Former Virginia Tech Players and Coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame
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Former Virginia Tech players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame Andy Gustafson Carroll Dale Frank Loria Hunter Carpenter Jerry Claiborne Hunter Carpenter back, 1900-03, ’05 inducted in 1957 Carroll Dale split end, 1956-59 inducted in 1987 Frank Loria safety, 1965-67 inducted in 1999 Andy Gustafson coach, 1926-29 inducted in 1985 Jerry Claiborne coach, 1961-70 inducted in 1999 HISTORY The first 109 years of football at Virginia Tech “It was not football and yet we had Blacksburg campus on Oct. worn in a football game 21. The game resulted in a against Roanoke College on some fun … suits were ordered, footballs 14-10 victory for VAMC with Oct. 26, 1896. of various descriptions bought and Anderson scoring the first A student contest was held touchdown in Tech history. to produce a new school yell general enthusiasm prevailed.” After studying a book of and O.M. Stull won a prize for rules, Professor Smyth took his new yell, the now famous — The Bugle, Virginia Tech’s Yearbook, the leading role as the Old Hokie. Stull’s yell, in its describing the school’s first football practices in 1892 team’s mentor. As a result, original form, was: he came to be known as the Football at Virginia Tech through the efforts of father of modern football at Hoki! Hoki! Hoki Hy! officially kicked off on Oct. 21, Professor W.E. Anderson, Virginia Tech. Tech! Tech! V.P.I. ! 1892 when the school was Professor E.A. Smyth and Sola-Rex Sola-Rah known as Virginia Agricultural cadets H.B. Pratt and J.W. Old Hokie Polytech-Vir-gin-i-a! and Mechanical College. Its Stull, Tech’s first football team In 1896, the words Rae, Ri, V.P.I. start, however, was slow. was organized. Anderson Polytechnic Institute were With VAMC President played right tackle and served added to the college’s name At some point an ‘e’ was John McBryde’s approval and as the captain. Smyth was the and it became known as added to Hoki and the name support, an athletic “trainer” (or coach) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, stuck as a nickname for Tech association was organized in business manager. which in turn became teams and the school’s spirit. September 1891. The major It was necessary for the Virginia Tech. With the When asked about his yell, efforts of this organization organizers to go into the change in names came other Stull admitted that the words during its early years were barracks every day and beg changes. he used had no hidden or concentrated on football. men to come out to play The school colors symbolic meaning At the urging of a few because those who were not changed from black and gray whatsoever, but had been interested students and placed on the first team one to Chicago maroon and burnt thought up in an effort to grab faculty during the fall of 1891, day would refuse to return the orange. The colors were attention. His effort was a number of students next. chosen by the Corps of successful, as thousands of assembled on campus to play The first game was Cadets and adopted as the fans attending Tech athletic pick-up games of the new scheduled with St. Albans of official college colors in the contests over the past century sport. A year later, largely Radford and played on the fall of 1896. They were first can testify. 2003 Virginia Tech Football 237 HISTORY Carolina game budding rivalry by the time the The other charter and helped the series was moved to Roanoke members were Alabama, Hokies outscore in 1913. Beginning in 1921, the Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, their opponents VPI-VMI game was played on Georgia Tech, Kentucky, 305 to 24. Thanksgiving Day and it Maryland, Mississippi State, Carpenter was became the centerpiece of a North Carolina, North Carolina never named to gala affair. State, Tennessee, Virginia and the All-America The Tech Corps of Cadets Washington & Lee. In 1922, team because would march from the train the league added Florida, Walter Camp, station to the Hotel Patrick LSU, Mississippi, South who named the Henry and the VMI Corps Carolina, Vanderbilt and team at the time, would march to the Hotel Tulane. The University of the said he would Roanoke. On game day, both South joined the conference in never name a corps would march to Victory 1923 and in December of that player who he had Stadium. The teams were year, the league’s name was not seen play. playing for pride and a 22-inch officially changed to the Others, including high Chamber of Commerce Southern Conference. his former coach trophy. The membership shifted Sally