Cavalier Corner

October 2016

Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/732588

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 22 of 56

said. "When I visited UVA, just knowing the background that the coaches had at BYU and their success there and hearing from them about the ways they wanted to change the program at UVA, it really stood out to me. "Once I got there, you could see it was all real. And it just fit me, everything did, all the way to living in the city, which I like a lot better than the prior place. "It's just more of what I wanted out of the entire collegiate experience and that was plain to see when I visited. Getting a degree from UVA and going to grad school here, it's going to be pretty awesome for me and I'm excited about that." "I liked him a lot," Men- denhall said simply, "but when Coach Ruff endorses someone, I'm going to take his word for it." There's no denying that McNeill's presence at the McCue Center served as a sort of bridge for Benkert, one that brought him to a place he couldn't dream of turning down. "Every single part of it," he said. "I just felt like I'd be cheating myself if I didn't do it." "I think Kurt's initial deci- sion to attend East Carolina was because Coach Ruff is not only a coach but a mentor, a father and grand- father figure to so many of these kids in terms of how to conduct themselves and be a good man," Menden- hall said. "In a very differ- ent personality, that's my primary approach also and my staff's. So I think what Kurt felt was, 'Wait, this is the same message but from different people.' "The style of play offen- Benkert was awarded one of ESPN College Football's helmet stickers for his school-record 421 passing yards in UVA's 49-35 win over Central Michigan Sept. 24. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cavalier Corner - October 2016