Hello TKP it's Shayne Graham. Beginning at 12:00 PM EDT, ask me anything for the next hour.
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AMA: Shayne Graham
Hokies legend, Mountaineer slayer, 15-year NFL veteran, CMU coach, and mini-helmet connoisseur Shayne Graham is set to answer all your questions live, Thursday at noon EDT. Leave your questions in advance.
Comments
Morning Shane, Chris here, class of '03. I had the privilege of being a freshman during our magical season, having traveled to watch the miracle in Morgantown in person. Incredible clutch kick, thank you for all you did and still do for Hokie football. Question: from someone inside the program, who did you consider our biggest rival, and which team gave you the greatest satisfaction in beating?
beating uva for pride, beating miami for respect
Ice cream, cake, or pie?
Who let ice cream into this discussion
People who don't understand that you eat ice cream with cake or pie. Next someone will argue that you can have ice cream cake (but not pie). You can eat ice cream on pie, though. Yada yada yada.
If you're getting the right stuff, cake or pie is a mere distraction. Good ice cream is tops.
Good ice cream is great, but it's not gelato.
It sort of needs pie.
Doesn't matter. Shayne is awesome. Therefore, Shayne must be Team Pie.
Milk shakes are superior to all the above. Milkshakes contain all the above.
The list of things I wouldn't do for a cookies 'n cream milkshake is very short.
1. Ride behind Cavman on his horse while falling off
2.
Treason is penciled in.
For those who have been to Portillo's in the Chicago area, they have a "Chocolate Cake Shake". Extremely Rich.
Intelligent people who know that cake and pie are only side dishes to real dessert?
I did.
good key lime pie.... but ice cream is more available
PIE WINS AGAIN! Pie is #HokiesCountry
I am disappoint
How confident were you in a win when VT went up 29-28 against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl?
I would like to know this as well. I was sitting pretty high up in one of the endzones just thinking man this is really happening. Then Peter Warrick happened....
We were there and up high in an endzone too, and to this day I can still hear the chorus from the FSU fans ringing in my ear as it all unfolded and my hopes melted. Peter....WARRRick, Peter......WARRRick....yeesh!
To add:
How much did losing Shyrone Stith in the first quarter hurt our game plan and momentum?
Andre Kendrick did a great job. Even scoring on an option play. Big plays just killed us.
we all felt pretty good about it. Our line of scrimmage was pushing them around and we were moving the ball.. Big plays killed us
I can still remember throwing up in my mouth a little bit when I saw poor Nick Sorenson lined up in zero coverage on Lavernus Coles. It was like one of those nightmares when you are on train tracks, the train is coming but a long ways away, yet you can't move and are terrified about what you know is going to happen.
ron dugans not coles
What's your best Frank Beamer story?
What was your favorite NFL locker room and why?
Beams would send guy's to "the shed" if they didn't have eye contact at the end of practice call up. The shed was the equipment shed and players had to run to it and back as the team carried on with post practice talk. Never wanted to be that guy.
Favorite locker room..?? I'd say beteeen houston '12 and Atlanta '15. Great group of Guys and fun atmosphere
There are several guys from Pulaski who played at Tech. Was there pressure to stay close to home.
no pressure to stay at home. staying home was the reason i almost didn't come
As a fellow Pulaski County emigrant; what, if anything, do you miss about PC or Southwest Virginia in general?
Saying 'I miss Blacksburg/Tech' doesn't count. We all do.
mountains... i love mountains
Do you want to come hang out at my house this Saturday, say around 3ish?If you could play any position other than Kicker or Punter, what would it be?
No clue. I feel I'm athletic but I have small hands so qb or receiver is out. Would never want to be a corner. And not sure I would have had the instincts to be a linebacker. Maybe a tailback but I would have to settle for banging my helmet on the wall to get marks on it because I would never get in the game.
Better entrance music 2001 space odyssey or Enter Sandman
Like you have to ask...
