Spread gets a Green light

The night Jared Green learned that Virginia had hired the innovative Gregg Brandon as its new offensive coordinator, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

In fact, he and Cavalier receivers Dontrelle Inman and Kris Burd stayed up practically all night text messaging each other about what this could mean for the team’s future.

December was a month that the redshirt freshman wideout won’t soon forget for both all the right and wrong reasons. First of all, he had a longer holiday break than he would have liked after Virginia fell short of a bowl bid. Then came news that offensive coordinator Mike Groh had decided to leave the program, followed on the heels of Brandon’s hiring and the announcement that the program’s leading receiver, Kevin Ogletree, was declaring for the NFL Draft.

Talk about a roller coaster of emotions.

“When I found out that [Mike Groh] was gone, I was crushed. I still am,” Green said. “He really helped me. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for him. He really got on me, motivated me and put the fire into me to do what I did this past season. That was mainly him and I really enjoyed working under him.”

What Green did in 2008 was haul in 12 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown — meager numbers in the grand scheme of things, but for the rookie, it was significant improvement.

During his time at home in Vienna, Green was reflecting upon the season he had, the strides he made and trying to figure how he could become an even better receiver in 2009. Then his mom and dad showed him a newspaper article about Ogletree’s departure and head coach Al Groh’s comments concerning the future.

Groh said he envisioned Green as the player in the program ready to step up his game, and that Green and other young receivers in the program and those entering the program would be expected to put up impressive numbers.

“As soon as I saw that story I smiled,” Green said. “I said, ‘Wow, everything happens so fast. But I felt the joy and I’m thanking God for another opportunity that has come my way. At the same time I know it’s going to be time to get on the job, workout 100 percent, run 100 percent, study 100 percent.”

Green said that the new spread offense that will be installed this spring by Brandon, former head coach at Bowling Green, has the Virginia players extremely fired up.

“Once we go into the film room to watch [Bowling Green game tape] our jaws just drop to the floor, we’re in such awe,” Green said. “Everybody’s on board. I haven’t seen the team as unified as it is right now. The guys are confident and excited. Every conversation is about what it’s going to be like.”

Considering that Virginia’s team was a pretty high-motor operation two seasons ago when the Chris Long-inspired group made it to the Gator Bowl, Green’s statement that the current Wahoos are even more united is quite a statement.

“I realize that, but there’s something about this group right now,” Green said. “I feel like it all started losing to Virginia Tech. Ever since then we’ve been fired up. It’s helped us in the weightroom, in training, running on the field, even in the classroom. Guys are doing everything they can to be ready when we hit spring practice.”

In a hurry to get started

Every chance he gets, Green heads to Virginia’s film room to study the new offense, even though he admits he doesn’t know exactly what’s going on while watching the Bowling Green tapes, or what receiver he will be in the new scheme. All he knows is that it looks like fun.

“Everybody is so anxious, so excited,” Green said. “That’s the type of vibe that’s going on right now in the program. If we’re anything like what we see on film, it’s going to be fun.

“You look at this film and you ask yourself, ‘Are we really going to do this?’ Wow, all I’ve been doing is thinking about it. I’ve never been so anxious for spring ball,” Green said. “It’s going to be very fast-paced. We’re going to do a lot of learning, but I think it’s going to be unstoppable.”

That’s what Brandon grinned about when that word was brought up during an interview in December. He pointed to a three-year span at Bowling Green when his offense averaged 500 yards and 40 points a game over that period.

Those are video game-like numbers that have every Cavalier chomping at the bit to get going.

There are several reasons that Virginia’s coaching staff is so excited about Green’s potential. His work ethic and understanding of the game are solid. He also brings something else to the table that can’t be coached.

“Speed is my calling card,” Green said.

What else would you expect from the offspring of a pro football Hall of Famer who was once the fastest man in the NFL?

Speedy bloodlines

Green is the son of Darrell Green, a longtime star cornerback for the Washington Redskins, the guy who wore the label of the fastest player in the game for years. While Jared doesn’t claim to be as fast as his father, he thinks he’s fast enough.

“My dad taught me something that I’m still working on and coach Groh said I’m getting better at it, and that’s being fast all the time,” Jared Green said. “Speed is a God-given gift. You can’t teach it. The only problem is some people that have the speed like me just don’t understand that you have to be fast all the time. I’m continually working on that. I think that’s going to be my upside.”

So, what’s the difference between being fast and being fast all the time?

