Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 5 | May 2019

inside.hokiesports.com 9 by Jimmy Robertson Tech football program using 2016 squad as an example heading into summer workouts Virginia Tech’s recently concluded spring football practice featured something old, something new and something borrowed (but let’s stop there and not say something blue). In a way, this spring practice represented a marrying of the past with the present, as the Hokies look toward the big day—Aug. 31 when they open the 2019 season at Boston College. Consistent with every season, a win then and each subsequent victory means the honeymoon lasts a week longer. The old of this spring practice came in the form of suspect weather (rain, wind, cold, with pockets of warmth). It also manifested itself in the traditional sights and sounds of spring practice—coaches barking instructions, the constant imploring of the players to move faster, the consistent well-choreographed movement of a team throughout practice, and the occasional case of elevated testosterone during mid-practice skirmishes. The new came about in the form of improved chemistry—a repeated mantra from the players. Head coach Justin Fuente also invited an assistant coach or staff member to tell what Virginia Tech means to each after each practice. Their collective messages reinforced the importance of everyone coming together with one motive, one goal. Does this all equate to more victories in 2019? No one really knows, but there is a feeling of optimism. “We took good strides,” Fuente said. “But we’ve still got work to do.” Fuente kept his goals short and simple for this spring, citing just three main missions, and from a macro perspective, he liked the effort from and performance of his team. He kept his team’s focus on the football—both protecting it (on offense) and taking it away (on defense). He wanted his squad to push through the grind of 15 practices, especially those players nursing injuries and coming off of them. And most importantly, he wanted his players to do extra, anything above and well beyond to make themselves better players. He and his staff kept tabs on the extras. “I forget the actual number, but we were above well over a 1,000 in examples of guys doing extra through their extra time to help themselves be better players and help this program,” he said. At the conclusion of spring practice, he wanted his team to borrow something of critical importance—the mindset of the 2016 squad. He made a reference to that team in a post-spring media wrap-up, an interesting citing of his first Virginia Tech squad. As most remember, Fuente inherited a veteran group of really good players and also quality people. Guys like Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Sam Rogers, Chuck Clark, Ken Ekanem and Woody Baron handled the transition from legendary coach Frank Beamer to Fuente about as perfectly as any group could. They bought in and balled out. Behind this core group and the play of quarterback Jerod Evans, whom Fuente brought in, the Hokies won 10 games during his inaugural campaign, made it to the ACC championship game, and finished the season with a come- from-behind victory over Arkansas in the Belk Bowl. The Hokies lost four games that season—and responded with a victory after each one of those. But that team, according to Fuente, won games that season primarily because of what took place months before the first kickoff. The players spent spring practice learning Fuente’s system and his way of doing things, but more importantly, they spent the summer reinforcing what they learned. “I said this in 2016—the strides that team made between the last days of spring ball and the first days of fall camp were remarkable in terms of not just their work in the weight room, but [also] in terms of their understanding of what is going on both sides of the ball and special teams,” Fuente said. “That is because they did a great job throughout the summertime twice a week with their skills and drills work. “We’ve got a huge challenge. Our kids have a huge challenge to live up to that model to try and make the same strides we made that year.” The Hokies possess similar talent to the 2016 squad. Guys like Ryan Willis, Dalton Keene, Reggie Floyd, Divine Deablo, Jarrod Hewitt, and Rayshard Ashby are very good players. Are they good leaders? Fuente needs for them to be. The Hokies begin their season Aug. 31. But the key date to remember is May 28. On this day, the Hokies reconvene as a team to commence summer workouts. For sure, whether the Hokies beat Boston College hinges primarily what they do during a 98-day span starting on this day through the opening kickoff. , C.E.C. www.Pro f es s i o See our vintage ! See our vintage Ad!