Oct. 26, 2007

By Bill Hass
theACC.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The eyes of Joe Tereshinski may be 83 years old, but they're still sharp when it comes to watching football.

Especially when he sees his grandson, Wake Forest tight end John Tereshinski, play on TV or in person.

"(My) grandfather watches every game," John Tereshinski said. "He's a coach within himself. He knows the game of football. I could have played the greatest game ever and he's telling me what I'm doing wrong.

"He's always there for me, always calling me every Sunday, checking up on me. It's definitely a plus having him in my life in football and off the field."

Joe Tereshinski admitted that he puts his grandson under careful scrutiny. But he's almost always pleased with what he sees.

"I watch him very, very closely and if I see something that may help him I'll discuss it with him," Joe said. "He is not afraid to go ahead and put his nose in there. He's a good blocker, tries hard and you can count on him 100 percent. That's all you can ask. Wake Forest has a very good offensive system and I'm glad he's part of it.

"I've seen him catch some passes that were difficult to catch. There were a couple that he caught that were thrown pretty low to the ground and you would think it was impossible to get your hands underneath the ball. But he succeeded and gained 15 or 20 yards after the catch."

John Tereshinski has indeed become an integral part of the Deacons' offense. Not only has he caught 20 passes this season - likely a record for a tight end in the seven-year Jim Grobe era - but he's averaging 12.6 yards per catch.

"I think he runs well," said North Carolina coach Butch Davis, whose team plays Wake Forest on Saturday. "You see him not only on some of the short and intermediate routes but (they have) the ability to get him deeper as part of the second- and third-level passing that they're doing."

Grobe said Tereshinski's maturity and experience have contributed to what, in essence, has been a breakout season.

"He's always been a kid who could go catch the football," Grobe said, "but we like him as an overall player right now. He takes a lot of pride in his blocking ability. We've been able to at times catch some teams playing man coverage and matching up with John one-on-one with their linebackers. John runs well enough that he can get away from some people.

"We're excited about what John has done for us this year. Zac Selmon (the other tight end) is doing a good job, too. They're both fifth-year seniors and when you get old guys in your program, you'd like to think that they'll play their best football. In John's case, I think he has taken a lot of pride in being a good receiver for us and it has been good for our offense, certainly."

Tereshinski said he came to Wake Forest knowing that the Deacons always try to set up the run first, so he worked on his blocking. After a red-shirt season, he caught eight passes in each of his first two years, then added 16 more receptions, with two touchdowns, last year.

"You definitely feel like you're part of the wins and part of the success of the team," he said of this year's increased role. "You also have to realize that when the offense hasn't done well, it's you, too.

"It's nice to know that the coaches have faith in you. It has been a fun season so far and hopefully we can keep progressing and winning and make it even better. Our line is doing well in pass protection, our quarterback (Riley Skinner) is throwing the ball pretty well, so they make it pretty easy for us."

Every receiver dreams of making a big catch late in a game and Tereshinski did that this year, catching Skinner's pass in the back of the end zone with three seconds left against Maryland. The conversion tied the game and the Deacons went on to win in overtime, 31-24.

"We had to go about 90 yards with not much time on the clock," Tereshinski said of the final drive. "Our offense was just clicking, firing on all cylinders, no missed blocks, nothing to set us back.

"That particular play, Riley threw a nice ball. It seemed like (it took) forever to get to me but it fell right in behind the defense and put it into overtime. It was a phenomenal experience and something I'll never forget."

Neither will his grandfather.

"He enjoyed that," Joe Tereshinski said. "We all did. Everyone who is a competitor, they like to see things like that. Everything worked out well for Wake Forest that particular day. That was a great victory."

The football bloodlines run extremely deep in this family. John Tereshinki's father, uncle and brother all played at Georgia. But everything started with Joe, who left the Pennsylvania coal mine country to play at Georgia in 1942. His roommate and fellow Pennsylvanian was Charley Trippi, still regarded as one of the greatest all-around backs in Bulldog history.

After a hitch in the Army from 1943-45, Joe Tereshinski returned to Georgia to play in 1945 and 1946 as an end on offense and defense. During his career, Georgia went 31-3 and played in the Rose Bowl, Oil Bowl (in Houston) and Sugar Bowl, winning all three.

Joe also played in the 1947 College All-Star game, when the collegians beat the Chicago Bears 16-0 before a record crowd of 105,840 fans in Soldier Field. And the legacy didn't stop there.

It's not unusual for ACC players to have fathers who played in the NFL - Zac Selmon (son of Dewey Selmon) and Micah Andrews (son of William Andrews) are two examples just at Wake Forest - but how many can say their grandfather played pro football?

That's what Joe Tereshinski did from 1947-54 with the Washington Redskins, followed by a five-year stint as an assistant coach. He played both ways at end and also some at linebacker. He was described in the 1957 team media guide as "one of the most versatile Redskins in history." Although he caught 43 passes for 451 yards and four touchdowns in his career, Joe was better known as a defensive player.

"I've always heard good stories about how fierce he was in tackling people and how hard he played, always storming around," John Tereshinski said.

Joe Tereshinski laughed when he heard about his grandson's description of him as a tackler.

"He's bragging a little bit," Joe said. "I played a lot like John as far as the offense is concerned. I blocked very well and put a lot into it. And I enjoyed my defense also."

Although everyone in his family went to Georgia to play football - his father is the strength and conditioning coach there - John Tereshinski was only offered a spot as an invited walk-on. Brad Lambert, the Deacons' linebackers coach and a former Georgia assistant, talked him into a visit to Wake Forest.

"There's something very special about this place," Tereshinski said, "and I wanted to branch out and sort of start my own tradition and legacy a little bit."

He has certainly done that, playing a key part in the Deacons' 2006 ACC championship and subsequent berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl. This year's team has recovered from two opening losses to win five straight games and post a 3-1 record in the Atlantic Division.

"If we just do what we're supposed to do and follow our game plan, don't turn the ball over, do well on special teams and win that big-play battle, things will take care of themselves," Tereshinski said of the remainder of the season.

Joe Tereshinski attends a few games every year and last Saturday traveled from his home in Bethesda, Md., to Annapolis to watch Wake beat Navy 44-24. He hopes to be able to make the Deacons' game against Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov. 3. John Tereshinski calls his grandfather "my good-luck charm" because the Deacons have never lost a game that Joe attended.

"It's a wonderful thing to play on a winning football team," Joe said. "I hope Wake can win them all if they possibly can. It's going to be tough, but they'll be in every game."

And his sharp eyes will be watching, with particular focus on his grandson.

---

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.

E-mail Bill Hass

This article can not be copied or reproduced without the express written consent of the Atlantic Coast Conference.