Hokie ClubBy Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – For Pierson Prioleau, the slogan "This is Home" takes on a literal meaning.
Since his retirement from the NFL in 2011, he and his family have made the New River Valley their home. They live in nearby Radford, the hometown of Prioleau's wife and an approximately 20-minute drive from the Virginia Tech campus.
But Prioleau believes this area isn't just his home. He passionately argues that Blacksburg and its surrounding suburbs serve as the home for all Hokie students, alumni and fans.
"That's not something that's just said," Prioleau said. "That's not just something that you see on the Jumbotron or in a commercial. This really feels like home for ex-players here. This feels like home for the students that come to this university. Virginia Tech is a place where you feel that this will always be home for you, and you feel comfortable coming back here and being a part of this program, even when your career is done, or you're done graduating as a student.
"Being a Hokie isn't something that you do for four years. Once you become a Hokie, this is always home. This is a place where you always like to come back to, and this is a place where you always feel welcomed."
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His fierce pride for his university and for the football program served as primary reasons why he accepted the position as director of player development (defense) on head coach Justin Fuente's staff. He started roughly two weeks ago, and he immediately got to work meeting with players and developing relationships.
Prioleau will be a mentor to Tech's players, offering advice gained from a successful college career from 1995-99 and a 12-year career in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints in 2010 – and that ring on his finger gives him instant credibility.
This move marked the latest step in Prioleau's post-NFL career. When he retired, he knew he wanted to get into coaching. He just wanted it to be the right situation for him, wife Alicia, and their three children. He looked at some options, but never wanted to move his family from Radford, where they had established roots. So he got into high school coaching to remain in the game, working for Matthew Saunders on Radford High School's staff, while also working as a physical education teacher at Belle Heth Elementary School in Radford.
"Having my family travel a lot and be taken away from home a lot, coaching on the high school level was the logical thing to do to give that time back to my family," Prioleau said. "But as time passed, I felt like if there was an opportunity that I couldn't pass on, then I would have to take it.
"I did some internships – I did the Bill Walsh minority internship with the Rams. I did some other things in the coaching game. I interviewed for some other jobs just to keep my name hot in the NFL part of it, but ultimately, this opportunity fit perfectly where I didn't have to leave home. My family is still in the same house that we've been in for the past six or seven years. My kids are going to the same school. It's a 25-minute commute from Radford. This is an opportunity I couldn't pass on. It just fits. I'm indebted to the Hokies. I'm indebted to this organization. I love what Coach Fuente is doing with this organization. It's an easy choice."
Of course, taking the Tech job meant sacrificing time spent with his children, particularly his oldest son, P.J. He actually coached P.J., a rising junior at Radford High, and the two developed a strong bond.
When Pierson received the call from Fuente, he first wanted to make sure his family was good with the move before taking the position.
"I think they're just as excited about me having this opportunity than I am," he said. "I've coached P.J. from rec ball all the way up to his junior year in high school. I think he's a very tough kid and resilient kid, and he'll be fine."
Prioleau became the third former Tech player to work for defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Prioleau replaced Justin Hamilton, who moved into an assistant's role this winter after Tyrone Nix left, and Jack Tyler, a former Foster linebacker, currently works as a quality control coach for the defense.
Prioleau certainly brings plenty of experience to the staff. He played rover for Foster, starting for three seasons and totaling 237 tackles, while participating in two of the school's biggest wins – the 1995 Sugar Bowl against Texas and the 1998 Music City Bowl against Alabama. He twice earned first-team All-BIG EAST honors, and as a junior in 1997, he earned third-team All-America honors by The Sporting News.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Prioleau in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and he went on to play in 160 games for five different teams.
Now he returns to the program, looking to teach, mentor, learn and help Foster return this defense to its lofty standard, as Foster gets set to coach his final season. The longtime veteran decided last week to retire at the conclusion of this season following a 33-year tenure at Tech.
Of course, Prioleau – like everyone else associated with the program – wants to send Foster out a winner. But he also possesses the maturity to know that Virginia Tech will remain after Foster retires, and he firmly believes that Virginia Tech still is the place to be.
"I was spoiled being in the NFL, and I was humbled going back to high school," he said. "Now I'm spoiled again being back here at Virginia Tech."