I still think it should be "The Rooster" by AIC.
no comment... still bitter that they started that the year after i left hahahaha
Hey Shayne, welcome and thanks for doing this. Is a hot dog a sandwich?
nooooooooooooo
Who is the biggest primadonna you have encountered in the NFL?
Anyone who followed the Bengals in the 00s should be able to make a good guess at this one.
chil please! I think someone gets a bad rep. I don't think he was really a pre Madonna. he just wanted to have fun. nothing wrong with that!
How often do you rewatch the final drive and kick from the Miracle in Morgantown?
and on a related note, how does it feel because of you (and vick) to be responsible for so many lost morganhole couches burnt in anger that fateful night?
True story... the following 2001 game in Morgantown I was still not on a team. I took a road trip with my girlfriend at the time and her friends to go to that game. After we won, someone in the parking lot recognized me. Trash talking ensued by some observers. That turned into a mess. Someone tried to chase us with a broom (why did they have a broom at their tailgate?) and the girls had to gather our group and get back to the friendly area before it got ugly.
Years later that story is told that same. Except the broom became pitchforks and Torches.
when i was still playing in nfl i watched it regularly. Part of my mental preparation... take your most positive moments and gain confidence from them.
Hung out with you a few years ago before one of the home games. Very cool to do this AMA.
2 questions:
1. Do you still hold the single season NFL record for tackles by a kicker? (extremely Beameresque record to hold by the way)
2. What caused you to hang up your helmet? (Desire to coach, stability, injury, age)
yes and i don't see it being broken anytime soon with the new rules making longer returns harder, thus bringing the kicker tackle ratio down even more
And I retired because even though I was physically able, (actually stronger than when I was 22) it was a stigma of age. Teams were going to sign a new kicker for any long term future deal that was 40. I knew I was going to be a temp fill in for only a team that was in playoff contention that wanted a veteran. I just knew I didn't want to live out of a suitcase anymore and live in a hotel for a few weeks on short notice. I loved playing but I needed to find a new goal to reach.
Shayne thank you so much for doing this!
In April 2016, '99 Hokie Derek Smith outline the disconnect between Tech and (presumably some of) its former players and how they are/are not welcomed back to Blacksburg.
He wrote an open letter:
And followed that up with a letter to the editor (http://www.collegiatetimes.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-former-hokie...):
Did his message and/or experience reverberate with you or other Hokies? Have you felt the love from Virginia Tech since you've graduated?
Thank you Joe, you asked my question but in a much better manner.
I'll add to this.
If you agree with the letter, have the relationships improved post-letter? Also, what have been the differences in relationships with former players during the Weaver era vs once Babcock took over?
and i think they have done a good job moving forward with the alumni relations. from coaches to AD.. weaver had a lot on his plate, i think did a good job and cared about people.
i understood where he was coming from, but i also know i was in a diff situation. being local, and a long term nfl veteran may have made a difference. idk. but they to this day have an open door policy for me.
Glad to hear it. This is foreign to most of us, so hard to understand what goes on behind the scenes.
How do you see this years matchup against wvu going?
And thanks for being "here"!
I've never been good at foreseeing the future of games.. especially when I'm biased and don't much about the opponents
Tune back into TKP before the game. Fifthfuller, French, and our other awesome contributors will have you up to speed in no time.
Is there some sort of kinship between NFL kickers, regardless of team, given the uniqueness of your position (and how often it seems they get traded) or is there a lot of animosity?
yes for sure. we always talk before games, and we train together in the offseason. we also gather to play golf..
What's in the bag and what's your handicap?
taylormade
and I'm close to a 13 i used to be single digit but i don't get time to practice to my standards
Damn son that's still pretty good. I'm hovering around breaking 20. Next time you're in the unfortunate situation of being in Lynchburg hit me up and we'll hit em around.
All kickers mental, true or false? Followup, why are you mental?
90 % of kicking is between the ears. so yes I'm mental in the technical sense of the word.. as fare as the negative sense of "mental" then no I'm not.lol
Dammit, y'all stole all the good questions!
