Gretna's Vic Hall in the mix for U.Va. QB gig

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The sign appears on U.S. 29, north of Charlottesville. As visitors approach the city from northern Virginia, Vic Hall’s likeness adorns a billboard, the face of Cavalier football. The front of Virginia’s 2009 media guide features four players, but Hall stands out in a white jersey, the forefinger on his left hand lifted skyward.

This is no accident. The second Hall appeared at quarterback last November in Blacksburg, the wheels were set in motion for the former Gretna High School standout. He spent the entire spring as Virginia’s top quarterback, even with Jameel Sewell back on campus. And as one reporter noted at Sunday’s ACC Football Kickoff, teams usually don’t bring their No. 2 quarterback to meet the press.

Still, there was some mystery Sunday. Each school brought an offensive and defensive representative to speak to the assembled press. Virginia’s players — offensive lineman Will Barker and Hall.

But when asked the million-dollar question, Hall couldn’t contain his smile.

“Yes, I consider myself a quarterback,” he said, adding he wasn’t sure if he’d be taking the first snap Sept. 5 when the Cavaliers open the season at Scott Stadium against William & Mary.

Hall spent most of his first four years at Virginia as a cornerback, because that’s what U.Va. coach Al Groh wanted. Hall’s astronomical high-school numbers notwithstanding — more than 14,000 yards of total offense and 170 touchdowns in four years at Gretna — he’s the consummate team player. When Groh wanted Hall to return punts, he returned punts. When Groh wanted Hall to play corner, Hall complied.

“I’ll do anything for the team,” Hall said. “I’m a team guy. That’s how I approach the game. That’s how I play.”

But Hall admitted Sunday that playing quarterback was something that always rattled around in his mind.

“It’s something I’ve dreamed about a lot,” he said. “But I just kept it to myself. ... I got that from my grandmother. She always told me to stand behind the leader. And the coach was the leader.”

It would have been easy for Groh to just switch the dynamic Hall to quarterback as Virginia went through a season of instability at the position last fall, but there was one problem — Hall was the Cavaliers’ best cornerback. Hall moved to the defense midway through his redshirt freshman season because U.Va. was thin at corner. As he learned, he improved. Hall had more tackles as a junior than he did as a sophomore despite playing 145 fewer plays. He had a career-high two interceptions last season and collected his first sack.

But with Ras-I Dowling and Chris Cook returning in the secondary, giving Virginia some rare depth at corner, a window opened for Hall to move to quarterback full time. Groh hasn’t made any sort of official announcement to who his choice will be. Hall hasn’t played quarterback full time since 2005. Sewell, Hall’s roommate, missed a season while getting his academics in order. Both are great fits for Gregg Brandon’s new spread offense. Hall has the quicker feet, Sewell the stronger arm.

“We all know the best man is going to play,” Hall said. “We’re all working hard, helping each other. It is a competition, but at the same time, we’re teammates.”

The biggest question about Hall is his throwing ability. At Gretna, he worked nearly exclusively out of the shotgun in a spread offense, much like he will in Brandon’s offense. He only lined up under center in some goal-line packages. The decision to start Hall at quarterback against Virginia Tech came less than a week before the game, giving Hall little time to prepare. He only threw the ball once and operated mostly as a running back taking direct snaps, as Groh didn’t try to overwhelm Hall by installing a complicated offense on short notice.

During the spring, the 5-foot-9 Hall worked on his throwing mechanics and his footwork. He also had to get re-acclimated with throwing over taller offensive linemen. Hall insists that his lack of height doesn’t hinder him terribly, noting that 5-foot-10 quarterback Marques Hagans had success throwing the ball at U.Va.

“It didn’t seem to affect him at all during the spring,” said Barker, a 6-foot-7 tackle.

Nor has the hype that has accompanied Hall heading into his senior year. He said he pays little attention to the billboards around campus, or the television ad campaign that features grainy footage of Hall’s time at Gretna, culled from a DVD highlight video he sent to the U.Va. football offices in 2004.

“Growing up, my grandma always told me to stay humble in what I do,” Hall said. “So I never pay attention to all that stuff. That stuff can be taken away tomorrow. You never know. I just focus on the moment.”

A moment, it seems, that is there for Hall to seize.