THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 25, 1995 TAG: 9507250394
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PINEHURST, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Virginia quarterback Symmion Willis, once considered a budding superstar, may be asked to change positions or change uniforms when the Cavaliers begin preseason football practice on Aug. 5.
Coach George Welsh said at the annual ACC Football Kickoff meetings that Mike Groh ``definitely, absolutely,'' will be the starting quarterback in the season-opener against Michigan on Aug. 26.
Furthermore, he is not interested in Willis being the backup.
Welsh, who teetered between Groh and Willis most of last season, said he reached those conclusions after ``the toughest personnel decision I've ever had to make.''
Welsh is not interested in Willis as the No. 1 backup because both he and Groh are fifth-year seniors.
``Willis might have the edge (over other backups), but I've got to think a little bit about what is coming down the road (in 1996),'' Welsh said.
Willis, with Welsh's approval, played baseball instead of participating in football drills this spring.
Junior Tim Sherman emerged from spring practice as the No. 1 backup, just ahead of promising redshirt freshman Aaron Brooks.
Another young quarterback seeking playing time will be Shannon Taylor, who attended Fork Union Military Academy last year after winning high school All-America honors at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke in 1993.
Welsh said the perfect situation for him would be for Willis to change his position.
``I think he can help us at wide receiver,'' Welsh said.
``He is a fine athlete, and he would be around the team. If something happened to Groh, he could go back to quarterback. But he (Willis) told me the last time I talked to him that he does not want to try another position.
``If he doesn't want to do it, he won't be any good. I'll talk to him again in the next couple of weeks and see how he feels.''
Willis won the starting job two years ago in a three-way battle with Groh and Sherman.
The agile 6-foot-4 native of Atlanta was among the nation's top passers during the 1993 season. He tied a school record with five touchdowns passes against Ohio University, and a 48-yard touchdown run against Navy was the longest by a Virginia quarterback since 1964.
But after being intercepted only four times in the first seven games, Willis was picked for 10 in the final four regular-season games, which included three losses, and he admitted a loss of confidence.
He retained the starting job at the beginning of last season, but failed to regain his confidence and was bothered by hamstring injuries on both legs.
Groh, who led the the nation in passing efficiency as a backup to Willis for several weeks, won the starting job for the final six regular-season games.
He was named the Offensive MVP in Virginia's 20-10 Independence Bowl victory over Texas Christian.
Groh is the first returning ACC passing leader since Duke's Dave Brown in 1989, and Welsh is hoping his experience will help the Cavaliers cure some recent early-season jitters.
``We haven't played a good opener for a long time and maybe that is because we have been changing quarterbacks so much in the '90s,'' Welsh said.
``We are taking a look at how we do things in preseason, and what changes may be needed.''
Although the Cavaliers had won four straight openers before losing to Florida State last year, Welsh said he hasn't been pleased with an opener since the 50-10 crushing of Kansas in 1990.
``We dropped seven passes last year against Florida State and a couple of years ago against Maryland we fumbled four times,'' he said.
``We are re-evaluating a lot of things. I don't want to go to Michigan (for the first game of the '95 season) and not be ready to play a good game.'' ILLUSTRATION: STAFF FILE
Mike Groh is the first returning ACC passing leader since Duke's
Dave Brown in 1989.
Symmion Willis may be asked to change positions or change uniforms
this season.
by CNB