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

Former Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned to Blacksburg for the Spring Game on April 13, but before taking in the game that Saturday, he spent the previous Friday afternoon at Price’s Fork Elementary School, talking to third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders and imparting advice to them that he hoped would help them in their lives going forward. Taylor’s message was interactive—a combination of talking mixed with throwing footballs and handing out cleats and miniature helmets. He encouraged the children to set goals for themselves, and he talked to them about such things as focus, balance, teamwork, pain and believing. He also allotted time for the kids to ask him questions and spent 20 minutes answering an array of questions about his childhood, his time at Virginia Tech and his time in the NFL, where he will be entering his ninth season after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers in the offseason. His time at Price’s Fork ended with an impromptu photograph and autograph session, with a couple of photographers taking shots of Taylor with the entire group, the school staff and individual classes. Taylor signed shirts, sweatshirts and shoes of the kids as well, and he shook hands, delivered hugs and handed out fist-bumps. He said afterward that this was a way for him to give back to a community that has treated him warmly and supported him throughout his career. “Being here for four years and being able to come here years after, it’s a special place,” he said. Supporting Tech Athletics Since 1949 2 Inside Hokie Sports