COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Mikell Simpson casually walked into the media tent at Byrd Stadium. It was the first time this season he had been requested for interviews following a game.
With a humble demeanor, he slowly walked to the lectern, still wearing his dirt-streaked uniform pants and a black, sleeveless shirt. This was the moment he had been waiting for "ever since I left high school," Simpson said. "I came to college thinking I could do the same thing I did in high school."
Reporters held their recorders up and cameramen shined their lights on his face, and Simpson, the man of the hour, stood silently. The first reporter spoke up and appropriately asked of his second-half performance Saturday night. Simpson answered, and before speaking about himself, he credited his teammates and their refusal to give up in the second half.
"The second half was a display of not giving up and knowing that we would never crack no matter what the situation," he said.
If you hadn't just seen the last 60 minutes of football, you probably wouldn't have known who he was. He's listed in Virginia's media guide at a generous 6-1, 197 pounds. And on his eye black stickers is written the name Jayda, his two-week old niece. Simpson said she got a nice birthday present from his performance Saturday.
If you look for Simpson's name on Virginia's roster, you might have trouble finding him. He's not even listed on the depth chart, since Simpson is listed as both a tailback and wide receiver. Groh calls him his secret-agent man.
Considering Simpson's high school stats, it's a little surprising he had to wait this long to make a name for himself.
He was a named a four-star player by Rivals.com while he was in high school. A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Simpson was ranked the No. 14 running back in the country. The whole country. Just for comparison, Peter Lalich was only the No. 17-ranked quarterback by Rivals coming out of high school. Simpson averaged almost 10 yards a carry his junior year in high school. He played defense and wide receiver. Simpson is what Groh is talking about when he says he likes diversity in his recruits.
After redshirting in 2005, Simpson's freshman year lacked the excitement he showed in Harrisburg. Buried in the depth chart behind Jason Snelling and Cedric Peerman, Simpson recorded only 13 carries and 12 receptions, playing in only half the games of the 2006 season. But that doesn't mean that Simpson had lost whatever it was that drove him to success in high school.
Jameel Sewell remembers exactly how Simpson's career started last season. "The first carry he ever got was against Pittsburgh, at Pittsburgh [Sept. 2, 2006]," Sewell said. "The play was messed up totally. I called the play wrong, and he broke it for 18-, 20-something yards and from that point on, we knew he had the ability to do it."
Finally, the heralded recruit is living up to his statistics. His turnaround has suddenly become one of the best storybook breakouts in Virginia history.
"I never dreamed of this," Simpson said. "But things happen and this was just one of those moments that it happened, and I just thank God for that."
As he stood behind the lectern in the media tent following Saturday's game, he looked like he'd been there before. Humble yet confident, he exited the tent quietly, as if the fans waiting for him weren't screaming his name.
"Mike-kell, Mike-kell," they yelled. His name has a little rhythm to it, especially when shouted by thousands of Virginia fans. Maybe it'll catch on.
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