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SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CONFERENC CE

#22 BRANDON PENDERGRASS, RB

WAKE FOREST ATLANTIC DIVISION

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY was started on Calvin Jones’ plantation amid the stately pine forest of Wake County in 1834. The Baptist seminary is still there, but the school was moved to Winston-Salem in 1956 on a site donated by Charles H. and Mary Reynolds Babcock. President Harry S. Truman attended the ground-breaking ceremonies that brought a picturesque campus of Georgian architecture and painted roofs. Wake’s colors have been black and gold since 1895, thanks to a badge designed by student John Heck who died before he graduated.

NATHAN O. HATCH PRESIDENT

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RICHARD CARMICHAEL FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

RON WELLMAN ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

JIM GROBE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

Home Fields BOSTON COLLEGE: ALUMNI STADIUM Built originally for $275,000, Alumni Stadium opened on September 26, 1957, with an original seating capacity of 26,000. The stadium accommodates 44,500 fans.

Alumni Stadium is unique in that it connects with Conte Forum, home of the BC basketball and ice hockey teams.

CLEMSON: MEMORIAL STADIUM Memorial Stadium opened in 1942 and is currently the 14th largest on-campus facility in the country. It was built originally for $125,000 with a seating capacity of 20,000. Known as one of the loudest stadiums in the world, more than 80,000 fans attending a 2005 Miami Hurricanes-Clemson matchup hit 126 decibels, louder than a jet engine at takeoff.

DUKE: WALLACE WADE STADIUM Known as Duke Stadium when it opened on October 5, 1929, it was renamed Wallace Wade Stadium in 1967 for its legendary coach. The stadium is a part of college football lore—it’s the only facility outside of Pasadena, Calif., to host the Rose Bowl. The stadium’s current capacity is nearly 34,000.

FLORIDA STATE: BOBBY BOWDEN FIELD AT DOAK S. CAMPBELL STADIUM Opened on October 7, 1950, the stadium is named for the former FSU president; the playing field is named for the legendary coach Bobby Bowden. Original capacity of the stadium was 15,000. Fourteen expansions later, Campbell Stadium holds more than 83,000 fans.

GEORGIA TECH: BOBBY DODD STADIUM AT HISTORIC GRANT FIELD Built in 1913 by members of the student body, it was named Grant Field after a gift from a member of the Board of Trustees. In April 1988, it was officially named Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in honor of the legendary coach. It is the oldest on-campus facility in Division I-A. In 2003, a $75 million expansion project at the stadium increased the seating capacity to 55,000.

MARYLAND:CAPITAL ONE FIELD AT BYRD STADIUM Named for Dr. H.C. Byrd, a multi-sport athlete then head football coach and eventually president at UM. Prior to the 2006 season, Maryland Athletics entered into a partnership with Chevy Chase Bank for naming rights for the field. The stadium is currently undergoing expansions and should add an additional 500 seats and a University suite for 200 guests. This will bring the seating to over 52,000.

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

of the ACC MIAMI: DOLPHIN STADIUM Land Shark Stadium is home to not only the Miami Hurricanes but also the Miami Dolphins. The stadium has been host to the FedEx Orange Bowl, 2009 BCS National Championship Game, and will be host to the 2010 Super Bowl. Land Shark Stadium boasts the largest hi-definition video boards in professional sports and the world’s longest LED ribbon display. It was opened in 1987 and currently has a 74,915 seating capacity.

NORTH CAROLINA: KENAN STADIUM Named for Carolina alumnus and benefactor Frank H. Kenan, the circa 1927 Kenan Stadium is considered one of the most beautiful college football stadiums in the country. The original seating capacity of 24,000 has grown to 60,000 over the last 80 years. The most recent improvement was a $2 million investment in a new scoreboard and audio-video system.

NC STATE: CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM Jointly named for textiles executives Harry and Nick Carter, along with Raleigh philanthropist A.E. Finley, the stadium was built for $3.7 million and opened in 1966 on land donated by the N.C. Department of Agriculture. Today, Carter-Finley boasts a seating capacity of 55,571 and continues to invest in the facility, including the recent opening of Vaughn Towers.

VIRGINIA: SCOTT STADIUM Built in 1931 with an original capacity of 25,000, The Carl Smith Center and David A. Harrison, III, Field at Scott Stadium is the oldest Division 1 football stadium in the state. Its name reflects the three major benefactors behind its construction.

A donation in 1995 for grass to be reinstalled on the field allowed the team’s Cavalier mascot to once again ride into the stadium.

VIRGINIA TECH: LANE STADIUM / WORSHAM FIELD Lane Stadium & Worsham Field is named for university benefactors Edward H. Lane and Wes and Janet Worsham. It took four years of construction and a $3.5 million investment before the stadium opened in full in 1965. More than $85 million has been spent on improvements and expansions to Lane Stadium in the last eight years.

WAKE FOREST: BB&T FIELD Groves Stadium took a new name—BB&T Field—in the fall of 2007, only months after the Demon Deacons became the smallest school to participate in the Bowl Championship Series. Groves Stadium opened in 1968 after a $1.5 million investment in its construction. Deacon Tower houses a new press box and luxury suites as well as an improved grandstand.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 93

RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM INFO

PROGRAMS To ensure an enjoyable experience, Raymond James Stadium offers a variety of services: Guests who are subjected to, or witness violations of Raymond James Stadiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies, can text RJS <space> issue and location to 41513 to anonymously report fan conduct violations. Fans may also call (813) 350-6501 or visit one of the Guest Services/Information Booths at any point during the event. Stadium staff will be on standby ready to assist.

Designated Driver - One free soft drink to the designated driver of the group.

Safe Ride Home - Free taxi ride home within a 50-mile radius to fans who are intoxicated.

PLEASE CALL 813-350-6501 OR TEXT RJS <space> issue and location to 41513 to anonymously report fan conduct violations.

Stadium staff will be on standby ready to assist.

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

GUEST SERVICES Guest Service booths are located outside on the plazas, near the entrance/exit ramps on the main concourse, and near the center of each upper concourse. Club ticket holders can use the concierge in the east and west club lobbies and at the top of the lobby escalator.

FIRST AID First aid stations are near ramps B and D on the main and upper concourses. Paramedics are positioned on the east and west walkways of the main and upper levels and on the end zone concourse.

LOST AND FOUND Lost and found is at the nearest information booth during an event or call the TSA office weekdays at (813) 350-6500.

The TSA office is on the ground level between gates C and D accessed from outside the stadium.

NEED CASH? Six ATMs are located on the main concourse, one on each upper deck, and two on the club level. There is also an ATM outside the stadium near the Box Office windows, between gates C and D.

The Right Notes Phil Vassar Eric Darius

Blake Shelton

Over the years ACC fans have enjoyed award winning performances from some of the biggest names in music during the annual 48 hour celebration of ACC Football.

At the 2007 ACC Championship festivities, award-winning Nashville recording star Phil Vassar wowed fans with an unforgettable show. Vassar continues to impress the country music world with his versatility as a singer, songwriter and performer with a resume that boasts six No. 1 hits for a list of artists that includes Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw.

At the 2008 ACC Championship, Blake Shelton put on a performance that had fans dancing in the aisles. Shelton has topped the Billboard Country charts with a list of hits that include “Austin,” “The Baby,” “Some Beach,” “Home” and “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.”

This year’s festivities are headlined

by CMA Award winning artist James Otto. Otto has been the voice behind ACC Football’s “Ain’t Gonna Stop” campaign throughout the 2009 regular-season and the ACC Championship Game sweepstakes.

His performance will continue the ACC Championship Game tradition of providing fans with live concerts featuring award-winning artists performing their No. 1 hits. Otto will also sing the National Anthem as part of the pre-game festivities prior to this year’s game.

In addition to the gameday FanFest concerts, contemporary jazz composer Eric Darius has performed some of his greatest hits on saxophone at both the 2008 and 2009 ACC Night of Legends. Darius also honored America with his rendition of the National

Anthem during the pregame ceremonies prior to the 2008 ACC Championship Game. Darius continues to be a regular on the Billboard Jazz charts with his single “Goin’ All Out” peaking at No. 1.

As usual, the action at the 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game starts long before the actual game kicks off, and with an action packed list of pre-game events to keep fans busy, the 48 hour celebration is sure to provide fun for the entire family. • — Tom Sheridan

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 95

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

THE GROUP OF 12 FORMER GRIDIRON STANDOUTS FROM CURRENT ACC SCHOOLS INCLUDES THREE FORMER ACC PLAYERS OF THE YEAR, SEVEN FORMER ALL-AMERICAS, NINE PLAYERS WHO COMBINED FOR 79 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE AND 10 WHO WERE DRAFTED INTO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE INCLUDING TWO FIRST-ROUND PICKS AND THE NO. 1 CHOICE IN THE 1987 DRAFT PROFILES BY STEVE PHILLIPS AND TOM SHERIDAN

OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 97

BOSTON COLLEGE 1976-80

Mayock currently works as an analyst with the NFL Network.

Mike

Mayock

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

“I always wanted to be in a league. And now that I know a lot of the coaches and players going through the program at Boston College, I know how much they love being part of the ACC.” — MAYOCK

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Mike Mayock suited up for his first college football game at Boston College on Sept. 11, 1976. He never left the sidelines, but what transpired that day confirmed what he already knew: He wanted to be around the game in some capacity for the remainder of his life.

Now in his sixth year as the NFL Network’s lead expert on the collegiate draft, Mayock recently looked back on his debut as a BC freshman, when the Eagles played host to a seventh-ranked Texas team led by All-America running back and future Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.

“I didn’t even get into the game, but we had a sellout crowd and we upset them, 14-13,” Mayock recalled. “That was my introduction to college football, and it was pretty cool.”

Mayock fast-forwarded to the beginning of his senior year.

“Our first two games were against Pittsburgh, with Dan Marino at quarterback, and Stanford, with John Elway at quarterback,” Mayock said. “I was a team captain that year and we were pretty good, but Pitt was No. 1 in the country that year, and Stanford was in the Top 10.”

The Eagles suffered a 14-6 road loss at Pittsburgh in the season opener, but Mayock was recognized as Chevrolet’s Player of the Game in the televised contest. A week later, BC throttled Stanford by a 30-13 score at home, buoyed by two Mayock interceptions.

“We intercepted Marino and Elway

(a combined) nine times in those two games,” Mayock marveled.

Mayock endured a 0-11 season as a junior, as Boston College suffered the pains of a coaching transition. But the Eagles posted a 7-4 record the following season. Mayock, a senior leader, ranked among the school’s all-time leaders in interceptions with 12.

More importantly, he and the Eagles re-established the groundwork for a consistent winner. Doug Flutie’s storied run as quarterback lay on the immediate horizon, and coaches such as Jack Bicknell, Tom Coughlin and Tom O’Brien would keep the program moving forward.

“I always felt like Boston College was a very sound program,” Mayock said. “When I went there in the ‘70s, it seemed like every year they were 7-4, 8-3, 9-2, with the occasional big win.

We began to pull our way out of (the 0-11 season), and then things really began to take off.”

Boston College’s first conference affiliation, with the Big East, came shortly after Mayock’s graduation. Mayock saw that as a giant positive step, one that was further enhanced when the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005.

“When I was a kid growing up in Eastern Pennsylvania, everyone was an independent – Penn State, Pitt, BC, West Virginia,” Mayock recalled. “On one hand, it was kind of cool to be an independent, getting to play a whole bunch of teams. On the other hand,

there was no clear-cut goal at the beginning of every season to win your conference.”

Mayock has enjoyed the past three seasons, which have seen the Eagles capture two ACC Atlantic Division crowns and contend heavily for a third this year.

“I always wanted to be in a league,” Mayock said. “And now that I know a lot of the coaches and players going through the program at Boston College, I know how much they love being part of the ACC. “With the ACC, BC gets the best of all worlds. The football and basketball are fantastic. They’ve got the ability to recruit down south. If I were there now playing football and baseball and had the ability to play against the North Carolinas and the Florida States, I can’t even imagine how great an opportunity that would be.”

Mayock, who also starred on BC’s baseball team, didn’t realize how much the NFL Draft would become a focal point of his life in years to come. He only knew that he was caught up in the excitement in April of 1981, as he anticipated being chosen by an NFL team.

“I wound up being a 10th-round

pick,” Mayock said. “But I very much remember standing at first base for the BC baseball team, hoping that one of my roommates would be running down to tell me that I had been drafted earlier.

ESPN had started to televise the draft in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and I have been fascinated by it ever since.”

Mayock played briefly in the NFL before injuring his knee. At that point, he wasn’t sure what lay ahead.

