Ultimate Team Player

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by Katharine Palmer
Virginia Athletics Media Relations

Nose tackle isn’t a glamorous position. You’re in the trenches, digging deep to get to the quarterback. You don’t get a lot of glory. You’re not the one in the press room after games. And that’s just fine with Virginia’s Allen Billyk.

Billyk, already a graduate of UVa with a degree in economics, is the true definition of a team player. He does what is best for the team without complaint or question.

The New Castle, Pa., native, who played on both sides of the ball at New Castle High School, spent his first three years in a Cavalier uniform at defensive end, including his first year as a redshirt. In this spring of 2006, Billyk was approached by the coaching staff about moving to nose tackle.

“They told me it wasn’t a glamorous move but thought I could be better there than at defensive end,” Billyk recalled. “I just wanted to do what would most benefit the team.”

Billyk said the transition was not difficult. He is still a two-gapper playing the same stack defense. Although there are different blocking schemes, for the most part nose tackle is pretty similar, with one exception.

“There are a lot more double teams and really just a lot more action,” Billyk said.

Needless to say, things have worked out for Billyk. Last season, his first at the new position, Billyk played in all 12 games, including 10 starts. He finished with 23 tackles after totaling just 10 in his first two seasons. That number could have been higher, considering the fact that Billyk was battling ankle injuries for most of the year.

Regardless, his coaches and teammates were counting on him.

“He’s a great teammate,” Virginia defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said of Billyk. “He does what the team needs him to do. He stepped up when the coaching staff needed him.”

“He struggled with his game a little last year and really gutted it out during the season,” Virginia head coach Al Groh said. “Once he had some continuity in practice, he did a nice job for us.”

Billyk had some big hurdles early in his football career. Growing up, he was always a big kid. It was tough for him to play Pop Warner football because he never could make the weight limit.

“I think that kind of fueled me to try and work harder and lose some weight when I was younger so I could play,” Billyk said.

Billyk’s abilities weren’t really given a chance to develop until seventh and eighth grade. A year later, he went straight to varsity.

Another thing that motivated him along the way was his big brother, Jacob.

“He’s a good seven or eight years older than me,” Billyk pointed out. “ I was a lot younger when he was playing high school football. I would get his jersey and wear it to school and thought it was the coolest thing. I just pushed myself at a very young age to get better and try to follow in his footsteps.”

Billyk overcame his struggles at a young age and was able to mature as a high school football player who was now ready to continue at the Division I level.

“One thing led to another and by God’s grace I saw football as a way to get an education,” Billyk said.

UVa felt right to him. The guys that were here, the academic reputation, and the factor of being far enough away from home but close enough to get back if he needed to. New Castle is approximately five-and-a-half to six hours from Charlottesville.

Over these last five years, Billyk has formed special friendships with his teammates, particularly those on the defensive line. Knowing each other well means knowing how each other plays and where they will be once the ball is hiked.

“It’s one of those things where the more time you spend together the greater the bond,” Billyk said of his fellow Wahoos. “It’s to a point now where I know what Chris (Long) is going to do, I know what Jeff (Fitzgerald) is going to do, so I can fit in. Or there are things in our defense that if you can just anticipate a little bit, if you come out a step faster, you can make a play. We have played together for so long, we are going to be able to make those plays.”

Billyk’s summer started out with a bang. He finished up his undergraduate studies in four years and was presented with his bachelor’s degree in economics in May.

“It was exciting, but it was also a big relief,” he said. “It’s tough to get through it. It has gone so fast. It feels like I was just a first year living in the dorms. I’ve already graduated and now am going into my fifth season.”

After spending a week at home following graduation, Billyk returned to Charlottesville for an early jump into preparing for his final season as a Cavalier.

When asked about his favorite moment, Billyk casually defined it as the everyday occurrences, the fact that he prides himself on being the same guy every day.

“That attitude has helped me,” Billyk said. “For the first couple years I wasn’t a big-time player. I didn’t even play that much. Then the opportunity came up to move and contribute more, and what did I have to lose? It just worked out to be a good fit.”

Now enrolled in graduate school, Billyk will take some time after the season to evaluate his options. Continuing a football career in the professional ranks is no doubt on his mind. But Billyk also has a backup plan.

“I’ll start the job search,” he said. “Probably something in the business world, maybe finance or in banking.”

For now, though, Billyk is working hard to finish his Cavalier career strong, not only for himself, but more importantly, as a solid contributor to the team. And as for his star quality, Billyk reiterates his earlier attitude about just trying to be a team player.

“The attention I get is fine,” Billyk said. “I am not a very outspoken person. I am just happy to do what I can to help the team win. It’s not about me and everything I get from it. It’s about the team and trying to win.”