Sewell back in the saddle for Cavs

It would make for an odd handshake.

One is right-handed. The other considers his left hand to be dominant.

For the southpaw in the variable, Virginia senior Jameel Sewell, that is where the peculiarities end in regards to his relationship with teammate Vic Hall.

They have been roommates for four years. They have been friends even longer.

Now, as the sands fall through the hourglass of the careers of both players, Hall and Sewell are both quarterbacks again.

And in theory, they are desperately fighting for one job to lead Virginia’s offense onto the field on Sept. 5 against William & Mary. It would be easy for animosity to creep into the picture.

Think again.

“We truly work hand-in-hand,” said Sewell, dripping with sweat following Saturday’s training-camp practice, the second for the Cavaliers. “We’re just competing to try to make each other better and this team better. We continue to try to always help each other.

“We just push each other and push each other. Regardless of how much we compete, because we do compete every single play, it is never like, ‘Okay, you did this on this play, so I’m about to go do this on this next play.’ We want the best for Virginia football.”

Sewell, who said he feels faster on the field, appears sincere in the statement based on the path he took to get back on the field at Virginia. Days after starting the Cavaliers’ Gator Bowl loss to Texas Tech on Jan. 1 2008, the left-handed throwing quarterback learned that he was suspended and ineligible to return to UVa despite being academically eligible to play at other schools.

He could have transferred. He could have found a home and enjoyed two seasons of college football.

“That’s not Jameel,” Hall said. “He is the ultimate teammate. He did not want to quit on this team.”

For now, Sewell is running reps with the second-team offense in the shadow of Hall and just ahead of 2008 starter Marc Verica. That may be the case all year, something Sewell says he can live with.

“The best man is going to win,” said Sewell, who has 3,518 career passing yards and 17 touchdowns. “If it gets to the point that Vic is the starting quarterback and I can get on the field to help him win, heck, even at left tackle, I don’t care. I will do it. I just want to win.”

Off the field, Sewell has desires as well. He longs to graduate in May and took a heavy class load last spring with that in mind.

His summer work, however, was not quite as “strenuous,” he said, noting that one of his classes was an acting class that he enjoyed immensely.

“Graduating on time is still in the picture for me,” he said. “That is why I am still pushing.”

On the field, Sewell said he is not pretending. He claims his passion for the sport that was taken from him for a year is back is stronger than ever.

“It is redemption,” he said referring to the team motto for this year’s season. “I have been gone. I have to redeem myself.

“We all have something to prove. We are not out here to proof something for the fans — no disrespect to them — but we have to prove something to ourselves first and foremost. Once we get it in our heads that we are doing much better and getting much better everyday, then we can come out here and show everyone else what we are capable of doing. Then we can get redemption.”