“I think people assumed I would go into coaching,’ Mayock said. “My Dad was a coach, and I was offered a job with the Giants by (then defensive coordinator and special teams coach) Bill Belichick. I decided not to go that avenue. I went into business, but I missed football.”

Mayock decided to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

“I knew the odds were against it because I didn’t have a big name,” Mayock said. “It wasn’t like I was Doug Flutie or Dan Marino retiring. I had to work real hard at it locally at first and build a resume. Looking back at it, I am glad I took the time and made the effort.”

By the mid-1990s, Mayock had polished his craft and built a reputation as a knowledgeable analyst. He became a fa-

miliar face working college football games on ESPN, CBS and NBC. Then, in early 2003, as the NFL prepared to launch its own specialty network, Mayock emerged as one of the names on the short list for the job of NFL Draft analyst.

Programming directors asked Mayock to audition by watching films of college players in action and analyzing their potential as pro prospects.

“They said, ‘Break it down like you’re a pro scout,’ ” Mayock said. “As the son of a coach, I’ve been watching tape for a lot of years, so it came very naturally and very easily.”

The following day, the NFL Network offered Mayock the draft analyst position.

“They told me I could take the NFL Draft in any direction I wanted and be kind of a one-man scouting operation,” Mayock said. “For me, that was kind of like a kid in a candy store. I had access to all this college game tape, and they were telling me I could take it any way I wanted to take it. You give a guy with a Type A personality that type of access … I couldn’t wait to go to work.”

Mayock’s job is a year-round one that consists of watching game film, speaking frequently with college and NFL scouts, plus scouting the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine during the winter.

“Then it’s kind of a mad dash from there to the draft at the end of April,” Mayock said.

While football at Boston College helped lay the foundation for Mayock’s success, he credits his alma mater with providing much more.

“You couldn’t just skate through academically,” Mayock said. “When I look back at the guys I entered school with as freshmen and where they are now, the thing I am most proud of is that they are good people, good fathers, good husbands, good in their communities.

I am really proud of the fact that the university demanded that we become well-rounded individuals.”

Mayock also starred on BC’s baseball team.

Playing football at Boston College helped lay the foundation for Mayock’s success, he credits his alma mater with providing much more.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 99

CLEMSON 1979-88

Ford’s 11 years as head coach where he compiled a 96-29-4 record.

Ford’s 96 wins rank fourth all-time among ACC coaches.

Danny

Ford

“Really they took a heck of chance on a young guy that had never been a head coach before. ” — FORD

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY TOM SHERIDAN

MENTION THE NAME OF FORMER Clemson head football coach Danny Ford in Tiger country and you’re likely to hear him described as intense, passionate, loyal and tough. Those qualities and many more are what made Ford and the teams he coached successful both on and off the field.

Growing up in Gadsden, Ala., sports were always a big part of Ford’s life. After a standout career at Gadsden High School, Ford began his collegiate career at the University of Alabama as a two-sport athlete - playing basketball and football.

By his sophomore year, Ford chose to concentrate on football and earned AllSEC honors playing under his coaching mentor Paul “Bear” Bryant.

When Ford’s playing days were over, Pat Dye, a then-assistant coach at Alabama, encouraged him to get into coaching by becoming a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide. Ford would go on to work as an assistant for nine years at Virginia Tech and Clemson before getting a chance to run his own program. Opportunity knocked when then-Clemson head coach Charley Pell announced that he was leaving the Tigers to take a job at the University of Florida near the end of the 1978 season. The announcement came just days before Clemson was set to take on Ohio State in the Gator Bowl.

In his coaching debut on Dec. 29, 1978 Ford led the Tigers to a stunning 17-15 win over legendary Buckeyes’ coach Woody Hayes in the final game of his career. At 30 years old, Ford was the nation’s

youngest head football coach at the time.

“Really they took a heck of chance on a young guy that had never been a head coach before,” Ford said.

Ford was a strong disciplinarian with a work ethic second to none, and he immediately began to instill that in his team. While his players knew that having a great game plan was important, there was no replacement for hard work. Ford’s Tigers quickly gained a reputation as a tough football team that was very physical and fundamentally sound.

“That’s something that he preached on a regular basis that it’s no different in life. You have got to know who you are.

You don’t need to be having an identity crisis if you’re going to be successful in life,” said Jeff Davis a captain on the 1981 team. “You need to know who you are and you need to stick with what works.

Coach Ford played a big part in cultivating those characteristics in our lives.”

In his first full season as head coach, Ford led Clemson to a 7-4 mark and thought that things were going pretty well, but after a 6-5 campaign in his second year the Clemson faithful began to worry.

“The next year we were 6-5 and everybody was complaining, so that’s when we started running into some problems of trying to rebuild a program,” Ford said.

“The next year [1981] we had a lot of guys that dedicated themselves, but we started off with just being a very average football team.”

That 1981 team turned out to be any-

Danny Ford with long-time college football commentator Bud Wilkinson

thing but average. By the end of the season the Tigers were the only undefeated team in the nation. Clemson finished the year at 12-0 after defeating Nebraska 2215 in the Orange Bowl and secured the first National Championship in school history in any sport. The win earned Ford National Coach-of-the-Year honors, while making him the youngest head football coach to ever win a national title at 33 years old - a record that still stands today.

Davis said he feels that the success of the ‘81 squad was due in large part to Ford stressing the importance of putting the team first, and that no man was bigger than the team.

“He would never treat any one person on the team special, every player had to earn his way,” Davis said.

Clemson football would go on to become one of the most successful football programs in the ACC as well as the nation during Ford’s 11 years as head coach where he compiled a 96-29-4 record. Ford’s 96 wins rank fourth all-time among ACC coaches behind only FSU’s Bobby Bowden, UVa’s George Welsh and Bill Dooley who coached at North Carolina and Wake Forest. His .760 winning percentage is the third best in ACC history behind only current coaces Bowden and Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer. Ford was successful in the postseason as well, leading the Tigers to six bowl victories while capturing five ACC crowns during his tenure - including three straight from 1986 through 1988.

‘We had a good staff and good players, and they got used to winning. I think when you feel like you can win, you have good players, and people have confidence that they are good, it’s awful hard to beat a football team like that,” Ford said.

Ford is also quick to credit the Clemson students and Tiger faithful for making the team such a success.

“We had great, great fan support. In the state of South Carolina we didn’t have a pro team so we didn’t have to fight that, we just had this great college atmosphere of tailgating and coming to ballgames,” Ford said. “I remember stories of people living in Myrtle Beach who would leave at five in the morning and get up here and watch the ballgame, drive back home and teach Sunday school the next day with about two hours of sleep. We just had dedicated fans and our students were great too.”

After leaving Clemson, Ford went on to coach at Arkansas before returning to his home in Pendleton, S.C. to retire from coaching. Now he spends most of his days on his farm tending to cattle, farming wheat and fishing in his pond for crappie and bass.

“As long as you don’t have trouble on the farm you always have something to do. There’s always a fence to fix or some cattle to doctor, I enjoy that,” Ford said.

“It’s a great place to live. You’re not far from the mountains, you’re not far from the beach, you have great weather and the chance to see major college football eight miles from my house.”

When Dabo Swinney was named head coach at Clemson he continued the tradition of former Alabama players hired to take over the Tiger program - a list that includes Ford, Pell and Clemson coaching legend, Frank Howard.

“It’s a very unique thing, I just hope I can have the same success that those other Alabama guys had,” Swinney said.

“There have been a lot of good Alabama guys that have come through here, and for whatever reason it worked out well for most of them. I hope I can fill those same shoes.”

In 1999 Ford was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame and the Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium. Still a popular figure in the Clemson community, Ford attends many Tiger home games and stays involved with the football program. Swinney said that this off-season Ford participated in camps, attended a former player barbeque and spoke at some of his clinics.

“Coach Ford is the one guy who led the team to a national championship and he’s very well respected around here,” Swinney said. “He certainly casts a big shadow here at Clemson.”

In 1981 Danny Ford guided Clemson to the first national championship in school history, capping off a perfect 12-0 season with a 22-15 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Ford compiled five ACC Football Championships in his 11 seasons as head coach of Clemson. His 96 victories, while Clemson’s head coach, are fourthbest in ACC history.

Ford began his head coaching career as the youngest head coach (30 years old) in Division I football with a win over Ohio State in the 1978 Gator Bowl.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 101

DUKE 1953-55

Pascal became the first person to earn All-ACC first team honors twice (1954 and ‘55).

Bob

Pascal

BY TOM SHERIDAN

“When I was there I kicked and passed and ran the halfback option.

I had a lot of fun and had a lot of great athletes playing with me. My teammates deserve an awful lot of credit.”

— PASCAL

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

Former Duke tailback Bob Pascal was one of the earliest stars of the Atlantic Coast Conference and helped lead the Blue Devils to the first three ACC Football titles. After a successful career in business and politics, Pascal is doing all he can to return Duke football to its rightful place.

Growing up in Bloomfield, N.J., Pascal was raised in a big Italian family who lived above a bakery. He began playing football in junior high school and athletics were always a big part of his life.

Coming out of high school Pascal was recruited by a few different schools, including Maryland, but his recruiting trip to Duke convinced him that Durham, N.C. was the place he was meant to be.

“When a recruit goes to a school, a lot depends on who he stays with, and I stayed with some great guys who are still my friends,” Pascal said. “That really pushed me over the edge.”

He initially wanted to go to medical school at Duke but switched to economics. Pascal admits his coursework was daunting at times but with some help he made it through.

“I was really challenged academically for the first time. Duke hung in there with me and helped with tutors and summer school. It meant a lot for me to get a degree from Duke, and it still means something, obviously,” Pascal said. “It was a big help to me in getting any kind of a job, and also when I got into politics. People would say, `Look,

if a guy can get a degree from Duke, he can’t be all bad.’”

On the field for the Blue Devils, Pascal contributed in many ways. Although he was primarily a tailback, he also saw time at punter and even got to throw the ball a little.

“When I was there I kicked and passed and ran the halfback option. I had a lot of fun and had a lot of great athletes playing with me,” Pascal said. “My teammates deserve an awful lot of credit.”

Before the start of the 1953 season, Duke became a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the time he had no idea what the ACC would eventually become, but he had a feeling that he was part of something special.

“Obviously it was new to everybody and very exciting,” Pascal said. “It’s grown in prominence since its inception, and it has great teams in all athletics, at any endeavor.”

Pascal’s Duke teams were very successful during the ACC’s first years.

From 1953-55 the Blue Devils never lost a conference game. Duke went 226-3 during that stretch including a 12-0 conference mark. The Blue Devils won the ACC title outright in 1954 and tied for the crown in ‘53 and ‘55.

“To win the Atlantic Coast Conference is quite an accomplishment,” Pascal said. “To be able to win or tie every year for the championship was very special.”

One of Duke’s biggest wins during Pascal’s playing days came in the Orange Bowl at the end of his junior year. The

Blue Devils jumped out to a 7-0 lead over Nebraska on a 7-yard touchdown run by Pascal and never looked back.

After rushing nine times for 91 yards in the game, Pascal helped lead Duke to a 34-7 rout of the Cornhuskers. The win was the first bowl victory for Blue Devils since 1945, and capped off an 8-2-1 season that pushed Duke to 14th in the AP polls.

During his three years at Duke, Pascal became the first person to earn All-ACC first team honors twice (1954 and ‘55), and was named a first-team All-American in 1955. Pascal’s name is still etched in the Blue Devils record books nearly 55 years since he last donned the blue and white. His nine touchdown runs in 1954 have him tied for seventh on the single season rushing touchdown list and his 19 career rushing touchdowns have him tied for eighth place. He finished his career with 1,523 rushing yards and was named team MVP in 1955.

Mack McElhaney, a former teammate who blocked for Pascal on the offensive line and current Special Assistant

for Football Operations at Duke, has remained friends with Pascal over the years and remembers what kind of player Pascal was.

“He always wanted the ball, he was a go-to guy and he knew it,” McElhaney said. “He was always, some-how-someway, going to get it into the end zone or get a first down. When things got tough he was the man.”

In 1956 Pascal was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts, but decided to head north and play in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes. In his only season in the CFL, Pascal played for the Gray Cup championship. After only a year of professional football, Pascal returned to the United States and got a job in the propane business.

He eventually bought his own company - United Propane - and built it up into one of the top 25 in the country before he sold it. He was also heavily involved in politics where he served as a state senator in Maryland for four years, and a county executive in Anne

Arundel County for eight years. Pascal ran for governor in 1982, then joined the cabinet of former Maryland governor William Donald Schaefer where he served as his appointment secretary for eight years.

