[caption id="attachment_181693" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" Telvion Clark "]
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Virginia Tech linebacker Telvion Clark was dismissed from the team on Tuesday for a violation of team rules. His dismissal, combined with the loss of Tariq Edwards for the spring due to surgery on his leg, leave the Hokies with only two scholarship inside linebackers for the spring.
Clark, a rising r-junior, was arrested in Blacksburg on Saturday night with a charge of public intoxication. It was his second publicized incident. In January 2010, he was sent home on a bus from the Orange Bowl (along with several other players) for a violation of team rules.
Clark was Tech's starting backer last August when Tariq Edwards was injured, and he performed very well. However, once Edwards returned for the start of the season, Clark himself was hurt and never returned to the playing rotation. He had five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Appalachian State, and that was his only significant defensive action of the season.
With Clark off the team, and Edwards missing the spring due to his leg surgery, rising r-sophomore Chase Williams is expected to run with the #1 defense at the backer position. Jack Tyler will start at mike. Bruce Taylor will be out while recovering from his lisfranc injury, so Tech's depth at the inside linebacker spots will consist of Brian Laiti (6-3, 217, r-So.), plus walk-ons Jonathan Halfhide (5-10, 217, r-So.), Griffin Hite (5-11, 213, r-Fr.), D.J. Ward (5-11, 207, r-Fr.) and Brandon Spitzer (6-2, 210, r-Fr.).
We'll have a closer look at the linebacker positions in our linebacker preview on Thursday.