Published: November 28, 2009 01:50 am      

Hokies' MVP? Taylor gets some love

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Generally speaking, all sports teams have a most-valuable-player. Some are officially announced, some are not. When Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer was recently asked to name his team’s MVP, he would not do so.

“I have a lot of guys that I would put up there right now as most valuable,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of players that have played really well, but I’ll let [the media] pick that right now.”

On the other hand, when Hokies’ redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams was asked to do the same, he didn’t hesitate to provide an answer.

“I would vote for Tyrod (Taylor) because without him a lot of things for this team would not have been possible,” said Williams, just hours after setting a new ACC and Tech freshman rushing record (1,355 yards) in their game against North Carolina State that was previously held by Tech’s Darren Evans (1,265 yards last year).

“He opens up the running game, he’s a terrific passer, he makes plays, and he’s a winner. I wouldn’t want to play for any other quarterback.”

One might accuse Williams of being just a little bit biased in his pick since it was Taylor who played a huge role in recruiting him to Virginia Tech.

In fact, Williams has known Taylor since his freshman year in high school and curiously followed his recruitment after Taylor left Hampton High School as a PARADE All-American and was rated the number-one dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.

That appraisal certainly hasn't been diminished this season. He has completed 56 percent of his passes and thrown 14 touchdown strikes. His three interceptions are the fewest in the nation among full-time starting quarterbacks and entering the Virginia contest he has not thrown a pick in 98 consecutive passes.

In addition, Taylor has rushed for over 300 yards with four touchdowns.

Williams first met Taylor at a state track meet in which Williams was participating and held locally in Taylor’s area.

“Tyrod was there watching the meet and my Little League coach, who is friends with Tyrod’s father, introduced me to him,” Williams said. “We’ve been real cool since then. He’s a big part of the reason that I came (to Tech).”

Taylor was Williams’ host during his official visit to Virginia Tech. When Williams asked him if he thought he would really need him there, Taylor said yes. That sold Williams and cemented his decision to become a Hokie.

After red shirting last season, Williams has emerged as a workhorse running back this year, especially after Evans suffered a season-ending knee injury in early August.

He is certain to be on Beamer’s nameless MVP list and deservedly so. He has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week six times this season.

Williams’ football prowess has become obvious. But how did he do as a 100-meter track athlete on that fateful day?

“I was the only freshman there at the state meet and Percy Harvin beat me in the preliminaries,” remembered Williams. “He was the fastest dude that I ever saw and I didn’t want to run track anymore after that.”

And whatever became of that Harvin kid?

He went on to become a star football player at Florida and in just 36 games amassed 1,929 yards as a wide receiver and 1852 yards on the ground. He averaged an incredible 9.55 yards-per-rush for his college career.

He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 22nd pick of the first round in the 2009 NFL draft in April. Through 10 games this season he has 36 pass receptions, 501 yards, and four touchdowns with the resurgent Brett Favre at quarterback.

As Harvin’s numbers might suggest, he turned out to be a worthy athlete for Williams to put his track career on-the-shelf for.