“He’s very much a people person. He loves to challenge people and he’s a great leader, when he was on the field and in his business life,” McElhaney said. “He has a million friends, and when you become his friend, you’re his friend forever. He’d give you the shirt off his back; he’s that type of guy.”

Pascal’s success in the business world has allowed him to give back to his alma mater. He recently donated six million dollars to Duke athletics - the largest single donation ever made to the Blue Devil program. He credits his success to his time at Duke, and thinks it’s important to have a former football player step up and invest in the future of the program.

“I was fortunate enough to take the right roads and I was successful financially,” Pascal said. “I think without going to Duke I might not have done as well.

That’s what money is for, to give back and make an investment in people.”

With his generous donation Duke is in the process of building an indoor practice facility to be named - The Bob Pascal Field House. It will house not only the football team, but other Duke athletic programs and recreational activities.

“His heart bleeds Duke blue and he stepped up and did this for the program,” McElhaney said.

In his spare time Pascal likes to hunt and fish on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and he’s very proud of his large closeknit family. He says that he’s looking forward to the yearly Thanksgiving tradition of having his daughters and 11 grandchildren come over to his house for dinner.

“This Thanksgiving, as every Thanksgiving, everybody comes to my house and we have like 25 or 30 people, so it’s a great heritage,” Pascal said. •

Pascal finished 8th nationally in rushing as a senior in 1955. He helped lead Duke to either an outright claim or a share of the first three ACC Football Championships in 1953, 1954 and 1955 and an overall record of 22-6-3.

Pascal tied for the ACC lead in scoring as a junior in 1954, then led the conference in total offense and was second in the league in rushing in 1955. Pascal was named first-team All-ACC in 1954 and 1955.

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 103

FLORIDA STATE 1990, 1998-2000

Weinke compiled a 32-3 record as a starter at FSU. He still holds 26 school records and five ACC marks.

Chris

Weinke

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

“I was very fortunate to be part of a team that was filled with leaders and determination and tough guys.”

— WEINKE

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2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

OF ALL THE CALLS BOBBY BOWDEN has made during his 34 years as Florida State’s head football coach, one may stand out as the wisest of all.

Bowden was willing to wait for Chris Weinke. It has been nearly a decade since Weinke concluded his record-shattering career at FSU, but he remains one of the game’s unique stories. How many college quarterbacks see their first game action at the age of 25? How many could imagine receiving a Heisman Trophy a few months after his 28th birthday?

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever envision that was going to happen,” Weinke said. “All I envisioned was coming to Florida State and having the chance to play for Coach Bowden.”

A multi-sport prep star at CretinDerham Hall in St. Paul, Minn., Weinke signed with Florida State as high school senior and went through preseason practice in August of 1990. But the lure of professional baseball beckoned.

Weinke, a second-round draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays, opted to sign a minor-league contract rather than continue at FSU. Weinke made his decision with mixed emotions. Bowden made it clear the door remained open.

“The last thing Coach Bowden said to me was, ‘If you ever want to come back, we will have a scholarship waiting on you,’ ” Weinke recalled.

Weinke played mostly first base in the minor leagues, but also saw time at third and in the outfield. He hit 17 home

runs with 98 RBI in 128 games for Class A Dunedin (Fla.) in 1993 and hit a combined 18 homers and drove in 73 runs while splitting time between Class AA Knoxville and Triple-A Syracuse in 1996.

But thoughts of Tallahassee lingered.

After six seasons in the minors, Weinke decided to return to FSU and resume his quest to become a starting college quarterback.

“It boiled down to one thing: I still had that football blood running through me,” Weinke said. “I felt like there was a window there, and if I didn’t take that opportunity, I would regret it down the road.

“People say, ‘Why did you quit baseball? You were a young guy, you were in Triple-A, you were one step away from the big leagues.’ But there were no guarantees I would make it to the big leagues.

My mindset was that I would go back, get my degree and give football a try.”

The only question, Weinke said, was whether Bowden and Florida State would have him back.

“They welcomed me with open arms,” Weinke said. “Coach Bowden was true to his word, and I owe him a lot.”

Weinke enrolled at FSU in January of 1997 and took part in spring practice.

Though Weinke remembers struggling early and “taking small steps” toward returning to football form, Bowden saw the same physical and athletic potential at which he had marveled seven years earlier. And there was no question that he had a team leader on board in the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Weinke.

“He was very mature, as you can imagine,” Bowden said. “He was tall, he was big. He had an excellent arm, excellent hands and excellent leadership skills. Our team really followed him.”

Weinke watched mostly from the sidelines as a freshman in the fall of 1997. Then, prior to the start of the 1998 season, Bowden announced that Weinke would be his starting quarterback. That was a first for the veteran coach, who had required previous FSU signal-callers to wait until at least their junior years.

“He saw how I went about things, how I prepared,” Weinke said. “The one thing I asked the coaching staff prior to going back to school was, ‘If am the best player, am I going to play?’ They said yes, and that’s all I needed to hear.”

After defeating Texas A&M in the 1998 Kickoff Classic, Weinke and the Seminoles traveled to NC State for their ACC opener. In a showing that shocked even the Wolfpack faithful, Weinke threw a school-record six interceptions

and second-ranked FSU suffered a 24-7 loss – only its second defeat in conference play since joining the ACC prior to the 1992 season.

Many of his younger teammates sat in the visitors’ locker room in stunned disbelief, but the stand-up Weinke firmly and politely fielded reporters’ questions for over a half -hour following the game.

“I had a decision to make at that point – either accept responsibility for what happened and go back to work, or just fold up my tent,” Weinke said.

Weinke turned to Mark Richt, the current Georgia head coach and thenFSU offensive coordinator.

Let me explain something to you,” Richt told Weinke. “Every good quarterback has had to go through something like this. Stay focused, keep doing what you’re doing, and things will work out.”

Weinke did not throw another interception the remainder of his sophomore year and led FSU to a 9-1 record before a neck injury ended his season.

“When I look back, it was really kind of the turning point for me in taking the next step,” Weinke said.

Weinke hit full stride his final two seasons, leading the Seminoles to an unbeaten record and national title as a junior in 1999, and an 11-2 record and national runner-up finish in 2000.

Weinke threw for an eye-opening 4,167 yards his senior year and finished his career with a then-ACC record 9,839 passing yards.

In addition to leading teams that participated in an unprecedented three straight BCS Championship Games, Weinke compiled a 32-3 record as a starter at FSU. He still holds 26 school records and five ACC marks.

Weinke’s 2000 Heisman Trophy came to the surprise of almost no one, but he downplays the individual aspect of the award to this day.

“I’ve said it a thousand times: I share that Heisman with the guys I played with,” Weinke said. “I was very fortunate to be part of a team that was filled with leaders and determination and tough guys.”

A fourth-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers, Weinke spent seven years in the NFL. He threw for 2,931 yards as a rookie in 2001. Late in the 2006 season, he completed 34 of 61 passes against the New York Giants for 423 yards – a Panthers’ single-game record.

“It was a great way to make a living, and I made some great friendships,” Weinke said. “I miss Sunday afternoons and the excitement you get coming out of the tunnel. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and when you are done there is kind of a void there.”

Weinke and his family now call Austin, Texas, home. Weinke works as a vicepresident in marketing and event-planning for Triton Financial, a company that assists former and current professional athletes with wealth management.

As always, Weinke enjoys the atmosphere surrounding college football game days.

“I am a huge college football fan, so it’s fun to be in a city where there is a bigtime program that is at its peak,” Weinke said. “Saturday afternoons around here are pretty exciting.”

But Weinke set one limit as he adapted to his new surroundings. “I don’t wear any burnt orange,” he said. “I still only wear the garnet and gold.”

Chris Weinke led Florida State to a national title as a junior quarterback.

Chris Weinke’s winding road to college football stardom concluded with the Heisman Trophy in 2000.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 105

GEORGIA TECH 1975-78

Ivery went on to become one of the greatest Georgia Tech running backs of all time, setting many records that still stand today.

Eddie Lee

Ivery

“If you look at all the accolades and awards I received in my life, receiving that degree from Georgia Tech would have to stand at the top of any of those awards.”

— IVERY

106

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY TOM SHERIDAN

LONG AFTER THE LIGHTS ARE OUT and the fans have gone home, former Georgia Tech running back Eddie Lee Ivery walks off the field like he’s done many times before, only this time as a coach. It’s been more than 31 years since Ivery last played for the Ramblin’ Wreck, but he’s still a part of the game he loves.

Growing up in the small town of Thomson, Ga., Ivery knew from the time he was 9 years old he wanted to play football. Raised by his mother and grandmother, he remembers when his uncles came home with dirt-covered uniforms. After their games, he would put on the oversized helmets and shoulder pads and imagine taking the field, like his heroes did hours before.

Soon, Ivery got his own uniform and began his football career as a tight end.

When he was too small to match up with defenders, his coach tried him out at quarterback. That experiment didn’t work either. His next position change turned out to be his last.

“The coach said, ‘I’ll put you at running back,’ so they put me at running back and I just outran everybody,” Ivery said. “I didn’t run over anybody, but I just outran everybody. He said, ‘Yea, that’s the position you’re going to play.’”

Ivery played the position so well at Thomson High School, both Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia heavily recruited him. Ivery’s hometown is located in Bulldog country, so naturally everyone around him wanted him to play there.

Against his better judgment, Ivery made a verbal commitment to attend the University of Georgia, but on the day he was supposed to sign with the Bulldogs, former Georgia Tech assistant coach Dick Bestwick came to his high school and called him out of class for a meeting with his high school football and basketball coaches. In that meeting they could tell something was wrong with Ivery.

“Coach Bestwick said, ‘Eddie Lee, do you really want to go the University of Georgia?’ I just remember breaking down in tears when he asked me that question,” Ivery said. “I said no sir, I want to go to Georgia Tech, and I busted out in tears. I was crying for the first time in my life and I became honest with my inner-spirit and how I felt. I was so much wanting to please other people that I was being displeasing to myself.”

That was a defining moment in Ivery’s life. He changed his mind about going to Georgia and told Bestwick that he wanted to attend Georgia Tech. Looking back Ivery says that one of the main reasons he chose Georgia Tech was academics.

Prior to becoming a Yellow Jacket, Ivery had never been to a big city like Atlanta. He admits that he was overwhelmed when he saw all the buildings and skyscrapers. Once on campus, Ivery fondly remembers finding the Varsity - a restaurant located right by the Georgia Tech campus - and making it one of his regular stops during his time at Tech. He also recalls how it felt when he put on his uniform for the first time

and took the field.

“It was awesome, the most awesome feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Ivery said.

“I had some great mentors out there that were there before me. They really paved the way for athletes like myself to come into the school and be successful.”

Ivery went on to become one of the greatest Georgia Tech running backs of all time, setting single-game marks for rushing yards in a game (356), allpurpose yards in a game (367), and all-purpose yards in a season (1,879 in 1978) - all records that still stand today.

During the 1976 through 1978 seasons, Ivery led the Yellow Jackets in allpurpose yards, and ranks fourth in the Georgia Tech record books for career all-purpose yards with 4,324. Ivery was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

In his historic 1978 campaign, Ivery was named an AP and UPI All-American after setting a then-NCAA single-game rushing record with 356 yards against Air Force on a cold and snowy day in Colorado Springs, Colo. The conditions were so bad that Ivery didn’t even think they were going to be able to play a game that day. The field was covered with so much snow it had to be cleared by a street sweeper twice, while the tem-

perature outside was 20 degrees with a wind-chill factor of zero. Ivery says he was happy when the decision was made to proceed with the game because he had never played in the snow. Despite not feeling well, Ivery torched the Falcon defense for three touchdown runs of 73, 80, and 50 yards.

“After the first series we had the football, I thought every time I touched the ball I was going to take it to pay dirt,” Ivery said. “My offensive line was coming off the ball so well it was like a bowling ball coming down the lane and knocking down pins.”

In the 1979 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers drafted Ivery 15th overall. He went on to play for eight seasons with the Packers, finishing his professional career with 2,933 yards and 23 touchdowns.

After retiring from Green Bay, Ivery returned to his hometown and received a call from Bestwick, his former coach, who he had not talked to in nine years.

“He told me, ‘Eddie Lee, I want you to get yourself back up to Georgia Tech and graduate,’” Ivery said. “He had promised me that nine years ago he wanted me to graduate from Georgia Tech. That’s why he wanted me to go there, to get an education.”

