Versatile and unselfish, Chancellor's NFL future bright

Posted to: College Football Sports

Senior day
Today is the final home game for 15 seniors who’ve started at least one game for the Hokies – five on offense, eight on defense and the kicker and punter.
Combined, the Hokies lose 121 games and 92 starts of experience from the offensive line, a three-year starter at tight end and their lead blocker in goal-line situations.
Defensively, Tech’s seniors have combined for 955 career tackles, 88 for loss, 38 sacks, 49 pass break-ups, 17 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles.

Here’s a look at three top seniors from South Hampton Roads making their final home appearance today:

TE Greg Boone The Oscar Smith High graduate has played in 49 games, starting 38, and has caught 44 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, the Hokies built their Wild Turkey offense around him and he rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Boone has lined up at quarterback, fullback, tight end and wide receiver at Tech.
DT Demetrius Taylor The Kellam High grad played 41 games, starting three, and recorded 42 tackles, six for loss, 1.5 sacks and nine quarterback hurries. He owns several team weightlifting records and built his body from that of a linebacker to one of a defensive tackle. His senior season has been his best.
FS Kam Chancellor The Maury High grad has played 51 games, starting 38, and recorded 197 tackles, 4.5 for loss, five interceptions, 18 pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. Arguably the team’s most versatile athlete, he came to Tech as a quarterback, played corner as a true freshman, started at strong safety as a sophomore and finally settled at free safety last season.

About N.C. State
While the Wolfpack is 4-6, three of its losses have come by less than a touchdown. And QB Russell Wilson is arguably the ACC’s best. He has thrown for 2,534 yards, rushed for 319 yards and accounted for 30 total touchdowns. RB Toney Baker also has 664 rushing yards, 306 receiving yards and nine total TDs. N.C. State ranks among the top 25 nationally in passing and scoring offense. That’s not the problem. The Pack’s defense has been pretty porous. They’ve given up at least 450 yards and 42 points in four of the past five games. State ranks 99th nationally in scoring defense. One bright spot is DE Willie Young, who has seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. One reason for the Pack’s problems this season has been a rash of injuries – including a season-ending ailment for return man T.J. Graham, whose averages of 10.4 yards on punt returns and 25 yards on kickoffs (including a touchdown) are among the ACC’s best.

By Kyle Tucker
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 21, 2009

BLACKSBURG

The question has been the same since the first day Kam Chancellor stepped on Virginia Tech's football practice field: Where do you put him?

He came to the Hokies after starring for Maury High School as a quarterback and safety. When Tech coach Frank Beamer looked at the 6-foot-4, 200-pound freshman - who had a receiver's speed and a linebacker's mentality - he saw one of the Hokies' most versatile new weapons.

Near the end of Chancellor's first week of practice, Beamer pulled him off to the side. He grabbed another freshman, Zach Luckett, who was similarly built. Beamer took turns lining up Luckett as a defensive back and Chancellor as a receiver - then switching them - and having a quarterback throw passes their way.

"I still remember that day like it was yesterday," Chancellor said. "I kind of just thought if I could show him something, I had a chance to get on the field. I didn't care where they put me. I just wanted to play."

He has played plenty since that afternoon in August 2006. Today's game against N.C. State, in fact, will be Chancellor's 52nd as Hokie. He'll make his 39th start on Tech's senior day - the final home game of his career.

"Time just flew right by," he said. "I can't believe it's almost over."

A lot has happened since that session with Beamer as a freshman. The coach decided he was best suited for defense, but it was only the beginning of figuring out where the tall talent would end up.

He played cornerback as a true freshman, mainly because it was the quickest path to playing time. The Hokies needed a third corner. Despite looking freakishly big for the position, Chancellor intercepted one pass and narrowly missed a second as a back up.

His sophomore season, Tech needed a new starting strong safety. Chancellor, ever the adapter, moved and won the job. The new spot felt like home and he enjoyed arguably his finest season, recording 79 tackles, breaking up seven passes, intercepting one and forcing a fumble.

"I knew strong safety was my spot and I wanted to say there," Chancellor said. "But the team needed me at free safety and I wanted to be a leader."

Last year, Tech was trying to replace D.J. Parker, who started for three seasons at free safety. That position is essentially the quarterback of coordinator Bud Foster's defense. It requires a smart player who knows every intricacy of the scheme and can help the rest of the players make adjustments on the fly.

"That's such a leadership role for us, such a take-charge position for us," Foster said. "I thought he was the right guy for that. And he thought he was the right guy."

Most everyone agreed. His 6-foot-4 frame had filled out to a chiseled 230 pounds and he still ran like a deer and hit like a truck. Secondary coach Torrian Gray, once a star free safety himself for the Hokies, said before last season that Chancellor would leave Tech as its all-time greatest safety.

But that prediction never came to fruition. Chancellor struggled early last season in his new role. Trying too often to land the big hit, he missed some tackles. Not used to covering receivers, he was beaten for a few long passes. He felt a little out of place.

"Staying at strong safety probably would have been more comfortable for me," he admits now, "but that would've been selfish. So I did it for the team - but also for me. I knew moving would make me better, teach me some things that will benefit me later."

Chancellor seemed to settle into the spot late in the year and played perhaps the game of his career in last season's Orange Bowl. He broke up two passes, made a diving interception and narrowly missed a second pick when he landed out of bounds after an acrobatic catch.

Coaches and fans - and Chancellor - expected that to carry over to this season. I some ways it has. He has played a more solid season overall than last, but missed tackles and blown assignments have made a few reappearances.

Chancellor was picked on in losses to Alabama and Georgia Tech. On the other hand, he had a stretch of four games out of five recording at least nine tackles.

"I would say he has been good. I wouldn't say he was the best safety that ever played here," Gray said. "But that's not all his fault. Free safety is probably not his strength for the next level. Strong safety will accentuate his strengths."

Chancellor could've left after his breakout bowl performance and been a rookie in the NFL this season. He said the league's underclassmen advisory board told him he would've likely been a third- or fourth-round pick.

But he stayed to get his degree, to help his team and to pick up a few more pointers from Gray, who played three seasons in the NFL. Gray said he thinks Chancellor will have a career of "10-plus years" as a strong safety.

"Coming back was the right thing to do," Chancellor said. "Playing free safety was the right thing, too. Even if I don't play that in the NFL, it taught me a lot of things now that will help me as a strong safety. I don't think it hurt me at all.

"I have no regrets."

Foster said that when Chancellor is drafted, it will be his new team's job to figure out what Tech tried for four years to figure out: Where do you put him? In so many ways, that is a good problem to have.

The Hokies have won 38 games and two ACC titles in Chancellor's career. He has 197 tackles, 18 pass break-ups and five interceptions.

"He has been a very unselfish guy and he has helped us win a bunch of football games," Foster said. "I'll look at this guy as one of the great football players that have played here in my time. The football team was more important to him than his personal success. When you get your best football players thinking that way, you have a great chance to have a great program."

Kyle Tucker, (757) 446-2374, kyle.tucker@pilotonline.com

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