NEW YORK – Hokie Nation will be able to witness history on Tuesday evening as one of Virginia Tech's most beloved figures, Frank Beamer, is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Beamer will join the rest of the Class of 2018 at the Hilton Midtown New York for the National Football Foundation's annual banquet at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Our Hokie Sports team will be on hand to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access beginning on Monday. Make sure to follow @VT_Football for photos, video and interviews. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN3, allowing Hokies everywhere to join in the celebration.
A first-ballot selection to the College Football Hall of Fame – the game's most prestigious honor – Beamer and the rest of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 will be officially enshrined in December. The term "BeamerBall" became synonymous with Virginia Tech's innovative approach on special teams as Hokies rose to national prominence thanks in large part to their ability to consistently make game-changing plays in the kicking game.
Revered by his coaching peers across the country and adored by Virginia Tech fans for his success and his humility, Beamer's contributions to his alma mater have gone far beyond the football field. A 1969 Tech graduate, his care and compassion following the tragic events of April 16, 2007 on the Virginia Tech campus served as a model for all Hokies to emulate as a grieving community healed and recovered.
Beamer has long embraced the university's spirt of Ut Prosim (that I may serve) and has enthusiastically supported philanthropic efforts across the region for decades. The son of a school teacher, one of the causes closest to Beamer's heart is Herma's Readers, a program named after his mother that provides books and other resources in an effort to promote literacy throughout Southwest Virginia.
A member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, Beamer was recently named the 2018 recipient of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. Beamer will officially accept this latest honor in January celebrating his contributions to the game over three decades and his longstanding commitment to education and preparing student-athletes to be leaders in their communities.
Prior to this season's contest against Notre Dame on Oct. 6, a monument celebrating Coach Beamer was unveiled at Moody Plaza, located on the Southwest corner of the Lane Stadium footprint adjacent to Beamer Way. Unlike other monuments honoring iconic figures, this tribute to Coach Beamer will be devoid of any pedestal and will be very approachable just like the man who was taught the values of hard work and loyalty on his family's farm in rural Hillsville, Virginia.
Beamer's coaching likeness is accompanied by a bench where admirers can easily take a photo or spend a moment reflecting on their favorite Virginia Tech moment. Moody Plaza is already a popular gathering spot on campus and will provide additional reason for Hokies of all ages to congregate here. "We are all in this together," has always been a favorite mantra of Coach Beamer, and no doubt he would be pleased that this location would continue to bring the Virginia Tech family together.
