Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 17, 1993 TAG: 9309170193
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
The ACC football game Thursday night at venerable Grant Field doubled as a family reunion for UVa quarterback Symmion Willis. The rest of the Cavaliers play their homecoming game in two weeks.
The Willis family didn't have to buy a program to determine who was No. 1 for the visiting team. The first several rows of Section 128 were occupied by almost 50 Symmion supporters, who undoubtedly enjoyed a 35-14 UVa victory more than the other Atlantans in the crowd of 41,300.
While Tech wore gold shirts for the first time in 22 years, that wasn't all that glittered in some eyes. Willis, who last played here for Mays High School on the southwest side of Atlanta, performed like anything but a sophomore making his third collegiate start before family and friends and against a hometown school that backed off recruiting him once it signed his opposing starter, Donnie Davis.
"I really thought he'd be more nervous," said Dexter Willis, the UVa quarterback's older brother. "I mean, this is home. This is a big game, and it's on TV."
Symmion knew all of that.
"I was very emotional," the UVa quarterback said. "I was more nervous this time than I was before the first game [a victory Sept. 4 at Maryland]. I just wanted to try and settle down."
He accomplished that early. By halftime, the poised quarterback was 10-for-12 through the air with a touchdown pass, and his parents already had done an ESPN sideline interview. He finished 16-of-21 for 185 yards.
Although the network producers got the seat locations of Willis' parents from UVa officials, it wasn't too difficult finding the couple offering parental guidance from the fourth row, about the 25-yard line.
Eunice Willis, Symmion's mom, was wearing a No. 1 Virginia jersey, a UVa cap, earrings with orange V's on them, and two buttons - one with a photo of her son, another that said "Virginia Mom."
"It's really been overwhelming," she said. "I knew something good was going to happen, but I didn't know it would be this good. We've been waiting a long time for this day.
"You have to understand, that's my little boy out there."
You have to understand, a mother looks at her son in a different way than defensive linemen do, but Willis has come up big in both ACC victories for 25th-ranked UVa (3-0).
The 6-foot-4 Willis mostly was tall and mobile behind an offensive line that stayed between the Yellow Jackets' gold rush and their QB like the nearby Atlanta skyscrapers.
"He's so much better than I thought he'd be this soon," said proud papa Allen Willis, who as a construction worker knows a hard day's work when he's seen it. "He's been given time to throw, and then he's put the ball on the money.
"That's he's able to do this now impresses me. He could always throw the ball, but to see how cool he stays is a sign of growing up. The best part of his game has always been his heart."
It helps that in offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien's game plans, Willis isn't asked to do the improbable. If Virginia's preseason, three-man quarterback derby to replace Bobby Goodman was as close as coach George Welsh insists, then the Cavaliers should be deep behind center.
Not that anyone will find out anytime soon, barring an injury to Willis. He won the job on his athletic ability, his range. It may be too soon to say that UVa has another Shawn Moore taking snaps, but it isn't too soon to figure the Cavaliers will be 5-0 - Duke and Ohio University are Scott Stadium visitors next - when they visit Florida State on Oct. 16.
Even if Willis hasn't been there before, UVa has. Last season, the Cavaliers were 5-0 and ranked 10th nationally and built a 28-0 lead late in the first half against Clemson - only to lose 29-28 and finish with four defeats in their last six games.
It doesn't get any easier for Georgia Tech (1-1), which visits Clemson and Florida State back-to-back. Virginia, meanwhile, has had more good shows on the road than Charles Kuralt in recent years.
Since the middle of the 1988 season, UVa is 18-5-1 in away games. Of course, that statistic didn't concern Willis on Thursday night in Division I-A's oldest stadium.
It felt homey to him.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB