ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604120050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
SHANNON TAYLOR ALWAYS thought he'd play quarterback in college, but now he chases them.
It wasn't long ago that Shannon Taylor's future in a Virginia football uniform had folks recalling Shawn Moore.
Now, Taylor is being mentioned in the same sentence as Chris Slade.
Moved to linebacker in preseason drills last August, Taylor, the former Patrick Henry High quarterback, has adjusted so well that he's backing up seniors Jamie Sharper and James Farrior at both outside spots in Saturday's spring game at 1:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium.
The Roanoke native's future may be closer to the line of scrimmage, however.
``We haven't had a bona fide speed pass rusher since Chris, and Shannon might be that,'' said UVa defensive coordinator Rick Lantz. ``He's still learning linebacker, but now we're having him rush the passer, too.''
Taylor, who passed for more than 2,800 yards his final two PH seasons before spending a year at Fork Union Military Academy, knows his quarterback days will be history when he plays as a redshirt freshman this fall. The only evidence he was once behind center is his uniform number - 9.
``I can't imagine him going back,'' said Virginia head coach George Welsh. ``He likes it there [linebacker]. He's shown great promise. He's such a good athlete.''
Last season, Taylor projected as no better than the No.4 quarterback when Welsh called him to the football offices one afternoon.
``I had no doubts I'd be a quarterback,'' Taylor said Wednesday. ``I ran the 40 [yards] in 4.5. I'm over 6 feet 3, and weighed 230. They said I had good feet. Then Coach Welsh said, `You're too good an athlete to be sitting. You can play for us at linebacker before you'll play at quarterback. I'd like to see you play linebacker.'''
Taylor estimates that this spring he's spent 70 percent of his time at outside linebacker and the other 30 percent at rush end. In UVa's scrimmage earlier this week, Taylor had two sacks and recovered two fumbles, returning one 30 yards.
``He's 6-33/4, and he's one of those guys who is taller than he measures,'' Lantz said. ``We've tried to improve our speed, and he can run. People think of him as having been a quarterback, but Shannon is an instinctive defensive football player.
``It means he understands the game. Some guys are only coached. They go through little league, Pop Warner, junior high and high school and they've been told, `You play this,' and they play it. He's played the game. He's not programmed. He's not one of those people who says, `What if this happens ... ' then he does something. He runs to the ball.''
Taylor played some defensive line as well as quarterback at PH and he learned the difference between defense and offense years ago.
``I like to make plays,'' said Taylor. ``Defensive plays seem to count for more. A big sack, a fumble recovery. On offense, it takes a touchdown to score. You have to think differently on defense, too.
``At linebacker, there are a lot more drills and a lot of contact. At quarterback, it's more nonchalant. I played quarterback all of these years, and I liked it, and I could make the tough play through the line when you needed a yard. On defense, that kind of hitting is down after down, and 300-pound linemen are very hard to move.''
Taylor, 21, said his technique work ``needs work.'' He's learning tricks every day from Farrior and Sharper, and when he's up front, he concentrates on keeping his hands inside against blockers for leverage. He got plenty of practice as a pass rusher on the scout team last season. For instance, before Virginia's date with Virginia Tech, Taylor was the man impersonating the Hokies' star sacker, Cornell Brown.
``Shannon is doing a lot of good things, and naturally, at times he gets a little frustrated,'' Lantz said. ``It's a big change, taking on linemen from a standing position. He's trying like hell to impress the coach. I think he can be pretty darn good.''
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Taylorby CNB