Hokies wrap up full practices; take in some of D.C.Hokies wrap up full practices; take in some of D.C.
Football

Hokies wrap up full practices; take in some of D.C.

By Jimmy Robertson
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Virginia Tech football team held its final full practice for the Military Bowl on Saturday, as the Hokies near conclusions of their preparations for Monday's game against Cincinnati at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.
 
Head coach Justin Fuente and his staff have been holding practices over the past week at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes in Alexandria, Virginia – a roughly 25-minute drive from the team's hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. Sunday's practice will be more of a walkthrough and will only last an hour.
 
Like with other bowl trips, the players have mixed practice with both learning and fun, as they have been involved in several bowl-sponsored outings, including Friday's trip to the National Museum of African-American History & Culture. The museum provides a comprehensive look at African-American history and culture, with sections of the museum devoted to slavery and ultimately freedom, the Civil Rights Movement, education, religion, music, art, community involvement, and much, much more.

 
"It was pretty cool," defensive tackle Ricky Walker said. "It was my first time going, and. I didn't have the time to look and read everything that I wanted to, but I got a chance to look at a few things like the Emmitt Till casket [Till was murdered in 1955 as a 14-year-old after being accused of offending a white woman] … It was interesting to learn about history, and I'm definitely going to come back when I have more time, and I'm going to bring my family."
 
There was an area devoted to African-Americans in sports, and as expected, Tech's players gravitated toward this section, learning about the African-American pioneers in the sports world – people such as Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Arthur Ashe, and in more recent times, Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, and Shani Davis.
 
Some of the players knew of the names of these pioneers and some even knew their accomplishments, but only a few knew of their struggles and how they tried to change social perceptions during their eras. Steven Peoples, Tech's tailback, said he spent part of his free time Saturday researching Ashe and Althea Gibson, the first African-American tennis player to win a Grand Slam title.
 
"I've heard of their names, but just reading through it, you don't realize what they went through," Peoples said. "They accomplished a lot, but really opened things up in the world. It was a difficult time for them, and it really opens your eyes to see something like that."
 

(12/29/2018) 2018 MILITARY BOWL TRIP 2


Friday also featured the opportunity to attend the Washington Wizards-Chicago Bulls basketball game at Capital One Arena. The players enjoyed seeing superstars such as Washington's Bradley Beal and Chicago's Zach LaVine, but expressed disappointment at not being able to see Wizards guard John Wall, who missed the game with a heel injury – and may miss the remainder of the season.
 
Saturday's main non-football event called for the team teaming with a local USO chapter [United Service Organization] to put together care packages for active military service members. They also signed footballs and wrote short messages to be inserted into the care packages.
 
The event hit home for the players, particularly the 20-30 who have family members serving in the military. Peoples has an aunt who is serving, while Walker's two uncles served. Plus, Walker comes from Hampton, Virginia – the East Coast epicenter of military activity.
 
"It means a lot to me, just doing something like this to help them out after all they do for us," Peoples said of the event. "These little things can touch your heart. It's something special."
 
"This is awesome, just giving back," Walker added. "That's something I've always enjoyed doing. Hampton … I live right around the corner from Langley Air Force Base, so I'm definitely a military guy – supportive of that, and I thank everybody for doing that. My uncles were in the military, so there is a deep bond in my family, and I'm just glad I have the opportunity to do something like this. It's something so little, but it can mean a lot."
 
Saturday concluded with a bus tour of the monuments around the national mall area. The players went to a dinner and then returned to the hotel. Curfew was set at 11 p.m. for both Saturday and Sunday evenings.