The Class of 2004 has been there for everymoment of former Virginia quarterbackMatt Schaub's roller coaster career.
They saw him emerge as an unknown and struggle for the starting position. They saw him named 2002 ACC player of the year and become a Heisman Trophy candidate. They saw him break nearly every Virginia passing record in existence. They saw him come back from a shoulder injury in his final season to lead the Cavaliers to a memorable win against Virginia Tech and the nationally ranked Pittsburgh in the Tire Bowl. Finally, they saw him chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the NFL Draft to be the second-string quarterback behind Michael Vick.
Schaub was chosen by the Falcons for several reasons, according to Schaub, his agent, David Dunn of Athletes First, and the Falcon quarterback coach, Mike Johnson. One of the main reasons is Atlanta's implementation of the West Coast offense, the offensive style Schaub became familiar with under Al Groh. The new Falcons' offensive coordinator Greg Napp will be working with a rookie quarterback who already has a good understanding of his style.
"We think he was a good choice because he knows our system," Johnson said. "He knows the offense that we run and one of the key things we look for in a QB is good decision-making. He has shown over an extended period of time that he does that and takes care of the ball."
One of the key aspects of the West Coast offense is that it replaces the running game with short passes. It was originated by Bill Walsh of the 49ers and helped San Francisco win three Super Bowls in a 10-year period (1981, 1988, 1989).
"Matt is very bright," Dunn said. "He sees the field very well and he doesn't make mistakes. "Those are qualities which are good to have in any offense but particularly in Greg Napp's scheme."
Schaub will hold second quarterback spot for the Falcons and could fill in for one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in recent memory -- Michael Vick -- should Vick go down to injury.
Vick left Virginia Tech after two years and was the number one overall draft pick in 2001. In his first two seasons he rushed for 1,066 yards, but he hit a major road bump in his career when he fractured his right leg in the second week of the 2003 preseason.
Whether it's Vick's mobility or just bad luck, Schaub may be more likely than most second-string quarterbacks to see playing time.
"He'll have to be ready for the challenge," Schaub's former Virginia co-captain Almondo Curry said. "Vick's a mobile quarterback and could go down at any moment."
Schaub has several characteristics that give him the potential to play at the next level. His awareness of the pocket, accuracy, strength, intelligence and leadership ability are all qualities that allowed him to succeed at the college level and could be cultivated in the NFL.
As with any college player, however, Schaub will have to make major improvements and adjustments to succeed at the professional level.
"Being a college QB and a pro QB are very different," former Virginia wide receiver Ryan Sawyer said. "You have to look at the corners and look at how fast they are in the NFL. He'll have to improve on getting the ball out there faster than ever before."
The speed of the game will be a major adjustment for Schaub, especially since speed has never been one of his strong points. But Johnson is confident that Schaub can compensate for lack of foot speed with other innate talents, noting in particular Schaub's intelligence.
Schaub is less concerned with possible difficulties and more excited to learn from the best.
"I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to learn behind Vick," Schaub said. "I'll get to play the quarterback position from a different prospective because we have different styles."
Schaub's ability to improve with hard work and good coaching was clearly demonstrated in his time at Virginia. The 2002 season marked a year of coming together for the then-junior quarterback. In that season, Schaub led the ACC in passing and was sixth nationally. He also set or tied at least 10 Virginia single-season records: touchdown passes (28), yards passing (2976), attempts (418), completions (288) and completion percentage (68.9), to name just a few.
"Hard work, watching film, and me with the coaches allowed me to turn things around and everything clicked a few games into the season," Schaub said. "It just went upward for me and blossomed into something that was great for the team and me personally."
Schaub's presence in the Cavalier offense will surely be missed next year, but he, Curry and Sawyer are all confident that Groh will be able to find someone to fill Schaub's big shoes.
Junior Marques Hagans will almost undoubtedly get the first opportunity, while sophomores Christian Olsen and Anthony Martinez and freshman Kevin McCabe have all been discussed as possibilities.
"I don't think they'll have trouble next year [without me] with the guys they have coming back," Schaub said. "The sky is the limit for the offense with the talent they have in the bank."
While the rest of the Virginia fans hold their breath in hopes for a breakout showing by their new quarterback, the Class of 2004 will move on -- perhaps with a new loyalty to the Atlanta Falcons.
Schaub's jump to the next level of his career almost certainly resonates in the hearts of this year's graduates. They may not be facing the nation's strongest and fastest but they will be competing with the nation's best and brightest.
"My hat goes off to them as they go on to the next phase of their lives," Schaub said.
Schaub may be taking his hat off to the Class of 2004, but he's putting his Atlanta Falcons helmet on after ending a career at Virginia that few in the Class of 2004 will ever forget.
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