Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 14 No. 1 | August 2021

football Dear Fellow Hokies, First and foremost, I can’t tell you how excited our team is to get back into Lane Stadium when it’s packed with Virginia Tech fans. We definitely missed all of you last season. I know the new guys on the team are anxious to get the full ‘Enter Sandman’ experience with 65,000 Hokies jumping in unison. There’s nothing else like it anywhere in America! One of the many things we learned last year was just how important practice is for a football team. Fortunately, we got our full complement of 15 practices this spring, which was really invaluable for us. We’ve still got plenty of work to do before we kick off the 2021 schedule, but our staff has certainly been encouraged by the work ethic and dedication of our squad. We had a record 62 guys earn Hard Hats in our strength and conditioning program. While that doesn’t guarantee us any more touchdowns this fall, it does give me optimism about the mindset, commitment and work ethic of our team heading into preseason camp. I’d especially like to thank all of you who have made contributions to the Hokie Club, purchased your 2021 tickets and supported the Reach For Excellence campaign. Due to your generosity, our staff enjoyed showing off the Student-Athlete Performance Center, our renovated strength and conditioning facility and our new meeting space to the many recruits who were on campus in June. With a new residence hall and our reimagined player lounge coming online soon, we’ve got plenty to show off here in Blacksburg. And there’s more in the works! We pride ourselves on being one of the best developmental programs in the nation at Virginia Tech. Much like you, I’m anxious to see how much progress our team has made once we get back on the field. I’m also looking forward to seeing some of our new additions make immediate contributions. And believe me, we’re all very aware that we’ve got an ACC opponent coming into our stadium to open the season on September 3. We can’t wait to see and hear all of you again in 2021! Go Hokies! Justin Fuente Head Football Coach A M ESSAGE FROM C OACH F UENTE 6 Inside Hokie Sports