With his playing days behind him, Iv-

ery wanted to pursue a career in coaching and he knew that he would have to finish college to do that. In 1992 - more than 16 years after he first set foot on the Tech campus - Ivery finally got his chance to walk across the stage and receive his diploma.

“If you look at all the accolades and awards I received in my life or in my career, receiving that degree from Georgia Tech would have to stand at the top of any of those awards or accolades I’ve had in my life,” Ivery said.

Ivery went on to serve as a strength and conditioning coach at Georgia Tech from 2000-08. He now resides in Thomson with his wife, Antoinette, and one-year-old daughter, Gabriella. Ivery currently works as the running backs coach at Thomson High School and as activities coordinator at the McDuffie Achievement Center.

“The satisfaction that I get out of life now is when I go out and inspire, motivate and encourage a kid to reach his full potential; not just on the field, but also the off-the-field decisions he’s going to have to make in life,” Ivery said. “It’s the most satisfying feeling that you can get when you see a kid’s life change because of the encouragement and motivation that you have given to him.”

Ivery set the thenNCAA single-game rushing record in 1978 with 356 yards on just 26 carries in a game against on a frozen field against Air Force in Colorado Springs.

Ivery totaled a Yellow Jacket school record of 1,562 yards for the 1978 season and 3,517 yards for his career, despite spending most of his time at Tech sharing the football in a wishbone offense.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 107

MARYLAND 1982-84

A first team All-American (The Sporting News) at Maryland in 1984 and a member of the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame

Kevin

Glover

“Coming from a team that was 4-6-1 when I was a true freshman, turning it around and winning three championships in a row in the ‘80’s was a really special time for the Maryland program.”

— GLOVER

108

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY TOM SHERIDAN

AS HE CUTS THROUGH THE WIND with miles of asphalt laying in his wake, former Maryland offensive line standout Kevin Glover takes a cruise through College Park, Md. on his motorcycle, back where it all began.

Growing up in the Washington D.C. area, Glover got into football when he was 7 years old, but had to stop because the Boys Club team he played on had a weight limit of 125 pounds – by the time he was 12 he weighed 202 pounds. After that, he didn’t get to play organized football again until high school.

As a sophomore, he tried out for the football team and earned the starting tight end spot during the first practice of his high school career. Glover started every game at tight end but was so athletically gifted that he saw playing time at a variety of positions, including defensive end, fullback, quarterback and kicker. After his senior season, Glover was named defensive player of the year for the state of Maryland.

Once he went through the recruiting process he narrowed down his choices, and Maryland was at the top of the list.

In his freshman year, Glover was on the scout team as a defensive tackle. In the final practice of the 1981 season, former head football coach Claiborne and assistant Dick Hallam asked him to come over to offense for about 10 plays to see what he could do. After playing his entire freshman season on the defensive side of the ball, Glover questioned the change.

“I asked them ‘Why? I’m a defensive tackle,’ Glover said. “Being a very competitive guy, I looked at it and said I’m going to do everything illegal and then they’re going to move me back to defense.”

His plan backfired.

“I mean I was chasing people 15 to 20 yards downfield, tackling them, clipping people at the end of plays, diving over piles, holding. I really tried to do everything illegal so they would move me back, and I remember about the seventh or eighth play turning around and seeing Dick Hallam and coach Claiborne jumping up and down and saying ‘Alright we got something here, we like that!’”

Those 10 plays would turn out to be the some of the most important of Glover’s life.

After that season, Maryland went through a coaching change, and when new head coach Bobby Ross and his staff – which included current Maryland head coach and then-offensive line coach Ralph Friedgen – came in, Glover was tabbed as an offensive lineman where he became a starter during his sophomore year.

“Kevin was not only a great player, but a great leader too,” Ross said. “If you ever wanted to have a building block for a program, Kevin Glover would be that person. He was very, very special.”

Maryland improved almost immediately. The Terrapins turned around a 4-6-1 season in 1981 to finish the ’82 campaign as the 20th ranked team in the nation with an 8-4 overall record and a

5-1 mark in conference play.

“I didn’t know a thing about playing offensive line, but I figured that it was an opportunity to get on the field, and it was what our team needed at the time,” Glover said.

In his junior year (1983), Glover blocked for future NFL star Boomer Esiason and helped Maryland go a perfect 5-0 in conference play to win the school’s first ACC title since 1976.

Glover’s senior season (1984) was just as successful for the Terrapins as they repeated as ACC champions with another unblemished 5-0 mark in conference play and finished the year ranked No. 12 in the nation with a 9-3 overall mark.

One key win during that awardwinning season came against Miami in the Orange Bowl. After trailing 31-0 at halftime, future NFL quarterback Frank Reich came into the game, and behind an offensive line anchored by Glover, staged what was at the time, the biggest comeback in NCAA. The Terrapins racked up 42 second-half points to come away with a 42-40 victory.

“That’s something that I and my former teammates will never forget. Let’s

say it was one of the best halves I have ever been a part of,” Glover said jokingly. “That kind of became the nature of our team.”

Glover’s contribution on the offensive line didn’t go unnoticed during his senior year, and he was named All-ACC First Team in 1984. After winning backto-back ACC championships, Glover knows that he was very fortunate to be a part of something special.

“If you think back to the early-to-mid eighties, some of the teams we played like North Carolina, Clemson and Miami were some of the top teams in the country,” Glover said. “Coming from a team that was 4-6-1 when I was a true freshman, turning it around and winning three championships [two with Glover] in a row in the ‘80’s was a really special time for the Maryland program.”

After he was drafted by the NFL and his collegiate eligibility was up, Glover still had some unfinished business to take care of at Maryland. To graduate he still had to complete an internship, so he decided to go back to school.

“A lot of times it’s easy once you get in

the League to say, ‘I don’t need a degree, I’m in the league,’” Glover said. “Something my parents always taught me was that regardless of what you’re doing at the moment, you’re going to need your degree in the future, so I definitely had to come back and finish up my internship and get my degree.”

In 1985, Glover was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and went on to play for 15 seasons – 13 with the Lions and two with Seattle. During his outstanding NFL career Glover earned three straight trips to the Pro Bowl and worked on an offensive line that paved the way for future NFL Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.

After his professional playing career was over, Glover tried his hand as a sports agent for a few years, then returned to his alma mater to serve as the first Director of Character Education.

Maryland created the new position specifically for Glover when Friedgen was concerned about outside influences on his program.

“It’s all geared towards helping our student-athletes make proper decisions in crucial points in their life,” Glover said. “This was definitely a way for me to give back to the program, be involved and help some of our student-athletes grow and make that transition from college to the real world.”

Outside of work Glover is a big family man and loves to spend time with his wife of 20 years, Cestaine, who he met when they were both freshmen at Maryland, and his three children Maya, Matthew and Zaria. Glover says that when he does get a few hours to himself, he tries to make time to take his Honda Gold Wing for a spin.

“I love riding motorcycles, that’s one of my passions,” Glover said. “I’ve been riding for a long time, so whenever there’s a really nice day and I can get a couple of hours to myself, I love jumping on my motorcycle and going for a ride and enjoying some music in the wind blowing.”

Glover starred as a center for former head coach Bobby Ross at Maryland, helping the Terps to ACC titles in 1983 and 1984.

Glover earned firstteam All-America honors from The Sporting News in 1984 and was honored as firstteam All-ACC in the same year. In his final two seasons in College Park, Maryland was undefeated in 10 conference games, posting a 17-7 overall mark.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 109

MIAMI 1982-86

In only two years as the starting quarterback, Testaverde put up numbers that still rank near the top of many individual career passing categories.

Vinny

Testaverde

“I think back to those days and it was the best time that I ever had playing football.”

— TESTAVERDE

110

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY TOM SHERIDAN

AFTER A HISTORIC COLLEGE AND pro career that spanned more than 25 years, former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Vinny Testaverde is enjoying life after football. Although it’s been a long time since he last took the field in a Hurricane uniform, Testaverde still feels a close bond with ‘The U.’ Before he was even old enough to play organized football, Testaverde remembers waiting for his father Al Testaverde to come home from work so they could play catch in the back yard. By the time he was 7 years old, he was on a team, but he already knew by then that he wanted to be a quarterback someday.

Testaverde left his hometown of Elmont, N.Y. to play prep school football at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, and was heavily recruited by several ACC schools including North Carolina, NC State and Virginia. He said that although the decision was hard, he chose to attend Miami because he had family in the area and because he saw the Hurricanes as a team on the rise after watching them beat a Penn State squad that was ranked No. 1 at the time.

“That caught my eye and I thought, ‘Hey this would be a great place for me if I want to be a successful quarterback for a program that had a prolific passing game,’ They certainly were doing that at the time,” Testaverde said.

In his first year at Miami, Testaverde was part of arguably one of the best stable of college quarterbacks put together at one time. The list included future NFL

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, current Georgia head coach Mark Richt and Bernie Kosar, who guided the ‘Canes to the 1983 national championship.

Richt was a big influence on the young Testaverde. He was Kelly’s backup and the person that Testaverde would always turn to when he had a question. After Kelly and Richt graduated at the end of the ‘82 season, Testaverde competed for the starting job with Kosar. When Kosar won the job, Testaverde continued to remain patient and wait for his turn.

“There’s a lot that I’ve learned from sitting on the bench and watching guys like Jim Kelly, Mark Richt and Bernie Kosar.

Not only was I learning about football, I was learning how to be patient, and how to wait for my turn,” Testaverde said.

“When you have to wait your turn and watch somebody else play, it’s kind of a humbling experience, so I think it taught me humility and how to be patient.”

That’s a lesson he tries to teach kids when he talks to them now - to be patient and prepared when their time comes and continue to work hard. He always stresses that they have to be ready because they may only get that one opportunity and when it comes they have to take advantage of it.

When Testaverde earned his chance to start at the beginning of the 1985 season, the tradition of outstanding quarterbacks at Miami was under construction.

“At the time it was still building. We had Jim, we had Bernie and then I was next in line,” Testaverde said. “That tradi-

tion was just starting to build at that time and I was just fortunate that I had a lot of great talent around me, and a lot of great coaches that were able to continue to run a system that would help me become successful.”

After losing his first career start to Florida in the Orange Bowl, Testaverde would never lose another regular season game, posting a 21-1 career mark in the regular season. His next home game would also become the beginning of one of the most impressive streaks in sports.

With a 38-0 win over Cincinnati on Oct. 12, 1985, the Testaverde-led ‘Canes began a 58-game winning streak at the Orange Bowl that would last nearly a decade - still an NCAA record.

During the streak, the Hurricanes defeated four No. 1 teams including the topranked Oklahoma Sooners in 1986. In a matchup between the top two football programs in the country, Miami held off Brian Bosworth and company in a 28-16 upset over the defending national champions. Testaverde threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns, while connecting on 21 of 28 pass attempts in the game.

“We were very confident but we knew that it was going to be a tough fought game with two good schools going against each other,” Testaverde said. “We felt like if we just kept our poise and played together as a team we’d come out successful, and

we were able to do that,” Testaverde said.

Leading up to the 1986 season Testaverde and his teammates felt pretty good about their chances in the upcoming year. After finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1985, Testaverde was one of the favorites to win the award his senior year. He admits that although he tried not to think about it, he couldn’t help himself at times.

In that historic campaign, Testaverde led the Hurricanes to an undefeated regular season, and within six yards of winning a national championship against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. His outstanding play that year earned him the Heisman Trophy, making him the first player in Miami history to win the award.

Al Testaverde always dreamed of his son winning the Heisman Trophy. When he was growing up his dad would talk about it with him as they watched the ceremonies together on TV. “I think back to those days and it was the best time that I ever had playing football,” Testaverde said. “Although it goes to one person, it really was an award that was won by the efforts of a lot of people.”

In only two years as the starting quarterback at Miami, Testaverde put up numbers that still rank near the top of many individual career passing categories. His pass completion percentage (61.3) ranks second all-time, passing yardage (6,058)

ranks third, total offense (5,738) ranks fourth and touchdown passes thrown (48) puts him in a tie for second on the list. In 1997, Testaverde was inducted into the University of Miami Ring of Honor and in 1998 the UM Sports Hall of Fame.

He remains one of only four Hurricanes to have their jerseys retired.

Drafted with the top pick in the 1987 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Testaverde would go on to play for seven different teams and set an NFL record for throwing a touchdown pass in 21 consecutive seasons. He’s been enjoying his retirement since the end of the 2007 season.

“Actually it’s pretty nice that I get to wake up Monday morning not feeling so sore,” Testaverde said. “There are some aspects of it that I do miss, but a lot of it that I don’t. I kind of left on my own terms, now, I get to spend time with my family.”

