HOW TO BE APART OF VIRGINIA TECH’S

FOOTBALL CULTURE

HARD. SMART. TOUGH

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING BEFORE
STARTING THE LESSON
https://youtu.be/SkYV6yoLZDU
 Hokie Culture
In this lesson you will be taught what it is
that makes the culture in Virginia Tech’s
football program. With this lesson you will be
introduced to the following three main topics:
1) What it means to be a hokie
2) View in-season inspects
3) Identify and describe off-season inspects of
Virginia Tech
 Hokie Culture
In this lesson you will be taught what it is
that makes the culture in Virginia Tech’s
football program. With this lesson you will be
introduced to the following three main topics:
1) What it means to be a hokie
2) View in-season inspects
3) Identify and describe off-season inspects of
Virginia Tech
• Objectives:
• 1.0) Using the information given, learners will be able to identify and define what it means to be a hokie
• 1.1) In your own words, summarize a tradition at Virginia Tech and describe what is hokie stone
• 1.2) Using the informational video presented, the learner will accurately recall Virginia Tech’s school colors and mascot
• 1.3) Using the audio and lyrics of “Tech Triumph” given, the learner will correctly perform Virginia Tech’s fight song
• 2.0) Using the highlights tape of Virginia Tech’s football season given, learners will know what the football program consist of during in-season play
• 2.1) Using a video of Virginia Tech’s “Enter Sandman” entrance, the learners will be able to correctly describe in their own words what enter sandman
means.
• 2.2) Using the information about the origin of Firing Skipper given, the learners will be able to accurately describe what skipper means to Virginia Tech
• 2.3) Using the highlight tape of Virginia Tech football given, the learners will identify the best plays they viewed
• 3.0) Using the information and videos presented of Virginia Tech football’s off-season program, learners will be able to describe what Virginia Tech’s program
does in the off-season
• 3.1) Using the information given on Virginia Tech’s character-building practices, learners will be able to correctly identify how Virginia Tech incorporates
character building in their offseason
• 3.2) Using the information given, learners will be able to accurately recall what workouts are performed during the off-season
• 3.3) Using the images and video given, learners will be able to correctly identify how Virginia Tech incorporates team bonding
 What it
Off-seaso
means to In-season
n
be a Play
Aspects
Hokie
 MODULE 1: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
HOKIE

The fight song

Virginia Tech is among many schools in the country Colors and mascot
that have a very rich history. Virginia Tech’s football
program dates back to 1892. It is important you
know the basic traditions and history to truly know Traditions and hokie stone
what it means to be a hokie.

Practice Questions

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 TECH TRIUMPH

• Tech Triumph" is the fight song of

Virginia Tech.
• composed in 1919 by Wilfred Pete
Maddux and Mattie Eppes.
• The song is played after points are
scored at Tech football games.
• The video presented will provide an
audio of the fight song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWWpFWrHojs

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 TECH TRIUMPH
Techmen, we're Techmen, with spirit true and
faithful,
Backing up our team with hopes undying;
Techmen, Oh, Techmen, we're out to win today,
Showing "pep" and life with which we're trying;
V. P., old V. P. You know our hearts are with you,
In our luck which never seems to die;
Win or lose we'll greet you with a glad returning,
You're the pride of V. P.
Chorus:
Just watch our men so big and active,
Support the Orange and Maroon,
Let's go, Techs! We know our ends and backs are
stronger,
With winning hopes, we fear defeat no longer,
To see our team plow through the line, boys,
Determined now to win or die;
So give a Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi!
Rae, Ri, old V. P. I.
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 COLORS AND MASCOT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L1OIjvDdmY

• The original school colors were black and grey

• Burnt orange and Chicago maroon were then picked as the school colors in 1896.
• No other school has this unique color combination

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 COLORS AND MASCOT

• The original mascot was a real turkey

trained by Floyd Meade
• known as the Gobbler and then the
Fighting Gobbler.
• The current hokie bird conveys power
and strength and was debuted in
September of 1987

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 TRADITIONS & HOKIE STONE
• Limestone common in Southwest Virginia. It was first used in
• The Lunch Pail campus building construction in 1899
• University & Program motto • All new central campus buildings must bear the distinctive stone.
Below are images of what Hokie Stone would look like.
• Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets

