Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer built his legacy with teams that played tough defense, physical ball-control offense, and dynamic special teams. John Burke, Virginia Tech tight end from 1990-1993, was one of many players in those early years who fit that mold of hard working, tough-as-nails players who turned the Beamer program around and began that amazing 27-year bowl streak. Burke was very much a Mark Bavaro kind of tight end. If you are old enough to remember Burke, then you are old enough to know Bavaro – the quiet but tough, very physical, lead-by-example tight end of the…
Author: Rich Luttenberger
Rich Luttenberger
Rich Luttenberger is a Virginia Tech alum and has been passionately following their sports teams for over 30 years. Like most Hokies, he shows that "fan" is really short for "fanatic." He writes as a fan and for the fans. Follow him on Twitter @RichLuttVT
Dax Hollifield Virginia Tech linebacker. That is how Hokie Nation knows him. But now he is Dax Hollifield NFL draft hopeful. Will the five-year starter, captain, and emotional leader of Virginia Tech hear his name called at this weekend’s NFL draft? Hollifield finished his Virginia Tech career fourth on the all-time tackles list with 355. He had 30 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, as well as 4 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. Will those numbers be enough for an NFL franchise to draft him? Those who know him know that Hollifield offers much more than the…
April 14th through the 16th was a beautiful weekend in Blacksburg, with the 2023 Virginia Tech Spring Game wrapping up the practice season for the football team. And while that single game was the center of attention on Saturday, there were a myriad of other events to engage fans over the three days of the weekend. The Virginia Tech Monogram Club, an alumni group specifically for former athletes, hosted several outstanding events for its members, while the University had more on tap during its “Hokie Hi” weekend. The full slate provided fans – and parents who were there for Spring…
When Hokies fans hear of the “Bud Foster Retirement,” they probably imagine the ol’ ball coach kicking back on a boat on Claytor Lake, fishing line cast, waiting for a large mouth bass to swallow his hook. That’s not an inaccurate image. However, it is not the full reality, because truthfully, Bud Foster is not retired. He is still employed by Virginia Tech, serving as an ambassador to the school and its sports programs, giving back to the community that gave so much love and support to him for three decades. While he is indeed working for the Virginia Tech…
Toward the end of last season, Gridiron Heroics partnered with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the ACC. In November, I published a list of the Virginia Tech Top NFL Draft prospects, as seen by Draft Scout. This is the most recent update. RELATED STORY: The Top ESPN 30 for 30 Shows in College Football — We Rank Them Safety Chamarri Conner was the only Hokie to receive an invitation to the NFL combine. However, Virginia Tech recently hosted a Pro Day, and 11 NFL hopefuls participated in the event. Conner still remains as…
Hokie Nation is excited for the Virginia Tech spring practice to begin! There are still a lot of questions on the minds of the Hokie faithful, but thankfully, who will replace the recently departed coaches is not one of them. On Monday, Virginia Tech hired Elijah Brooks away from Maryland and he will coach the running backs. The Hokies also added veteran offensive line coach Ron Crook to the staff. While these personnel decision filled two huge vacancies, there are still a few question left to answer during spring practice. The team is young and is coming off a 3-8…
Michael Vick. Virginia Tech legend. If there was a Mount Rushmore of Virginia Tech football players, his face would be the first one carved on that mountain. (In Hokie stone, preferably!) So why not bring him back? There is so much potential in a hire like this. Virginia Tech is trying to get back to national prominence, and who better to help than the one who elevated the program to its highest peak ever? Last week the Hokies lost their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brad Glenn, who rejoined his friend Scott Satterfield at Cincinnati. Virginia Tech should make…
In case you missed the extravaganza on the ACC Network, the 2023 Virginia Tech football schedule was released this week. In the studio show, the entire conference slate was revealed. This came amidst much anticipation, as last June the league announced they were scrapping the Atlantic and Coastal divisions in favor of a new 3-5-5 scheduling model. In that new model, Virginia Tech will play three teams annually (Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Wake Forest), alternating home and away each year. They will then play five of the remaining ten ACC teams to round out the season, and they will rotate home-and-home…
With the transfer portal closing last week, let’s look at the Virginia Tech transfer portal activity and see who will make an immediate impact for the Hokies next fall. Hokie Nation voiced disappointment last season when head coach Brent Pry and his staff only signed five players out of the portal, but that was because Pry put maximum priority in rebuilding relationships with the in-state high school coaches and others in the footprint. One year later, Pry and Company have already begun to see the fruits of their labor, as they closed on a lot of high targets on signing…
There is a reason the Rose Bowl is called the Granddaddy of Them All. Not only is it the oldest college bowl game, but it comes with the most prestige and pageantry of any post-season college football game. Growing up on the East Coast, I never appreciated the Rose Bowl. Like most Easterners, particularly New York area natives, I thought this bowl game was overrated. After all, it was a Big Ten vs. Pac 10 game for decades. Why would a Jersey guy be drawn to a game that has such deep regional roots – that are nowhere close to…