It’s been nearly 23 years since Testaverde last led Miami into battle, but he still feels a special connection with the Hurricane program.

“I think the guys that have gone through Miami and that program are very close, even the guys that you didn’t know, that didn’t play in your class,” Testaverde said. “Whether they came years after or years before, I still feel a bond and a closeness because we went to Miami, to ‘The U.’

Testaverde became Miami’s first Heisman Trophy winner, claiming the 1986 Trophy. That year he was named a consensus All-America and also earned the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards and the Davey O’Brien Award.

In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Hurricanes, Testaverde led Miami to a 21-1 record including a 28-16 upset triumph over then-No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in 1986 in the Orange Bowl.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 111

NORTH CAROLINA 1979-82

Bryant ranks fourth all-time on the UNC rushing list with 3,267 yards.

Kelvin

Bryant

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

“I fell in love with the school when I went to visit. Of all the schools I looked at, it seemed like the best fit, and that turned out to be right.”

— BRYANT

112

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

KELVIN BRYANT REMAINS AN ALLAmerican in every sense of the word.

Nearly three decades after he shattered records and dazzled opponents at the University of North Carolina, Bryant is right where he always envisioned being – back in his hometown, raising a family, active in his community.

Those too young to remember Bryant running a blue streak through opposing defenders from 1979 through ’82 can read the numbers. They know that Bryant ranks fourth all-time on the UNC rushing list with 3,267 yards and that he is one of just three Tar Heels to put together three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

They see that he still holds the school record for touchdowns in a game (six vs. East Carolina in 1981), as well as the NCAA record for touchdowns scored in two and three consecutive games (11 and 15 respectively).

But those who saw Bryant at his peak know that watching him perform on Saturdays – particularly those at the outset of his junior year in 1981 – bordered on magic.

Eight years of professional football followed UNC, a stint that included three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and two USFL titles with the Philadelphia/ Baltimore Stars and a Super Bowl championship with the 1987 Washington Redskins. But the Tarboro, N.C., native always remained a homebody at heart.

“I always knew I was going to settle down in Tarboro,” Bryant said. “Even after I left for college and the pros and

had the chance to travel all over, Tarboro was always my favorite place to be. My wife’s from Princeville (a neighboring town in Eastern North Carolina’s Edgecombe County) and she loves the area, too, so that was a big plus in me getting back here.”

Bryant left the NFL in 1990, but “retirement” has hardly been the operative word.

Since returning to Tarboro, he’s found no shortage of things to keep him busy.

“It’s varied a lot over the years – from a little business to stay-at-home dad to community-type projects,” Bryant reported. “I’ve enjoyed working with the youth and the elderly in a lot of capacities over the years. I’m the Director of Activities for Britthaven of Tarboro (a home for the elderly), which I really enjoy.”

Those who don’t remember Bryant’s football exploits aren’t likely to get an unsolicited first-hand update.

“I have always referred to Kelvin as ‘The Reluctant Superstar,’ ’’ said Bryant’s wife, Teresa, who offers good-natured proof.

“I think the fact that Kelvin married someone who went to NC State for college, Duke for law school, who does not like sports at all is a good indication that he’s not fixated on being adored for football,” she said.

But from the days Bryant began wowing college recruiters at Tarboro High, there was no shortage of adoration for his football talent. Bryant remembers being heavily wooed by North Carolina assistant coach Cleve Bryant (no relation), and he eventually settled on the

Tar Heels.

“I fell in love with the school when I went to visit,” Bryant said. “Of all the schools I looked at, it seemed like the best fit, and that turned out to be right.”

Though he had to compete with fourtime 1,000-yard rusher Amos Lawrence for playing time his first two seasons, Bryant was an integral part of the offense by his sophomore year. North Carolina finished 11-1 and captured the 1980 conference championship. Lawrence rushed for 1,118 yards, while Bryant added 1,039.

Each rushed for 11 touchdowns.

In addition to an explosive offense, the 1980 ACC title team was anchored defensively by All-American and future All-Pro Lawrence Taylor. Bryant was consistently surrounded by fellow talented players at UNC, as his teams finished a combined 37-10-1 and won four bowl games.

As the 1981 season began, Bryant was clearly the Tar Heels’ go-to guy. The first game of his junior year brought what most remember as his signature performance.

North Carolina opened against East Carolina before a frenzied Kenan Stadium crowd. Bryant, repeatedly leaving defenders grasping at air, staked the Tar Heels to a 35-0 halftime lead. He eventu-

ally amassed 211 yards and the school-record six touchdowns, leading a 56-0 UNC romp and the start of a 10-2 season.

But those in attendance most remember Bryant’s fifth touchdown, a secondhalf scamper into the east end zone. As Bryant crossed the goal-line, he spotted former teammate Steve Streater seated in front of the old Kenan Field House.

Streater, a defensive mainstay as a hard-hitting Tar Heel safety and a pro prospect as a punter, had earned a freeagent contract with the Washington Redskins less than five months earlier.

Tragically, just hours after signing with the NFL team, Streater was involved in an automobile accident that left him confined to a wheelchair, paralyzed for life from the waist down.

Bryant handed the ball to Streater, who smiled broadly and delivered an emphatic spike. The capacity crowd stood and cheered. Many openly wept.

Bryant, who also handed off to Streater after his sixth touchdown, spontaneously decided to make his friend a part of the record day.

“I never expected that gesture to receive so much press over the years,” Bryant said. “I still can’t say for sure what made me give him the ball. I just wanted

him to be part of that moment – to let him know that he was still a part of the team, still a part of Carolina.”

Three games into the 1981 season, North Carolina had outscored its opponents by a combined 161-21 margin, Bryant had his record-setting 15 touchdowns and Tar Heel fans were abuzz over what seemingly lay ahead.

Their dreams were seemingly doused on the afternoon of Oct. 3, when Bryant went down with a left knee injury at Georgia Tech. He underwent surgery the following day to repair torn cartilage, and Dr. Timothy Taft, UNC’s orthopedic surgeon, also discovered ligament damage.

Taft told Sports Illustrated he found it “unlikely” Bryant would play again that fall. “But maybe,” Taft added, “he’ll fool me.”

Bryant missed four games. By Nov. 14, he was back on the field for a win at Virginia. He entered the season finale at Duke 232 yards shy of 1,000, seemingly a long shot to reach the magic number for a second straight year. Bryant rushed for 247, then followed up with 148 yards in a win over Arkansas in the Gator Bowl.

UNC touted Bryant for the Heisman Trophy prior to his senior year.

“I’m always grateful for people who appreciate my talent and loved to see me play, but I was never – and even today I’m not comfortable – with a lot of attention,” Bryant said. “I was honored my name was being thrown out there, of course.”

Another injury – this time to his ankle – slowed Bryant in 1982, but he still rushed for a career-high 1,064 yards and keyed the Tar Heels to a Sun Bowl appearance, where they defeated seventhranked Texas.

Bryant put up numbers that still withstand the test of time, numbers that bad luck likely prevented from being truly astounding. But the humble tailback from Tarboro has never looked back.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” Bryant said.

“What was meant to be was, and I’m thankful for that. That’s just how I see life in general. No regrets.”

Following his starring days at North Carolina, Kelvin Bryant played for a Super Bowl champion in Washington.

Despite being slowed by injuries, Kelvin Bryant struck fear into the hearts of opponents any time he touched the football.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 113

NC STATE 1971-73

Willie Burden, a fleet-footed back who led State to the 1973 ACC Championship and bowl game victories.

Willie

Burden

“It was like we were riding a cloud. It had been a magical season, and then we went rolling into Atlanta, knowing that NC State football had turned the corner.

We were fired up, ready to go.”

— BURDEN

114

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

One thing has remained constant in the 36 years since Willie Burden set NC State rushing records and played a leading role in one of the most exciting football eras in school history. Burden keeps moving forward, setting new goals and achieving higher levels of success.

Wolfpack fans remember Willie Burden as the fleet-footed back who became the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher, who earned ACC Player of the Year honors as a senior, who led State to the 1973 ACC Championship and a pair of bowl game victories.

His Georgia Southern University students know him as Dr. Burden, Professor of Recreation and Sports management, an integral part of the faculty for more than 11 years. He previously worked in athletic administration for over a decade, including a stint as athletic director at North Carolina A&T. That all followed eight years as a player in the Canadian Football League, where he rushed for 6,234 career yards and endeared himself to the Calgary Stampeders’ fan base as one of the league’s alltime stars.

“As I’ve grown and people around me have grown, I’ve made the adjustments to new challenges in life, and they’ve all been very rewarding,” Burden said. “I’ve enjoyed all of them. The one thing that remains constant is that I’ve always been around sports, always been around athletics. That’s the real need I have. I’ve got to be involved in some way.”

Burden grew up a short car ride from

the NC State campus in Raleigh, N.C., starring on the gridiron at Enloe High.

Though he didn’t necessarily regard himself as a Wolfpack fan, proximity and familiarity counted for a lot as he weighed his college choices.

“NC State would often give the coaches at Enloe tickets and sometimes invite the athletes over to watch the games,’” Burden recalled. “As a young person in the 10th and 11th grade, I used to go over and watch some of the football and basketball games. The Wolfpack kind of grew on me. I guess I was always going to go there, I just didn’t know it.”

With the NCAA having yet to reinstate freshman eligibility, Burden had to wait until the fall of his sophomore year – 1971 – to get his taste of varsity action.

Burden remembers the experience as a mixed blessing as the Wolfpack endured a 3-8 season, its third straight year with a losing record.

“Unfortunately, NC State teams weren’t winning a whole lot of games when I went there,” Burden said. “But the good thing about that was there was an opportunity to play. I was able to do that as a sophomore early on, to gain some experience and learn the college game.”

Burden’s junior year brought a sense of renewal as NC State hired a young coach from William & Mary by the name of Lou Holtz.

“It was a lot of fun,” Burden said. “I remember when we played the spring game and how much enthusiasm the team had, the fans had, that everyone had. He was

so positive. He kept saying that positive things were going to happen, and we got good results.”

The one-year turnaround was phenomenal. The Wolfpack finished 8-3-1 overall in 1972, 4-1-1 in the ACC and came within a failed last-second twopoint conversion of defeating conference champion North Carolina on the road. The season concluded with NC State thrashing West Virginia by a 49-13 score in the Peach Bowl as Burden ran for 116 yards.

“It was like we were riding a cloud,” Burden said. “It had been a magical season, and then we went rolling into Atlanta, knowing that NC State football had turned the corner. We were fired up, ready to go. I think West Virginia looked down on us a little bit, like we weren’t that good, and we just loaded up on them. That was a special moment.”

Holtz, whose storied coaching career included later stops at Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina, would later downplay his affect on the 1972 team.

“It didn’t matter who the coach was that year,” Holtz said in 1999. “Those guys were sick of losing, and they were going to win regardless.”

Burden, however, begs to differ.

“I think there was definitely something he brought to the program,” Burden said. “I probably changed myself, but I more readily noticed the changes in the other guys on the team, and their performances and their attitudes from one year to the next.”

In Burden’s case, the intensity was stoked by a keen sense of competition.

NC State had a stable of talented running backs in Burden, Charley Young, Stan Fritts and Roland Hooks. Dubbed “The Stallions” by local media, they thrived under the veer offense employed by

Holtz and his staff.

“It was difficult to earn playing time,” Burden said. “If any one of us had been the single ball-carrier there, we easily could have gotten 1,000 yards behind the great offensive line we had my junior and senior years. But winning solves a lot of your ills. I got to carry the ball a lot my sophomore year, but it wasn’t a lot of fun because we were 3-8.”

The 1973 season saw NC State go unbeaten in ACC play and capture its first conference title since 1968. The Wolfpack finished 9-3 overall, including a convincing win over Kansas in the Liberty Bowl. Burden, who was named the ACC Player of the Year, most remembers his final home game, a 52-13 romp past Wake Forest in which he broke the 1,000-yard barrier.

“Hearing them announce that to the crowd, there was just a huge sense of accomplishment,” Burden said. “Here we were conference champions, and I got over 1,000 yards individually. We’d done everything we set out to do.”

The Detroit Lions selected Burden in the sixth round of the 1974 NFL Draft,

but a knee injury he suffered while playing pick-up basketball slowed him during preseason camp. He failed to make the team, but fortune smiled nonetheless.

Rogers Lehew, a key figure in molding the Calgary Stampeders’ CFL franchise, had just joined the Lions as assistant general manager.

“Rogers said to me, ‘Hey, wait a minute, I have a job for you. I think you can play up in Calgary,’ ” Burden said. “He was instrumental in hooking me up.”Burden headed straight to Canada from Detroit.

