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26 CAVALIER CORNER Last season, Snowden was a revelation of sorts. Not only did he finish the season second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss while adding 2.5 sacks and two in- terceptions, but he also led all linebackers nationally in both passes defended (11) and passes broken up (nine). He's now on the watch list for the Butkus Award, given an- nually to the nation's best linebacker. It was, in short, one heck of a coming out party for the then second-year. But now, with fellow outside linebacker Chris Peace headed to the next level, a lot of the chaos Virginia needs to create in opposing backfields will have to include Snowden. And the former basketball player turned linebacker is acutely aware of the situation he and his team face heading into the start of fall camp. "I can just see, from a literal football standpoint, that I definitely have a greater sense of physicality and aggression," Snowden explained. "My football instincts have grown tremendously, knowing what's needed to be successful. And then overall, I just think that I'm a more disciplined person and know that any college sport is a 24/7 commitment. "In high school, outside of those two or three hours of practice, I didn't think about it much. I didn't think about how every decision I make would impact my football career." Midway through his high school career, Snowden transferred schools and reclas- sified to the 2017 class. While he didn't play football that year, his junior year he went to St. Albans' first game and thought he wanted to play. Rules required he not suit up until several games into the season, but from then on the true love of that game won him over. "I was a basketball player through and through," he said with a laugh. "That was my sport." Though he wasn't the most heralded re- cruit, Virginia wanted him badly following a 35-tackle, 5.5-sack season that earned him first-team All-Interstate Athletic Con- ference and first-team All-District of Co- lumbia Interscholastic Athletic Association honors as a senior. After showing flashes, he really came into his own as a second- year and that propelled him into a critical offseason both for his own development and that of his team. "My biggest thing was definitely pass rush and just doing a better job of getting to the quarterback," he said. "With Chris leaving, we have a huge void there going into this season. And also, I focused on my size and strength. I think that will help as well with my pass rush, but mainly in stopping the run. And finally, I wanted to become a more vocal leader on this team. "Last year, I was really just a big 'rah rah' guy, kind of encouraging everybody," Snowden added. "But this year, just being a leader and being more vocal and making sure everyone is upholding the standard, that's what this team needs from me." Having arrived on Grounds at about 190 pounds, he said in July he was now in the "low 230s" and hoped to get to as close to a consistent 235 pounds as he could prior to the start of the season. With his size and frame, it's been especially difficult to keep his weight up. "That's been tough," he said. "Just al- ways constantly eating, even when I'm not hungry. In the weight room, the power cleaning and squatting and benching, it took a little bit of everything to get me on the path I needed to go and I need to go a little longer than everybody else. "On the field, the age-old saying is 'Low man wins' for a reason. When you're taller than your opponent, it's hard to be the low man. So in those aspects, it's been a little bit of a deficit. But the hardships, like with so many things, have just been a challenge and that's helped me." Perhaps that's where those steaks came in this summer as he studied aboard. "I absolutely loved it," Snowden re- called. "My host mom, she was an angel. She was a grandmother, maybe 5-feet tall, and she didn't speak a lick of English. So I really had to get my Spanish down, so I could communicate with her and we shared a lot of laughs. "I really loved it there. Valencia was just an amazing city and everyone was so nice. Weekends, I traveled other places, like Ma- drid and Ibiza. It was just a phenomenal experience." With his summer winding down, the at- STANDING TALL Snowden led all linebackers nationally last year in passes defended (11) and passes broken up (nine). PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA Third-Year Linebacker Charles Snowden is Ready to Lead On And Off the Field BY BRAD FRANKLIN A T 6-FOOT-7, CHARLES SNOWDEN TOWERED OVER THE grandmother who would be his host mom in Valencia, Spain, this summer. The rising third-year linebacker made the mistake of — or, depending on your point of view, was wise in — mentioning to her early on that he loved steak. And so, she served him steak. Every night. With every meal. No matter what else she made. "She was just the sweetest little lady," Snowden recalled. "I'll never forget her." Given the memories he has made on and off the field thus far, it has been a big few years for the Silver Spring, Md., native who is now poised to take over as the go-to linebacker on Bronco Mendenhall's Virginia defense.