The BCO's All 20-Year-Team

By: BeerControlOffense on August 1, 2011, 10:59 AM | 21 comments

BOOM!

The other day, I was curiously* thinking about NFL free agency and in some roundabout way it got me to thinking, about the Hokies ... and my All-Hokie team. Over the last twenty years (since my freshman year in 1991) what would my perfect Hokie starting lineup look like? All of the guys on my team are all conference, but they aren't necessarily the best during that time, just my favorites.

Let me just say it pained me to leave off the following players, I loved all of these guys:
Tyrod Taylor, Jim Druckenmiller, Lee Suggs, Jarret Ferguson, Bryan Still, Antonio Davis, Cornell Brown, John Engleberger, Jim Davis, Jonathan Lewis, Jamel Smith, Xavier Adibi, George Del Ricco, Macho Harris, Ike Charlton, Aaron Rouse and Torrian Gray, but they just didn't quite make the cut. You might as well call these guys my second team!

Without further ado my 20-Year-Team ...

Offense

From Drop Box

QB - Michael Vick 1998-2000

Well a no-brainer here, Vick was an athletic freak that his teammates rallied around. His pocket awareness, poise and speed were breathtaking. This never gets old. EVER.

RB - Ryan Williams 2008-2010
FB - Marcus Parker 1993-1997

So many choices at running back, but in the last 20 years no one looked as good Ryan Williams did in 2009. It was special. For fullback, I went with Parker, who while an average blocker was a weapon pass receiving. I miss the fake screen to the running back, only to be swung back to Parker for a big gain.

WR - Eddie Royal 2004-2007
WR - Andre Davis 1998-2001

Ed-die, Ed-die, Ed-die, … a crowd favorite not only because of his play, but of his high character. Big Play Andre Davis, a lightly recruited speed demon, who was Vick's partner in long touchdown bombs.

TE - Jeff King 2001-2005

Tough and clutch. Need a block or first down catch, Jeff was always willing.

OT - Eugene Chung 1988-1991
OG - Jake Grove 1999-2003
C - Jim Pyne 1989-1993
OG - Gennaro DiNapoli 1993-1997
OT - Duane Brown 2003-2007

This list is made up of dominant guys from the 90's. Chung was very good on a bad team and Jim Pyne was a bad-assed undersized All-American. I took some liberties and moved Grove to Guard, can't have too many play-to-the-whistle tough guys.

Defense

From Drop Box

DE - Corey Moore 1997-1999
DT - Carlton Powell 2003-2007
DT - J.C. Price 1992-1995
DE - Darryl Tapp 2002-2005

Defensive End was the toughest choice for me, but Moore was a lock. A complete terror coming off the edge and no Hokie worked harder and commanded as much respect as Tapp. VT's best tackles as group came from the mid-00's so it's hard not to include at least one on this list. J.C. was my boy, I use to play basketball with him during the day at College Park, eat chicken wings with him at Sharkeys at night, in between he became an All-American.

Whip - Cody Grimm 2005-2009
Backer - Ben Taylor 1998-2002
Mike - Vince Hall 2003-2007

Arguably, Hall and Grimm were the best to ever man their positions in Bud's defense, and I loved the toughness of Taylor so much I named my dog after him.

CB - Brandon Flowers 2004-2007
CB - Jimmy Williams 2002-2005

Flowers was the best corner I've seen VT field and Williams physically dominated wide receivers, and one UVA All-ACC offensive lineman.

Rover - Corey Bird 1996-2000
Free Safety - Keion Carpenter 1994-1998

Bird was undersized, but tough and hard-nosed. He made many a play for the Hokies over the years. Big play Keion Carpenter, interceptions and touchdowns, I'm especially fond of his 100-yard pick six in ‘96 versus da U. Swagger.

Special Teams