This past weekend I joined a large group of former lettermen who returned to Virginia Tech for the annual spring football game.
There were approximately 450 former players in attendance, from a gentleman who played in the 1940s to players who graduated last year. As we gathered for dinner, I found myself conversing with players who I hadn’t seen for 30+ years. Somehow it felt like no time at all had passed. Though I hadn’t seen these guys in such a long time, we weren’t strangers. We fell right back into the friendships we had shared in our college days.
We talked and laughed all night, reminiscing about our playing days and all that we had gone through together; the blood, sweat and tears that we shed during those glorious times. One of the beautiful things about sports at the college level is how it brings together players from all backgrounds, social statuses and nationalities as a team for the purpose of trying to win games. The process of those games, and the hard work that went into preparing for them each week, fused us together into one unit and taught us so much more than the final score. Through our daily efforts and trials, we formed a bond that was both unique and unbreakable.
One of the players, Buck, who played in 1974, regularly comes back for these events. He told me that his wife asked how he can come back each year and have the magic still be there with his former teammates. He explained to her that it is a “forever” bond that gets stronger with age.
As the whole group was getting our picture taken on the football field, I noticed the excitement in Coach Beamer’s eyes when his group from the Jerry Claiborne era came up. There they were, men in their 60s who probably hadn’t even picked up a football in decades, rallying around Frank Beamer, one of the most successful and longest-tenured coaches in college football history. In that moment, Coach Beamer seemed transformed back into the cornerback from nearby Carroll County, Virginia, leading his team as he had so many years before.
On Saturday we watched the spring game. Afterwards, there was another group function. Standing amongst the crowd of former players, I was strongly reminded of an old friend and teammate’s bachelor party. We were about 20 years removed from our playing days at that point. It was a great party, well-attended by the guys from our years at Tech, and everyone seemed to have a good time. As it was getting late, another former teammate came up to my table to sit and talk.
This was a player known for his no-nonsense, tough, hard-hitting ways, and he wasn’t known for being much of a talker. He seemed to be down despite the festive occasion. I asked him what was on his mind and the emotionally-charged words came flowing out. He looked around at the crowd of former teammates and friends and said, “Boaty [my old college nickname], I’ve spent my whole life looking for what we have in this room, and I’ve never been able to find it anywhere else.” As he said this his voice was cracking and his eyes were welling up with tears.
I thought for a moment, then said, “You can stop looking right now, because it is not out there. Just soak all of it up tonight and then head home and thank God for giving you the opportunity to be a part of this group, even for a little while.”
I proceeded to take my own advice as this special spring game weekend came to a close.
Have a great weekend,
Ro