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Foot woe can't stop Lundy

October 5, 2005 1:06 am

By TAFT COGHILL JR.

CHARLOTTESVILLE--Even though he's been through more adversity than the average person, not playing football still bothers University of Virginia senior running back Wali Lundy.

Lundy's mother, Joann, died of breast cancer when he was 6. His father, Brian, died at 30 after suffering a stroke when Lundy was 4. Lundy barely survived at 13 before he had surgery to remove scar tissues that were blocking his intestines. Lundy was raised by his grandmother, Etta Davis.

Knowing that background, one might think a sprained left foot is a piece of cake. But it isn't.

Lundy, a New Brunswick, N.J., native, worked hard in the offseason to shed a few pounds in an effort to increase his breakaway speed. He was a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation's best running back before he was injured in a season opening win over Western Michigan.

So far this season, he's rushed just 18 times for 67 yards and no touchdowns. Virginia coach Al Groh said he sympathizes with the senior.

"Wali's got a very good perspective on life, but [football] is very important to him," Groh said. "I think he's dealt with those things in the past, and it's given him perspective, but that's the past. This is the present. He's got a lot invested in the present and the future. He's put a lot into getting ready for the season, and I feel for him."

Lundy said he can't afford to stay down about being injured for too long. While his playing time has decreased dramatically, he's expected to start on Saturday when the Cavaliers (3-1, 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) visit No. 18 Boston College (4-1, 1-1).

"I just have to stay encouraged," he said. "Things happen. It could be a lot worse. God will bring me out of it."

After Virginia fell to Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl last season, Lundy began working hard to get ready for a big senior campaign. Groh said Lundy has always been a hard worker, but his sense of urgency increased.

"He was one of the most diligent players on the team for three years," Groh said. "But he took it to another level this year. So I feel for him in this circumstance. The best he can hope for is half a season."

Lundy was expected to do the heavy lifting after Alvin Pearman departed to the NFL, but that hasn't been the case.

The four-year starter entered this season fifth among active players in the nation in career rushing yards with 2,619. He and New Mexico's DonTrell Moore are the only two active players to have rushed for more than 800 yards in three seasons. Lundy's 33 career rushing touchdowns are second in school history behind Thomas Jones, who ended his career in 1999 with 36.

Lundy was looking forward to breaking that and other Virginia records, but he sat out of the Cavaliers' 27-24 win over Syracuse after he suffered the injury in the season opener. He played sparingly in a win over Duke on Sept. 24, and in Saturday's loss to Maryland. Lundy said he was healthy in both of those contests, but coaches didn't think he was up to his old speed.

Groh said Lundy showed signs of returning to form in practice on Monday, and he's listed as the starter on the team's depth chart this week. While it will be hard to make up for missing the better part of four games, Lundy said all he can do is accept the challenge.

"My spirits have stayed up through this whole situation," he said. "I'm not a person to get too down on myself. I know what I've got to do to get ready. I've just got to stay focused and help my team go win this game."

Lundy said that when he suffered the injury, he didn't think it was serious. He walked off the field on his own power. After a bye week, he was a game-time decision against Syracuse. He started against Duke, but Groh pulled him after recognizing that he didn't have his "juice." The same thing happened against Maryland.

"It wasn't scary or anything," Lundy said of his injury. "I thought it was just a sprain, and with the bye week, I figured I'd be ready for Syracuse, but that wasn't the case."

In Lundy's absence, Michael Johnson (204 yards, two touchdowns) and redshirt freshman Cedric Peerman (195 yards, three touchdowns) have played well.

"I just have to take this as another learning experience," he said. "I just have to put all my faith in God. I know he'll work everything out."

Virginia All-American linebacker Ahmad Brooks spent the first two seasons of his career on the inside in Groh's 3-4 defensive system. But after missing the first three games recovering from offseason knee surgery, Brooks started at outside linebacker on Saturday against Maryland. He'll start at the same position when the Cavaliers face Boston College.

Groh said he prefers Brooks stay on the inside, but a foot injury to sophomore outside linebacker Jermaine Dias has forced him to use Brooks differently. He said the Cavaliers don't have much experienced depth at linebacker. Senior Mark Miller will continue to start in Brooks' place.

Groh's wife, Anne, saved him a ticket for tomorrow night's Rolling Stones concert at Scott Stadium. He hasn't decided whether or not to use it. Groh said the concert falls at a time when he's normally at home anyway, but he may not be in the mood for the Rolling Stones after watching his defense give up 570 yards in Virginia's 45-33 loss to Maryland.

"My mood is more like Gladiator music right now," he said. "It would be a shame to miss it though."

When the Cavaliers traveled to Syracuse, Groh and his staff jokingly told players to make sure they had passports. Little did the staff know, "three or four" Cavalier players thought the staff was serious.

Groh said a few players showed up in the secretary's office, wondering how long it would take to obtain a passport. Groh said that's not unusual with a young team.

"They just have to get used to the circumstances of playing football on this level," he said.

Virginia kicker Kurt Smith had six touchbacks against Maryland, but Groh is reluctant to talk about the kickoff specialist.

"The idea of field position isn't very interesting to fans," Groh said. "It's like talking tires and batteries. Everybody wants to talk about upholstery, but field position is a significant part of any game."

To reach TAFT COGHILL: 540/374-5526tcoghill@freelancestar.com