ASHBURN, Va. — We begin day 2 of Commanders training camp with a couple of players that are no longer with the team. Former Virginia Tech Hokies in tight end Logan Thomas and defensive back Kendall Fuller each spent the past four seasons in Washington and each has moved on this offseason.
For 2024, there will still be a Hokie presence in Ashburn. Defensive lineman Norell Pollard started 48 games in five years at Virginia Tech, but he went undrafted in April before signing a free agent deal with the Commanders.
It was a fellow Hokie that pushed for him to get to the nation's capital. 2-time All-ACC and 11 year NFL veteran Darryl Tapp is in his first year as defensive line coach with Washington. He said new head coach Dan Quinn changed his whole perspective on being a player when they worked together in Seattle back in 2009. Now they're reunited.
Tapp is looking to do the same with Jonathan Allen, Duron Payne and Pollard.
"Norell is a very explosive athlete", says the former Deep Creek Hornet. "Very smart. I was truly surprised he didn't get drafted. We saw him as a free agent. I stood on the table and said 'I want a homer. I want my guy'. I know what he is. I know how to help him".
Tapp said Quinn was sold on the idea. "Coach (Joe) Whitt. Coach Quinn, they allowed me to get my guy in here and work each and every day".