We continue our interview here with Chris Colston of the Hokie Annual (@HokieAnnual). If you didn’t see part one on our introduction to Chris Colston, the Hokie Annual, prospects for the 2011-2012 Hokies, and the Offense, please see that here. Part two of our interview is below:
Defense
HOKIE GURU: Our next question comes from @vtbeach who wants to know if we have a legitimate top 5 secondary in the country (for the record, I think we do as I think we’ve become DBACK-U). What is your opinion there?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Athlon has Virginia Tech as the fourth-best set of DBs nationally behind Alabama, LSU and Florida State. I have no reason to disagree.
HOKIE GURU: The last time Virginia Tech didn't send a DB to the NFL in the draft was 1998 (and Torian Gray was drafted in 1997), and Jayron Hosley is getting first and second round predictions before this season has even started... To what do you attribute the Hokies prolific run of pro-caliber db's? (h/t @BigTonyVT)
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Good player evaluation, fertile recruiting ground, excellent coaching.
HOKIE GURU: Which defensive player from an opposing team scares you the most? For me, it’s Luke Kuechly (@BCMike22 wants to know what we plan to do to keep him off the stat sheet… don’t tell him haha).
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: A bunch of them. Keuchly, Quinton Coples of North Carolina (unless he’s suspended for going to that draft party), Brandon Jenkins of Florida State, Tydreke Powell. The ACC is loaded with All-America defensive talent.
HOKIE GURU: With Gouveia-Winslow's improvement this spring, will Foster use a base defense more often than the nickel package we saw a lot in 2010? (h/t @PMGingrich)
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Bud Foster is always going to mix things up. But JGW will see more action this year than last.
HOKIE GURU: Which player on this defense who is an unknown quantity now might be a household name by the end of the season (e.g. 2nd team All-ACC material)?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: James Gayle, easily. He’s primed for a huge breakout year. Derrick Hopkins also. Perhaps Kyle Fuller. There are quite a few youngsters ready to bust out…JR Collins, Tariq Edwards, Antone Exum. I’m very excited to see how they all progress.
HOKIE GURU: And we’ll close with my question… what are your biggest concerns and what are you most excited about on defense?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Depth at tackle is my biggest concern. Or end, when Collins moves inside. What excites me most? The wealth of young, active, fast players and Bud Foster’s ability to get the most out of them.
Special Teams
HOKIE GURU: We always seem to find a kicker when we need one, so I’m not as worried about that, but I think Hokie Nation would appreciate a special teams update… what’s your take here?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: Frank Beamer said as recently as last week that he’s still not sure who’ll end up as the placekicker and punter. Those jobs will be determined in August.
HOKIE GURU: And, more specifically, @JakeSpain wants to know if we are making a conscious effort to go back to "Beamerball"? Special Teams haven't produced in the last two years like they had before [on the defensive side of the ball].
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: It would be nice to block some kicks again, wouldn’t it? But teams are so aware of Frank Beamer’s special teams prowess that they spend extra time on it the week they play Virginia Tech. It’s just become tougher to exploit the weaknesses when it becomes an opponent’s week-long point of emphasis.
HOKIE GURU: And we’ll close with my question… what are your biggest concerns and what are you most excited about on special teams?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: I mean, is there really any way Tech’s placekicker in 2011 makes 21 consecutive field goals? Or the punter has the second-best average in school history? There’s likely going to be a drop-off there.
But the kick returners? WOW. Dyrell Roberts and David Wilson are as good as it gets there. I can’t imagine two better kickoff returners in the nation.
ACC Conference Play/Championship
HOKIE GURU: Florida State, of course, will be highly favored by the national media and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) beat writers to win the conference. With several returning starters and excellent recruiting, many think the Noles are back. However, @JoshuaDelung thinks we might have a more complete team than in years past (and this has been the Virginia Tech Conference as of late) and wants to know if we have a chance at winning the ACC again. Your thoughts? On the flip side of the coin, one of our rivals (@KilroyFSU) asks if we can continued to dominate the ACC or if others are catching up?
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: There is no question in my mind that Virginia Tech will have a better overall football team in 2011 than in 2010. I definitely see an ACC title game rematch. But yes, the conference as a whole is getting better.
Where can we buy the 2011 Hokie Football Annual?
HOKIE GURU: I have many DMV (e.g. DC/Maryland/Virginia… Washington DC-Centric) followers… where can my followers buy that publication in a traditional brick and mortar store? FYI, here’s the cyberspace hyperlink (http://www.chriscolston.com/) and it’s cheap… $14.99 plus shipping and handling… it’s an awesome Father’s Day gift and a great purchase that will help you get fired up for the 2011 Hokies football season.
HOKIE FOOTBALL ANNUAL: We really amped up our distribution avenues this year. It is available statewide at most Barnes & Noble stores, Giant food stores, Target, Food Lion and Borders. In June it will be available at Kroger. In southwest Virginia it’s available at most Stop-In stores, Gobbler Gear in Salem, and University Bookstore, Volume 2 Bookstore and Tech Bookstore in Blacksburg. And yes, you can always order online at http://www.chriscolston.com/
Here some traditional brick and mortar locations in Alexandria, VA or Arlington, VA where you can buy the Hokie Annual:
· Target, 6600 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA
· Target, 3601 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA
· Bottom Dollar, 8750 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA
· Barnes and Noble, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA
· Giant, 5870 Kingstowne Center, Alexandria, VA
· Giant, 3680 King Street, Alexandria, VA
· Giant, 3131 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA
· Giant, 7558 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA
· Barnes and Noble, 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500, Arlington, VA
· Borders Books and Music, 1201 Hayes Street, Suite C, Arlington, VA
· Borders Airport, 105 Air Cargo Road, Arlington, VA
· Giant, 3115 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA
HOKIE GURU: Thank you so much for spending time with us, Chris!! GO HOKIES!!
We thank Chris Colston of the 2011 Hokie Football Annual for spending some time with us. I can’t imagine a better publication to take with you to the beach this summer. It also makes a strong Father’s Day gift.
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