Florida Homecoming
September 29, 2003 10:13 PM | General
September 30, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Having 10 West Virginia players from Florida will help sell tickets for Thursday night’s game against Miami in the Orange Bowl.
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| Tight end Tory Johnson is one of 10 Florida residents on West Virginia's roster. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Senior strong safety Leandre Washington estimates he will have as many as 200 friends and family make the trip from nearby Key West for the game.
“I got about 25 tickets for them,” he said. “The other ones pretty much went on the computer and got them. They’ve been looking at this game for a long time.”
Senior tight end Tory Johnson, a resident of Dania, Fla., says he will have about 20 to 30 friends and relatives there Thursday night.
“I told them to go ahead and do a package deal thing because it will be crazy trying to get tickets here,” Johnson said. “I told them to just go ahead and get their own.”
Johnson and senior Lance Frazier have gone through this before when West Virginia played Miami in 2001. Washington, a junior college transfer, will be making his first appearance in the Orange Bowl.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing against Miami in the Orange Bowl,” Washington said.
Been there, done that for Frazier, though he tries to forget about WVU’s 45-3 loss to the No. 1-ranked Hurricanes two years ago.
“This is the second and last time there,” said Frazier, a Delray Beach native. “There are bad memories in that stadium for me. I just want to go out with a bang, play my best football and have a couple of personal battles on the other side of the ball between friends.”
Frazier counts Hurricane wide receiver Jason Geathers among his closest friends. Frazier played against defensive lineman Vince Wilfork in high school and his first cousin is backup quarterback Derrick Crudup.
“It’s kind of strange at first when you actually step out on the field and you see them across from you,” said Frazier. “Then that goes out the window and you know you have a game to win.”
Washington says he knows several Miami players, but he doesn’t count any of them as friends.
“I’ve played against them in high school or in camps,” said Leandre. “A lot of them I met on recruiting visits.”
Both Washington and Frazier agree that it will be a special time playing in front of so many people they know.
“My mom, my dad and my brother (Calvin) will get to see me play in person for the first time since I left high school,” he said. “My brother has never seen me play live.”
It will be special to Frazier for similar reasons.
“I spoke to my mom last night. She said she had just got off the phone with Jason Geathers’ mom and she was about ready to cry,” said Frazier. “She said it was the last time their sons would be on the same field playing together. It’s very special for them and they plan on tailgating and doing all kind of special stuff. I wish I could be out there with them.”
Frazier, Johnson and Washington all agree that they prefer playing against Miami in the Orange Bowl instead of playing for them.
“It was a dream of mine to play in the Orange Bowl … against Miami,” Johnson smiled.
“Florida State was my favorite team and I liked Florida because I had friends go there,” added Washington. “Every time Miami played I rooted against them. I never wanted them to win because they always had the dominant team and I never liked all of those who jump on the bandwagon and pick the team that’s going to win. I like to be for the underdog.”
With Miami being a substantial favorite, Washington will be in a familiar role when the Mountaineers play the Hurricanes for the last time now that Miami has decided to leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference next year.
“There are going to be a lot of things going through my mind, but my main focus is going to be to go out there and do what I’m supposed to do and give 110 percent,” said Washington.
West Virginia will fly to Miami Wednesday morning in time for a late afternoon workout in the Orange Bowl.
In addition to Frazier, Johnson and Washington, West Virginia’s other Florida residents are senior wide receiver Travis Garvin (Bradenton), reserve quarterback Dwayne Thompson, freshmen defenders Pat Liebig and Jules Montinar (Naples), backup running back Freddie Little (Riviera Beach), junior running back Kay-Jay Harris (Tampa), and injured safety Jahmile Addae (Valrico).
