Hokies shuffle receiving corps, may start freshmen

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA - If there is one lesson Virginia Tech&#39;s receivers need to learn this season, it&#39;s this: don&#39;t get too comfortable.<br> <br> The Hokies (0-1) are quick to experiment after losing three of last year&#39;s top four receivers to the NFL. The fourth, Justin Hamilton, is now playing tailback.<br> <br> Already, coach Frank Beamer has reshuffled the deck. After lackluster performances in the season opener against top-ranked Southern California, veterans Chris Clifton and Richard Johnson were dropped to backup roles this week.<br> <br> Four freshmen Josh Hyman, Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal and Justin Harper are penciled in to take over at split end and flanker Saturday as the Hokies take on Western Michigan in Blacksburg.<br> <br> ``I&#39;m thankful for the opportunity,&#39;&#39; said Royal, a highly touted receiver from Herndon who was used sparingly against the Trojans. ``We came here over the summer and worked hard. We had guys coming in so they could play spring ball.... It&#39;ll be a great test.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Hyman, whose first career reception was for a touchdown last week, said he was expecting to ease into the college game.<br> <br> The change ``puts pressure on us to hurry up and learn the offensive scheme,&#39;&#39; Hyman said. ``Corners will be trying things, defensive coordinators will be trying things, feeling we don&#39;t have any experience on the field or whatever. But I think we&#39;ll be ready.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> CONCUSSION ALERT: Starting Saturday, team physician Gunnar Brolinson will be carrying a special beeper that will alert him within seconds when a player has gotten whacked a little too hard on the head.<br> <br> The beeper is part of ongoing research at Virginia Tech into head trauma, a difficult area of study because of a lack of willing human test subjects. Scientists are still uncertain how much stress the human brain can take before it gets permanently damaged.<br> <br> ``This is kind of an early warning system,&#39;&#39; Brolinson said of the pager. ``It lets us know that a player has sustained a hit that potentially could cause a concussion, so you can really keep a close eye on him.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Project leader Stefan Duma began studying head trauma in Tech players last season. He recorded more than 3,000 hits during games by lacing sensors in eight players&#39; helmets.<br> <br> From the sidelines, Duma watched players get up and trot back to the huddle after a major collision. Nobody would immediately notice that the player had been knocked so hard he didn&#39;t know what he was doing.<br> <br> ``We had a receiver last year who played eight plays before the other receivers realized he wasn&#39;t running the right routes,&#39;&#39; Duma said. ``They brought him to the sidelines, and he didn&#39;t know where he was. He didn&#39;t know what game it was, what he was doing.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> This season, 20 players will be wearing sensors in their helmets. A computer will record and analyze each hit. If it goes over about 80 times the force of gravity, which is like hitting your head on a brick wall, the computer will send Brolinson an alert within seconds.<br> <br> ``These athletes are getting hit a lot more frequently and a lot harder than we expected,&#39;&#39; Duma said. ``The idea now is we beep the physician before the play starts.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Duma will be presenting the results of last year&#39;s research this week at a meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics in Portland, Ore.