Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412290031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Talk about walking onto a firing line with a bull's eye on your back ...
When Brandon Semones first entered the Virginia Tech football locker room in the summer of 1993, the Hokies who had been around couldn't help wondering what he was doing there.
``A lot of us saw this little kid, then we looked at each other and said, `There's Coach [Frank] Beamer's nephew,''' one Tech elder statesman said recently. ``Everybody just figured that's why he was here. Hey, he was Coach Beamer's nephew.
``But know what? You don't hear it anymore. The kid can downright play. He's proven he belongs.''
Semones' startling sophomore year - he won the starting job at whip linebacker in the preseason and was second among the Hokies in tackles - has sacked any talk of nepotism.
``I knew that would sort of be the case when I got here,'' Semones said of the skepticism. ``I was prepared for it. Actually, the guys here weren't quite as bad as what I imagined they'd be. I figured I'd catch a lot more ...
``One of my goals was to prove the reason I was here was because of my abilities, not because I was Coach Beamer's nephew. I had to earn everybody's respect, probably more so than the normal player coming in.''
After leading Tech's special teams with 16 tackles as a freshman, Semones made a huge jump in class this season, winning the starting slot at one of the vital positions in the Hokies' defensive scheme.
Despite being vastly undersized for a Division I-A linebacker at 6 feet, 200 pounds - ``I'm 200 on a good day,'' he said - the former Glenvar High School multisports star has done much more than simply fill a hole.
``He has I-AA qualities, but he has a I-A heart and a I-A head,'' said Phil Elmassian, Tech's defensive coordinator. ``He's not a big player, but he's a smart player. And with that you don't lose. Give me a smart guy with some agility and you've got a chance.
``Brandon Semones is the consummate Virginia Tech football player. He's a blue-collar, roll-up-your-sleeves-and-play-type player. And, hopefully, you surround 'em with some Cornell Browns [the Hokies' outstanding sophomore defensive end] and that elevates you.''
In a jungle filled with charging 300-pound offensive linemen, Semones survives through basic instinct and sheer intelligence. Elmassian and Beamer have called Semones one of the smartest players they've coached.
``The intelligence factor definitely is one of my assets,'' said Semones, an accounting major who has a 3.2 grade-point average. ``You can tell when I'm having a bad day thinking, because it shows up in my play.
``I've been blessed. The Lord has blessed me with great ability to think and just have awareness of what's out there.''
Coming out of Glenvar, where he ran for more than 5,000 yards, scored 85 touchdowns and won three consecutive Group A wrestling titles, Semones wondered what was in store for him in big-time football.
``Face it, I hadn't played the talent level of some of our [Group] AAA guys or out-of-state guys from Florida,'' Semones said. ``I was even skeptical myself of my abilities, and a lot of other people were real skeptical of me coming in here.
``But my inner drive to just succeed is what really paid off. I'm really surprised, because I thought it might take me a couple of years to get into the program. I thought it would take me a little bit longer to get a starting job, but the opportunities came and I just ran with 'em.''
Did he ever. Semones exceeded all expectations this season, ranking second in tackles (99), in tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (five).
It was more than enough to make an uncle smile.
``I'm really proud of Brandon,'' Beamer said. ``He gets the very most out of his ability. He plays the same way all the time, which is hard. Football players come in different-sized packages and his is just a little bit smaller than some. You wish he was a little bigger, but the guy can play.
``I've probably gone overboard to not treat him special. When Brandon was coming out of high school, I did what I thought was right. I didn't judge him on being my nephew. I judged him on what I saw on the video, and that was a football player.''
Semones, whose father, Dennis, played at Tech with Beamer, said it has been satisfying proving he's a player, not just the head Hokie's nephew.
``There was a lot of pressure on me with Frank being my - make that Coach Beamer - being my uncle,'' Semones said. ``I think I've proven I deserve where I am, and that's a good feeling.''
Indeed, the only ones crying uncle now are Tech's opponents.
by CNB