Cavs Could Celebrate Son's Day
C. Long Is Poised To Make Own Mark
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Following a moment of thought, the NFL analyst starts into his dissection of the promising college kid he has seen play a few times before. Just as he does on television for millions of fans every Sunday, the analyst slides smoothly into the mechanical vernacular that pundits prefer to use when describing players.
"He is a very explosive guy," the analyst explains before matter-of-factly listing off some of the player's attributes. "He has a great burst, great explosion, real good quickness, pretty good top-end speed, great change of direction."
Then, suddenly, the analyst pulls a misdirection play, a verbal reverse.
He quickly replaces the cold assessments with words filled with closeness and warmth. He's almost gushing. When the subject of conversation is Virginia defensive lineman Chris Long, the analyst can't help but get a little sentimental.
"He's a good kid," NFL great Howie Long says of his son. "Above and beyond football, I'm most proud of the person he is."
These days, there's plenty to be proud of.
Chris Long is poised for a breakout campaign: He closed last year, his first full season, with a flourish. After missing five games of his freshman year because of illness, Long bounced back during his sophomore year, finishing third on the Virginia defense with 10 tackles for a loss last season.
He enters his junior year as a team captain after what Cavaliers Coach Al Groh called a two-year "orientation to college football."
"Last year was the first time he really got into mix and did all the things on a weekly basis," Groh said. "He's made really good strides. I certainly wouldn't put any limits on him."
Quarterback Christian Olsen goes a step further.
"If you asked 'Who was the Virginia defense?', I would say Chris Long," Olsen said. "It's made the team, especially the defense, a lot stronger."
With the loss of a senior-laden class, Virginia football enters a time of transition. Long, a 6-foot-4, 284-pound defensive end, wants to be one of the architects of a new identity.
