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Tracking the Stars of the Future

Football Recruiting Report
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

By Sammy Batten

Redemptive season lands Revia at ECU

 
One-on-One with...
(ECU Media Relations File Photos)

Bonesville features writer Ron Cherubini conducted one-on-one interviews with East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley (left) and Pirate defensive boss Brian Mitchell (right). Links to the wide-ranging Q&A sessions:

Lincoln Riley Q&A
Brian Mitchell Q&A

By Sammy Batten
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

View the Bonesville Mobile Alpha version of this page.

Alan Fiddler's eye for football talent helped him produce an overall record of 45-32 at the NCAA Division II level as head coach at Glenville State College.

So when Fiddler returned to the prep ranks this season as the new head coach at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, VA, one of the first athletes to catch his eye was Ryan Revia.

“I definitely saw the potential,'' Fiddler said. “He had great size, the right height and weight, and he was a very athletic guy who jumped out at me right away.''

Coaches from East Carolina showed up at Patrick Henry about the same time as Fiddler because they, too, had recognized Revia's talents. The Pirates would wind up offering the 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle a scholarship in late November, which he accepted in December to become a member of ECU's recruiting Class of 2012.

Revia chose the Pirates over offers from N.C. Central and Ivy League programs like Harvard, Princeton, Cornell and Penn. The offer list would have no doubt included more major-college teams if not for an incident during Revia's junior season that may have impacted his recruitment.

A Patrick Henry varsity starter as a sophomore, Revia was rising up the ranks of state's prep prospects near the end of his junior season with interest already coming from schools like Virginia. But the attention stopped suddenly when Revia was suspended from school for a week and kicked off the football team for the rest of the 2010 season for what was described in local newspapers as a “violation of team rules.'' He would eventually be reinstated, but wasn't allowed to play in the final three games, including the playoffs.

Revia hoped for a chance to redeem himself as a senior when Fiddler was named Patrick Henry's new head coach for 2011. Fiddler, too, was looking for a fresh start after resigning at Glenville State following seven successful seasons.

The new coach quickly figured out Revia was more than deserving of a second chance.

“The thing with me, when I came here I kind of wiped the past away,'' Fiddler said. “I just wanted to treat people from what I know of them and not what people say about the past.

“He made a mistake, and he manned up and admitted to his mistake. He is a great character kid who comes from a family of people who have great character. He's an excellent student who does what he's supposed to do. He works hard in the classroom and on the field. Off the field, he's a respectful guy who says, 'Yes sir,' and 'No sir.'

"He gets a little attitude when he gets out on the field. He just made a mistake, and we all do that.''

East Carolina's recruitment of Revia began in the spring when Fiddler arrived at Patrick Henry. At Fiddler's urging, Revia attended the Pirates' one-day prospect camp during the summer break and he came back from Greenville impressed.

ECU's staff followed Revia throughout the 2011 season as he served as the team's deep snapper and top blocker in Fiddler's no-huddle, spread offense. Patrick Henry produced a 7-3 record with all three losses coming against some of the area's top teams.

“He had a great senior year,'' Fiddler said. “We were a little undersized at a couple of positions up front, but he definitely gave us some size up front. He also had the athletic ability to allow us to run a lot of screens. He's got the kind of mobility where he'll be able to execute the pulling and traps they'll do at the next level.''

When asked to give an example of Revia's talents, Fiddler recalls a play in Patrick Henry's second game of the year against Bassett High School.

“We ran a little quarterback counter,'' Fiddler said. “He pancaked the linebacker probably 20 yards downfield at the goal line. That play jumped out to me because here's our tackle 20 yards down field, running down a linebacker and putting him on his back. It was very impressive and our quarterback scored on the play.''

The quarterback who scored on that play has also been offered a scholarship by the Pirates, according to Fiddler. David Prince is a 6-foot, 175-pound athlete who has already received offers from ECU, Virginia and Virginia Tech as a junior.

Fiddler expects Revia will need a redshirt season before he's ready to make a game contribution for the Pirates. But he has no doubt that the Pirates will reap the benefits when he's physically prepared for the task.

“Mentally, I know he can handle it,'' Fiddler said. “He's a very intelligent kid. He carries about a 3.9 (grade point average), so he picks things up quickly. But for him to have a year to add more weight and strength would be valuable.

“I told all the coaches who came through here that he's nowhere near his ceiling. He has the potential to have a really good college career, and maybe beyond.''

E-mail Sammy Batten

Sammy Batten's Archives

01/17/2012 07:07:52 AM

 

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