Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 26, 1995 TAG: 9508300006
SECTION: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PAGE: CF-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Now that he owns every quarterback record in the Virginia Tech weight room, the lifting assignments become a bit tougher for Jim Druckenmiller.
The next test of strength for the 6-foot-4, 222-pound junior?
Hey, stud, over here. How about carrying the Hokies' 1995 offense?
Without hesitation, Druckenmiller answered the question as if it were just another 200-pound clean-and-jerk.
``I think I can,'' he said. ``I'm confident about myself. And I've got all the confidence in the world in our receivers, our backs and our offensive linemen.''
Some pretty upbeat vibes from a guy who has thrown 38 passes as Maurice DeShazo's mop-up man the past two seasons. Some rather high expectations for a guy whose most notable Tech numbers are 376 and 335 (as in pounds for hang clean and bench press, respectively).
But, hey, that's Jim Druckenmiller. Talk to the blue-collar Allentown, Pa., native, and you'll wind up convinced there's nary a mountain that can't be moved.
Toughness and eagerness. Drive and desire. Those are the passwords that enabled Druckenmiller to gain instant acceptance by a veteran Tech team looking for a missing piece at quarterback.
If there were any questions about Druckenmiller's desire and ability to be the man, they have been answered in the past four months.
His emergence started in spring practice in April, when redshirt freshman Al Clark was dubbed the early favorite to replace DeShazo.
Although Clark's chances were hampered by an ankle injury midway through spring drills, Druckenmiller clearly won the job. The fact he will be making his first college start when Tech entertains Boston College on Sept.7 is no gift.
``Jim did all the things in spring practice to establish himself as the No.1 quarterback,'' said Frank Beamer, Tech's head coach. ``He did a lot of things right and very few things wrong.
``I think Jim Druckenmiller is going to be just fine. He has prepared well and I get into that a lot.
``He really wants to do well for Virginia Tech. You say, `Well, everybody does.' Well, some people want to more than others and Jim Druckenmiller is a guy who wants to do well.''
Druckenmiller's off-season work ethic did not go unnoticed by other Tech players. This summer, he threw beer kegs, pushed cars against the clock and ran up and down the Lane Stadium steps wearing a 20-pound weight vest to claim the Hokies' Iron Man championship.
With every bead of sweat that dripped off the big quarterback's brow in spring practice, in the Iron Man and in the weight room, the team came closer together.
``We see a lot of good stuff in Jim Druckenmiller,'' said George DelRicco, Tech's star linebacker. ``I think a lot of people are going to underestimate him. He's an extremely hard worker. And he's confident in himself and he knows what he can do.
``He showed us plenty in that weight room. He's one of the strongest players on the football team and, lo and behold, he's a quarterback. We weren't really used to that.''
Senior flanker Bryan Still, who figures to be on the other end of many of Druckenmiller's tight spirals this fall, doesn't require any more evidence.
``I'm 100 percent confident,'' Still said. ``Jim showed us this spring he could carry this team and that the offense could work with him at the quarterback position.
``I don't think there's any question about Jim being able to do the job for us.''
Rickey Bustle, who returns as Tech's offensive coordinator after a year at South Carolina, recruited Druckenmiller out of Northampton (Pa.) High School in 1989. Bustle acknowledged he has been somewhat amazed by Druckenmiller's will and commitment to lead a Tech team filled with lofty preseason hopes.
``Jim is a heck of a specimen, but he has worked his tail off to get there,'' Bustle said. ``The biggest thing I was impressed with - and I've worked with Jim before - was last January when I got back here. At that time, Jim and I talked about what he needed to do to prepare for this fall. That was the mental part of the game, and Jim has done everything I asked him to do.
``He's the best one I've got and he's the No.1 guy, no question.''
Druckenmiller is surrounded by guys who can't wait to help him carry the offense. The new quarterback has the luxury of having a veteran offensive line in front of him and one of the nation's best four-back rotations behind him. His starting wideouts, Still and Jermaine Holmes, aren't chopped liver, either.
``I think our offensive line will take care of me,'' Druckenmiller said. ``Then, I've got what I call the Four Horsemen [tailbacks Dwayne Thomas and Ken Oxendine and fullbacks Brians Edmonds and Marcus Parker] back there and that makes it a lot easier for me. That should take a little burden off and open up the passing game.''
While the players and coaches appear to be sold on Druckenmiller, there still is one important question left to be answered: How will he handle the heat of a close game?
Remember, Druckenmiller has played only when Tech was way behind or way ahead.
``He hasn't played a lot and he hasn't been in a situation yet where the game was on the line,'' Bustle said. ``The jury is still out when it comes to that part of it.''
``You wish he had more experience and had played in more situations,'' Beamer said. ``But how do you do that? It's a funny thing. You're trying to win every game you can last year and the guy we thought was the best person to win those games was Maurice DeShazo.''
Now, it's James David Druckenmiller Jr. And a long wait finally is over.
``It seems like I've been here forever,'' said Druckenmiller, who arrived on the Tech campus in January 1991 after a year at Fork Union Military Academy.
``You get frustrated at times [not playing], but I always stuck in here. Tech stuck with me at Fork Union, so I devoted myself to this team.
``I guess I've been around here so long that the guys don't realize it. Maybe that's why they're confident in me. I do think I was able to show some things this summer in the weight room and with my work ethic. And I think they noticed.''
Druckenmiller can't wait to stand tall in the pocket, whip a bullet downfield and get Tech's season under way.
``I'm ready to get on with it,'' he said. ``The pressure has started to build a little bit. I haven't really felt it yet, but as the BC game gets closer I'm sure it will build up.
``But I think I can handle it. I'm pretty confident about the season. Confidence is something I developed tremendously in the spring.''
Can Mr.Super Iron Hokie turn '95 Tech football into a gold mine?
``Expectations are great here this year, and I think I agree,'' Druckenmiller said. ``We all have goal and the team has a great, positive view. You can really see the unity in this team right now. That not only instills confidence in me, but the entire team, as well.''
As Druckenmiller walked away, he tipped the Toledos with one strong, final bench press.
``Hey,'' he shouted. ``This year is the year of the Hokies.''
Talk about a record lift.
by CNB