We cross several generations here. We are different colors, gender,nationalities, occupations. Yet, we all bleed only Hokie colors when discussing what Va Tech means to us. Reading this board the biggest thing that comes out is the obvious love and respect we share for what being a Hokie means. As we prepare for opening kickoff, please share what being a Hokie means to you.
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That's tough to articulate. I grew up in Narrows, just over a couple of Virginia hills from B'burg. My first remembrances of Tech football were Bob Schweikert and Sonny Utz. I attended from 1969 to 1977, and got 3 degrees. It was the only place I ever thought about going to, and I am extremely proud to be a Hokie. I have lived in Newark, Delaware for 37 years, and I still wear my VT hat proudly, and I get the warm and fuzzies when I pass someone on the street and they yell, "Go, Hokies" because of my hat. I am also proud that my 27-year-old daughter, who didn't even go to Tech, is almost as big a fan as I am. I guess I did at least one thing right when raising her. And even though I rarely comment on this site, I am extremely thankful for finding The Key Play. It is just great to "listen" to all of you who feel the same way as I do about my alma mater.
I relate to your story, was raised in Den Hill and Ironto area and had two degrees. I graduated in 1970, now live in Greensboro, NC. I also love sharing stories when I occasionally bump into a fellow Hokie, nothing better than sharing those memories. Thanks for sharing.
Since you're from there, how do you pronounce Ironto? I've passed the exit hundreds of times but don't know how to pronounce it.
Is it "eye-RON-toe" or like the words "iron" and "too?" Or neither?
It is "eye-ron-toe". Don't blink, though. :-)
I think just being supportive and a family to other Hokies like hokietropher all those Hokies that defend our freedom to be Hokies and their fams. That sums it all up for me.
What it was:
What it became:
What it is:
I wish I could upvote that more than once. You deserve it.
Shoog are you a Phi Sig?
yes....
I had to think a long time about this one; it's hard to put into words but I will do my best. Ultimately, it all comes back to family.
I suppose I became a Hokie in 1999 when my sister started school. I became a fan of the football team (I loved football but had no particular allegiance at that time), and like many siblings of VT students, I got a bunch of O&M gear as birthday and Christmas gifts. When my time to choose a college came, it was pretty easy. So in 2003, being a Hokie meant doing something new - going off to college - and doing something familiar - going to VT and following (to an extent) in family's footsteps.
During undergrad, my family grew. I made some of the best friends that I have to this day. My hallmates and classmates became fixtures in my life. I missed them when we were on school breaks, and I formed some of my best memories with them. When I joined my fraternity, one of my best decisions, my family grew a lot. I had Brothers. Looking back, undergrad flew by - studying, parties, jamming in the lounge, all the random crap that happens, and football of course. Blacksburg had become home.
My Hokie family was tested and grew stronger on April 16, 2007. I cannot think of a more formative experience in my life. I felt pain for people I did not know. I wept to hear the names of people who had been killed and injured, all of them strangers to me, but all of them family - because they were Hokies. I made a lot of phone calls to my Brothers that day, determining if they were alright. Thankfully, all were accounted for, and a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders when I could report that good news to our National Office (I was Chapter president, so they were in close contact with me). In the days after, I was strong for my friends when I could not be strong for myself. Because that is what Hokies do. I was with my family. When many people left town when school closed for the week, I stayed. There was no place else in the world that would provide me with the catharsis I needed outside of Blacksburg. There is nowhere I else I could have tried to heal. My family was wounded, but had showed it resolve and was stronger than ever. Being a Hokie also means I have no shame in telling you that I had to pause several times typing this paragraph to wipe some tears from my eyes; the pain never really goes away, but fortunately neither does the beauty of the strength we found afterwards, and ultimately that strength has won out.