In the locker room after the Sugar Bowl loss were people slinging blame around or was it viewed as a team loss? Not looking for naming of names, just in general.
wasn't even like that. we were sad for each other and really no negativity. we were a tight team
As a kicker, how excited are you that we just got a commit from the #1 long snapper?
hard to have an opinion. my long snapper was the best fg snapper over ever had when i was at VT. he was short, didn't fit the prototype, and was the best I've ever seen performance wise... so how does a high school kid get ranked????? those ranking camps?? i don't rely purely on those ranking camps. If those were around when i was in high school, i would have NOT been ranked. i was an all american but i could never have afforded to go to all those camps just to be in a ranking data base.
also cliff anders my snapper was a walk on from the ROTC. so as much as i love the position, its hard to have an opinion on a guy i haven't seen snap. i hope he's awesome
We were so proud to have a VTCC guy on the team, even though "just" a snapper!
He wasn't "just" a snapper. He snapped one of the most important FGs in my career. And he made everyone other one just a little easier by him being so good.
Regular season record this year: go!
Thanks for popping by TKP.
1) I hear you can really put away some wings. How many would you say you can eat in one sitting?
2) Does anyone still call you "Sugarfoot"?
78 at PKs one wednesday my senior year. haha And occasionally ill here that name
Best and worst bar in Blacksburg (I have my own strong opinions on the subject)?
Do former ruggers and soccer players make good NFL/college kickers?
big Als was always our spot back in the day. they are good to me when i come back. worst.... idk, i ididnt go out a ton and i was pretty limited i guess by my social circle as to where we went
We all love Lane Stadium, so favorite away stadium/environment? Who did you consider biggest rival then/now?
wvu was pretty rambunctious. loved playing at clemson as well. although my one time playing there in 98 we beat them bad and set a scoring record for 2nd qtr points
Thanks for dropping in Shayne! Playing in the AFC North, I'm sure you met plenty of characters. Who were some of your favorites and why?
Several, many in social occasions as well. Just can't think of any to single out.
Hey Shayne! Thanks for doing this.
1) Was there ever a moment you "knew" you were going pro? Was it a single kick or a specific game?
2) If you were in Whit's shoes, what role would you want athletic alumni to play in VT sports?
1- it wasn't a moment. it was a goal yes, but i knew that the process was more important than thinking about the result. so every day i woke up early to train, was another day that i realized that work was going to get me somewhere.... how hard i worked would dictate the "where"
2- promotions, ambassadors, mentors,
What was going through your mind (1) right before and (2) right after the Miracle in Morgantown kick?
process i went through:
1-find my spot, breath, feel your feet on the ground, find your target line, take steps, deep breath, TIMEOUT
2-breath, laugh with caleb..... smell the food cooking on the grills behind the stands. REF resets play
3-REPEAT step 1
after.... i wish i had 2 beers so i can stone cold steve austin both of them through my helmet
The footage of Shayne that never got out...
via GIPHY
I'll drink to that! Thanks for doing this, Shayne! Really awesome.
You made quite a few tackles during your career, both college and professional, who did you bring down that you were most hype about?
steve smith, josh cribbs, pacman jones
Major props for Josh Cribbs tackle. As a Browns fan he was the only highlight on that team for a number of years and the guy ran with Mack truck power and Ferrari legs.
Make no mistake cribbs was a load and we butted heads a few times. But Ruben was like 240
Shayne, congratulations on a great career and thank you for representing Hokie nation with class. I imagine that the community of kickers was a fairly tight group because of the different skill set needed. Who was the best kicker that you ever played against and what was it about their play that made you respect them so much?
dan bailey cowboys
humble, extremely talented, great form and smooth effortless swing, and hits the SAME ball every time.... every kick looks the same.. same rotation, height.
Surprised no one has asked the important questions yet.
Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-size duck?
100 duck sized horses.... just like a heavy day of kicking footballs. just swap out the pigskin for mini horse skin
I laugh at this question every single time. Never gets old.
I will probably get alot of kickback from this, but this is the sort of really cool thing that should be available exclusively to TKPlayers Club.
I have no questions, will just observe. But I will die of amusement if he says he doesn't care for desserts at all.
