NORFOLK, Va. – Xavier Black was an outstanding, experienced high school football player, but was undersized. Leroy Thomas has a bigger body, but he didn't start until his senior year of high school.
Both wanted to play major college football, but after finishing their respective senior seasons, that dream seemed a universe away.
Thomas, an offensive guard from Stafford, Virginia, near Fredericksburg, had partial offers from Division II schools and offers to play without a scholarship in Division III. No Division I schools reached out to him.
Black had offers to walk-on without a scholarship from a handful of FCS schools, but none that really piqued his interest.
Then, in the spring of their respective senior years, they received phone calls – Thomas in 2018 and Black in 2019 – from then ODU graduate assistant coach Eric Acciani, now the offensive coordinator at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Would you consider walking-on at ODU without a scholarship?
The answer to that question, they both say, was a no-brainer.
Black's father, Brian, and brother, Xavier, both attended ODU. Thomas had no family connections with ODU, but it was the only school who offered him a chance to play major-college football.
And although the route for both of was strewn with unexpected obstacles, they are both now on scholarship and will start next to each other Saturday night when the Monarchs open at Virginia Tech at 8 (ACC Network).
It's unlikely that there have been many former walk-on tandems who start at right guard (Thomas) and center (Black) for an FBS team.
Walk-ons are a unique lot. For whatever reason, they weren't considered good enough by other schools to be worth a phone call or even a text message. And that provides a ton of motivation.
Thomas said walk-ons tend to commiserate.
Offensive guard Leroy Thomas
"We essentially all have the same story," he said. "For some reason, we weren't recruited. And we feel motivated to work harder because of that."
Offensive line coach Alex Huettel said Black and Thomas are among the hardest workers on the team. Huettel, who came to ODU from Fordham, said "I leaned on them when I got here in December to win over the offensive line room.
"They've really done a great job of leading those guys.
"They do have more incentive to prove somebody wrong. But I think in today's world, with social media, with the big-time schools, you know, the one percenters, everyone has something to prove.
"You may be on a scholarship somewhere, but you may have wanted to go to Alabama and you want to prove them wrong for not taking you."
Thomas, who is a muscular 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds, started playing football at five years old but then stopped to play other sports when he was 10. When he picked up football again as a sophomore at Colonial Forge High, he had a lot to learn.
He didn't start until his senior year, and by then, he said, "most Division I schools already have their recruits lined up."
It took him a long time to earn playing time at ODU. He redshirted in 2018 and did not play in 2019. In 2020, ODU did not play because of the pandemic. He finally was granted a scholarship just before the 2021 season during a team meeting.
"Coach (Ricky) Rahne had me read a quote, something about earning the respect of your teammates, to the team," Thomas said. "When I was done, he let me know I was on scholarship.
ODU center Xavier Black
"That was a great moment, with all the guys there."
Black was a four-year starter at Wilson Memorial High in Fishersville, Virginia, located about halfway between Staunton and Waynesboro in the Shenandoah Valley. Standing a bit over 6-feet and 295 pounds, he's a bit undersized as an FBS center.
He redshirted in 2019, sat out 2020 and appeared in 10 games in 2021, mostly on special teams. Then, he started in ODU's first four games in 2022, including a 29-26 victory over Arkansas State. At game's end, Rahne announced in the locker room that Black was on scholarship.
Black was so moved that he could not hold back tears.
Now they are both headed to a big stage, Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, where they will play key roles for an ODU offense that has been revamped and will be more up-tempo.
Asked about playing in front of 66,000 fans and a national TV audience, Black said "It's just a privilege. We worked hard enough to prove we belong.
"I know we put the work in and we're prepared to go out there and be successful."
"I started as a walk-on," Thomas added. "But at the end of the day, we're playing for the guys next to us.
"We deserve to be out there. We earned the right to be out there. We're confident in ourselves."
So is Huettel, a three-time All-Mid-American Conference offensive lineman at Bowling Green.
"I'm not worried about them at all as far as their performance," he said.
"Their work speaks for itself, the way they come in every day and handle their business. They're the first guys in and the last guys off the practice field.
"They're worked so hard and I'm anxious to see them put that to the test."
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Minium: Two Former Walk-On Offensive Lineman Will Start Next to Each Other For ODU at Virginia Tech
