ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 26, 1995 TAG: 9512260078
SECTION: BOWL GUIDE PAGE: BG-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Junior quarterback leads Hokies to major bowl berth, record 9 consecutive victories
Virginia Tech's dream season has included plenty of do-good scripts.
None, however, can quite top the success story of Jim Druckenmiller.
In his first year as a college starting quarterback, Druckenmiller has come through big-time in Tech's drive to its first major bowl bid.
``Yeah,'' Druckenmiller said, ``I don't think I could have written things much better than this.''
The junior's list of accomplishments is almost as stout as his well-chiseled, 6-foot-4, 225-pound body. Consider:
He has thrown 14 touchdown passes, the most by any Hokies quarterback in his first season as a starter.
He has become only the second Tech quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards (2,103) in his first season as a starter. (The first was Don Strock in 1971.)
He has completed more passes of 70 yards or more (three) in a season than any other Tech quarterback on record.
He has helped lead the Hokies to their first victory over Miami.
He has quarterbacked Tech to nine consecutive victories, the longest single-season winning streak in school history, and its first Big East Football Conference championship.
He has helped lead the Hokies to their first major bowl bid, a Dec.31 Sunday night date with Texas in the Sugar Bowl, not to mention a Tech-best No. 13 national ranking in the final Associated Press regular-season poll.
All this from a guy who wasn't even considered a lock to be Tech's No.1 quarterback in the spring. All this from a guy, who until facing Boston College on Sept.7, hadn't started a game since 1990, when he was at Fork Union Military Academy.
``For the most part, I think I've gotten the job done,'' Druckenmiller said. ``I don't pay a whole lot of attention to my numbers. The bottom line is winning football games, and I feel we've been pretty good in that department.''
Besides a three-interception stinkeroo in a 16-0 home loss to Cincinnati on Sept.16, Druckenmiller has brought more to the table than the Tech coaching staff had any right to expect from a player with so little experience.
After admittedly hanging his head for a day or two, Druckenmiller bounced right back, helping engineer Tech's season-turning 13-7 victory over Miami on Sept.23.
``I finally realized that days like the Cincinnati game are going to happen,'' he said. ``I had to gather myself quickly, but I got by it and it matured me more than anything. And during the rest of the season, most of our goals came to pass.''
Following the Cincinnati debacle that left Tech with an 0-2 record, Druckenmiller did more than step up in the pocket. He stepped up in the huddle and in the locker room and helped take charge of a team desperately looking for direction.
``For some reason or another, we weren't playing with any emotion,'' he said. ``I looked around and nobody was playing with enthusiasm and having any fun, and I think a football team needs to have that to be successful.''
The Hokies had plenty of good times the rest of the way, running the rack in the final nine games.
``I'm having fun no matter what,'' Druckemiller said. ``I just love the game of football. I go out to every practice with a smile on my face. Meanwhile, half the guys are saying, `Gosh damn Druck, what's wrong with you?' I'd say, `Hey, it's football time.'
``Like Chris Malone [a Tech senior guard and Druckenmiller's roommate] said, he said you can stick me in a 12-foot hole and I'd find some way to have fun. I'm just one of those happy go-lucky guys, I guess.''
The 23-year-old quarterback didn't have nearly as much fun last season in his second consecutive year as Maurice DeShazo's caddy.
``At times, yeah, I got frustrated in that position,'' Druckenmiller said. ``I hated sitting back there and watching.
``Coach [Gary] Tranquill [then Tech's offensive coordinator] and I had some words exchanged. He basically said I wasn't prepared to play. But when I came into games, it was always a mop-up situation. I felt used.''
With DeShazo gone, Druckenmiller finally has been able to showcase his abilities.
``Jim's been kind of like our football team,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's coach. ``Our team has continued to improve, and it all probably goes back to Jim.''
The big kid with the strong arm may not be flashy, but, hey, he gets the job done.
``Just win, baby, that's all I care about,'' Druckenmiller said. ``Just win and have a little fun.''
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: MIKE HEFFNER/Staff.1. (no caption) 2. Jim Druckenmillerby CNBis the second quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in his
first season as a starter.