Deserts suck. Why would anyone want to live in that heat?
Got me.
How long have you been lurking on TKP?
Also, is your full size helmet collection as impressive as the mini helmet collection?
someone sent a link after an article was posted about mini helmet collection.
no it is not, i have 14 VT including the one i played in. and then quite a few of my NFL lids
What's your favorite beer, and yes I'm buying.
What's your favorite bourbon? Yes, '04hokie is buying.
Ok, so you're invited too now. But that's it I'm capping it at us 3.
I'll be there.
PBR in a bottle
Oh Shayne....
Shame!Shane!Shame!Shane!Shame!Shane!Shayne!Shame!Shane!Shayne!FTFY
I'm loyal. But it loyal enough to drink the natural light I may have seen people drink when I was in college ;). $6 for a 24 case at wilco was hard to beat on a college budget.
The inflation is real.
I made the mistake of thinking $10 for a rack of Natty Ice was a hell of a deal in college...I was very wrong. Couldn't give that shit away.
meh, I am a total beer snob an often pull the PBR out of the cooler
The solution there is not to let it get into the cooler in the first place.
In the beer fridge now I have a Ballast Point peppermint victory at sea, a Du Claw Dirty little freak, A victory Sour Monkey, two PBR, and a flying fish exit series 12 pack. The PBR is for when I'm thirsty. Like now.
Exactly. I have worked for a craft brewery, have tons of brewers and other people who work in the craft beer industry as friends, and throughly enjoy craft beer. But I am not ashamed to get down on some cheap beer. I mostly only buy craft beer when I go to a brewery and can have it on draft and get the full experience, or when I can get a keg of something good for a deal to put in the kegerator.
P.S. just went to Ballast Point in Daleville for the first time this week. That place is insane; I highly recommend to anyone.
That place is awesome. I can't wait for Deschutes to do their thing too. Roanoke is one hell of a beer town now.
Absolutely. The I-81 corridor is becoming a huge destination for good breweries, rivaling 151 over in Nelson. If anyone is traveling through the Rockbridge area this summer and want to try a new place easy to get to off of 81, stop by Great Valley Farm Brewery in Natural Bridge. Owner is the brewer and bartender and specializes in Belgian-style brews. Amazing view too, music and food trucks most weekends.
The Daleville opening has prompted the Lowes Foods a mile from my house to start carrying some Ballast Point. Untappd says they tapped the Imperial Porter (Peanut Butter) yesterday - will stop by after work (or maybe during lunch) for a sample to see if I need to fill a growler. And I need to pick up some more PBR.
NRV, Pulaski County for Sure !! PBR !!
From goodraisin because he's too afraid to ask:
How did you twist Beamer's arm to get him to let you bring your own personal kick holder?
twist who's arm????? caleb called me and told me that VT called him and if shayne comes here, you can hold....
me-"well played sir, well played"
What VT team do you wish you had the chance to play on? Could be before or after you graduated
i think the 95 year was special, that was the team that won me over. i was not a tech fan per say growing up, so between beamer, grantham, and that 95 season, it was the perfect storm
Thanks for selling your River Course lot to my in-laws! They just finished their house and moved in last week. And congrats on the new job at CMU. As I understand it, quality control coaches aren't allowed to do any coaching on the field. In your new role with the Chippewas, what are your primary responsibilities? Mostly Beamerball type stuff? Thanks in advance and hopefully I'll catch ya on the links in the offseason!
ncaa rules set guidelines during on field sessions, but we work within those lines to make the team better. and yes, beamerball stuff. all kicking games phases, returns, blocks, coverage, kicks/punts
Shout out to Caleb Hurd? (who's also gone on to sports success, although different sport.)
Not a question, but I just want you to know that the Miracle in Morgan is what made 6 year old me fall in love with both the game of football and Virginia Tech, and I've followed both religiously ever since. Thank you.
thank you!!!!
What's your opinion on college, and subsequently the NFL, bumping up the kickoff spot 5 yards?
It is what it is. Lol. No real response.
