ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996 TAG: 9609250050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
FOR UVA'S TERRENCE WILKINS, catching passes as a wideout is the best way to get his hands on the football and get his feet on the field.
As long as he doesn't get hung up on semantics, Virginia sophomore Terrence Wilkins is well within his rights to view himself as a running back.
The only difference is, he doesn't line up in the backfield and he can't run with the ball until he catches it.
Wilkins, once skeptical about a move to wide receiver, has grown fond of his new home on the outskirts of the offense and may be ready to take up permanent residence.
``I hadn't seen a glow on his face since his senior year in high school,'' said Tom Hayes, who coached Wilkins at Bishop O'Connell in Arlington and has been a UVa season-ticket holder since 1994. ``I saw it again after the Central Michigan game.''
More than two weeks later, the glow remains. Wilkins had four receptions for 51 yards Saturday in the Cavaliers' 42-7 victory over Wake Forest and has a team-high eight receptions for the year. No one else has more than four.
It wasn't necessarily what the Cavaliers had in mind when they signed Wilkins to a letter of intent, although he was the kind of prospect colleges recruit as an ``athlete,'' then deploy as needed.
``He's the kind of guy who can break your knees if you're not careful because he can cut so well,'' said All-ACC tailback Tiki Barber. ``He can really make people miss. I think they finally realized, if they can get him in the open field as a receiver, it's going to benefit us a lot.''
Wilkins rushed for 1,617 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior at O'Connell, with 14 of the touchdowns on runs of 40 yards or more. He broke school records for rushing yardage and touchdowns previously held by Eric Metcalf, who has become a game-breaking NFL player.
``Eric was in a class by himself,'' Hayes said, ``but I'd have to put Terrence right under him.''
Clearly, Wilkins is not the first star high school running back to move to another position.
``I went through the same situation with Eric, watching him during all those frustrating years in Cleveland, especially at the end, when they were trying to make the playoffs and he was sitting on the sideline,'' Hayes said.
Metcalf, a running back for the Browns, has become a full-time wide receiver in the Atlanta Falcons' run-and-shoot offense. However, the more obvious comparisons for Virginia fans are to former Cavaliers wide receivers Larry Holmes and Petey Allen.
UVa already has used Wilkins several times on the flanker screen, known as ``jailbreak'' in the Cavaliers' lexicon.
``During the spring, Coach [Tom] Sherman was always telling me, `Terrence, you've got to make sure you get your routes right; you've got to have the right depths,' and it was all news to me,'' Wilkins said. ``It was so confusing at first because all I'd ever been was a running back.' ''
Wilkins was the Cavaliers' No. 3 tailback this past season, but he had eight rushing attempts all season, none after the fourth game. And, although back-up Kevin Brooks used up his eligibility, UVa's top recruit was a tailback, Thomas Jones.
``Terrence would always tell me, `I'm too small to run inside,''' Barber said. ``He was never confident running the ball in Virginia's offense. He wasn't confident taking a pounding going up the middle.''
Barber was 5 feet 9, 179 pounds when he arrived at Virginia, which are almost exactly Wilkins' measurements now. However, the Cavaliers weren't so much disenchanted with Wilkins when they moved him - he rushed for 82 yards in the 1995 spring game - as they were hurting for receivers.
Indeed, in the absence of top 1995 returnee Germane Crowell, Virginia's wide receivers at Wake Forest included Wilkins, converted quarterback Derick Byrd and former soccer player Bryan Owen. And, Byrd was not a sure bet to return after off-season back surgery.
``We were looking for another wide receiver,'' head coach George Welsh said of his meeting with Wilkins this past spring. ``He was the logical choice.''
As he usually does, Welsh gave Wilkins the option to return to his original position. But, there was little need for deliberation.
``The way I looked at it was, `Tiki's here and he's got another year to play,''' Wilkins said. ``Last year, I got to return kicks and I was willing to wait my turn. This year, I wanted to get on the field and contribute, and wide receiver was my best option.''
Wilkins still is looking for his first touchdown reception - the Cavaliers (3-0) only have one as a team, that by Owen - although he did have the distinction last year of scoring two touchdowns against William and Mary.
``The first touchdown was when I picked up a blocked punt,'' Wilkins said. ``The other was when the game was almost over [eight seconds remained]. The way I look at it, I'm still looking for a real one.''
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. Virginia wide receiver Terrenceby CNBWilkins beats Wake Forest's D'Angelo Solomon (3) for one of his
team-high four catches Saturday during a 42-7 Cavaliers victory.
Wilkins leads UVa with eight receptions for the season. color.