Hall has mindset to lead Cavaliers

The most frequent question I’ve heard as I have traveled around the state this summer — particularly when I’m home in Central Virginia — has been, “So, who’s going to start at quarterback?”

There’s a huge curiosity factor in whether Vic Hall, Jameel Sewell or Marc Verica will get the nod from UVa coach Al Groh sometime over the next few days. All three have experience at the position, although Hall’s consists of last year’s season finale at Virginia Tech on four days of practice, plus a sterling high school career at Gretna.

My opinion, my answer to everyone who asks, and I stated this on Jay James’ “Best Seat in the House” show on WINA a couple of nights ago, is always the same.

Vic Hall.

Non-verbal cues

No, I’m not politicking for any player over the others, not choosing favorites. I’m basing my answer on reading between the lines since that gray day down in Blacksburg last November when Hall trotted out and caused Hokies’ defensive coordinator Bud Foster to say out loud, “Oh, (shoot).”

My opinion is that that moment changed everything about Virginia’s quarterback situation.

Up until that moment, there just had to be lingering questions in the coaching staff’s collective minds about Verica, who had played admirably under adverse conditions before crashing in a storm of interceptions, and about Sewell, who had helped lead the team to a Gator Bowl appearance the year before, but became academically ineligible last season.

Not saying that Sewell and Verica couldn’t come back strong with terrific seasons in ’09, but the courage, leadership, skill and heart shown by Hall throughout his entire college career, summed up by that one week in preparation for a game at Virginia Tech, was more than impressive.

Hall gave the Cavaliers hope, and that means a lot to a football team.

A natural leader

I’ve been working on a story on Hall since the spring, collecting nuggets here and there, and one day, sitting in Groh’s office, talking football, talking Hall, the coach said something I believed to be profound.

“Vic Hall is a kung fu fighter,” Groh said.

To me, that spoke volumes. In coaching lingo, that means Hall gives everything that he has to give, on and off the field and that’s what leaders are made of, what quarterbacks must have to be successful.

We already know about Hall’s athleticism, his extraordinary accomplishments in high school, his controversial position change in college, his size.

Coaches and teammates know about his heart. That’s why everyone involved with the UVa program respects Vic Hall.

He is tremendously emotionally strong — another great quality in a quarterback — and a leader with self-confidence, not cockiness. Hall is one of the most respected players to walk this campus in the last decade, for sure.

That, my friends, is why I believe Vic Hall is your starter.

Offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon said Sunday that a decision is going to have to come soon — a decision that Groh will make. Somewhere in the back of Groh’s mind, I think that decision was made last November when he saw Hall dart through Virginia Tech’s defense, more on raw instinct than preparation.

“I think Vic’s done a great job,” Brandon said when asked about the quarterback picture. “I thought after the spring, he was the guy, and he’s still continuing to make progress and doing some nice things.”

Sewell and Verica have practiced well, too, and personally, I believe it would be wise for UVa to use all three in some capacity this season. Perhaps even two or more of them at the same time.

Wouldn’t want to be the defense that had to deal with that problem.