28 Inside Hokie Sports Continued from page 27 @PrestonsRestaurant @InnVirginiaTech 540.231.0120 | www.InnatVirginiaTech.com 901 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (inside The Inn at Virginia Tech) Reservations recommended. A delicious game-day tradition. BEFORE THE GAME OR AFTER, Preston’s Restaurant is a delicious place for a new game-day tradition. Start with our fresh breakfast. Order lunch or dinner from our mouth-watering menu of seasonal cuisine. Sip on hand-cra ed cocktails or a selection from our award-winning wine list. And don’t forget the Valley’s best brunch, every Sunday at Preston’s. Make Preston’s Restaurant your game-day tradition. Q: You’re now the National Sales Director at Endo Pharmaceuticals. How did your experience at Virginia Tech help your progression in your professional career? JD There are three values that I learned early but didn’t realize how important they were and how they developed me during those influential years at Virginia Tech until later in life. Hindsight is always 20/20 when you get a chance to think about it but while I was in Blacksburg I didn’t comprehend what I was experiencing and how it would help me. The ability to prioritize what is urgent and important for the immediate present was imperative to make sure I was focused on the most critical tasks of the day. This is followed by tasks that are important and strategic but not critical to the completeness that day. You only have a finite number of minutes and energy each day. This has helped significantly in my professional career. A second lesson that I learned is competitive drive, in combination with athletics. As an athlete that drive was easy to gain on the field, but for me, academic drive was what I realized will take me beyond Virginia Tech. A combination has been important for success professionally as well as the standards I hold myself to for success. I remain driven and competitive which feels natural, it’s just a matter of what I am driving towards. Finally, and most importantly, is integrity. What do you do when nobody’s watching? We all remember all the practices and conditioning when the coaches were there. However, in most cases professionally, your “coach” is not over your shoulder watching your every move. The responsibility to continue to work for excellence at your role as a professional comes down to you and how you spend your time each day.” FOOTBALL A lot has transpired in the football program since the last issue of IHS. Interim Head Coach JC Price (’95) helped to defend the Commonwealth Cup. Brent Pry was selected to be the next Head Coach of the Hokies Football team and Coach Pry embarked on a whirlwind first day on the job. As a brief part of that first day, Coach Pry took 15 min. to address a group of 145 football alumni in a Zoom call. Coach Pry shared his vision for the Hokie football program, what Hokie Nation means to him, and what he is looking for in assistant coaches and players alike. There is no doubt that there is a tangible excitement around the program that will continue to build as the 2022 season draws closer. We look forward to the next chapter! Stay on the lookout for information around upcoming events this spring and summer. As always, we are looking to reconnect with former players. If you are a Hokie Football Alumnus and would like to receive football alumni news and event updates, please contact Chad Beasley (’02) at beasleychad@yahoo.com. ENDOWING ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS In April 2021, the Monogram Club announced plans to begin a fundraising effort for endowing scholarships. One might ask, WHY? Simply, as former athletes representing the Virginia Tech Hokies, many received scholarship assistance. For some, the timing of that scholarship may have enabled the athlete’s parents some financial independence. For others, it may have been an honor to be recognized as a scholarship recipient. For All, it was an honor to represent the Hokies on the fields, courts, courses, and tracks. This undertaking by the Monogram Club is known as “For Those to Come”. The name recognizes each scholarship recipient in Virginia Tech history and passes that blessing onto the athletes that will follow. In the spirit of Ut Prosim and Hokie Nation, let’s pave the road for our future sports teams and representative athletes. As 2022 unfolds, efforts are underway for a fundraising golf tournament in April. Details will be forthcoming, complete with sponsorship opportunities. The Monogram Club will be reaching out to individuals and corporations alike, seeking sponsorship moneys. Please watch for complete details in the coming weeks and contact Mike Ligon (’82) at ligonm01@verizon.net for more information and to indicate interest in becoming a sponsor.
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