Tom Hagan seems to be just like any other incoming first year. He is spending his summer worrying about saying good-bye to friends, summer jobs and packing for college. But unlike any other student, he was named first team All-Group AAA at punter, all-area in both football and baseball, a starter for the Group AAA state basketball champions and a valedictorian of his high school class. In addition to all the stresses of going to college, Tom is expected to be the starting punter for Virginia and play baseball for the Cavaliers all in his first year.
Both Tom and head football coach Al Groh hope he can be an answer to one of the biggest concerns for this year's team. The Cavaliers lost punter Mike Abrams and place-kicker David Greene from last year's team, and the only other remaining scholarship kicker is place-kicker Bryan Smith, who missed all of spring practice after knee surgery.
"In terms of priority competition and filling spots, that's one of the first spots where we need some answers," Groh said. "Tom is going into training camp as the starter. That's what he was recruited for. That's been the plan and that's the way it's going to be."
At Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Va., Hagan played wide receiver, defensive back and punter. For Virginia, however, he will only punt. This season he will have more of a chance to study the game on the sidelines instead of being in the game at all times.
It was important to Hagan in selecting a school that he found one where he could keep spring free to concentrate on baseball. Although he was recruited by Virginia primarily for football, he was still among a list of the top baseball recruits. Groh respected his request and has given Hagan permission to put his attention on the diamond in the spring. He received interest from other high-profile colleges like Michigan and Ohio State. In selecting a school, it was important that he had the opportunity to play both sports. Virginia appeared to present an unbeatable football-baseball combination.
"My parents had a big influence on me to go" to Virginia, Hagan said. "The coaching staff and their recruiting process and what they offered made me feel the most comfortable out of all the other schools recruiting me."
Hagan's mother received her undergraduate degree from Virginia and his father graduated from the University Medical School. He even told his parents before all the recruitment process that, athletics aside, he would have wanted to go to Virginia.
"I like U.Va. for its tradition in academics and in sports as well as the history of the school," he said.
Hagan is the first recruit to sign with Virginia from Cave Spring High School since NFL standouts Tiki and Ronde Barber. He also was a classmate and basketball teammate of McDonald's All-American and Duke signee J.J. Redick. Even with that company, Cave Spring football coach Ben Foutz said, "I'm not sure that Tom Hagan isn't our best all-around athlete."
Hagan will report to Charlottesville for football practice at the end of July. Until then, he can just worry about good-byes, jobs and packing.
Read More
Football lands three additional transfers
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayOne common trait that stands out with this most recent batch of transfers is size.
Men’s basketball suffers road drubbing versus California
By Emory Huffman | YesterdayVirginia submitted another rudderless performance.
