Stair becomes rookie on Virginia offensive line

By Dave Fawcett

Published: August 12, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE – For all the experience Zak Stair brings to the offensive line, he will, in one sense, enter his final college football season at the University of Virginia as a rookie.
A tackle by trade since his all-state playing days at Osbourn Park High School as well as during his first three seasons with the Cavaliers, Stair is Virginia’s projected starter at left guard for 2008.
It’s a position he’s never played before in a game, but Virginia needed a veteran player to fill that spot. 
And Stair fit the bill. Outside of returning starter Eugene Monroe at tackle, Stair is the only other offensive lineman with more than three years of playing time for Virginia.
“He was our sixth man a year ago,” said Virginia offensive line coach Dave Borbely. “The thought process was let’s try to start this thing with who our best five guys are and go from there.”
With a veteran group last season, Virginia ranked sixth in the ACC in rushing yardage per game (135.6 yards). But guards Branden Albert and Ian-Yates Cunningham and center Jordy Lipsey are now gone.
Stair replaces Albert, who after starting 37 games for Virginia bypassed his senior season to turn pro and was the 15th overall pick by Kansas City in the NFL Draft.
Stair had played some guard in practice before the switch, but he has been a reserve tackle for most of his college football career.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned in my career is you do what you can do to help the team win,” Stair said. “If I have to play guard or kick the ball, I’ll do what it takes.”
There have been adjustments and Stair is learning as he goes. Being a senior, there also isn’t a more experienced guard on the team he can take pointers from.
But Borbely said Stair is adapting.
“Zak is a really smart player,” Borbely said. “He’s picked things up extremely well.”
Junior Will Barker, who besides Monroe is Virginia’s only other returning starter on the line, sees Stair in the same light. 
“He brings a little maturity and a little experience as well. I think he’s been doing a great job so far” Barker said.
Both Barker and Borbely said the three newcomers on the line are meshing well with the returning starters.
“I think overall, we probably have a little more size” than last year’s group, Borbely said. “We probably have a little more pop in there maybe than we had a year ago. Right now, we’re trying to just really make sure that we can gain the element that we had a year ago, which was great communication.”