The Virginia football off-season has been nothing short of disasterous. The latest episode, the arrest of J'Courtney Williams, is another example of a Cavalier who appears to have run afoul of the law, this one for larceny. The freshman linebacker is just one of many Cavaliers to present disappointing news to Charlottesville. Let's take a quick look at what has happened to Virginia since their Gator Bowl collapse to Texas Tech:
Defensive coordinator Mike London, architect of one of the top units in the country, left the Cavaliers to become head coach at his alma mater, the University of Richmond.
Often maligned Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell was the next casualty. The sophomore entered January with a few come from behind wins under his belt and bad grades staring him in the face. He was found academically ineligible and was forced to leave school. Of course, that has not stopped Sewell from sticking around the Hook and becoming a mentor for heir apparent Peter Lalich. Despite his erratic play, Sewell was Virginia's most experienced and most composed option under center. Now his future and the outlook of the 2008 season already appeared in jeopardy. Sewell's news was compounded with three other players who would not be attending classes this sping, including starting cornerback Chris Cook.
The January of our discontent had one painful crescendo. Sewell's fellow highschool teammate, defensive lineman Jeffrey Fitzgerald, left the University. The sophomore sensation had created quite a dynamic duo on the line with Chris Long. Fitzgerald recorded 73 tackles last year including 7 sacks and 2 interceptions. He was a difference-maker and was Virginia's best option for keeping the 3-4 defense viable without number 91 in the lineup. Now Virginia must find a way to replace their top two defensive players and a third starter that was expected to suit up in the Fall.
The bad news appeared to have died down, until one unlucky police stop for cornerback Mike Brown. Brown appeared to be in good shape in 2008. He had recovered from an ACL injury over the summer that forced the junior to sit out all of last season. His presence was vital to the team's success after Cook's departure but Brown could not escape the offseason woes. On February 6th, Brown was caught with stolen property and marijuana in his car. The police quickly made the arrest, and Virginia fans were yet again dreading their opener against the Mighty Trojans of USC.
The Cavaliers may be lucky enough to get running back Cedric Peerman and wide receiver Kevin Ogletree back from injuries in 2008, but time will tell just how big an impact these losses will have on the program. One must wonder what will happen to Sewell. The sophomore clearly wants to return but time will tell if that will take place. Lalich's last venture onto the gridiron - during the Gator Bowl - is one he would certainly like to forget. A blown blocking assingment left him as a sitting duck for the Red Raider defense and one fumble later foretold the end of what would have been a magical season. He just never expected the hits to keep on coming after the final whistle had blown.
Certainly every football team in the county has these incidents. All ACC programs have had moments they are not particularly proud of but rarely are these incidents so close together and featuring such high-profile players. It would be easy to scapegoat and blame the pilot of the plane, Virginia coach Al Groh. After all, there are strategies to scare people into submission. However, no one can expect Groh to play babysitter to nearly 100 college students. People need to take responsibility for their own lives.
One thing seems clear, the Cavaliers have picked the wrong year to open their season against the Trojans of USC
the Cavaliers have picked the wrong year to open their season against the Trojans of USC 
. The perennial BCS contender will be looking for blood in Charlottesville and after it is all said and done, the Cavaliers may simply be looking for their mouthpieces.
Have fun at the Spring Game!
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