Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 5, 1994 TAG: 9410050101
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The way Kuehl was hopping around Saturday following a sack against William and Mary, he looked like a bear auditioning for the circus.
Ballet it wasn't.
``I never said I could dance,'' said Kuehl, who, at 6 feet 5 and 275 pounds, will never pass for Rudolf Nureyev. Or Michael Jackson, for that matter.
``It was awful,'' said fellow defensive tackle Mark Krichbaum, who, in his recovery from knee surgery, has developed an eye for such routines.
On the other hand, nobody has been more appreciative of Kuehl's play than Krichbaum, who hopes to make his season debut Saturday at Wake Forest, although he may have to wait for an Oct. 15 visit to Georgia Tech.
``I can't tell you how much more frustrating it would be if we were 1-3 instead of 3-1,'' Krichbaum said.
One reason Virginia's defense has matched its preseason billing is the play of Krichbaum's replacement, Todd White. Another is the presence of Kuehl, who already has more tackles for loss (six) after four games than in either of the previous two seasons.
``He's playing at a high level,'' UVa head coach George Welsh said. ``I don't know what else to say. He's taken it upon himself to take charge up front since we lost Krichbaum.''
It wasn't anything calculated, Kuehl insists.
``I don't know that I actually sat down and said, `All right, Ryan, you've got to pick up the slack,''' Kuehl said. ``But I did realize, when Mark went down, that somebody would have to make the plays he used to make.''
Kuehl was entering his third year as a starter, but was largely unheralded compared to fellow fifth-year seniors Krichbaum and Mike Frederick, who has regained the spot he held last year as the ACC leader in tackles for loss.
``The attention they got was much-deserved,'' Kuehl said. ``I switched positions a lot early in my career and that kept me behind till coach [Larry] New showed up. I think my biggest improvement came over the second half of last season.''
The arrival of New, previously the defensive coordinator at Kentucky, gave the UVa tackles a position coach for the first time in their careers. Previously, the same coach had been responsible for the ends and tackles.
``He's [New] been in coaching forever,'' Kuehl said. ``You have to take him seriously. He has that kind of mentality. He has that kind of presence. You don't have a choice.''
On the surface, it appeared they had little in common: New the hog-calling Oklahoman and Kuehl the clean-cut, bookish son of a college professor.
``Initially, his perception of me was of a kid from suburban Washington, D.C., who studied a lot,'' Kuehl said.
What New discovered was a player whose fervor for football was rivaled only by his passion for golf and history of the Vietnam War.
``I used to watch football from 1 till 7 [p.m.] on Sundays, then catch SportsCenter for an hour before the 8 o'clock game,'' Kuehl said. ``Now, I've got things in a little better perspective.''
Kuehl developed a fascination for the Vietnam War in high school, when he did a history project on the 15th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. He has since read close to 30 books on the war.
``I don't get into the strategies,'' he said. ``I'm not into debating whether we should have been there or not. What interests me is the soldiers and what they had to go through - the bugs, the disease, the poverty and the weather, not to mention the enemy. I don't think they're ever appreciated.''
Not unpredictably, Kuehl was introduced to golf by one of his runningmates, Krichbaum. This summer, Kuehl experienced his golfing highlight when he made a birdie-4 at the 607-yard ninth hole at Congressional Country Club, former site of the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
Kuehl visited Virginia on the same December weekend as Krichbaum and Frederick in 1989 and they have been almost inseparable since then. One newspaper referred to them as ``The Three Amigos,'' which is flattering compared to another of their nicknames, ``The Meatheads.''
``I've learned a lot from them,'' Kuehl said. ``Mike always has a different way of looking at things. He's bright, very quick intellectually, although he wouldn't want you to know it. Mark has taught me how to play with his ferocity and enthusiasm.''
For the past four weeks, Kuehl has tried to give something back to Krichbaum.
``We worked so hard to get to this level,'' Kuehl said. ``For three years, it's been our goal to be the best defensive line to play at Virginia. On a personal level, I wanted there to be something still out there for Mark when he got back.''
by CNB