Virginia Union accomplished almost everything as individuals and as a team in 2022.
The Panthers won nine games — its highest win total in more than 20 years — and were firmly planted in the upper reaches of the Division II national polls for much of the season.
Star running back Jada Byers rushed for a school and CIAA record 1,920 yards and 19 touchdowns.
VUU, despite failing to reach the CIAA Championship Game, hosted a playoff game.
But there was a lot of meat left on the bone on what was an otherwise successful season in Richmond, and Panthers head coach Alvin Parker said as much during CIAA Media Day on Thursday.
“We didn’t finish the way we wanted to,” said Parker. “We accomplished a bunch of goals. We won more games than we had won in a while. We had a home playoff game. We had a lot of Players of the Year and postseason awards. But we didn’t take home the big prize.”
One aspect working in the Panthers’ favor to get over the hump is that virtually every key member from the 9-win team is back, including preseason All-Americans Byers, Armonii Burden, and Justin Meade. That trio was joined by Kalen Carver, Isaac Anderson, Shamar Graham, Brady Myers and Larry Hackey as part of the preseason 2023 All-CIAA team.
“We didn’t lose anybody to any eligibility issues,” said Parker. “It is a testament to our staff on campus … So that’s something that was huge. We have a bunch of guys on the preseason team this year. That speaks volumes about the type of program that we had.”
Picked to finish third in the CIAA behind defending champion Fayetteville State and longtime conference foe Bowie State, Parker and the Panthers want to get back to the glory years when Virginia Union last took home the conference title in the early 2000s.
“I was a part of that,” said Parker about his championship experience at Virginia Union back in the day. “We’ve won those championships and divisions and appeared in the playoffs, but we didn’t win that big banner.
“That’s the goal this year, and I think everybody knows what it is. It’s not a whole lot to talk about.”
Virginia Union will start the 2023 season in Canton, Ohio, against Morehouse College in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Game.
