Richmond, a Division I-AA team, is among the least of the Virginia football team's worries this year. But at least one member of the Spiders' defense has the potential to leave his mark.
Josh Spraker, a senior defensive lineman from Harmony, Pa., is Richmond's defensive captain and the strongest link in the defensive chain.
Spraker is "well respected by his teammates," Richmond linebackers coach Shane Burnham said. "He's the tone-setter for the defense - the emotional leader. If he's having a good day, our defense will do pretty good."
Spraker is the Spiders' top All-American candidate after being named a second team All-American, first team All-Atlantic 10 and first team All-State last year. He also received preseason All-America honors from Sports Network this year.
"I think any accolade I received was a direct compliment of our team as a whole," Spraker said.
He is quick to note that awards are only a distraction and certainly not his focus during the regular season.
Last year, Spraker was second on his team with 16 tackles for loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. Burnham calls him "a very hard worker."
Spraker did not start playing football until his junior year of high school in Texas, when he traded in his soccer cleats for a set of pads. Now, at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, football seems to fit him just fine.
"I wanted to play college soccer, but I kind of burned out," Spraker said.
When he hangs up his pads for the final time this year, Spraker will leave with a degree in business administration. He has interned in that field and enjoys it, but there is room for more football in his future.
"I'm happy with my [football] career in college and if anything were to happen afterwards it would just be an extra bonus," Spraker said. "With football, it's just one injury before you're done."
Off the field, Spraker still enjoys soccer as well as golf. With a cousin who plays on the professional golf circuit, "my family is big into golf," he said.
Despite the odds, Spraker is calm about facing Virginia this weekend.
The team's goal is "not to be as awestruck as last year," he said. "Just focus on the football that we can play."
"It was really a blessing to see [Virginia] play last Saturday," Spraker said of the Wisconsin game. "We know [Virginia's] kind of plays. Those are plays we play week in and week out in our division."
Richmond will need that kind of confidence against the Cavaliers this weekend. The Spiders' all-time record against Virginia stands at 2-23-2. But with Spraker on its side, Richmond will have one more chance to catch the Cavaliers.
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