By Bob Hertzel
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A year ago at this time, as his teammates were cavorting around in Charlotte, N.C., putting West Virginia’s fourth straight bowl victory into the books by beating North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, cornerback Brandon Hogan was back home in Virginia.
Whatever it was troubling Hogan never has been revealed — most believe it was depression related — and he doesn’t discuss it, but his teammates dedicated that victory him, which was a warm gesture that was greatly appreciated on his part.
But this is the real thing and he’s here and he’s ready to play, a cornerback who knows that Florida State’s speed and inventive offense will challenge him and his partner on the corner, Keith Tandy.
He’s ready for it — and more.
Yes, more. Hogan not only is thinking about finishing off his junior year in style, but perhaps adding to his repertoire next year.
Hogan wants to play both ways and there’s not a sole connected with the Mountaineers who doesn’t believe he can do it.
“It wouldn’t be too much,” he said. “I did it in high school.”
Ah, high school.
You might remember that when Hogan came out of Osbourn High in Virginia that he did so an offensive player, so good that he was named the state’s Offensive Player of the Year on a 14-0 state championship team.
The numbers were staggering, 2,539 yards and 32 touchdowns passing, 1,735 yards and 26 touchdowns rushing.
Those are not his career numbers. They are what he did his senior season.
“I miss offense,” he admitted. “You get the accolades on offense. On defense all people notice is the bad stuff. Even if you fumble on offense, you get chances to make up for it but if your man scores on defense, that’s all anyone remembers.”
Hogan, of course, has had those moments, especially early in his days when Coach Bill Stewart was moving him from offense to defense. He actually had shown during his freshman season that he could play offense, but there was a matter of Patrick White at quarterback, Noel Devine at running back and Jock Sanders in the slot.
He seemed best suited to move to defense to fill a gaping hole, but it was a learning experience.
In his second game, against East Carolina, they caught him peeking into the backfield at a fake and burned him for a touchdown. Later in the same game he was beaten again.
“I could have thrown him under the bus,” Stewart says.
Instead, he believed in Hogan, nursed him through his mistakes, stayed with him and turned him into one of the best defensive backs in the Big East.
Next year is his senior season and WVU will be breaking in new quarterback Geno Smith, a capable sort but not a running quarterback.
Hogan believes he could give the WVU offense a different look by running the “wild cat.”
By now, considering that Patrick White was drafted a Miami to be the Dolphins’ “wildcat” quarterback, you know something about the position.
What teams are doing is spreading the quarterback out wide, where you have to cover him, then bring a player with a different kind of talent in to take the snap where he can run, throw or reverse the ball to the quarterback, who also can throw.
It’s a different twist, one WVU tried once so far this year with Bradley Starks, another former quarterback who plays wide receiver.
Hogan understands there are problems with putting it in for him.
“It’s hard to be in both the offensive and defensive meeting rooms and learning two positions,” he admitted.
But there are others who do it and certainly offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen would take him under his wing should the Mountaineers decide to try it next year.
As for the skills required, well everyone has seen how Hogan can run on his punt returns, averaging 12.1 yards per return.
And he sees no problem throwing the ball.
“I have thrown every day since high school,” he said.
It’s just a question of whether Stewart wants to go in that direction next season. If he does, Hogan is all for giving it a try.
E-mail Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com.
