There is something to be said for interviewing football players about two weeks before camp gets under way.
The grind of serious workouts in pads (and later, balancing class, homework, practice, travel and games) has yet to take its toll. There aren't any pesky losses to drag anyone down.
Toss in bringing everyone together at a luxurious golf resort -- as was the case Sunday during the ACC kickoff event in Pinehurst, N.C. -- and just about everyone is in a good mood and the potential for more than a few comical moments remains high.
Take North Carolina wideout Joe Dailey, a converted quarterback who began his career at Nebraska. One reporter floated the possibility of making a few option passes in new coach Butch Davis' offense, perhaps ignoring Dailey's career numbers (26 touchdowns, 31 interceptions).
"I haven't been known for throwing touchdowns," Dailey said. "But I have been known for throwing completions. I throw it to our receivers and I throw it to opposing teams. I have a great completion percentage."
Well put, especially for one of the most sought-after players at today's event. (From several glances across the room, it seemed the tables with players from Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech were the most crowded, while Duke, Maryland and arguably Georgia Tech generated the least attention).
Around the conference, there are not many obvious trends. One perhaps is the absence of veteran quarterbacks -- Boston College's Matt Ryan is the only signal-caller in attendance at this senior-heavy event -- and whether that will mean an even more defense-oriented season.
In fact, there weren't many big names representing the 12 schools. Only five first-team all-ACC players from a year ago are at Pinehurst: Ryan, Clemson tackle Barry Richardson, Wake Forest center Steve Justice, Miami defensive end Calais Campbell and N.C. State return man Darrell Blackman.
(Maryland, for what it's worth, has right guard Andrew Crummey and safety Christian Varner down in Pine Tree Alley.)
Another is the passel of new coaches, with Boston College, Miami, North Carolina and N.C. State each making a switch after last season. N.C. State defensive tackle DeMario Pressley -- all 6-foot-3, 295 pounds of him -- admitted to being a bit afraid of new coach Tom O'Brien, a former Marine known for his disciplined teams.
Also worth mentioning: Players from former Sunshine State superpowers Florida State and Miami believe they are ready to bounce back from 7-6 seasons; Wake Forest got a bit more attention than in the past after last year's conference title (though it remains to be seen where the Deacons will be picked this year); and Virginia is eager to atone for a 5-7 season that has left it ready to return to a bowl this year.
"In a sense of boredom, that was tough," defensive end Chris Long said of the aftermath of last season. "I hadn't been away from football that long. It's easy to train angry and a little upset and with a little chip on your shoulder. This has been one of my favorite offseasons."
Oh, and the dominant storyline for Virginia Tech was, will be and might forever be connected with the April campus shootings in Blacksburg. Expect a steady diet from outlets everywhere to emphasize the tragedy in the coming weeks.
There will be more coming tomorrow, when the conference's 12 head coaches take their turn with the media. Seven of them (plus Gloria Friedgen, Ralph's wife) are scheduled to play golf in the morning as part of an ACC-sponsored event.
As for Clemson's Tommy Bowden, Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey, Miami's Randy Shannon, North Carolina's Butch Davis and Virginia's Al Groh, they won't have the excuse of a lousy round to fall back on if they're a tad grouchy to see ink-stained scribes so soon.