If you had to chose a University which VT would start a recurring home-away series with for the next decade, who would it be and why?
Stay classy Shayne!
If the answer is ECU this place might explode.
Texas A and M
similar schools, history, and would be great to see
and as I understand it, started by VMI alumni. In which case I approve!
shayne couple of questions here
1) how confident are you in fuente and the new coaching regime?
2) how nervous were you during the miracle at morgantown?
3) what game are you coming to next year and where do you tailgate? sidenote: do you like cheese curds?
i like fuente and the new staff. keeping some tradition, while implementing a new shiny package
typical as any other kick. that is the part of being "mental" if i had missed, it would have been purely from not executing, not from being nervous
Won't be able to come to a game. Will be coaching my own season. And I have never tried poutine and have no plans to start. Can't stand cottage cheese so why would I eat something I would vomit. Lol
#TEAMNOCHEESE! Way to go Shane #JoinTheMovement.
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We still love you, Shayne.
You too, French.
Whoa now. Hold on
This is no confirmation that Shayne is a member of
teambadlifechoices, uh... TeamnocheeseCottage cheese and poutine is to cheese as steak tartare is to steak. Its high quality beef and can be flavorful but in no way as satisfying as real steak.
What's the hardest you've ever been hit at any level of football?
Who was someone during your time at Tech that was a great leader in the locker room that fans wouldn't have necessarily guessed?
head to head with ruben droughns. The normal returner josh cribbs for cleveland got hurt so they put in the back up tail back for kick off return.. i tackled him twice that game.. both head on
(since all the VT questions are taken) Which was your favorite NFL team to kick for, or which season did you enjoy the most?
2015 atlanta, but not for the reason you might expect..
during the 2015 season i wasn't on a team, and was still training. my father became ill and went into the hospital.. when would visit him, he would ask if i was still training today because might get a call tomorrow.. He passed away not much later. i got a call the very next day from atlanta. so when i won the job and they let me fly back home to go to the funeral before i played in the game.... needless tho say i had so much respect for the way they handled that with class and handled me as a person.
What's your favorite sport to watch and what team/athlete do you root for when you watch it?
Playoffs, in most sports. (Excluding hockey) and I like golf too.
I like seeing all the golfers do well. And I like to learn from watching. I keep a notebook of things I feel I pick up on.
Shayne, 2 questions.
1. If you were a hotdog, would you eat yourself?
2. How long do you think before VT can realistically win the lipstick trophy?
Only if I had good chili, mustard and no onions. Also no ketchup.
Winning the crystal ball replacement.....Anything can happen.
No team builds a plan to be ready to win down the road. They plan to win now.
Good chili and mustard? Sounds like someone might have picked up a Skyline habit while kicking in Cincy? Thumbs up or down on the cincy cheese coneys and 3-ways?
I see you've grown a beard. Beard Oil, beard balm, or neither?
beard shampoo, conditioner, lotion.... then i use oil daily, and if i go out socially ill brush some dry oil into it.
As a clutch kicker with a long NFL career, how do you keep sharp (both on per-game level, as well as any changes you've made over your career)?
Are you in favor of making NFL extra point attempts more challenging?
Do you play golf? If so, your ideal foursome?
via GIPHY
process process process
and dedication, sacrifice. doing work when i would rather be doing something else
it has resulted fairly positively from a fans perspective
yes i do
john daly- for obvious reasons
charles barkley- so i can be entertained and guarantee i beat somebody in the group
michael jordan- cause hes MJ
will ferrell- so he can distract MJ so i can take some of his money betting on our golf game
Best quote ever, laughed very hard at this.
This is probably one of the coolest things TKP has done in recent memory.
Most importantly Shayne, are you a member of the TKPC and are you aware of it's benefits?!
You mentioned new VT helmet(s) this season. Is that new graphics? Any teasers?
all ill say is they won't go away from the VT logo brand anytime soon. no FOGHORN LEGHORN, or off the wall graphics
Hi Shane you are a total boss and thanks for taking time for us.
1) What was your favorite/most memorable kick in the NFL and why?
