When senior linebacker LaRoy Reynolds walks onto the football field at Scott Stadium for the final time Thursday evening, the bright lights illuminating a newly-galvanized fan base, a bowl berth within his team’s grasp, he will feel a familiar jolt of energy one last time in Charlottesville. This time, it will feel just a little bit more special.
Reynolds and 15 other seniors, the last remaining links to the Al Groh era of Virginia football, will play their final home game on Senior Night against the Tar Heels in a nationally-televised spotlight against the Cavaliers’ oldest rival. Virginia’s two-game winning streak has ensured that the game will have far more than just sentimental significance for the team’s seniors. Two more wins would give this graduating class the send-off they expected entering the season, a send-off that includes a postseason appearance.
“Just like every game, I’m going to be the same energized, hyped up guy on the field,” Reynolds said. “The atmosphere is going to be great, playing the last home game and being with the team again working to get this bowl bid.”
The 2012 graduating class bridges the gap between two distinct eras of Virginia football. In 2009, Reynolds’ freshman year, the team struggled to a 3-9 finish. Coach Mike London was hired to replace Al Groh, and the team began a transition that culminated in an appearance in the Chik-fil-A Bowl last season. Now, the team’s seniors will play one more home game before handing the reigns to a promising crop of young players — players that this year’s graduating class has helped mentor.
“Your career goes by fast,” senior linebacker Steve Greer said. “The upperclassmen tell you that when you’re a freshmen, ‘Savor it, it’s going to go by fast.’ It’s kind of weird that it’s already here, so just go out and enjoy it — and the best way to do it is to get a win.”
Perhaps no loss looms larger for the Cavaliers after this season than that of a pair of linebackers that have provided veteran leadership, consistent production and an even-keeled outlook. Greer and Reynolds form one of the most talented defensive duos in the ACC. The pair’s 473 combined tackles since 2010 ranks third among active ACC teammates. Before the season began to turn around with a 33-6 blowout victory against N.C. State Nov. 3, Reynolds’ quiet confidence was a point of reference for a young team facing adversity.
“I think for a lot of the younger guys, [winning] has helped them a lot,” Reynolds said. “For me, I’ve always had the vision of being able to say, ‘We’re going to pull this out, we’re going to be okay.’ It wasn’t really a confidence boost because I felt it happening.”
The perceptive Reynolds has undergone a transformation since first donning a Virginia uniform in 2009. He now has a new number, a new position and a new coach. Reynolds arrived at the University as a safety in the 3-4 scheme of defensive coordinator Groh. He has become a star linebacker in the 4-3 scheme of defensive coordinator Jim Reid.
One thing that has not changed is Reynold’s source of inspiration on the field. Reynolds will honor the memory of his former teammate and late friend, Charles Humphrey, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Jan. 2009, one final time at Scott Stadium Saturday. Reynolds and Humphrey were co-captains at Maury High School in Norfolk, Va, where Humphrey was an All-Eastern District running back and Reynolds was a two-way standout. In 2010, Reynolds switched to number 9, the number Humphrey wore in high school.
“Every time I put the jersey on, I think about it, and it helps me stay focused and just understand what I’m playing for,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds is a co-captain once again this season. The three-star recruit played exclusively on special teams during his freshman season in 2009, but Reynolds has emerged as an irreplaceable cog at linebacker for the Cavaliers. He has been one of the few constants on Virginia’s defense the past two seasons, starting 21 of the team’s 23 games.
Like Reynolds, Greer has grown as a person and player since London arrived at the University in 2010. Greer redshirted the 2008 season before becoming a standout performer in 2009. As a freshman, he recorded 92 tackles, fifth most among freshmen in the nation. Greer is the ACC career active leader in tackles with 349 and was named to the All-ACC Second-team in 2011. He now volunteers at the hospital, visiting children weekly as part of the community service work that London wants his players to complete.
“[Having Greer and Reynolds] means a lot, particularly when you’re away from the practice field,” London said. “I mean, these are guys that have been around, have been college students that talk about how these guys conduct themselves away from the practice field.”
In the win against Miami last weekend, with Virginia trailing 40-35, the veteran linebackers took the Cavaliers’ bowl hopes into their own arms. The Hurricanes handed the ball off to the elusive freshman running back Duke Johnson on third-and-six. Greer and Reynolds reached Johnson together, combining for the tackle that would set up the team’s game-winning score.
“Me and LaRoy have become pretty close over the last couple of years,” Greer said. “We’ve been through a lot together. I think we look at each other as brothers. We have fun being out there together and really enjoy and take it all in because we don’t have a lot of time left.”
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