“It was very strange,” Burden recalled, chuckling at the memory. “I drove through North Dakota and Wyoming and Montana. I had never seen those places before. There was nothing but cows out there. I had bugs all over my windshield, on the hood of my car, on the grill. But I made it there.”

The Stampeders were glad he did. Burden’s knee fully healed, he grew accustomed to CFL rules and he soon became a hero in his new hometown.

“We established a relationship those first few years, and we just built on it from that point forward,” Burden said.

“Man, it was great.”

Burden returned to Raleigh earlier this year for induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. His oldest child, Courtney, lives there and works as an accountant.

But Burden and his wife, Velma, feel comfortable in Statesboro, where their oldest son, Willie Jr., is a freshman defensive end at Georgia Southern and younger son Freddie is a high school sophomore and plays offensive tackle.

“We look forward to the football weekends here, both at the high school and college level,” Burden said. “It’s a great place to live, and my sons love it. This is their home, and that makes it my home.”

NC State’s Willie Burden became the first 1,000 rusher in school history as a senior in 1973.

Willie Burden (bottom) joined Charley Young, Roland Hooks and Stan Fritts as part of the Wolfpack’s “Stallions” backfield rotation.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 115

VIRGINIA 1955-57

By the time he graduated, Bakhtiar held then-ACC records for rushing yards, attempts, and most 100-yard games.

Jamshid

Bakhtiar

“I chose Virginia because of its medical school and because of its history.

I knew that I would be in an academic setting so I could balance things out and be an athlete as well as concentrate on my studies.”

—BAKHTIAR

116

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

TOM SHERIDAN

Although former Virginia fullback Dr. Jamshid “Jim” Bakhtiar was a standout on the football field for the Cavaliers, his devotion to others and contributions away from the gridiron are what set him apart.

When he left his hometown of Abadan, Iran in 1946 in the pursuit of an education in America, Bakhtiar was 11 years old. Unable to speak English well at the time, he found the game of American football at the Washington D.C. Boys Club and quickly gained acceptance.

During his freshman year of high school, Bakhtiar wanted to return to Iran to see his father. After nine months he returned to the United States, but before he left Bakhtiar shared his life goals with his father.

His first goal was to become a doctor, secondly he wanted to become an AllAmerican football player and lastly his father suggested that he live alone and go on his own. At the time he didn’t realize how much he would have to sacrifice, but when he got back to Washington, D.C., he followed his father’s wishes and moved out of his mother’s home and into a rooming house. From that point on he began to support himself by managing a gas station in Georgetown at night and attending Western High during the day.

“I kind of grew up a little bit faster than most of the other kids,” Bakhtiar said. “I feel like I just did what I had to do, it felt good and I was able to just do it.”

At Western High Bakhtiar would go on to become a very accomplished football

player, earning All-Metropolitan and AllHigh School honors. To get him ready for college, Bakhtiar’s coach at Western High helped him find a scholarship to play prep football at the Bullis School.

That would turn out to be his ticket into Virginia. After playing in the Silver Bowl against the University of Maryland’s freshman team, Harrison “Chief” Nesbit – Bakhtiar’s eventual freshman coach at UVa - came over and told him that he was coming to the University of Virginia.

Bakhtiar was convinced after a visit to Charlottesville and realized how fortunate he was to have the opportunity to attend the University of Virginia and get the chance to go on to medical school.

“I chose Virginia because of its medical school and because of its history,” Bakhtiar said. “I knew that I would be in an academic setting so I could balance things out and be an athlete as well as concentrate on my studies.”

In addition to playing football at Virginia, Bakhtiar played on the lacrosse team boxed as a heavyweight and competed on the track team until the end of his sophomore year. After that, he decided to drop the other sports and turn his focus towards football and concentrate on getting his grades up so he could get into medical school.

On the football field, Bakhtiar - or the “Persian Prince” as he was affectionately called - was a standout on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams, where he served as kicker for the Cavaliers. He would regularly play all 60 minutes, nev-

er coming off the field. As a linebacker Bakhtiar would punish opposing offenses, but it was at fullback where he really shined. From 1955-57, Bakhtiar racked up 2,434 yards and 13 touchdowns for his career.

“He was pretty typical of the better players in that era in the sense that you played both ways. There was a tendency of the coaches in that time to think that if you were a good fullback then you were also a good linebacker,” former Virginia quarterback and teammate of Bakhtiar, Nelson Yarbrough said. “He was a very rugged, determined and driven player.

He was basically our offense, and he was one of the better players on defense. He was a marked man every game, and in spite of teams ganging up on him, he was still able to set records.”

By the time he graduated, Bakhtiar held then-ACC records for rushing yards, attempts, and most 100-yard games. For his efforts he received many accolades, including being named All-ACC second team in 1955 and All-ACC first team in ‘56 and ‘57. After rushing for 822 yards in his senior year, Bakhtiar led the ACC in rushing and earned first team All-America honors. He was also a team captain, a three-time letterman and an Academic All-ACC selection during his time at Virginia. In 2006, Bakhtiar was awarded

the Football Writers All-America Alumni Award and will have his jersey retired by Virginia on Nov. 28, 2009 in the game against Virginia Tech.

“He was really the ‘bread-and-butter’ of Virginia’s offense for the three years that he played, and of course back then you had freshmen football so you could only play three years,” former UVa teammate of Bakhtiar, Reece Whitley said.

“The whole three years he was there it was Bakhtiar right and Bakhtiar left, Bakhtiar right and Bakhtiar left. He was the kind of guy you wanted to have on your team.”

Being named an All-America by the Football Writers Association allowed Bakhtiar to cross off another goal on his list. The one that remained was to become a doctor. To earn enough money to pay for medical school, Bakhtiar decided to go to Canada and play in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders. In only one season playing professionally, he rushed for 991 yards and earned the team’s most outstanding player award. Despite his success at the next level, Bakhtiar hung up his cleats and returned to Virginia to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

With that chapter of his life behind him, Bakhtiar was ready to embark on his lifelong mission of helping others.

In 1963 he graduated from UVa medical school, with a degree in psychiatry and in 1974 went back to his home country of Iran to teach and start the first modern psychiatric unit.

When the Islamic revolution began to take hold of the country, Bakhtiar and his family were in jeopardy. In a middle of the night raid, Bakhtiar was taken prisoner by revolutionary guards and endured a month of interrogation before being released. Without saying a word to anyone, he took his family and decided to flee his homeland. Fearing his son would be drafted into the war against Iraq, Bakhtiar left everything he owned behind to come back to America.

“I saw the young Iranians with their legs and arms cut off so I got very, very scared that God forbid my son was going to be sent over in that war,” Bakhtiar said.

At 5 a.m. one morning he told his son they were going on vacation, and without packing anything they left Iran for the last time. After traveling to a small town by Jeep, Bakhtiar and his family made the rest of the arduous three-day journey to the Turkish border on horseback - riding through the mountains at night while hiding out in caves during the day. Because he had left everything he owned in Iran, Bakhtiar returned to America with nothing. In Charlottesville his Cavalier family was there to help.

“Once he got back to Charlottesville, there was a nucleus of former coaches and former teammates who were able to help,” Yarbrough said. “One of our linemen was a developer here and he gave him a house to live in. Other people put forth money to get him back on his feet so he had a lot of support in this area.”

With help from his friends and family, Bakhtiar bounced back and began to practice psychiatry again. Now he dedicates his life to helping others and currently works at a psychiatric hospital in Charles Town, W.Va., in addition to running a small private practice on the side.

Bakhtiar, originally from Abadan, Iran, but who now lives in Charlestown, W.Va., earned first team All-America honors in 1957 for the Cavaliers leading the ACC and finishing 6th nationally in rushing with 822 yards.

Bakhtiar was a three-time All-ACC selection, earning second-team honors in 1955 and first-team accolades in 1956 and 1957.

Bakhtiar completed his career as the ACC’s career rushing leader, totaling 2,434 yards in his three varsity seasons. He is the only ACC player to rank in the Top 10 nationally in rushing for three seasons.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 117

VIRGINIA TECH 1962-64

Schweickert completed his three-year varsity career with 3,448 total yards (1,723 rushing and 1,725 passing).

Bob

Schweickert

“It meant so much to me to be back playing as the starting quarterback, and was just emotional as it hit me: ‘I am going to score a touchdown, and we are going to win this game.’ ” —SCHWEICKERT

118

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

Bob Schweickert is remembered as a triple-threat All-America quarterback who starred for Virginia Tech in the early 1960s. But even during those days, football wasn’t his top priority.

“I gave my life to the Lord when I was 13 years old, and I’ve tried to live it,” said Schweickert, a retired furniture executive who now devotes his full-time efforts to Knowing Him Ministries. “I’ve tried to be an example to other people.

I’ve always felt that if someone wanted to be like me, then I didn’t want to be embarrassed that they did.”

That isn’t exactly what Schweickert foresaw during his college playing days (1962-64), when he led the Fighting Gobblers’ offense while setting a slew of what were then Southern Conference records. The ACC seemed so close back in those days, but also far away.

“Most of the ACC teams didn’t want anything to do with us,” recalled Schweickert, who now resides in Illinois. “We were one of those teams they were supposed beat, and if they lost, they would be kind of embarrassed about it. But we definitely felt we belonged.”

Growing up in Midlothian, Va., Schweickert wasn’t certain he belonged at Virginia Tech – or any other university for that matter.

“My Dad left home when I was 12, so I was never really pushed in any direction as far as college was concerned,” he said. “We were a very modest family that had very little. We always had a wonderful relationship. We always had food on

the table, and we had a little lawn mower to cut the grass.

“But that was about all we had. My brother was two years ahead of me and he went to college, but he had to take odd jobs and borrow money. My mother also had to borrow some money. I thought that since he was already going, I might not get to go.”

That changed when Schweickert emerged as a standout high school quarterback who attracted the interest of over a dozen schools. Virginia Tech and head coach Jerry Claiborne won Schweickert over, and he gave them his commitment in early 1961.

“I told them, ‘I will come, and I will do the best I can – and I hope that is good enough,’ ” Schweickert said. “I went to a small high school and we had 26 players. I did well there, but you never really know what you can do until you step up in competition. But it worked out.”

It worked out rather nicely, both for Schweickert and Tech. Schweickert completed his three-year varsity career with 3,448 total yards (1,723 rushing and 1,725 passing). He still ranks among the school’s top 20 in each category. He accounted for 40 touchdowns (21 rushing, 18 passing and one 82-yard punt return).

A true triple-threat, Schweickert also won games with his foot – including a 20-11 upset win over Florida State his senior year that helped define his legacy.

His punts that day included beauties of 65, 58 and 51 yards that kept the Semi-

noles backed up most of the afternoon.

Schweickert recalled missing five games due to a shoulder injury his sophomore year, then returning to deliver a 74-yard touchdown run that helped seal a 24-22 win at Tulane.

“As I was going down the sidelines, believe it or not, I got tears in my eyes,” Schweickert said. “It meant so much to me to be back playing as the starting quarterback, and was just emotional as it hit me: “I am going to score a touchdown, and we are going to win this game.’”

With Schweickert and fullback Sonny Utz providing the inside-outside punch, the Gobblers posted a cumulative record of 19-11 during his years with the varsity.

“We had about 50 players, and the largest was 280 pounds,” Schweickert said. “But we had a good little team, and we had great spirit. That was Coach Claiborne’s strength. He took a group of people who were average, and he made them above average because of the desire he put into them.”

Schweickert remembered falling asleep in his dorm room one afternoon and awaking at 2 p.m. – the exact time Claiborne had scheduled a quarterbacks meeting.

“My heart sank,” Schweickert said. “I remember running down those steps and into that building next door. I walked in the room at 2:02.”

Schweickert’s tardiness resulted in Claiborne’s stern order to remain after practice. Claiborne positioned himself at one goal-line, assistant coach John Shelton at the other.

“We will take turns blowing the whistle, and you will run a 100-yard dash af-

ter each one,” Claiborne announced.

Schweickert started out intent on proving he could run longer than either coach could blow his whistle. He soon learned that would be an impossible task.

“They pushed me to my limit and, finally, down I went,” he chuckled. “But did I remember being late for that meeting? You betcha. I was never late for anything in my life again.”

Schweickert and Utz combined for over 6,000 yards of total offense at Tech, but Schweickert particularly remembers the day Utz tooled up on a motorcycle and invited him to take a ride.

“I had never ridden a motorcycle before in my life,” Schweickert said. “But I hopped on the back of that thing – I think it was a Honda 250 – and here go Mr. Inside and Outside down the main street out of Blacksburg at 80 miles an hour. It didn’t even dawn on us that we could wipe out our entire backfield with one fell swoop.

“I don’t think Coach Claiborne ever found out about that.”

Following graduation from Virginia Tech, Schweickert played two seasons

with the New York Jets, where he earned the nickname, “Mother” from his teammates. “I didn’t drink with guys, and I didn’t chase the gals and we didn’t do any drugs,” Schweickert said. “I was kind of a mom to them, the one who always got them in on time and tried to keep them from doing things they shouldn’t be doing.”

Schweickert built a successful career in the furniture business, but his true calling beckoned. He began a ministry in the 1980s with his first wife, Gayle, a former Miss Virginia runner-up who wowed crowds with her singing voice. They had been married 32 years when breast cancer claimed Gayle’s life, but Schweickert looks back with loving memories.

“She lost that particular battle, but in the scope of things she has life eternal,” Schweickert said.

He remarried several years later and his current wife, Georganne, is also his full partner in ministry work. Schweickert spent 38 years in the furniture business before retiring in 2003.

“I couldn’t do that and the ministry, too, and the ministry was more important, so we decided to buckle down and get to work,” Schweickert said.

Schweickert was making a difference long before that. A number of years ago, his mother-in-law reported meeting a man who had attended a football camp with Schweickert as a teenager.

“He told my mother-in-law that he changed his life because of what I said and what I did at that football camp,” Schweickert said. “I realized then the impact I might have on people.

“I’m not a saint, but I’ve tried all my life to be a leader.”

Bob Schweickert was a triple threat for Virginia Tech in the early 1960s.

Bob Schweickert earned All-America honors and went on to play in the NFL.

•

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 119

WAKE FOREST 1954-56

Barnes led Wake Forest in rushing, receiving and kick returns while earning All-ACC honors as a junior in 1955.

Billy Ray

Barnes

“Any time I suited up, I wanted to win. If I walked onto the field, you were going to get everything I had. I was going to give 110 percent whether I was playing football, baseball or basketball.”

— BARNES

120

2009 DR PEPPER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

BY STEVE PHILLIPS

Billy Ray Barnes’ arrival at Wake Forest coincided with the birth of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he wasted little time in setting a high standard for all who followed.

Barnes, the ACC’s first 1,000-yard rusher, enrolled at Wake in the fall of 1953, the first year of the conference’s existence. Though NCAA rules then prohibited freshmen from playing on the varsity team, Barnes looked forward to what lay ahead.

“They were a part of the ACC when I got there, so that’s all I ever knew,” Barnes said. “I knew Wake Forest and the other schools had (earlier) belonged to the Southern Conference, but to me it was always ACC.” Barnes was destined to be one of the ACC’s first star athletes, but Wake Forest wasn’t his original destination. A threesport star at Landis (N.C.) High School, roughly 30 miles northeast of Charlotte, he originally accepted a baseball scholarship to NC State.

“Football to me was work,” Barnes said, “though on game days there was nothing like it.”

Barnes realized football remained in his blood in July of 1953, when he took part in the North Carolina East-West All-Star Football Game at Greensboro.

“I decided, ‘Heck, I can’t quit football,’ ”Barnes recalled. “I met a buddy of mine, Jim Horne, at the East-West game.

He was from Shelby (N.C.), and he was going to Wake Forest.”

But Barnes originally looked to Duke

as a potential football destination. He had been a bit of a Blue Devil fan growing up, and the Blue Devils had offered him a football scholarship the previous fall. Barnes had turned down the offer at the time because it did not include a chance to play baseball as well.

“My high school coach, Dan Hamrick, who is still the best coach I ever had – and that’s college, pro and everything else – called Duke back,” Barnes said. “This was about two weeks before freshmen were supposed to show up at college, and they had given all the scholarships out. They said, ‘We’ll see what we can do, and we’ll call you back.’ ” In the meantime, Hamrick placed a call to Wake Forest.

“They said, ‘Come on down,’ and that was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Barnes said. “I’ve still got many friends from my time there.”

Barnes attended Wake Forest during a time of transition. Located near Raleigh in the town of Wake Forest, N.C., the university had already announced plans to re-locate to Winston-Salem, a little over 100 miles west toward the center of the state.

The move came in the summer of 1955, just prior to Barnes’ senior year.

Though Winston-Salem was closer to Landis and Barnes enjoyed his best season as a college football player there, he still looks back with mixed emotions.

“Winston-Salem was a nice place, but you have to understand: Even to this day, to the folks that went to the old

Wake Forest, there’s not another place like it. I don’t know whether it was the atmosphere around the little town or what it was, but there was nothing like the old school.”

Once Barnes began playing varsity football at Wake Forest, there was literally no getting him off the field. He started on both the offensive and defensive units, punted one season, and played a key role in kick coverage.

“Any time I suited up, I wanted to win,” Barnes said. “If I walked onto the field, you were going to get everything I had. I was going to give 110 percent whether I was playing football, baseball or basketball. I didn’t care who I was playing – William & Mary or Duke … it didn’t make any difference to me.”

Barnes led Wake Forest in rushing, receiving and kick returns while earning All-ACC honors as a junior in 1955. The season ended with a disappointing 14-0 loss to nationally ranked and ACC cochampion Duke, but the game remains perhaps Barnes’ most memorable as a college player. “(Duke coach) Bill Murray came into our locker room and told me it was the best game he’d ever seen anyone play,” Barnes said. “I was a heck of a lot better on defense that day than I was on offense. We played them a hell of a game.

We didn’t have Nick Consoles, our start-

ing quarterback; he was injured. But that was quite something, for the other coach to come in and tell you something like that.”

Barnes wasted little time winning over the new fan base after the move to Winston-Salem.

“Probably the greatest game I ever had – outside of Landis High School, anyway – was the first game of my senior year when we played at William & Mary,” Barnes said. “The first play, I went 75 yards for a touchdown. Then I returned a punt 70-something yards for a touchdown. Then I went 69 yards or something for another touchdown. I punted for a 40-something yard average and kicked a couple of extra points.

“And that was all in the first half. I carried the ball nine times for 170-some yards. I carried one time in the second half for 35 yards, and they called it back.”

Barnes earned All-America honors and was named ACC Player of the Year after rushing for 1,010 yards and averaging an even six yards per carry.

“I was proud that year for Wake Forest,” Barnes said. “We went 2-5-3 that year, but we weren’t expected to do anything. We only had 15 or 20 players every year, it seemed like, that played. We were competitive but it seemed like in the third and fourth quarter, things sort of happened.”

Barnes’ says his greatest sports moment – including a pro career that saw him play in three Pro Bowls and win an NFL Championship with the Philadelphia Eagles – came on the baseball field. A three-year starter and college career .313 hitter, Barnes helped lead the Demon Deacons to the 1955 College World Series championship. That team remains the only one in ACC history to claim a CWS title.

“They inducted the whole Eagles team that won the (1960) NFL championship into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame,” Barnes said. “Some reporters said, ‘I guess that was the biggest thrill you ever had.’ I told them, ‘Afraid not – not even close. My biggest thrill was

winning the College World Series with Wake Forest.’

“They looked at me kind of funny, but that’s the way I felt.”

The NFL has changed since Barnes’ days as a player, as evidenced by his recollection of an exhibition game between Philadelphia and the Washington Redskins in the late 1950s.

“Can you guess where we played that game?” he asked. “The infield of the Bristol (Tenn.) Race Track. The players today would never play that game.

They wouldn’t even suit up. The infield had holes in it, it was up and down.

The track goes straight up on one side, so you had people in one area of the stands that couldn’t see. The lighting was bad. We dressed in bathrooms that were down there at one end of the field, and at halftime we all just kind of stood around outside and talked. It was the darndest thing.”

Barnes retired from the NFL in 1966 and spent nine years as an assistant coach at the professional level. He later went into the construction business in the Atlanta area, a successful career until the recession of the early 1990s intervened.

Barnes returned home to Landis and since 1991 has lived in the century-old house where he was born and raised.

“I had a house that was paid for – my grandfather built it,” Barnes said. “It’s still a great house. It’s not falling down. I was born in this house, and my mother (Lillian), who turns 92 later this month (Oct. 29) was born here, too.”

In more recent years, Barnes has spent much of his spare time with his grandchildren, Coty and Will. And being back home means being closer to Wake Forest and BB&T Field, a stadium built after his playing days, but one in which the “Billy Ray Barnes Sports Lounge” is a prominent part of Bridger Field House.

“It was named in my honor because of my friends,” Barnes said. “They were the ones who donated the money to help build that place. To still have so many that remember you and to do something nice like that … that means a lot.”

Wake Forest’s Billy Ray Barnes was one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s first two-sport star athletes.

Barnes retired from the NFL in 1966 and spent nine years as an assistant coach at the professional level..

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The ACC Inter-Institutional Academic Collaborative ATHLETICS BRINGS 12 GLOBAL UNIVERSITIES TO COLLABORATE ACADEMICALLY. • BY JERRY RATCLIFFE •

veryone in attendance at today’s ACC Championship Football Game is keenly aware that the 12 conference schools compete athletically, not only for league titles but also on a national basis.

What fans might not know is that ACC athletics also brings together its 12 colleges and universities to work academically and to also compete for national recognition. If you haven’t heard of the ACCIAC, it’s the ACC’s Inter-Institutional Academic Collaborative, an academic sharing venture featuring many missions with an overarching global focus.

Most observers of ACC athletics have noted that all 12 institutions finished among the nation’s top 75 (nine schools ranked in the Top 48) in the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Division I final standings, a competition that recognizes overall athletic program excellence: North Carolina (2); Virginia (8); Florida State (15); Duke (17); Maryland (28); Wake Forest (37); Miami (43); Virginia Tech (46); Georgia Tech (48); Clemson (53); N.C. State (74); Boston College (75).

In those national athletic program rankings, 20 total teams (10 men’s sports and 10 women’s sports) are scored for the final rankings.

However, with academic excellence being the hallmark of the 12 ACC schools, it should also be noted that except for the Ivy League, the ACC has the highest percentage of universities among the Top 35 as ranked

by U.S. News and World Report.

There is an important link between academics and athletics in that the ACC is unique in devoting substantial dollars

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generated by athletics ($450,000 per year) to support the undergraduate education of all students.

More than 100 students at ACC institutions will receive between $1,000 and $2,500 scholarships to help support their individual research, creative projects, or to study abroad, all thanks to contributions from today’s championship game. Another 200 or more students will receive support to attend one of three all-ACC weekend conferences on undergraduate research, or student leadership skills, or global student learning.

Also, the quality of teaching throughout ACC universities will be enhanced by more than a dozen workshops led by experts from one ACC campus that will take place on another ACC campus.

The ACCIAC is in its fifth year of existence and has already made a large impact on students from Beantown to South Beach.

“The relationships built up among students from the 12 universities has been phenomenal,” said David G. Brown, provost and professor emeritus of Wake Forest University, who oversees and coordinates the collaboration. “The relationships among chief international officers has strengthened all of the institutions. The leadership conferences have been extremely successful.”

ACC athletics money is putting meat on the bones of exciting academic work through the ACCIAC program, a cooperation that presidents of the Conference schools envisioned even before the league expanded from nine to 12.

“The idea of more connectedness academically began shortly before the expansion talks started and picked up steam as the discussions progressed,” said ACC commissioner John Swofford. “This was something our presidents were very committed to and definitely was a factor in expansion, not only from the original nine presidents, but also the presidents of the schools joining the conference.”

“Universities are, at their core, academic institutions,” Brown said. “By enhancing academic excellence through collaborative bonds first established through athletic competition, the ACC presidents and the ACC Conference office are reaffirming and reinforcing the centrality of teaching and learning.”

Brown’s thoughts are echoed by Dr. James Pitts, director of Florida State’s international programs and chair of the ACCIAC’s Chief International Officers’ Group.

“I think that the ACCIAC speaks to our conference in the fact that we do recognize that we are 12 universities wishing to have a global impact and a global perspective,” Pitts said. “While it’s true that the initial purpose of the conference was and is athletics, we are also universities very committed to helping all our students gain an international perspective and prepare to be global citizens.”

The goal? A better world. While the ACC is competing athletically, its 12 institutions are working together academically.

To learn more, go to the program’s website at acciac.org.

Catch the Spirit FANFEST INCLUDES THE ACC YOUTH FOOTBALL AND CHEERLEADING CELEBRATION

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he Atlantic Coast Conference is pleased to incorporate the ACC Youth Football and Cheerleading Celebration into a tremendous lineup of FanFest festivities being held in conjunction with the 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. An estimated 6,000 youth and their families are expected to attend the Youth Celebration, which will begin hours before kickoff and conclude with the final whistle of the Championship Game.

