Can We Talk About Joey Slye?

Here at Virginia Tech we take a certain pride in our special teams when most football fans consider it an afterthought. Our head coach coaches the special teams and always says "As long as I have a good quarterback, a good kicker and my health is good, I am going to keep on going." After some questionable years I think he has found his kicker in Joey Slye. Yes he missed 46-yarder in the fourth, but to put a true freshman out there in that situation speaks to Beamer's confidence in him. But there are other reasons, mainly, as Oceanfront Hokie said "That's a bad bad man." You don't think a kicker can be a badass?

I saw this when someone (probably Joe) retweeted it and I know 4VPISU put it in another post. That's a form tackle. That's a guy who isn't afraid of anything. That's not your typical kicker.

Well consider this: Slye played linebacker in high school. And he was good. So good in fact he "Earned all-conference, all-region, all-state and all-area honors as a kicker and linebacker...Named The Free Lance-Stars male high school athlete of the year" according to his HokieSports bio. You're looking at a guy who wants, hell it seems like he needs, to get a hit in during a game. He had at least one tackle in the opener vs. William & Mary. And the last kick-off after Riley's interception, he sprinted downfield and pushed the pile over. You don't just get to be all-state as a kicker even if you can hit 50+ yarders, which he has done in practice and was why Beamer put him out there at the end. He was a hell of a Linebacker. His high school highlight video, while not well done, shows mostly him making tackles, hard tackles. Did I mention he also played Running Back?

OK so Joey Slye is as tough-nose Hokie as they come on the football field. But off the field, well I'll let him tell it

Thanks everyone for the love and support! I play 4 #6 @slyefootball6 love you bud! Got the first tackle of the season for you!— Joey Slye (@Joey_Slye) August 31, 2014

And those around him

@Joey_Slye and I Play 4 #6 pic.twitter.com/Seb8CC32E5— Darnell Parker (@ChiefScooter46) August 31, 2014

This February, Joey's older brother AJ lost his battle with leukemia just months before Joey would move to Blacksburg and become the first freshman to start at kicker since 2000. Joey wears number 46 because he plays for his brother, who used to wear #6 when he played football. Joey Slye plays 4#6.

This...This is a guy I can root for.