I stayed for grad school, another five years. I could not leave the place that I loved, and I could not give up the research project about which I was passionate. I knew that at Virginia Tech, I could do anything I wanted. It's that blue-collar mentality. Difficulties be damned, if we roll up our sleeves and just keep gettin' after it we can do anything. I learned that is an integral part of what it means to be a Hokie. In grad school, my family grew - I got married. The ceremony was on campus; we could think of no better place than the Horticulture Gardens in June. Everyone who sees the pictures knows exactly who my wife and I are; we need to explain very little. Everyone starts to understand what it means to be a Hokie.
And now it means taking my Hokie pride wherever I go. It means I know that I will find friends everywhere - other Hokies. I see the T-shirts and hats everywhere. A guy on the plane I was on a few weeks back. Someone walking towards me in a grocery store. There is an instant connection and a smile. The Hokie family is everywhere. It means no matter where I go, I will find friends. Walking down the street, at conferences, in classrooms, and on this crazy awesome place we call TKP.
What a wonderful topic. I can't wait to read everyone else's posts.
LET'S GO!
Wow, this was beautifully written story and I believe you poured out your heart here and you epitomize what being a Hokie means. Thanks for sharing, this is my first topic posted here and all of your stories have made it very worthwhile to me.
I moved to Virginia when I was about 12, and when my older sister went to Tech, I didn't think much of it. Then my other sister went to Tech, and I followed in their footsteps as well. Being able to answer "What's a hokie" has a lot more meaning now that I'm a student and have been able to experience all blacksburg has to offer. As far as I'm concerned, Blacksburg is the happiest place on earth and there's nothing better than being a member of the Hokie Nation. I'd also like to think though that there's a little bit of a difference between the fans and the students as Hokies. Being a student here has experiences that the casual fan will never get to experience. But I think overall, being a Hokie is all about the experience here at school. It's made me love going to class and learning and then getting excited for football every weekend in the fall. Being a hokie means making a difference in the lives of those around you. It means making a difference in the community, and causing change for the good.
ill try. i came from a family that wasn't big on football, or sports in general. i was always a football fan (dallas cowboys as you may already know) so when my friends started heading off to college and telling me about the atmosphere of lane stadium, i decided to get into it myself. Now, I didnt go to Virginia Tech, hell, Ive never even been to Blacksburg, so i would say that i was a casual fan up until about 2007 when i joined the Air Force. At that point, VT became my connection to home...i became a ravenous fan..buying everything maroon and orange, reading every article, watching every game, keeping up with recruits. Being a Hokie to me is being proud of where I'm from and and having a connection to my friends and family that i rarely see anymore. Also: ive got my two boys (3yr old and 2yr old) excited fot Hokie football....they yell GO HOKIES all day long and i LOVE it!
Being a Hokie does not mean having to be a student or former student, you are a perfect example of that. Whether it is the stories we are hearing of those whose lives that were changed by the tragedy or all the fond memories of football games or other sports we all are Hokies.
My dad was never really a big college football fan, but in 1999 I was 7 years old and was right around the time when a kid starts to watch sports with actual attention. He was watching a game at the start of the season, it just happened to be a Hokie game, and I started rooting for some guy wearing a #7 jersey with no reasonable explanation as to why. I found out in the middle of that game that my dad went to VT for a year to get his masters (he never really cared one way or another about the school, just went there). From then on I was a Hokie fan. It was before the internet was useful so I would read every article I could find every morning in the Washington Post about Virginia Tech sports. That grew within a couple years to a full fledged diehard and eventually led to me going to the school. My neighbor ended up at VT when I was in 7th grade and bought me the orange and maroon effect shirts, I wore those things for the next 4 years every Saturday. They were so basic but I loved them so much. Every minute in Blacksburg was awesome and now as a new Alum I wish it was 4 years ago.
Your dad subconsciously has always wished he went to Virginia Tech as an undergrad too. And what do you mean by "It was before the internet was useful ..." Showing your age, are ya, or we differ on the meaning of useful? I was using the internet usefully from about '94. Had PhD friends at Tech who were actively using the early stuff (ostensibly not the www) for technical work with colleagues at NASA and places in the early 80's.
I meant for football articles and searching for information on stuff like that. Sorry, I guess that was kind of a bad way to word it. At that time newspapers were better than the internet, and ESPN actually reported sports news.
