Frankie
12-06-2006, 05:55 PM
But someone posted it in another Chiefs forum:
"Silent sack machine
Tim Sandidge doesn't do a lot of talking, but the Tech defensive tackle is a quarterback menace.
By Randy King
981-3126
BLACKSBURG -- If Virginia Tech defensive tackle Tim Sandidge was in law enforcement, he'd definitely want to be an undercover officer.
And when he made a bust or an arrest, he'd prefer to dodge any sort of notoriety.
It's the same modus operandi that Sandidge operates with on the football field. Just quietly go about your business, do your job right, and keep your mouth shut.
Forget about any sack dances. No chest-thumping or other gyrations of braggadocio here. There's no trash-talking, hooping or hollering with this guy.
"I like to fly below the radar," Sandidge said. "I'm not the type that talks much. Let your play talk for yourself. If you're making plays, you don't really have to speak. You're already in that offensive lineman's head and he's thinking, 'What can I do this time to block him?' "
That's a question a lot of opposing linemen undoubtedly have been asking themselves lately. The only thing bigger than the 6-foot-1, 304-pound Sandidge has been his game. He's playing like a hungry bear who just broke out of his cage.
"Tim has been a beast in there for us," Hokies star defensive end Darryl Tapp said. "He has elevated his game and there has been no stopping the guy."
About time again, Sandidge said.
"This being my senior year, I really wanted to go out with a bang," Sandidge said. "So I wanted to go out and make plays, be on the field as much as possible, and put Coach [Charley] Wiles [Hokies D-line coach] in a position that he would have to play me."
Inserted into the starting lineup after Carlton Powell sprained his right ankle in the season opener at North Carolina State, Sandidge has looked much like the player who registered 77 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2002-03.
There has been no resemblance to the guy wearing No. 71 last season who sat most of the time and recorded a measley seven tackles in 10 games.
While Wiles' decision to play natural end Jim Davis inside at times led to some of his decreased playing time last season, Sandidge confessed he also was guilty for his predicament.
"Maybe some lost confidence ... maybe I thought that [Wiles] didn't have confidence in myself," he said. "It was difficult watching, but it was also motivation for me to come back this year and go out strong."
Seeing what Davis and Tech's other seniors got done en route to the ACC title last season, Sandidge admitted he entered his final season with a sense of urgency to become more of a factor for the Hokies.
"I saw how they went out and how happy they were," Sandidge recalled. "I spoke with Jim a couple of times and he just said, 'don't let this opportunity get past, this is your last year, possibly could be my last year playing football,' so I just want to go out on top."
Sandidge's resurgence has been key for a defense that ranks among the nation's leaders in virtually every statistical category. He's been strong enough to occupy opposing O-linemen long enough that Tech's linebackers have been free to flow to the ball. He has recorded 10 tackles and gotten constant push into opponents backfields that have resulted in 3.5 stops for loss, including two sacks.
"I think some people fail to know that Tim Sandidge is a guy who has played a lot of plays here," said Jonathan Lewis, Tech's starting nose tackle. "He's playing a lot again now and he's been able to show his talents."
Sandidge, who already has been invited to play in the All-American Classic next January in Las Vegas, has noticed that a lot more folks seem to know his name these days.
"You can see the reaction after the game ... when you walk back to the locker room a lot more people are calling out your name, asking you for autographs, and it makes you feel good," he said. "It motivates you. People are seeing what you're doing, seeing you working hard, so you just want to go out there and keep those people happy."
Certainly, it's made for good times in the sizable Sandidge contingent on hand for home games in Lane Stadium. His mother, Dorothy, grew up in Roanoke and has seven sisters and five brothers.
"I get enough adulation from my family," the well-grounded Sandidge said. "I get enough phone calls and asking for tickets that I need. They're a little more happy this year, I think."
So is Tech's silent weapon.
"Yeah, it's a lot better when you're out there having fun," Sandidge said. "It's a whole different level than being on the sideline just watching the game. It's a whole lot more fun making plays and jumping around with your teammates.
"Still, I'm a guy who likes being the quiet type. I'm just trying to create a little buzz for myself while still trying to stay under the radar. I want to make some good film for myself so they can have it on the next level [NFL]. If I'm done playing football after this year, I see myself getting married, having kids, making money."