Miles, The VPI-VMI series over the years. In 1932 the 13 placed him on a continued as a Thanksgiving southern-most members level with Red Day treat through 1969. The formed the Southeastern Grange and Jim teams made their last Conference. In ’36, six new Thorpe. He was appearance in Victory Stadium members — The Citadel, named to the on a Saturday in 1971. William & Mary, Davidson, Hunter Carpenter led his teams to some big College Football Furman, Richmond and Wake wins in the early 1900s. Hall of Fame in Fast Company Forest — were added. Virginia 1957. During its early years, the withdrew in 1937, and George The Great Carpenter The Military Tech football team competed Washington and West Virginia in the South Atlantic joined in 1941 and 1950, A true Virginia Tech Classic of the South Conference. But things respectively. In 1953, seven legend, Hunter Carpenter For years, Virginia changed dramatically for the colleges withdrew to form the played in Blacksburg from Polytechnic Institute and school with the announcement Atlantic Coast Conference. 1900 to 1903 and again in Virginia Military Institute on Aug. 22, 1921, that it would Tech remained in the 1905. His Tech career had clashed in the “Military Classic be a charter member of the league until June 1965, when intrigue, controversy and of the South.” Both schools newly formed Southern it withdrew to become an greatness. had corps of cadets and a Intercollegiate Conference. independent. Carpenter arrived at college at age 15 weighing 128 pounds. He waited two years before becoming Tech’s starting right halfback. When he did get a chance to play, he used the alias Walter Brown because his father had forbidden him to play football. Not until his father saw him star in a 1900 game against VMI in Norfolk did he give approval to young Hunter’s sport. In 1903, Carpenter helped Tech defeat a powerful Navy club, 11-0. In that game, he kicked a 46-yard field goal and, according to published reports, played much of the game without jersey or stockings, which were torn from his body. In 1905, he scored 82 points and helped boost Virginia Polytechnic Institute to a 9-1 record that included wins over Army, North Tech’s starting lineup in 1909 averaged just 172 pounds, but that didn’t stop the Hokies from Carolina, South Carolina and posting an outstanding 6-1 season that started with a 6-0 win against Clemson and ended with an Virginia. Carpenter scored five 18-5 victory versus North Carolina State. New head coach Branch Bocock, who came to Tech from touchdowns in the South the University of Georgia, was the Hokies’ first truly professional coach with a full-time salary. 238 2003 Virginia Tech Football HISTORY Miles Stadium was the home of Virginia Tech football from 1926 until Lane Stadium opened in 1965. Prominent People Frank Peake and the next game against Hampden- said he had never seen Several Virginia Tech Pony Express Sydney. When the Techmen Peake’s equal under a punt. In players from the early days After Virginia Tech’s played VMI in the season the 1928 season, Peake reached prominent positions in freshman team won a game finale, he scored both injured a hip. Though still Southern football. The 1916 by a wide margin in 1925, a touchdowns in Tech’s14-7 recovering, he came off the Tech team featured fullback sports publicist nicknamed the victory. As a junior, he rushed bench in the Virginia game to Henry “Puss” Redd who was team’s offensive backfield the for almost 200 yards and run back a punt for a Tech’s head coach from 1932- “Pony Express”, taking off on scored the lone touchdown in touchdown on his first play of 40. Teammate William “Monk” Notre Dame’s famed “Four Tech’s 6-0 upset of the the game. Peake was named Younger played defense so Horsemen.” The Colgate Red Raiders in New an All-Southern halfback his well in New Haven against leader of that Yo rk. During one three-game senior year and is still Yale that college football group was Frank stretch, he accumulated considered one of the greatest kingmaker Walter Camp Peake. He was rushing and return players ever to play the game labeled him “the Southern joined by Scotty yardage of 306, for Tech. Panther.” As Tech’s athletic MacArthur, 314 and 353 director in 1941, Younger saw Herbert “Mac” yards. The 1932 Team his team upset defending McEver and Peake’s Virginia Tech’s 1932 eleven national champion Tommy Tomko. coach, Andy was one of Tech’s finest Georgetown, 3-0, on a field Peake was a Gustafson, teams. That team won eight goal by fleet back who loved games and lost to Alabama in Roger the open field. He a game that decided the McClure. scored three Southern Conference The touchdowns in his championship.