90 - Jeff King

Position: Tight End
Class: r-Senior
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 253 lbs.
High School: Pulaski County
Hometown: Pulaski, Va.

 

A second-team All-ACC selection at tight end last year who will be counted on for big things this season ... Spent the winter playing with Tech's basketball team ... Conditioning helped him trim down ... Was named Tech's most valuable offensive player during spring practice ... The most experienced player at tight end ... Is also a good leader on the team ... Has the chance to be a special tight end, according to the coaches ... Brings a toughness to the team ... Is able to get the edge most of the time in the running game ... Very seldom makes a mistake ... Started all 13 games last year ... Had four touchdown receptions, the most for a Tech tight end since 1990 ... Excels as a blocker and has outstanding hands ...

A Talk With... In what way do you want to be remembered when you leave Virginia Tech? I want to be remembered as someone who played hard every snap and put his heart into the program. I want to represent Virginia Tech and what this program is all about. What are your expectations for your senior season? A National Championship. I think that as you get to your senior season, you start looking back on it and the wins mean a lot more than catches or personal accomplishments. What has been your best sports experience so far? I think playing in the Sugar Bowl and winning the league championship has been the most special so far. What player do you see really stepping up and surprising people this year? I think there are a lot of candidates for that, but I believe with Marcus [Vick] coming back, he will show what he is all about. He'll show people what he can do and surprise everyone. What is one thing that many people would be surprised to know about you? People probably know this already, but I'm a low-key guy. I really don't talk a lot. If you could switch places with any player on your team for since you've been here, who would it be and why? Bryan Randall. I would like to play quarterback because everyone wants to play that position and he is one of the best that has ever played here. If you had a theme song for your life, what would it be? "Small Town" by John Mellancamp. If you could meet any person in the world, who would it be? Joe Montana. How will you go about making sure that the tight ends after you will follow in your footsteps? I think that when I got here, I had two good people to follow and they led by example. If you watched them practice, you would see how hard they worked and I want to be like that. What is the best part of a Virginia Tech home game? The atmosphere. The crowd. It's no secret that we feed off them. We have the best fans in the world and they like to be heard. Who is your biggest on-the-field influence? Off-the field influence? On field influence would be Coach Beamer. Everything I've learned since I've been here has been from him. I believe he is one of the best teachers in college football. Off the field, it has to be my mom. She keeps me straight. First, it was Bryan Randall. Then you. Who will be the football player playing basketball next year and why? I wouldn't be surprised if Duane Brown or Justin Harper played. They are pretty solid ballplayers right there. Those are some candidates. Where have you been able to travel that you never thought you would - or one place you always wanted to play and were able to since you played sports at Virginia Tech? Cameron Indoor Stadium was really special [for basketball] as was New Orleans with the Sugar Bowl. Anytime you can play at both places within a year, it is special. What are you going to miss the most after you leave Virginia Tech? Being around the guys and being with the team. This is a special place. Coach Beamer makes it feel like a family and I think that when you lose you the seniors you are losing great friends.

2004: Saw action on 622 offensive snaps and 200 on special teams - tops on the team - in the regular season ... Caught 25 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns ... Had a big opener, catching four passes for 65 yards, against USC ... Had a 25-yard catch against N.C. State ... Had two catches, both for first downs, for 19 yards in the win over West Virginia ... Led the team with three catches for 37 yards in the win at Wake Forest ... Caught 5-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of that game ... Caught one pass against Florida A&M, recording his second touchdown of the season ... Caught two passes for 53 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown, against Maryland ... Scored Tech's first touchdown at Miami, catching a 3-yard pass ... Finished with three catches for 26, including a key third down reception on the final drive to move the chains ... Played 16 games with the Hokie basketball team, averaging 6.1 minutes, 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game ... Had eight rebounds and six points at Duke ... Had an 11-yard catch in the Maroon-White game ... Given the George Preas Award, awarded to the most valuable player of spring practice ...

2003: Played in all 13 games, starting two ... Had six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown ... Had a 31-yard reception late against James Madison ... Caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring against Texas A&M ... Blocked a field goal against Rutgers ... A Super Iron Hokie during the off-season program ... Won the George Preas Award as Tech's offensive MVP for the spring ...

2002: Had one catch on the season, a 19-yard touchdown reception in the opener against Arkansas State ... Had a season-high five knockdowns in 51 plays against Marshall ... Blocked a field goal at Western Michigan, the first of his career ... Got his first start against Pittsburgh, playing 36 snaps on offense and 21 on special teams ... Led the tight ends with a 500-pound back squat during spring max testing ... Mixed in some work at fullback during spring practice ... Won the Frank O. Moseley Award as the top offensive hustler during off-season and spring workouts ...

2001: Worked at tight end while redshirting as a true freshman ... Posted a 360-pound back squat during spring strength and conditioning tests ... Also ran a 4.8 forty ...

High School: A PrepStar All-American for Coach Joel Hicks at Pulaski County ... Was rated the No. 3 tight end in the Atlantic Region ... Named first-team Group AAA all-state as a tight end by The Associated Press and the state coaches ... Ranked the No. 12 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times and SuperPrep ... Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report lists him as the No. 86 player in the Mid-Atlantic Region ... An honorable-mention All-South pick by The Orlando Sentinel ... Led his high school team to the Group AAA, Division 5 state semifinals in 2000 ... Finished his senior season with 278 yards receiving and eight touchdowns ... Also registered eight sacks as a defensive end ... Set a school record with 101 pancake blocks in a season ... Had 12 pancakes and two receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown in a game his senior year ... Named All-Timesland as a junior and senior ... An outstanding basketball player who compiled over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during his career ... Averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds as a senior on the way to all-district and all-region honors ... Competed in the shot put for the track team with a best effort of 54-7 as a junior ... Member of the National Honor Society ...

Personal: Jeffrey W. King ... Born 2/19/83 in Pulaski, VA ... Son of Jerry and Lynn King ... Graduated with a degree in finance and is enrolled in health and physical education in graduate school.