2) Who was the funniest (class clown) member of the 99 team?
3) Who in your opinion was the funniest NFL player you interacted with and why? (tell us his jokes!)
All the best!
'13 with new orleans saints.. walk off fg to beat philly in the playoff
keith short, john engleberger
mark ingram awesome dude, and so funny.
frostee rucker- best friend and hilarious
Hey, beating Philly is always a good time in my book.
EDIT: MEMORY WILL GET AFTER YA!
Shayne as a fan what's been your favorite Hokies game to watch which one has been the toughest one? Also thank you for taking the time out of your day to indulge us crazy Hokie fans.
IT WAS A CATCH!!!!!!!!
Are you sure you haven't been lurking on TKP since about 2012?
Also the Michigan fans in the lower section of the Superdome around me agreed it was a catch.
Good morning Shane. Thanks for joining.
Two questions-
1) Did you ever work with Doug Blevins down in Abingdon? While you were starting your time at VT, he was working with Adam Vinatieri down in Abingdon (while Adam was bartending at the Martha Washington.)
2) When I was a sophomore, we participated in the jamboree at Pulaski County (fall of 93) where we beat Radford and Cave Spring. Between games, we watched your Cougars scrimmage Blacksburg, and dear lord that had to have been the most loaded team in SWVA history. I can still hear the stadium announcer screaming "CARL LEWIS DOWN THE SIDELINE." Could you share some memories of that team, and why didn't monsters like Eric Webb ever end up playing DI football?
i knew doug.. he used to come to the camps i went to in order to learn more so he could coach it as well. he was a funny guy. he was never my exclusive "coach" but i went and trained with him in florida as i was coming out of college..
being from a small town with big football, it was always a big deal.. guys worked so hard year round to be strong and talented. i think we were just ahead of the curve at the time on that.. and a coach that was as good as joel hicks didn't hurt.. plus he counted on the kicking game as a weapon, not a side note to the game..
and as far as guys not making it... life happens
Thanks. SWVA had some amazing teams back then with guys like Thomas Jones, Chad Beasley and Jake Houseright, Browning Wynn, Lee Suggs, Tommy Edwards, the Barbers, and Andre Kendrick all playing DI ball in a short time. And yet with all those guys, that Pulaski team was the best I saw in person. I am glad we didn't scrimmage you guys that day or we would have been the walking wounded all year.
Thanks for doing this, Shayne.
Who were the unsung heroes on the 99 team?
We had some incredible players but seemed like a really solid team culture in 99 too. Is that the case, and if so what made that team so special besides the obvious? (Ie. Best kicker in tech history)
What is Bud Foster like during a halftime when the defense is struggling?
i mean really most everyone got some credit. think of how many of the players from that team made it into the NFL
we were selfless. and had good chemistry. guys weren't worried about their future, nfl careers, how much attention they got, anything that can distract any team.. we had the perfect storm
Pumped for this today. Thanks for doing this.
1. Whats the hardest part of NFL life?
2. What's something about being in the NFL most fans wouldnt realize? (ex. Teamates dont actually hang out, most people dont live full time in the city they play for etc?)
potentially moving on short notice, personal life is under a microscope
we all like pie
BOOOOM!!! Dropping bombs on team cake like:
#TeamPie
Hi Shane,
Welcome to Michigan! Hope to meet you in person one day.
Did you ever consider to be a Kicking coach at Tech? Looks like kicking has been our issue including the disastrous 2012 Sugar Bowl.
Are we talking about the game where our starting kicker was sent home and the kickoff specialist practiced his balls off to get ready to kick and then he made 100% of his kicks up until the one after the disallowed touchdown? Justin Myer is a gorram hero. Get the hell outta here.
I dunno, man. Joey Slye is 50 points shy of scoring the most points in VT Football history, a record that our resident AMAer currently holds and a record Shayne has said, on the record, that he hopes Joey will break.