I am a long time lurker and was inspired to make an account by reesejenks520s post. My story is somewhat similar. I was born & raised in Richmond VA. I grew up in a Hokie family and had multiple Virginia Tech Alum relatives. My uncle who is an Alum was a father figure to me growing up and I have fond memories of following Hokie football with him as far back as I can remember. I never attended Virginia Tech and was a casual fan until I joined the United States Marine Corps. Virginia Tech served as a connection to family, home and provided a sense of comfort in hard times, similar to reesejenks520. I soon became a diehard fan and follow Hokie sports 365 days a year. Virginia Tech was always there to comfort me and remind me of home and family and to just make me feel normal in some of the most difficult times of my life...for that I will always be thankful.
welcome, brother
Thank you Sir. Feels good to finally be part of the community here.
Oh man, I just read your story after I posted mine and noticed how similar they are. I'm a jet engine mechanice for the USAF and you're right, Hokie Football keeps me connected to a great family fan base and provides comfort. 365, damn right, and I defend my Hokies to the fuckin teeth when others talk shit. Anyway, good post man and GO HOKIES!
i dont want to write a story... both my parents grad from VT ive been around the football team since i was a weee little baby my mom was good friends with one of our assistant coaches back then (and ive said and heard the story 1000 times and now my mind is drawing a blank on who) but we were bad i mean we sat 50 yrd line about 20 rows up but we could have sat anywhere folks would throw folded up dominos boxes during the game like frisbees and i still have some of the old cups. Over the years being a hokie has really changed for me. i used to just be a passionate football fan of them and as a player myself (not at VT) i tried to took what they showed and apply it in my own skill set i played DB in highschool and some college ball at a small community college but the agressive bud forster D was in my blood. off the field i really learned the right way to do things, VT is a program and a school i can be proud of even when our record doesnt reflect it even though we dont have the NChampionships im proud to be a hokie i would take it over alot of teams that dont do things the way frank does. we do things the right way, i raise my son as a hokie hes been around more VT players than anyone i know they treat him with respect. i know recruiting takes alot of flack in general at VT but i love the kids we get. there good kids, and as i grow older that means alot more to me than trophies. hokie pride and hokie respect really hit home for me. ive never had a bad experience from a hokie fan ive never had a bad time a hokie game win or lose and ive never met a better group of guys than the ones we have on our side. ive converted quite a few floridians into hokies along the way and they all feel the same thing about our program. i could go on and on and its hard not to but i really feel like we all feel that way kind of.
Hokie 904, I'm assuming you're a resident of Jacksonville? I go to school at UCF but my parent's house is in Jax.
T- mobile yup! live right out by the airport! anytime your intown let me know i get together with out hokies here and watch the games!
This might seem weird- I'm a JMU graduate. I really started following college football in the early 90's after graduation (1985) and then I became a Hokie football fan. My wife and mother are Alabama graduates but I feel no connection to that program. I visit B'burg for 3-4 games a year and I don't follow any other sports. I love Hokie football! I make no excuses to anyone (especially my loluva friends) for it because they just don't understand. Greatest Players, Greatest Coaches, Greatest Fans- GO HOKIES!
You must have taken a little smack after the 2010 game. Madison grads have always been cool no matter who they cheer for. Heck, we've got a standup AD from there.
Go Hokies!
Not a VT alum. Nor did I attend VT. But I've been a Hokie fan since '94. I didn't want to do more years of school after high school. I always felt I had a calling for the military. So I joined the Air Force instead. Being deployed and TDY all over the world fixing aircraft, the only thing that kept me sane were Hokie sports, mainly football.
I hate that "sometimes" I get weird looks and comments when I tell someone I'm a diehard Hokie fan and never attened the school. I don't think that matters when it comes to what brand of football you love. I've been to the stadium and eventually when I have time will attend some games. I follow who we recruit, how our NFL drafted Hokies perform, and analyze every snap of every game. So it's safe to say I know my heart lies with this football team. Aim high and GO HOKIES!!
