UVa heroes get recognition

Instead of retiring jerseys, Virginia coach Al Groh would probably have preferred to activate some from returning members of the 1989 Cavaliers on Saturday.

The only UVa team to win 10 games in a season and the squad that won the school’s first ACC football championship was celebrated at Scott Stadium as part of the retro weekend. Virginia recognized a decade of Wahoo gridiron exploits from 1984-1993, but singled out the ‘89 team for the day.

Hall of Fame coach George Welsh welcomed back several members of that team, which went

10-3, losing only to No. 2 Notre Dame, to No. 15 Clemson, and to the Big Ten’s Illinois team in the Citrus Bowl.

Among those players returning, five of them had their jerseys retired, a practice that Virginia started last year. Rather than retiring a number that can never be worn again, the Cavaliers instead retire a player’s jersey to honor his deeds.

The five players from the aforementioned era that were honored Saturday were a collection of standout Wahoos: wide receiver Herman Moore, defensive end Chris Slade, offensive guard Mark Dixon, running back Terry Kirby and linebacker Ray Savage.

All five played integral roles in raising the bar for Virginia football.

One of the players who returned that doubles as one of six Cavaliers to have had their number retired, quarterback Shawn Moore (12) was delighted to see his teammates honored. So was Welsh, who called Moore the “perfect quarterback.”

“I know there are three quarterbacks who were perfect college quarterbacks: Shawn Moore, John Hufnagel [of Penn State] and Aaron Brooks,” Welsh said. “They were the perfect quarterbacks for college football because they could run, they could throw the ball, they could break tackles, they had speed, and they were all very clever with the football.”

Welsh said he would hesitate to say who the best of the three was in his opinion, but did say that landing Moore was a big part of turning Virginia football around.

“Shawn Moore came around at the right time for us,” Welsh said. “What helped is that he had Herman [Moore], a big-league offensive line, and Kirby. That all blended well.”

Moore and Brooks — who led UVa’s biggest comeback ever at the time in a win at Virginia Tech in 1998 — have a special place in Welsh’s memory.

“I would take a quarterback like that even in this day and age as opposed to somebody else who’s going to be back throwing the ball 40 times a game,” Welsh said.