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 THE LUNCH PAIL

• Symbolizes the blue-collar approach of the Hokies’ football defense

• developed by Bud Foster.
• Features the 32 names of the Hokies that lost their lives in 2007.
• The football team places pieces of grass from the opponents field in the lunch pail after wins

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 UNIVERSITY & PROGRAM MOTTO

• The university adopted Ut Prosim, Latin

for "That I May Serve," as its motto.
• The football program has implemented
that same philosophy into their team’s
culture

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 CORP OF CADETS

• Three football players and three cadets are chosen every home game to exchange flags.
• The cadets salute the flags, then securely carry them off the field.
• Flags: American, State, & Team

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS

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 MODULE 2: IN-SEASON PLAY

Season Highlights

Firing Skipper
• The Hokies compete in one of the countries loudest
stadiums Lane Stadium, located in Blacksburg, Virginia.
• It holds a seating capacity of over 65,000 fans.
Enter Sandman
• During games, the Hokies participate in many gameday
traditions and routines

Practice Questions

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 SEASON HIGHLIGHT TAPE

The video provided will let you view the

excitement of being in-between the
white lines of Lane Stadium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSqZq6su_sQ

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 FIRING SKIPPER

• Skipper is fired from outside Lane Stadium

when the football team enters the field
• It is also fired when the team scores

Please watch the following video to find more

about Skipper and the tradition behind it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZAQ6yXxxBQ

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 ENTER SANDMAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Op-Q5TQKg

Written and recorded by the heavy metal band Metallica, “Enter Sandman” has been
played in Lane Stadium since 2000 as the football team enters the field. The tradition of
students jumping up and down during the song. Watch the video above to experience
Enter Sandman.

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS

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 MODULE 3: OFF-SEASON ASPECTS

Team bonding

Off-season workouts
Players participate in team events and workouts that
help mold them into the team’s culture. They go
through the three phases of team bonding, Character building
off-season workouts, and character building events.

Practice Questions

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 TEAM BONDING

Virginia Tech’s football program utilizes team bonding to build on the culture of the team. Team bonding is incorporated by completing
the following :
• Hard Hat System
• Participating in team events
• Eating team meals together
• Traveling together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drxHj87zCb4&t=46s

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 OFF-SEASON WORKOUTS

Virginia Tech off-season workout program are

instructed by coaches and consist of:
• Weight lifting
• Agility & speed training (Colorado’s)
• Conditioning

Weight lifting is held in: Merryman Center Weight

Room
Agility training is held in: Beamer Lawson Indoor
Practice Facility

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BEAMER LAWSON INDOOR PRACTICE
FACILITY

Back

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MERRYMAN CENTER WEIGHT ROOM

Back

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 CHARACTER BUILDING

Character building is developed through player engagement programs. These programs help improve the personal
growth and character development of Virginia Tech’s football player:
• Community service outreaches
• Networking with alumni
• Career exploration

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS

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 CONCLUSION
Congratulations! You have finished the lesson. Knowing if you fit in the culture of a football program is not a
simple thought. With this information you can gain knowledge to learn if you could be a Virginia Tech Football
player. Remember these key things:

• What is truly means to be a Hokie

• What game days are like during the season
• Understanding the off-season aspects of the program

Go Hokies!

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 GLOSSARY
• Lane Stadium - a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is
named Worsham Field
• Enter sandman – Written by band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, "Enter
Sandman" is about nightmares and things that go "bump" in the night.
• Hokie – The HokieBird is the official mascot of Virginia Tech.
• Tech Triumph – the fight song of Virginia Tech.
• Corp of Cadets – body of cadets under instruction and military discipline and control at a school, college, or
service academy.
• Hard Hat System – Term made by the Virginia Tech football program to embody the team’s blue collar and
hard working mentality
• Ut Prosim – Virginia Tech’s motto, “That I May Serve”
• Skipper – the name of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets' cannon that is sounded at home football games
and other events.
• Lunch Pail - The legendary lunch pail symbolizes the blue-collar style Bud Foster instills in his players.

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 HELP

For additional information or to find more on Virginia Tech’s football program please visit the following
provided:

Virginia Tech Football’s Athletic Website

https://hokiesports.com/sports/football

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