Being a Hokie is awesome. It means brotherhood, honor, leadership, sacrifice, service, loyalty, duty, Ut Prosim. It means carrying on the legacy of Liviu Librescu, the 32, and 7 medal of honor recipients. It means 66,000 strong jumping together, joined by hundreds of thousands across the nation and the world. It means being part of a community so much bigger than shared dorms or classroom experiences. It means reaching for excellence every single day. It means you're here to serve, and you're damn good at it. Go Hokies.
I grew up in the new river valley and attended every football game from 2003 until I became a student. I did not initially understand what it meant to be a Hokie, but I loved the atmosphere of 66,000 people coming together. In 2007 I saw an entire university come together, along with every alumni and friend and show the world what Hokie nation was all about. I am now beginning my senior year and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
Being a Hokie isn't about being a student, professor, or alumnus. It isn't about football, academics, or tragedy. Hokies are individuals that practice Ut Prosim, invent the future, and build themselves on the pillars that the university was built on. I was a Hokie the first time I stood in the Lane, I am a Hokie now as I finish my degree, and I will always be a Hokie because of what this family has taught me.
I came from a military family and moved to the Hampton Roads area when I was in second grade. Didn't have any allegiances to any school other (other than South Florida and UNLV because that's where my dad went, but they don't count anyway) because we moved every 2 or 3 years that I could remember. Long story short we stayed in VA and my sister ended up marrying a Hokie. He and my sister took me rafting on the New River when I was 13 or 14 and got me all sorts of drunk and just had a blast. From that point on I was always going to be a fan. Somewhere along the way I strayed off the path and ended up at VMI, but even while there I went to Blacksburg as often as I could. Since graduating I joined the Air Force and have left VA and like many others have said, the Hokies have been my connection to home and a source of comfort and an instant connection with folks when I didn't know anyone else. Will always be a proud Virginian and an even prouder Hokie.
The summer I turned 22 we found out my mom was sick. I had just graduated from Tech and football season was kind of my relief. I attended the Boise game and then watched them unbelievably lose to JMU. My mom, who was always a big Hokie fan ever since I'd gone there, asked me "how are the boys doing?" "Well, Mom, you won't believe this but they lost to James Madison." My mom, who I'm sure was just trying to make me feel better, said "Don't worry. They won't lose again."
A few day later, she was gone.
It was a pretty tough time, but every Saturday I had fun watching the games and thinking "can they keep this going? Will they ever lose? Was Mom right??"
For the most part, she was. For the remainder of the regular season and the conference championship, they did not lose another game. That's 11 in a row, for you young'uns. I still miss her a ton, I always will, but VT football Saturdays are "our time." So that's what being a Hokie means to me.
Many of us share these type of memories of loved ones who have passed. My oldest brother was a huge Hokies fan, he never went to school there but I still have the memories of seeing him dressed in complete Hokie attire with his dog on his lap similarly dressed. :-) When he passed he was buried in all his Hokie attire. He would have been very happy, I never watch a game without thinking about him.
When there's a home football game, it means that is the only place on the face of the planet you want to be. Duty calls and there are plenty of other places you will be ... but in your heart, you want to be jumping in Lane stadium.
I'm not a student at Tech, although I applied and was accepted. The out of state tuition was not in my budget. However, I grew up in Richmond VA for the first 12 years of my life, and then in VB for three years. My grandfather graduated from Tech in 1964 as an engineering student. I also have two uncles who went to Tech in the early 80s. Growing up, around age 8, I was a little (Read: VERY) misguided in my choice of football team, as I just went with whoever was hot (Miami and FSU at the time) but one of those years a team of Hokies pulled an upset over one of my teams, I think #2 Miami which I think was in '03 . It was then I leaned what it means to be a Hokie: it's not just about how much athletic skill you have, but about the heart and soul of the team and how they support each other. I watched as Miami faced a defense who was so strong willed that they could literally rip it out of the opposing team's hands, the famous "Give it to me, Roscoe!" play. And then they imploded. Instead of banding together, the Canes fell apart at the slightest notion of adversity. I learned early that true teams don't do that. And shortly after that, I went to my first Hokie game, when they played Cincinnati in '05. As soon as I saw the Hokie walk and went into Lane to the roar of the LET'S GO! HOKIES! chant, I was a full Hokie convert.