Darrell Green explained to his son that the latter entails running out of the huddle fast, running into the game fast, warming up fast, always running pass routes fast. When a player is blocking, even on the backside when the play isn’t coming his way, run fast at the cornerback and keep him honest.

“It’s like guys on the line, they have to be strong all the time and that lets the guy across from them know they’re not playing around,” Jared Green said. “You’ve set the tone for the whole game.”

Another speed factor that Green has been working on since returning from break has been developing another gear, knowing how and when to use it.

“I’m making sure that the top speed is never reached,” he said. “I don’t consider myself topping out or leveling out when I’m running … just continuing to go faster and faster. It sounds impossible.”

But that’s what Darrell taught him about speed. When the elder Green used to run his 40-yard dashes, he always wished he had more space, that the 40 was a little bit longer, because he felt he could keep going faster and faster. He once ran a 4.1 and said after that he felt he could have run a 4-flat.

“Now, who thinks that way?” Jared Green asked. “It’s not normal for a person to think that way. But my dad did. I’ve actually had to sit down and really try to adapt to that thinking. That’s the kind of thinking a champion has to have. I’m still not there yet, but I’m hungry to get there.”

Jared’s fastest clocking in the 40 has been 4.37, but he’s not focused on times right now. Rather, whatever speed he runs on Saturdays, that’s the best he can do.

“I was blessed with speed, so I have to nurture it,” he said.

He has also worked with his father on other factors that make a receiver better. A lot of it has to do with getting off the line of scrimmage, getting a quick release from the blocker and not getting jammed.

Learning from the pros

Green spent a lot of time with his father and other Redskins like James Thrash and Antwaan Randle El the summer before he came to UVa from Oakton High.

“I was raw, very raw, and so I went to Redskins Park to get some work. It wasn’t just about running and catching, but it helped me,” Green said.

Those pros presented the youngster with what they called his “tool box.” It included the aforementioned techniques along with blocking skills, moves, and other things he would take with him to Charlottesville.

“My dad taught me to be quick off the line and not let anyone overpower me,” he said. “We’re both smaller guys and you’re going to have times when you encounter a big guy that’s going to try to knock you down. It’s all about your feet and getting out of the way.”

He worked with his tool box all of his first season here while being redshirted, something he said was a great benefit to his game and his psyche.

“The redshirting process was very helpful to me. I got my size, my weight up a little bit. I learned the game more and I learned the way to be a real football player: go in there and watch film, go to the ice tub and take care of your legs,” Green said. “I played football, but I wasn’t a football player coming into UVa. Now I see myself as an actual football player. I know the game. I’m still learning, but I feel more comfortable.”

During the past two years Ogletree helped the rookie tremendously. He kept Green’s spirits up, kept encouraging him, teaching him and passing along a passion for the game. Likewise, Green has taken redshirt freshman Javaris Brown under his wing. He has taken him home with him and forged a relationship, something that is happening throughout the Wahoo roster.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Vic Hall, just hanging out. I went to Gretna with him last week,” Green said. “There’s a lot of interacting with the guys. Guys are going home with other players, going out to dinner with guys, building a stronger relationship.”

Most of his time is spent with Burd, his roommate this coming spring, and Inman. They go bowling together and hang out a lot.

“You can call us the Three Stooges,” Green said.

When someone came up to Green recently and asked him if he was Darrell Green’s son, one of the “stooges” answered for Green, noting, ‘No, Darrell Green is Jared Green’s father.’

Unavoidable comparisons

It is a familiar tone around UVa football, akin to Chris Long’s living in the massive shadows of his Hall of Fame father, Howie Long. Perhaps uncomfortable with the comparisons and expectations during their high school years, both learned to embrace their heritage.

“When I first got here and did a couple of interviews, I remember saying to myself, ‘Man, I wonder when they’re not going to put in the paper, Jared Green, the son of Darrell Green,” he confessed, knowing in his heart the answer was probably never.

“Once I was around UVa for a while, I don’t know if it’s the people here, the community, or my teammates, but I became really comfortable with who I am and I don’t ask that question anymore. I just want to be the best person I can be regardless of what they say.

“It’s really a blessing to have that name and I can’t take it lightly,” Green said. “I thank God every day that’s who I am and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Considering he caught three passes for 40 yards against Southern California’s storied defense in his first college game, hauled in a TD catch against Miami, and ended up averaging 12 yards per catch for the season, it wasn’t a bad start for a rookie reserve. We’ll likely be hearing a lot about Jared Green this fall.

After all, speed is his calling card.