As part of the ongoing series by Last Word on Sports, today’s focus is on the Virginia Cavaliers. The beginnings of football in Charlottesville trace back to 1886 when two graduate students, Charles Willcox and Richard Reid, who attended Ivy League schools, wanted to bring the sport to the south.
Virginia Cavaliers Mount Rushmore
Playing as an independent, the school played its first intercollegiate game in December of 1888, losing 26-0 to Johns Hopkins. Virginia remained independent until 1907, when they joined the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1921, they joined the Southern Conference and officially adapted the nickname Cavaliers in 1923. They remained in that league until becoming an independent again in 1937.
In the late 1940s, the Cavs program became a national powerhouse under Coach Arthur Guepe, going 47-17-2 in his six years at the school. After the 1951 season, the school was invited to play in the Cotton Bowl against Texas Christian. However, the school president, Colgate Darden refused to let the school play in any post-season game. This led to the University of Kentucky being invited. Under Coach Bear Bryant and quarterback Babe Parilli, they beat the Horned Frogs 20-7.
The next season discussions began on whether Virginia should join the Atlantic Coast Conference or remain an independent. At the same time, President Darden decided to reduce the number of scholarships given by 80 percent, resulting in Guepe leaving to become the coach of Vanderbilt. The Cavs joined the ACC on December 4, 1953, and things did not go well. They had nine losing seasons in their first nine years. At one point losing 28 games in a row. In fact, from 1953 to 1981 the school only had two winning seasons.
Luck began to change when UVA hired George Welsh away from the Naval Academy after the 1981 season. Welsh, the school’s all-time winning coach, quickly turned things around leading the program to its first ever bowl game, beating Purdue 27-24 in the 1984 Peach Bowl. From 1987-2000, Virginia had at least seven wins every season and went to 11 more bowl games.
Welsh retired in 2000 as the school’s all-time leader in wins with 134 and claimed their first two ACC Titles (1989 and 1995). Since 2000, Virginia has made it to six bowl games, winning three.
Over the years, many great players have come through Charlottesville, but who are the best of the best?
Thomas Jones (RB- 1996-1999)
After leading his high school team in Big Stone Gap, Virginia to back-to-back state championships, Jones signed on to play for his home state school under George Welsh. Four years later, Jones re-wrote the record books for not only the Cavs, but the entire ACC as well.
He ended his career with eight conference and fifteen team records. His 1,798 yards in 1999 stood as as ACC record for almost 15 years and his six 200 yard games are still tops in league history. After being named to every All-American team in 1999 he finished eighth in the Heisman balloting.
Jones was drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft with the seventh pick by the Arizona Cardinals. He went on to play 11 seasons for five teams rushing for over 10,000 yards and 68 touchdowns.
Heath Miller (TE- 2002-2004)
The Richlands, Virginia native was an all-state quarterback coming out of high school but when he signed to play under Coach Al Groh. However he red shirted during his freshman year and moved to the tight end position as the Cavs already had a pretty good quarterback named Matt Schaub as its starter.
When Miller got onto the field it didn’t take him long to become a force as it only took him seven games to set a new school record for tight ends. In only three years he set ACC records for receptions (144) yards (1,703) and touchdowns (20) by a tight end. He also won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end.
Miller skipped his senior season and declared for the NFL Draft where he was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 30th pick of the first round.
He played 11 seasons with the Steelers helping lead them to two Super Bowl wins and was a favorite target of Ben Roethlisberger. Miller announced his retirement from the NFL in February with career numbers of 592 receptions, 6,549 yards and 45 touchdowns.
D’Brickshaw Ferguson (OT- 2002-2005)
The New York native chose Virginia over Michigan State and went on to start 49 games at left tackle leading the Cavs to four straight bowl games. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and was a consensus All-American his senior year.
Ferguson was selected by the New York Jets with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Remarkably he started 160 straight games for the Jets never missing a game in ten seasons in the NFL. Even more remarkable Ferguson played 10,707 out of a possible 10,708 snaps for his career. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and announced his retirement this past April.
Shawn Moore (QB- 1987-1990)
As half of the feared “Moore to Moore Connection” with wide receiver Herman Moore, Shawn Moore rewrote all the records for the team during his four years in Charlottesville. He led the Cavs to their first ever ACC Championship in 1989 and a berth in the Citrus Bowl.
Moore’ senior season was one to remember as he led the squad to a first ever number one ranking for three weeks and an eventual and a Sugar Bowl bid where they lost to Tennessee 23-22. Moore became the first ACC quarterback to lead the nation in passing efficiency, was named ACC player of the year and a first team All-American. He also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, Herman Moore was sixth.
He finished his career as leader in total yards with 7,897, second in passing yards with 6,627 and first in touchdowns with 83.
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