Virgil is the class of Hokies’ defense

By DARRYL SLATER
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: September 25, 2008

BLACKSBURG - Some afternoons during the spring, Stephan Virgil parked his car atop a hill overlooking Virginia Tech’s practice field. He sat in silence, watching his teammates, wishing he were out there with them, visualizing how he would play a coverage or break on a pass.

Virgil had spent many quiet moments since Tech’s season ended in January studying his playbook, drawing formations, imagining himself jamming receivers even when he was alone in his apartment. The Hokies needed to replace All-America cornerback Brandon Flowers, and Virgil wanted to do everything possible to fill that vacancy.

But he found himself in his car, atop that hill, because his grades were so bad that if he didn’t pass all four of his classes in the spring, he wouldn’t be eligible to play as a junior this fall. Tech’s coaches told him to use the spring to concentrate on academics. He practiced only on Saturdays. Most other days, he spent one to three hours working with Adele Whitener, a tutor in the Student Athlete Academic Support Services office.

Virgil always had to remind himself to stay patient. In his first two seasons, he struggled to answer quickly when defensive backs coach Torrian Gray quizzed him about how he’d react to an offensive formation. With schoolwork, Virgil required extra help, in part because, since middle school, he’s dealt with what could clinically be described as a learning disability.

That Virgil is even on Tech’s roster for Saturday’s game at Nebraska is testament enough to his perseverance. But he also has played well enough in the Hokies’ first four games that it seems plausible to envision him becoming Tech’s next shutdown corner, a prestigious group that includes Jimmy Williams, DeAngelo Hall, Flowers and current senior Victor “Macho” Harris.

Virgil has more tackles (20) and interceptions (two) than any other Tech defensive back this season. He also has returned a fumble for a touchdown. He believes none of this would be possible without Whitener’s help.

“She’s like an angel sent from God to me,” he said.

She met Virgil shortly after he enrolled at Tech in January 2006. At the time, she worked with Tech’s Services for Students with Disabilities, though Virgil is loath to place himself in that category.

“It’s not a disability,” he said. “I just call it a difference. I just learn different from everybody. If it was a disability, I would have a handicapped sticker on my car.”

Despite his academic shortcomings, he was determined in the spring to remain eligible.

“I know what I’ve got to do,” he’d tell Whitener.

She gave him advice on how to get the most from reading his textbooks: stop after a paragraph and ask yourself what the important content was, review the questions at the end of a chapter, pay attention to the bullet points in the margins.

One day during the summer, she spent six hours assisting him with a final presentation for his internship at a property management company, for which he needed a B to remain eligible; his major is apparel, housing and resource management. Virgil and Whitener created a PowerPoint presentation, and he rehearsed for her, making sure he covered everything the professor required.

She watched him soak it in—not with the urgency of knowing his football future depended on this, but with quiet patience.

“I don’t know if he’s one of those ducks that is paddling like #### below the water,” Whitener said. “You don’t see that. What you see with Stephan is that duck above the water. You don’t see the paddling underneath.”

He paddled for more than himself as he worked toward becoming the first member of his family to earn a four-year college degree. His 2-year-old daughter, Imani, lives in his hometown of Rocky Mount, N.C., splitting time with his parents and his girlfriend’s parents. When Virgil feels down, he looks at pictures of Imani.

Just before Imani was born, Virgil talked with Whitener, whose kids attended Tech, about the responsibilities of being a parent. She still reminds him to read to Imani.

“He takes his vision of his future very seriously,” Whitener said. “He knows there’s no future back in Rocky Mount.”

Whitener saw Virgil on Monday night as he headed to study hall. A big smile creased his face. Two days earlier, he had an interception against North Carolina, whose receivers posed his toughest challenge this season.

“He didn’t play afraid,” Gray said.

And Virgil is now mentally sharp enough that he can instantly respond when Gray offers him a cornerback’s toughest hypothetical situation: multiple offensive players going in motion before the snap, which means Tech’s defensive coverage can switch each time a different player moves.

Even half a day after Whitener crossed paths with Virgil, she remembered his smile, and, she said, “I almost read into it that everything is coming together.”

Contact Darryl Slater at (804) 649-6026 or .