I'm a Virginia Tech Hokie Football Fan for many reasons. Watching the Hokies in their maroon or white jerseys take the field on Saturday is one of the highlights of my week. I love Virginia Tech football, I love Lane Stadium, I love the wins, and I begrudgingly suffer through the losses. Each years brings a team with different characteristics, but also traits that remained the same. This year its youth and the continuation of struggling offense. Injuries, opponents, and the fruitfulness of recent recruiting classes make each year unique. But there is one aspect of Hokie football that seems to rarely disappoint. While not always perfect, and not without flaws, there is one unit that always gives me a little extra pride, passion, and thrill. I love watching Virginia Tech play defense.
Football is an aggressive sport. It rewards teams that take the game to the opponent. Good teams are physical, fast, furious, and complex. Bud Foster regularly puts a defense on the field that is aggressive. Its also physical, fast, furious, and complex. I love the emphasis on speed, the tenacity of getting to the quarterback, the '8 men in the box' mentality, the scheme that includes a rover and a whip. The Hokies on defense don't want to control the opponent, they want to demolish. They want to confuse you, intimidate you, shock you, and demoralize you. I love that.
We like strong, fast, athletic defenders at linebacker, rover, whip, and safety. We search all over Virginia and its surroundings to find these elite young athletes who can run, cover, hit and tackle. They are smart, coordinated, and fast, and good.
Virginia Tech sports brash, talented, sometimes too confident cornerbacks. They are often asked to cover receivers on their own while the linebackers and safeties cause havoc elsewhere through stunts and blitzes. I love that.
Turnovers are not luxuries with the Hokies, they are mandatory. Interceptions are prized and forcefully sought. Quarterbacks are confused, rushed, and misled into throwing picks to Hokie defenders. I love that.
Defensive tackles at Virginia Tech are nasty, furious types. We grow them and stockpile them, so waves of them just keep coming. They lead the way. Hokie defensive ends are known for speed, tenacity, and relentlessness. While undersized, the emphasis is on getting to the quarterback ASAP, acting against you before you can execute against us. I love that.
So while I can appreciate the offensive side of football, the thrill of getting the ball and the anticipation of the next drive. Hokie running backs are gems, and scoring after all is what its all about. I certainly appreciate the identity with special teams that Frank Beamer has created with the Hokies (though it sometimes seems to work against us).
But I'll readily admit, I'm most excited, most at ease, most dialed in, when the Hokie defense takes the field.
Go Hokies!!
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