SR, VIRGIL MARKS OF CONSISTENCY: walk-ons getting their kicks The Michigan Daily-Friday, October 27, 1978-P By ERNIE DUNBAR They certainly didn't plan it this way, but kickers Gregg Willner and Bryan Virgil form one of the more interesting one-two combinations on the Michigan football team. Willner, who's handling the punting duties in addition to the field goals and extra points this year, sports the numeral one on his jersey. Virgil is responsible for booming the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs and wears number two on his jersey. Together, the duo gives Michigan strong, consistent specialty teams For example, Willner has converted 23 of 24 extra points and two of three field goals, his longest coming from 46 yards out. His 41.5 yard punting average got a tremendous boost last week against Wisconsin when he booted a punt of 66 yards en rote to a 50.5 yard average. But both players had to struggle a bit in order to get to their present status. Willner, at 156 lbs.,the lightest man on the entire Wolverine roster, came to. Michigan as a walk-on from Miami, Florida where he was an all-state placekicker. After writing 40 personal letters to football coaches aroulnd the country, he received 28 responses in- formning him that the schools had utilized their allotment of scholArships. All of the schools invited him to come out for their team as a walk-on, but Willner finally decided Michigan would present the best opportunity. _ "I really didn't plan on coming to a school so far away from home because I didn't know how well I'd adapt, especially to the cold weather. I think I made the right decision and if I had to do it all over again I'd come here." Virgil was in much the same situation when he decided to attend Michigan. He. played football, baseball, and basket- tial and strong leg and wanted him to kickoffs have not been returned this return for spring football. It was at that year. But he admits that the more point that Virgil made the Michigan touchdowns Michigan scores, the team. tougher his job is. While both Willner and Virgil demon- , ._.. "In the Duke game I had to kick off strate a high degree of proficiency each about 10 times and at the end of the week, they are quick to point out that game you do get tired," he said. ,the kicking game involves a number of factors which must constantly be Willner is in the opposite situation in t See the Daily's Hockey Supplement, Page 12-14 For more Sports, see Page 15 that he'd like more field goal attempts to boost his average. "I feel confident in both (place I kicking and punting). "If;I had to place an emphasis on either one I wouldn't want to because I think I do both real well." For Virgil, his job of kickoff specialist is an interim job while he waits for Willner to graduate so he can take over the entire kicking game next season. "I'm getting to play a little bit, but yet the whole responsibility isn't on my shoulders. I'm starting to ease into it. I can just watch Gregg and then get ready for next year." Gregg Willner ian Virgil ball at Buchanan, a Class C high school in southwestern Michigan with only 600 students. "I didn't start kicking until I was a junior in high school," said Virgil, who has two more years of eligibility remaining after this season as a result of being red-shirted his sophomore year. "I played quarterback and linebacker and kicking was just something extra. I'd just goof around with it in practice. "The reason I came up here wasn't primarily for football, but for the engineering school," the 5-10, 183 lb. junior remarked. "I decided I'd go out for the team and if I made it I did and if I didn't I still had school." Virgil practiced a week with the var- sity his freshman year until coach Bo Schembechler said he liked his poten- refined. "It's really a lot of concen- tration-going into the game and trying to blacken out the people and concen- trate on the follow through and leg plant," said Willner. "I think it's-more of a sense of a feeling when you go into a game. When you're hitting well in prac- tice during the week, then when you en- ter the game you have more confiden- ce." The main problem facing Virgil is keeping his style consistent. "Once you get a technique, you're pretty set. But things change from week to week. You'll start putting your foot in a dif- ferent spot and your fighting yourself most of the time. It's such a fidgety thing." Virgil's technique seems to be quite sufficient considering a majority of his Join the Daily Sports Staff C.V A"O * Nike " Adidas " Tiger " Brooks " New Balance I a a a FREE YEARBOOK 4j BROOKS With The Purchase Of An $11 Now fora limited time the 1978 Michiganension (U-M's award-winning yearbook) is offering free yearbooks with the purchase of an $11 pumpkin Buy a pumpkin before the price increases Nov.1. Pumpkin Vantage Supreme- 319 Lady Vantage- 29" Villanova- 2 100 Vantage- 29" Lady Vantaage supreme-31'9 SPECIAL!!! Victress Yearbooks and pumpkins are available at the STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. (next to S.A.B.) 420 Maynard, 2nd Floor, 764-0561 Offer void after Oct. 31-or when the supply runs out! Riiu Texan Victor $17 95 309 S. State St. 995-.1? 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