Oct. 11, 2007

By Bill Hass
theACC.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Corey Gordon came to Virginia Tech to play linebacker, and the truth is he hasn't done as much of that as he would have liked.

But you can't take away his "Pride and Joy."

That's the nickname of one of the special teams Gordon plays on. And it's something the fifth-year senior wouldn't trade for anything.

"Maybe things didn't work out on defense," Gordon said, "but our special teams are just as fun and exciting to me as it would be to play defense. I never really looked at it as disappointment. I looked at it like whatever I can do to help, get out there with my teammates and have fun. I enjoy the special teams aspect of the game and it has been really great for me."

That's just the way coach Frank Beamer wants his special teams players to feel. Beamer has long placed an emphasis on those units and wants their members to consider it an honor to be selected. The Hokies have become renowned for their ability to impact a game with them. They hit Clemson with touchdowns on a punt return and a kickoff return in last Saturday's 41-23 win.

"It's not so much that it's difficult to prepare (for the special teams), it's that they're good," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "It's hard to get your scout team to imitate how good they are."

The next assignment for the Hokies' special teams is Saturday against Duke. If 12th-ranked Virginia Tech can win that one, it will tie Virginia for first place in the Coastal Division of the ACC at 3-0.

Beamer said he learned the importance of special teams from being around coaches like Jerry Claiborne, Bobby Ross, Mike Godfrey and Art Baker, all of whom emphasized that aspect.

"When I got to be a head coach, it made sense to me that the quickest way to win a football game is on special teams," he said. "You're always talking about momentum, maybe points, or a lot of yardage."

Throughout his career, Gordon has played on every special team except field goal protection (he says he's too small, at 220 pounds, for that one). He's a regular on the punt block and kickoff coverage teams and a backup on the kickoff return, punt coverage and field goal block teams.

He has the most fun on the punt block team, which Tech calls "Pride and Joy."

"I'm pretty much one of the people that goes at the ball," Gordon said. "I line up on the inside, whatever coach Beamer has in store. I'm almost there (to blocking one). I'm getting closer and closer every week. If we don't get the punt, we're shedding our blocks and trying to help the runner get in the end zone any way possible."

Eddie Royal did just that against Clemson last week, taking a punt back for a score. It was the second time he's returned one for a touchdown this season. When the unit makes a play that turns a game around, Gordon said, the feeling is indescribable.

"Just the whole feeling of changing the game, that's the kind of mindset all the players on `Pride and Joy' have," he said. "It's maybe not as great as scoring a touchdown, but just knowing that you put your team in that position to score a touchdown is a great feeling."

Tech likes to send someone after every punt, believing that can help create long returns. Duke coach Ted Roof agreed.

"You get so concerned with protection, and rightfully so," Roof said, "that you get it protected and nobody gets out and covers and their return people have 20 yards of field to work with and you see what they've done with everybody. They're fantastic in the open field.

"So there's got to be a balance there between protection and coverage. You hope you execute and guys are going to have to make plays in space, so it's certainly a task that is pretty daunting."

The flip side of special teams is coverage. Beamer doesn't want Tech's opponents to break off a long return and establish good field position, so the Hokies work just as hard on that aspect.

For Gordon, kickoff coverage is quite a different assignment, with bodies flying around and hard collisions inevitable. Although his basic job is as a contain man, making sure nothing long pops loose, he has been successful sticking his nose in to assist on tackles.

"It's chaos at moments," Gordon said, "but once you figure out who's got you, you can look at that person and find them on the field and just watch out for blind-side hits and things like that. A lot of people on kickoff coverage enjoy the contact part of it; you go down the field like an athlete and knock people around and just try to make a play. You're more like a football player, you've just got to play ball.

"We've got to contain and hold our gaps. Everybody on that team just likes to be athletes, everybody enjoys running down the field and making plays in the open field. (Beamer) tries to put some of the best athletes on our team out there. We just go down the field as fast as we can and try to make plays and contain their kickoff return team."

Beamer believes so much in special teams that he integrates them into their regular practice time. He considers it one-third of the total preparation and a way to show the players how important those teams are.

"A lot of people get their special teams before practice or you keep them after practice," he said. "What you're really doing is penalizing kids because they're on special teams and they either had to come early or stay late. We stop right in the middle of things and do special teams and that says it has importance to the football team. It's not only saying special teams is one-third of the operation but putting the importance on it and making the kids believe it's important."

Another way the players get the message is by Beamer doing the coaching on the punt block and kickoff coverage teams and helping coach the punt protection teams. He used to assign those tasks to assistant coaches, but now believes it's a more efficient use of time, freeing up assistants to concentrate on game plans.

"If the head coach is involved, it makes it a little more important to your football team," Beamer said.

Gordon learned that early.

"It's a big thing because Coach Beamer always emphasizes how much special teams can impact a game and change the outcome," he said. "It's something we take very seriously.

"Coach Beamer's knowledge of special teams is unbelievable. He always puts us in position to make plays. He shows us different ways to get through the lines, things like that. I'm focusing on it as much as I can so next year if I do go to the NFL, I can use some of the things that he taught me, give me an edge on other players."

Gordon came to Blacksburg from Gainesville, Fla., via Hargrave Military, where Beamer spotted him. When he took his official visit to Virginia Tech, he knew it was the right place, even though it's hardly surprising he grew up a Gator fan.

"I've never had any regrets, never thought about changing my mind," Gordon said. "As a young kid, I grew up wanting to be a Gator, but once I got up here my whole mindset changed and I realized I was a Hokie at heart."

If you have any doubts about that, just ask him how he has adapted to the cold Virginia winters.

"My first year it was tough," he admitted, "but I think now I kind of like the cold weather more than I like the heat. I go back home and sometimes it's too hot for me down there. After being (stuck) in the house I'll be like, `Man, I just want to go back up north.'"

Beamer said Gordon has made an important contribution with his special teams play.

"Corey is an athletic guy and he's got a good-sized body," Beamer said. "He gets on you blocking and it's hard to get away from him. Then when you've got a fairly tall body and long arms and you're fast, that gives you a real plus as far as blocking kicks. Corey fits both of those.

"It's all part of it, it all goes together to win football games and Corey is a valuable part of our football team."

Gordon tries not to think about the limited number of games left in his college career, but they creep into his mind anyway. There are still some tangible goals to reach.

"I want to get to the ACC Championship game," he said, "and as a person I want to make some plays on special teams, maybe block a couple punts, just contribute any way I can. As a senior I just want to go out on top, keep things going in a positive direction."

And keep making sure he contributes to more of the Hokies' "Pride and Joy."

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Bill Hass is a long-time observer of ACC sports. His career at the Greensboro News & Record spanned 36 years, from 1969 until his retirement in March, 2006. He is now writing "Bill Hass on the ACC" for theACC.com. His weekly columns will keep fans plugged in to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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