Former Butler High School (Matthews, N.C.) standout defensive back Eddie Whitley looks forward to the challenges that await him at Virginia Tech. There are several, including how he will rebound from a knee injury that kept him out of his senior season as well as how he’ll deal with playing cornerback at Virginia Tech.

Primarily a safety as a 3-year starter on the varsity football level, the 6-1, 180-pound Whitley is anxious for a change of position. While he could play safety in college, Virginia Tech is recruiting him as a cornerback. He looks forward to the challenge of learning a new position and the possibility of earning early playing time at the position.

“It is interesting to me,” Whitley said of the position change. “I’m ready to go in and learn a different position. I learn quickly. I’ll be ready to go. Having an opportunity to get early playing time is motivating me to get better. I know the boys at Virginia Tech, like Cris Hill and Rock Carmichael, are working hard, but I’m also putting in the time to get better. I’m looking forward to getting in the competition there.”

The summer after an outstanding junior season in which he tallied over 100 tackles and six interceptions, Whitley, who was a 3-year starter on the varsity level heading into his senior season, discovered that he had a torn ACL in one of his knees. He had surgery to repair the injury, but unfortunately he did miss the entire 2007 season. How is he feeling now?

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