I was planning to go to school at Tech but in my sophomore year of high school, my family moved to Jacksonville for my dad's new job. I stayed a Hokie but I knew that OOS tuition couldn't be done. But I still cheered as hard as I could, and wore my RMFW and Tyrod jerseys at school every Friday before the games, would get strange looks but didn't care. I had friends who were FSU fans, so the 2010 ACC Championship was a BEAUTIFUL thing to brag about.
Currently, I'm a senior at the University of Central Florida and though I'm a Knight, I'm still a Hokie at heart. I still wear the Orange&Maroon constantly in support of Tech, win or lose. I have plans to go to grad school, which might take me up Blacksburg way... And if not, I have tentative plans to go to the VT-OSU game next season.
That's what being a Hokie means to me. Now let's go beat the Tribe!
LET'S GOOOOOOOO!
i plan on being at the OSU game next season too! let me know if you want to car pool... also plan on going to the UM game this year and ill be up for the ECU game in a couple weeks (just a pit stop for me and my girl) as im really headed to DC for the redskins vs jags game im a skin and im travelling with a couple jags. plan on making a trip in early december for charlotte too and then dallas hopefully. butttt ill prolly make either the duke or wf game too! always looking for more hokies from down here to ride with and hang with as it can be a pretty lonely car ride. lol
My girlfriend and I are driving up to the Georgia Tech game in a few weeks actually. Also, I'm not really in Jacksonville too much except maybe one or two weekends in fall. One of which will be ECU week, when you'll be in the Burg. Hope you have a good time up there! I haven't been to a game in Lane since Matt Ryan took the air out of the stadium in 07. Hoping for a better result against GT.
Family and Passion pretty much sums it up for me.
"I was making a lasagna"
All the guys in my family went to Virginia Tech (mom went to Radford, one sister to W&M and the other... well she didn't quite understand... LOLUVA (I give her hell for it)), so for me it wasn't really a question where I wanted to go. I've been a Hokie fan all my life. I spent 5 wonderful years at Virginia Tech (2007-2012) and met so many great people. I was fortunate to play in the Marching Virginians and help serve the Hokie nation through music. One thing I really learned was service and helping others. My freshman year was the year after April 16, and the campus was still trying to heal. The MVs helped however we could, but we lost one of our own on that day, so even as a freshman who didn't know the Stack, it was hard. I quickly learned that the Hokie nation supports each other unlike anyone else. We played an exhibition halftime show at a Narrows High School football game (they also lost an alum in the shooting), and just the love and support from those fans brought a lot of tears to our eyes. The next year when we played Alabama to open the season, we stopped at Augusta High School in Georgia the day before and played another exhibition halftime game, this time at the high school of the MV member that was killed in the shooting. Whether those people liked Virginia Tech or not, you could tell that night they were all Hokies. I guess growing up, I thought being a Hokie was just about loving Hokie football, but once I became a student, I learned there was so much more to being a Hokie than going to football games and cheering the Hokies to victory and wearing orange and maroon. It is definitely clear being a Hokie means a lot to all of us. Just the fact I only know a handful of people on here, yet I look forward to reading comments and the posts everyday because you guys feel like a big Hokie family to me. Virginia Tech taught me how to help others and respect my surroundings; to leave a place better than the way I found it. Over the past couple years since I graduated, people always ask "Do you miss it?" I say of course I do. I don't miss the classes or school work as much, but I always say I miss being in the MVs, I miss the people I met, I miss campus and Blacksburg. Every time I go back, it is like going back home after a long vacation. So to me, being a Hokie is the greatest thing in the world, and so much more than just Hokie football.
Thanks for sharing your feelings, the purpose of starting this topic was to get this kind of wonderful story.