Slye has never missed a FG inside of 30 yards and is 45/49 within 40. That's pretty damn good. True, he's not automatic from 40-49 (18/28) and while he's got the leg to hit a FG from Pulaski, he's 0/8 on the 50+ attempts, I don't think FG kicking has been the issue you make it out to be. If anything, I think we're been pretty damn good aside from the 6-3 2OT loss to you know who...
I'm a big joey fan. he's a great person and will make the long kicks. he made a 58 in spring game.
i give joey a hard time, because my scoring record only counted regular season games, and not bowls. so i only played 44 games that counted toward the record books. a few years back they added extra game to schedule and a potential conference championship game, and also counted bowl games. I joke with him about how many games he has already played in. I'm pulling for him though.
its funny how i found out they started counting bowl games. i was at the orange bowl against cincinnati when someone told me hazely just broke my single season FG record. i was like .... wait how?, its a bowl game. lol
i would love to be a coach at tech some day. but i will not be just a KICKING coach.. i want to coach all special teams and the fact that i know the specialists jobs so well is a bonus.
A third question, if I may. Of the opponents you had, who do you recall as the kick off returner that Coach Beamer game-planned to stop the most intensely? Did you ever find yourself in a position to make an open field tackle on that player?
Also, do you find a kick off coverage scheme where the kicker is an active coverage guy with a position player as the safety is more effective, or did you prefer to kick and sit back as the safety? This is notable because the last two Hokies kickoff guys have actively covered while a different player stays back as the safety.
If I am not mistaken, Jimmy Kibble was the kickoff guy most of, if not all, of Shayne's career at VT. I vividly recall a late hit penalty he was called on.
its all about creating levels of coverage. just like defense (DL,LB,C,S) the kicker is not the only safety on KO. typically there are 3. i feel the guys that practice tackling everyday should be the ones in first position to tackle. as far as the kicker being up in the mix or lagging behind.......... its a happy medium. a kicker should fill the hole or gap as it opens, once they are in the open field its much harder. but yet its not smart to get too far up the field in coverage because then you can caught up in the traffic of all the blocks and not have an angle to the ball carrier.
i didn't really kickoff in college. our punter jimmy kibble kicked off
How often do kickers watch film?
i watched film everyday
of my own kicks, and of my opponents return schemes. i also watched tape of the stadiums i was going to play next to find target lines, and see typical wind patterns and how the ball is affected by it.
Do you remember Billy Hite telling you anything after the WVU kick? Legend has it he had some very colorful words of encouragement.
don't think i can share... lol
Lol, so the legend is true, then...
What is you favorite and least favorite workout/exercise?
fav
single leg squats
least
mountain climbers
How could I not ask a question? Thanks for your contributions to the school we all love brother! As a way to contribute to TKP and the Athletic fund, would you consider a golf tournament at the New River course where folks (From TKP of course) could get in a raffle to play with you and former Mighty Football Hokies? Just a thought that might benefit the above mentioned or some of the players favorite charities. Go Hokies, Go Dolphins!
really hard to organize and hard to plan with a schedule up in the air so much at this point in my coaching career
Thanks for doing this, Shayne.
Just one question. Is playing at WVU as much of a horrorshow as the rumors suggest? That is, I've heard stories of coaches telling the team to keep helmets on at all times, the buses getting pummelled on the way to and from the stadium by rocks and the like, and stories of bags of urine being thrown at players from the stands. Any truth to that?
some not all. wvu was bad of course, but i never got a battery to the head like i did at BC.
I keep forgetting that there was a time when BC actually had fans in the stands...
Ok I lied, one more question. What is your all time favorite moment as a player? Assuming it's the kick against WVU, what would be other moment that stands out to you the most?
53 harder at the end of the half at clemson. college long for me and it capped off a quarter that i think we scored either 28 or 31 points in
From my experience working for the team, Coach Beamer either knows your name, or calls you Palsy during practice. Did Coach Beamer call you by your first name right away, or was that eventually earned? If so, how long did it take?
BONUS- Favorite Lester moment!?!
I second the favorite Lester moment! He was always a character when I was around him.
he called me my name as long as i can remember. haha but caleb was palsy for little while
How about your favorite Lester moment?