All undercover, of course."
"Silent sack machine
Tim Sandidge doesn't do a lot of talking, but the Tech defensive tackle is a quarterback menace.
By Randy King
981-3126
BLACKSBURG -- If Virginia Tech defensive tackle Tim Sandidge was in law enforcement, he'd definitely want to be an undercover officer.
And when he made a bust or an arrest, he'd prefer to dodge any sort of notoriety.
It's the same modus operandi that Sandidge operates with on the football field. Just quietly go about your business, do your job right, and keep your mouth shut.
Forget about any sack dances. No chest-thumping or other gyrations of braggadocio here. There's no trash-talking, hooping or hollering with this guy.
"I like to fly below the radar," Sandidge said. "I'm not the type that talks much. Let your play talk for yourself. If you're making plays, you don't really have to speak. You're already in that offensive lineman's head and he's thinking, 'What can I do this time to block him?' "
That's a question a lot of opposing linemen undoubtedly have been asking themselves lately. The only thing bigger than the 6-foot-1, 304-pound Sandidge has been his game. He's playing like a hungry bear who just broke out of his cage.
"Tim has been a beast in there for us," Hokies star defensive end Darryl Tapp said. "He has elevated his game and there has been no stopping the guy."
About time again, Sandidge said.
"This being my senior year, I really wanted to go out with a bang," Sandidge said. "So I wanted to go out and make plays, be on the field as much as possible, and put Coach [Charley] Wiles [Hokies D-line coach] in a position that he would have to play me."
Inserted into the starting lineup after Carlton Powell sprained his right ankle in the season opener at North Carolina State, Sandidge has looked much like the player who registered 77 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2002-03.
There has been no resemblance to the guy wearing No. 71 last season who sat most of the time and recorded a measley seven tackles in 10 games.
While Wiles' decision to play natural end Jim Davis inside at times led to some of his decreased playing time last season, Sandidge confessed he also was guilty for his predicament.
"Maybe some lost confidence ... maybe I thought that [Wiles] didn't have confidence in myself," he said. "It was difficult watching, but it was also motivation for me to come back this year and go out strong."
Seeing what Davis and Tech's other seniors got done en route to the ACC title last season, Sandidge admitted he entered his final season with a sense of urgency to become more of a factor for the Hokies.
"I saw how they went out and how happy they were," Sandidge recalled. "I spoke with Jim a couple of times and he just said, 'don't let this opportunity get past, this is your last year, possibly could be my last year playing football,' so I just want to go out on top."
Sandidge's resurgence has been key for a defense that ranks among the nation's leaders in virtually every statistical category. He's been strong enough to occupy opposing O-linemen long enough that Tech's linebackers have been free to flow to the ball. He has recorded 10 tackles and gotten constant push into opponents backfields that have resulted in 3.5 stops for loss, including two sacks.
"I think some people fail to know that Tim Sandidge is a guy who has played a lot of plays here," said Jonathan Lewis, Tech's starting nose tackle. "He's playing a lot again now and he's been able to show his talents."
Sandidge, who already has been invited to play in the All-American Classic next January in Las Vegas, has noticed that a lot more folks seem to know his name these days.
"You can see the reaction after the game ... when you walk back to the locker room a lot more people are calling out your name, asking you for autographs, and it makes you feel good," he said. "It motivates you. People are seeing what you're doing, seeing you working hard, so you just want to go out there and keep those people happy."
Certainly, it's made for good times in the sizable Sandidge contingent on hand for home games in Lane Stadium. His mother, Dorothy, grew up in Roanoke and has seven sisters and five brothers.
"I get enough adulation from my family," the well-grounded Sandidge said. "I get enough phone calls and asking for tickets that I need. They're a little more happy this year, I think."
So is Tech's silent weapon.
"Yeah, it's a lot better when you're out there having fun," Sandidge said. "It's a whole different level than being on the sideline just watching the game. It's a whole lot more fun making plays and jumping around with your teammates.
"Still, I'm a guy who likes being the quiet type. I'm just trying to create a little buzz for myself while still trying to stay under the radar. I want to make some good film for myself so they can have it on the next level [NFL]. If I'm done playing football after this year, I see myself getting married, having kids, making money."
All undercover, of course."