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I think Emma agrees.
That's the feeling I get as well. Perhaps it's because they don't know they have access to them or because they think they are owed those things, I don't know. But from my perspective, it seems they just don't know how to get those things on their own.
It sounds like they have access to all of these things they just want to be invited rather than asking for it.
We need an Emma Watson GiF montage to cheer everyone up...I suck at GiF's.
To that point, it is quite possible that Bucky, Ford and McMillian have already had their most prolific seasons in O&M.
I wouldn't be too worried about not adequately preparing quarterbacks for the NFL leading to a negative recruiting tool because it's true of virtually every school in the country.
Preach. AJ McCarron won a game as an NFL starting QB this past season, and was the first Alabama QB to do so since 1987. Yet the Tide still seem to get their share of good recruits.
You both could be right. They very well may have "only had to ask" but felt extremely discouraged to do so. It's like having a boss that has an "open door" policy but is never around and when he/she is their door is closed. They can always say, "all you had to do was knock" but their actions discouraged anyone from ever doing that.
Side note, I felt like this when I was typing:
I wouldn't be too worried about not adequately preparing quarterbacks for the NFL leading to a negative recruiting tool because it's true of virtually every school in the country. It's a rare team that is somewhat pro-styled, and they're usually defense & run focused schools who only need a game manager at QB, ie. Alabama, Michigan State, Stanford. There's a reason pro-style qbs are so highly sought after in the draft, there's only a small handful of schools are running those systems, and they only get NFL quality guys every few cycles. That's why Carson Wentz, an FCS kid, is going 2nd this year. He was the only pro style passer in the country with NFL measurables.
That's for an organized training. The issue the players have is feeling unwelcome around the program, being able to drop in and say hello, being invited to speak to the team, drop in and use the gym when they are in Blacksburg. Yes while they could probably have no issue setting up a formal tone they want to feel like they are welcome not just tolerated.
Reading Day, Fall Semester of Senior year I went to my Frat's Christmas party.
Was pretty pumped because I was gonna do the easy as shit job of being the HT Public Affairs Officer, had done pretty solid in classes as a PSCI senior, and was only taking 1 Final.
The Christmas Party involved the graduating seniors drinking airplane bottles while handing out gifts.
I remember up to airplane bottle 12, at which point I was given a gift which came with a bundle of about 6 Fireball bottles thanks to our very own HightyTighty.
The next thing I am aware of was them checking my vitals in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Apparently I had stayed ok through the party, with some help gotten back up to my room on the 4th deck of Monteith and gotten dressed and in bed. Whereupon I promptly vomited. And it wasn't really the vomit that did me in, it was how agreeable I was.
"DB you ok?" "YEP"
"DB you drink tonight?" "YEP"
"DB whats your name" "YEP"
So that earned me a fine old Deputy Commandant's Hearing since I was a Senior.
Surprisingly since it was really my first brush with punishment and I had a pretty good record before that it went light on the punishment.
12 hours spent raking leaves and shoveling on Upper Quad(with more than a few others from the Band), an alcohol awareness class, and reduction in rank to Cadet private, which meant with no job I could really focus on academics my last semester which was nice.
While I didn't get to go with the band to Savannah for St. Patty's Day, they also didn't kick me out of the band which traditionally has been a favorite punishment for the Corps.
Well based on the fact that David Wilson recently did some of his training at Tech for the Olympics, I think you just talked to the wrong folks.
Fireman, thanks for putting this together. I've often wondered why more alum, especially our nationally known guys in the NFL are not a bigger part of the program.
Thanks hopefully it's not too difficult to read.
If they reach out to the University and the Athletic Department, they can get access to the weight room if they want. They can speak to the players. They can be around the team. They just have to ask.
Based off my conversations both in person and online with 6 former players this was NOT the case.
Our year they were going to make anyone who wanted to be performance Officer, and the recently added Assistant DM do the tryouts too.
HT, myself, and 2 others collectively decided that was dumb and all dropped out of trying out so there was just 1 participant.
You weren't exactly required to do much at that formation.
A certain other Bandsman was also still drunk and required to actually say stuff IIRC.
Just spoke with #Hokies Kevin Jones re: alumni relations: "We're all a family here. My main goal is for all our alumni to feel at home."— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 27, 2016
Kevin Jones focused last summer on reconnecting with #Hokies in NFL. Hopes to broaden this summer,reach alumni in all walks of life/business— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 27, 2016
Kevin Jones says #Hokies have a Remember campaign designed to show alumni that VT remembers them, encourage them to be active with program.— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 27, 2016
Somehow I feel like the problem here is likely the same problem that was there for the Hokie Club before it got revitalized. There's a lack of knowledge. A majority of the athlete alumni know that there is the Monogram Club because they are automatically in it as a letter winner. They may not know what it does, how it benefits them, and what to do. This is why we hired Kevin Jones in the athletic department. He plays an active role in this group. Just look here. Most of the stuff that Derek is looking for is available there.
http://monogram.hokiesports.com/membership/
Information regarding the benefits associated with each membership level can be found below:
Foundation Hokie (complimentary upon first letter)Exclusive Monogram Club Newsletter (Quarterly)
Invitations to exclusive former & current student-athlete events
Hokie Club Priority Points (one time addition of points)
Candidate must have graduated/or not, in good standing/with good graces of university officials;Premier Hokie ($75 per year)
Exclusive Monogram Club Newsletter (Quarterly)
Invitation and complimentary admission to select, exclusive former & current student-athlete events
Inside HokieSports Magazine
Hokie Club Priority Points (one time addition of points)
Access to Virtual Directory by Sport (when available)
Opportunity to purchase football and basketball single game tickets
Opportunity to participate in the Pre-Game Tunnel at a select Virginia Tech home football game
Exclusive Monogram Club memento
If they reach out to the University and the Athletic Department, they can get access to the weight room if they want. They can speak to the players. They can be around the team. They just have to ask.
I think getting together some sort of football alumni association is a great step in the right direction. I don't know exactly whose fault it is, but the Spring Game football alumni recognition has been really poorly handled the last few seasons. Maybe part of the problem comes from having no organization or database to reach out to former players and makes plans for exactly who plans on attending. But I thought it was pretty bad how only a handful of the players who made it to the game last weekend were actually recognized.
I seem to remember several years ago at a Spring Game, all the former players in attendance were brought out to to the middle of the field at halftime and had their names/introductions called out by the game announcer. Fans gave great receptions to everyone, and then the whole group was recognized together and posed for some pictures with Beamer. I figured this was standard practice, but was disappointed to see this not happening anymore recently.
Of course there are costs involved. Can the Athletics Department and/or Hokie Club feasibly afford and handle having any interested former player coming back for events? Not sure, but I think getting together some sort of organization to handle football alumni relations would be a huge step forward to getting more former players back on campus and involved when possible.
Fireman, you rock! This is exactly what can help start a groundswell of support for former VT football players (and perhaps other sports athletes inclusion as well). It will be interesting to see where this goes.
This will help recruiting as well.
I've read "harsh" with regard to the punishment 3 times. And no one, NO ONE, went to Carl Spackler?
"previous regime" - sadly not surprised that the Weaver administration failed at something people related. PR and interpersonal relations took a back seat.
Was waiting eagerly for this. Thanks for putting it up so quickly. Yes. The reason this is so important is because these were the athletes that helped build Hokie Nation to what it is today for their sacrifice and victories. They deserve to be honored, remembered, respected and thanked.
Attention former Hokie Footballers by Todd Washington