As part of the Celebration, participants will enjoy a wide variety of festival-like activities, including games, music, prizes and much more.

Future stars of the gridiron will compete in running, throwing and catching drills as part of the Under Armour Football Combine, and receive personalized instruction from some of the nation’s leading youth football coaches. Kids at the Celebration can get their creative juices flowing at the Signage Station where poster board and markers will be available to participants to create signs supporting their favorite ACC school or youth football team.

Meanwhile, youth cheerleaders will learn new dances, cheers, and motions from ACC cheerleaders who will also sign autographs and take pictures.

The Celebration wouldn’t be a true football party without including those

in stripes. A Football Officials’ MiniClinic, involving some 250 youth and high school officials from throughout the southeast, will prepare these officials for their own big game. The officiating workshop will be led by ACC officials, including those who worked the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, and will cover rules, mechanics and game preparation techniques.

The kids won’t be the only ones having all the fun, as all 12 ACC mascots will go head-to-head in a competition of their own in the annual mascot football game. Pep rallies for both the Atlantic and Coastal Division representatives will also take place in ACC FanFest.

ACC football legends of years past will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs, while the culmination of the pre-game festivities features country music star James Otto live in concert.

The Celebration continues once inside the gates of Raymond James Stadium, where the north and south end zones will be packed with Youth Celebration participants as they watch their peers perform under the bright lights during the pre-game Salute to Youth Football and Cheerleading.

The Youth Celebration participants will then sit back and watch (most for the first time) the pageantry, camaraderie, competition and sportsmanship that ACC Football offers us all. • — Ben Tario

Virginia Tech’s Greg Boone Captures Crown at Inaugural EA Sports/ACC Football Kickoff Challenge After a long day of interviews at the 2009 ACC Football Kickoff, players from six Atlantic Coast Conference schools wound down with some friendly rivalry games in the newest installment of the EA Sports college football series, NCAA Football 10 on the PlayStation 3 gaming system.

To win the title, Virginia Tech tight end Greg Boone needed to outlast a field that featured Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan, Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, Miami tackle Jason Fox and safety Randy Phillips, and Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder and linebacker Dekoda Watson.

Teammates and fans gathered around to watch and cheer-on the participants play as their respective schools in the six-team single elimination tournament at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina on July 26th. •

WATSON VS. FOX

MORGAN VS. SPILLER

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DECEMBER 5TH, 2009 RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM THANK YOU TO THE PARTNERS OF THE

2009 ACC YOUTH FOOTBALL AND CHEERLEADING CELEBRATION!

Greensboro gives ACC taste of ‘Title Town’

By Bob Sutton

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reensboro has been the home to the Atlantic Coast Conference since the league’s inception. Now, the North Carolina city is becoming more and more a destination for teams eyeing league championships.

In 2010, there will be four ACC championships contested in Greensboro, which has been dubbed “Tournament Town.”

Championships will be determined in women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s golf and baseball from March through May. “It’s going to live up to our moniker,” said Matt Brown, director of the Greensboro Coliseum and the originator of the “Tournament Town” label that has been branded and embraced.

The coliseum will hold the women’s basketball (March 4-7) and men’s basketball (March 11-14) tournaments.

ACC commissioner John Swofford said Greensboro puts on good events. The distinction of “Tournament Town” is well-earned.

“We have developed such good relationships with the people in Greensboro and they know how to put on first-class events,” Swofford said. “The people here care about doing it the right way and the championships here are special for the student-athletes, the coaches and the fans.”

The Greensboro Sports Commission, Greensboro Sports Council and Tournament Host Committee have been instrumental in making a visit to Greensboro memorable for teams and fans. About 700 volunteers serve in a number of capacities.

ACC MEN”S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT With the past three men’s tournaments played in Tampa, Fla., Charlotte and Atlanta, there was a void for the folks back in Greensboro.

“We have been counting the days,” Brown said. “We’re finally on the clock.”

The 2010 ACC men’s tournament will be the 22nd contested in Greensboro, by far the most-frequent location (Raleigh was host 13 times).

“We all probably think this is its true home,” Brown said. “Once it’s here, people can’t wait for it to come back again. Everyone can identify with Greensboro.”

Greensboro is scheduled to be host of five of the next six men’s

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tournaments. Attendance for the past 21 ACC men’s tournaments in Greensboro has topped a total of 1.6 million spectators.

Greensboro Sports Commission president Kim Strable, who has been on the commission board since its conception 20 years ago, said the Greensboro area is at full attention when it’s tournament time.

“Truly the ACC men’s basketball tournament is one of the great events in the country,” Strable said. “It’s something that the booster clubs, the season-tickets holders at the ACC schools, they absolutely cherish. It’s huge for Greensboro, it’s huge for the coliseum.

It’s huge for the whole Triad. People play attention.

“When the ACC basketball tournament comes to the coliseum, it’s remarkable how it’s the show in town. Here, this city embraces the ACC. For that reason, it has tremendous charm and a homegrown product that we’re proud of.”

Strable said the national spotlight that shines on Greensboro during basketball tournaments is a bonus. It’s the grassroots efforts that make it a complete success.

“It’s really a year-round planning process,” Strable said. “Hospitality has been at the very top of the list of priorities. We’ve made it a priority to make ACC fans and basketball fans in general to really feel a part of it. (Organizers) want it to be an experience, more than just a basketball tournament.

“The goal is for people to say: ‘Wow, that was great.’” Brown recalled a situation last March when Boston College’s women’s basketball team returned to its hotel late one night and found out there was no guarantee the staff could have the Eagles’ laundry ready in time for the next day. So four volunteers gathered the load of laundry and returned with it by the next morning — clean and ready for use.

ACC WOMEN”S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT The ACC women’s tournament has been held the last 10 years at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Attendance records for the event are regularly set and the teams have enjoyed the setting.

“The crowds, the atmosphere and the care that they show every single team,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said in describing the

Greensboro experience. “It has kind of taken on a life of its own and it has happened primarily because of the way Greensboro has embraced it.”

North Carolina women’s coach Sylvia Hatchell said Greensboro’s hospitality has been unmatched.

“I don’t want us to take Greensboro for granted,” Hatchell said. “Those people are fantastic. They treat us like royalty.

It’s just an incredible experience for players and coaches alike. I hope we never go anywhere else.”

That was the plan when coliseum and Greensboro leaders met with ACC officials more than a decade ago to discuss the women’s tournament.

“We told them, ‘When you come to Greensboro, you won’t be treated any different from the men,’ “ Brown said. That has been the case from the start. It’s something that Brown said he continually recognizes.

“This is really a true example of a community capturing an event,” Brown said. “They’ve wrapped their arms around the women’s tournament. They’ve nurtured it.” The women’s tournament is under contract with the coliseum through 2015.

2010 WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT The 2010 women’s golf championships will return April 16-18 to historic Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. The venue has a unique place in ACC history because it was on the club’s grounds where meetings were held that created the formation of the conference more than 50 years ago.

The golf course is of championship-calibre. The Donald Ross-design is home to the Wyndham Championship, which is an annual PGA Tour event.

2010 ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Greensboro will hold the conference’s baseball championships for the first time May 26-30 at NewBridge Bank Park, which is home to the Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers. Grasshoppers president Donald Moore had hoped to bring the ACC event to the downtown park, which opened in 2005.

“We’re very proud of the facility,” Moore said. “We think it’s a great spot for the tournament. It’s going to be a good thing for Greensboro, a good thing for us.”

The minor league club has set several attendance standards since moving to the new ball park. Moore said with a capacity of 7,599 it sets up well to provide an ideal atmosphere for the college tournament.

“It should have a good, cozy feel,” he said. About 1,000 tournament ticket books had been sold by mid-November, most of those going to the minor league club’s season-ticket holders and team sponsors. Moore said a public sale of tickets attracted about 100 tournament book purchases in the first two days.

Single-session tickets will go on sale in April. The ACC championships will be the first tournament of this magnitude at NewBridge Bank Park, which was host to a North Carolina High School Athletic Association baseball finals a few years ago.

Greensboro also will hold the 2012 tournament, with the baseball event shifting to Durham, N.C., in 2011 and 2013. •

ACC HEADS TO PHILIPS ARENA FOR 2012 TOURNAMENT The Atlantic Coast Conference is going for a more cozy environment the next time the men’s basketball tournament is played in Atlanta. The conference’s 2012 tournament will be held at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

“Having our tournament in a traditional-sized arena was the best thing for us, in terms of protecting the tournament brand, in terms of having the atmosphere and environment that we want to have,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said, “and protecting what is, quite frankly, one of the most sought-after tickets in all of sports.”

The 2012 tournament had been pegged for Atlanta without a site designated, though the past two ACC Tournaments held in Atlanta (2001 and 2009) were contested at the Georgia Dome. Philips Arena will seat more than 20,000 spectators for the tournament, associate commissioner Karl Hicks said. That’s a slightly higher number than what the ACC had to work with for the 2008 tournament in Charlotte.

Swofford said the move to Philips Arena was put in place in the spring amid a collective decision from athletics directors in the conference.

“This was the right place to be in Atlanta in the future,” he said. The ACC’s other tournaments between now and 2015 will be held at the Greensboro Coliseum. North Carolina coach Roy Williams has long been a proponent of traditional arenas for basketball, pointing out the values of such venues. ACC officials said Philips Arena, which is home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, will fit that description.

The arena is within walking distance of the dome. Hicks said athletics directors felt the best course, at this time, is for the conference is to use basketball arenas for tournaments. He said domed stadiums could be considered in the future. Duke won the two previous conference tournaments at the Georgia Dome.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said Philips Arena is an outstanding arena in the new age of NBA facilities. He said the amenities are nice. “It will be a different facility, for sure,” Hewitt said. Georgia Tech, which is located in Atlanta, has played occasional games at Philips Arena.

The 2001 ACC Tournament at the Georgia Dome, which has been the site of Final Fours as well, drew total attendance of 182,525. That’s an NCAA record for a conference basketball tournament. Average per session attendance was 36,505. Last year at the dome, total attendance was 158,112 with average session attendance of 26,352, marking the second-highest marks in NCAA history for a conference tournament.

Miami coach Frank Haith was a Wake Forest assistant coach when the Demon Deacons faced Georgia at what’s now called Philips Arena. “We’ll get that intimacy,” Haith said. “What we like is it to be full every game.”

12 Teams. 2 Divisions. 1 Champion. 127

The Atlantic Coast Conference continues to be at the forefront of new technology, always looking for new and innovative ways to reach out to its fans. With the explosion of social networking outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube becoming such a pervasive part of everyday life, the ACC has found yet another medium to offer its loyal fans exciting and unique content they can’t get anywhere else.

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In addition to the in-depth material offered daily on theACC.com, the Atlantic Coast Conference has created an official Facebook page (facebook. com/theACC), where fans can interact with each other, as well as get updates about their favorite teams and players.

Another official ACC Facebook page is geared specifically towards fans of ACC women’s basketball (facebook.com/ theaccwbb). With regularly updated posts and contest offers, fans of the ACC can always get new and interesting material every time they log in.

Twitter is another area where the ACC has formed a solid presence, offering fans of every ACC sport the opportunity to get up-to-the-minute tweets about what’s going on with their favorite teams. The primary Twitter account, @theACC, provides information about every Atlantic Coast Conference sport. In an effort to give its fans more sport-specific updates, the ACC has expanded its Twitter network to include @theACCfootball and @ACCgridiron for football fans, @accmbb for men’s basketball fans, @accwbb for women’s basketball fans, and @theaccchamps for coverage of all ACC Championships. By becoming a follower of the ACC on Twitter, fans can stay up-to-date and never have to miss a minute of the action.

The most recent addition to the Atlantic Coast Conference social networking family is the YouTube channel (youtube.com/theACCsport).

There, fans can find regularly updated web-exclusive content produced by the ACC and its partners. Subscribers of theACCsport’s channel get updates when new videos become available. Some of the unique content includes: This Week in ACC Football, ACC All-Access Features, ACC Public Service Announcements, ACC Advertising Promos, The 12 Days of ACC Football and Basketball and more. Get tuned in and subscribe today for free.

As a way to give back to its loyal and deserving fans, the ACC has been offering weekly prizes to its Facebook fans, Twitter followers and YouTube subscribers. By signing up fans are automatically entered into weekly randomly selected drawings for lots of great prizes. Two lucky winners even walked away with tickets to the 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship in Tampa, Fla. 128

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