The first time I walked up to the cage and found out simply asking for new equipment isn't how it worked. Haha.
First time I realized that "kicker" had a colorful adjective attached to it that started with an "F"
Other than that he was pretty good to me over the years. Still is.
Rumor has it (unconfirmed) that a player asked for a new jock, and the reply was, "what the **** do you need a new kick for? What's wrong with your old one?"
That's LMFK for you! Haha!
New *jock not kick.
Shayne - you are the man. The end.
I'm a little too young to remember your years at VT, but as a lifelong Bengals fan I'd like to say thank you for all that you did for those teams. You were the most consistent kicker I remember watching and the teams kicking game just hasn't been the same since. Thanks!!
side note;
i drink Titos on the rocks, not bourbon
Tito's is pretty solid so ain't nothing wrong with that.
Thanks again Shayne!
What have been the worst NFL stadium to kick in? (wind, fans, sightlines, turf, etc.)
Old candlestick was the hardest with the wind.
Pittsburgh was pretty tough too. At times the grass was messed up (been great lately) and the wind in open end is not fun.
Would you encourage any other football alums to suffer through an AMA?
If so, know anyone willing?
If they woukd be willing sure. Not sure in the "willing" or available part. I enjoyed it
From your time kicking in college and the pros, does calling a timeout before a kick actually do anything to "rattle" a kicker? (I know I know, you made the kick in Morganhole after a timeout) Do kickers hate it or just don't really care? I always figured that since you guys expect a timeout to be called, a coach not calling one would mess with you guys more. Anyways thanks for doing this!
It's pointless. It actually gives us a chance to calm our heart rate and relax.
The only thing recently that it's done is cause a possible "rekick" if the timing was close enough to be called right before the snap. I've seen that backfire on team s though.
I don't like it cause it could get an O-lineman hurt. They take a full absorbed collision with out giving a blow. And if they hear a whistle and let up, then get teed off on by the D, that can be dangerous
If called close to the snap do you ignore the whistle and take the free practice kick? There is no penalty. Seems it would give a kicker some really good information to adjust to.
It's hilarious watching a coach try to time it right, get the timeout as the kicker gets it off, and the kick sails wide only to have the next one go right down the middle.
Shane, thanks for being such a great Hokie...
Do you like to fish?
Biggest fish?
Have you ever fly fished?
I love to fish. Largest small mouth was a 19 inch. Largest in general was a 7-800 pound marlin.
I have never fly fished. Would love to
Awesome!! A 19 inch smallie is very impressive, I'm guessing that's a New river fish. Any Marlin landed is incredible.
If you want to learn to fly fish, just say the word, I live and guide out of Richmond, but also guide and fish on the New in and around Blacksburg and up and down the east coast.
Thanks for the AMA and good luck coaching this upcoming season!
Dunno how this one hasn't been asked yet, but since you've invested quite a bit into VT helmets, which helmet is your favorite and why?
Do you even TKP?
Edit: removed quote since the man himself answered below
I'd say the new orange lightning that they wore this year. I like the color, and the way it looks in the light. As well as the way the logo and stripes look on it. Plus they added the "chrome" maroon mask. Clear maroon over a polished Nickel metal.
It's similar to the one we wore against Ohio state but it's a lighter shade of orange and that one has a regular maroon mask.
I know everyone has said it, but it deserves to be said again...
THANK YOU!!!
For all the memories and for your time answering this AMA.
Shayne, thank you so much for doing this. It's been a blast and I know we all appreciate it greatly. My productivity at work, however wishes you hadn't agreed to it, but screw that guy...
Says he'll answer questions for an hour, stays for two, then comes back for seconds in the evening! Shayne...
Just catching up with this thread after a busy day, but as others have said - thanks, Shayne, for sharing your time, stories, and insight. This was really fun to read. Hope to see you around the forums. It's awesome having a Hokie football legend around here.
Guitarman has to catch up on TKP? What is the world coming to? Hopefully things smooth out for you!
How many voicemails have the Tampa Bay front office left you?