At Virginia Tech, football is family, an unbreakable brotherhood. Names like Vick, Edmunds and Fuller are synonymous with the Hokies, and their legacies are documented with plaques at Petrine Plaza outside the school's strength and conditioning complex. More than 30 families who have sent multiple siblings to play football for the Hokies have plaques installed, as well as the 26 fathers who have had one or more sons follow their football path to Blacksburg. The heritage of family members following their relatives to play football at Tech dates back to the 1950s and continues today with three sets of brothers on the current roster, Stephen and Benji Gosnell, Kaden and Braelin Moore, along with Jayden and Jorden McDonald.
In the landscape of college football, each school has its own set of traditions that span generations. These rich traditions help encapsulate what makes the sport – and college athletics as a whole – special to so many people.
It can be argued that few programs have a tradition that produces continuity and unity as well as the Virginia Tech football team. Since 1987, more than 30 sets of brothers have donned the maroon VT helmets and been a part of the program.
"Our program prides itself on the family atmosphere it instills," said head coach Brent Pry. "The legacy of family members following their relatives to play football here is really special and it's something we hope to continue for a long, long time."
It's a brotherhood in every sense of the word. But the reason for this brotherhood continuing as the decades pass is a question that can best be answered by three sets of brothers on the current VT roster.
Between Stephen and Benji Gosnell, Kaden and Braelin Moore, and Jayden and Jorden McDonald, they certainly had options to play football elsewhere. Instead, they all chose to play together right here in Blacksburg, VA.
Cohesively, they are honoring a tradition that was here long before they arrived on campus, and will still be prevalent in the program when they're gone.
There's no greater feeling than being part of something bigger than yourself, and the Gosnells, Moores, and McDonalds, are carrying on a legacy that distinguishes the VT football program from the rest of the country.
"We've been really fortunate to have had so many sets of brothers choose to be a part of our program over the years," said former head coach Frank Beamer. "That second or third family member chooses Virginia Tech based on the positive experience of their older sibling and already feels like a part of our family. It is a compliment to our program when additional family members make the decision to be a Hokie."
From rivals to teammates
For the Gosnell brothers, playing together in college wasn't always in the cards. They were originally destined to be conference rivals as opposed to teammates when Stephen played for North Carolina in his first two collegiate seasons.
"We've played together since we were in little league," said Stephen. "But when I committed to UNC and Benji committed to VT, we never thought about playing together. Truthfully, we just looked forward to playing against each other."
That all changed after the 2021 season when Stephen entered the transfer portal. With Benji set to be an incoming freshman for the 2022 season, VT made contact with Stephen, and he committed shortly thereafter.
While last season was their first season together, the brothers got a taste of the impact they can bring to the program at the spring game this past April.
"We were on the same maroon team and caught first downs on consecutive plays," said Stephen. "That was a special moment, but it also opened my eyes to the role we can have on this team together, especially since we play on the same side of the ball."
Benji also enjoys sharing the field with his older brother. The family atmosphere and culture are one of the main reasons he committed to VT, and having Stephen with him only strengthens that environment.
"What I love most about VT is that through the ups and downs in life, I always feel like I have someone that I can talk to, just like family," said Benji. "With Stephen alongside me, that gives me peace of mind knowing I can go to him for anything, but I also know that I have an entire locker room full of guys that have my back. That's a great feeling."
Growing up in a household with 12 siblings, they are proud to be a part of a program that prioritizes family, which was so prominent in their upbringing and continues to be today.
"The value VT places on family will not only make me a better player but also a better husband, father, and overall person," said Benji. "Everything you learn here and how you're pushed to be the best will carry on long after college."
"VT made me realize just how much it meant to me to be closer to home," said Stephen. "Playing, sweating, and suffering alongside Benji in the day-to-day grind makes it that more meaningful."
Side by side
Similar to the Gosnells, the Moore brothers also play on the same side of the ball together; however, they take it a step further by literally playing side by side with each other.
Kaden is a center, and Braelin, who is two years younger, plays guard. This unique dynamic has greatly benefited the brothers both on and off the field.
"Having Braelin by my side has certainly been a blessing," said Kaden. "It has helped me so much mentally, knowing what I'm going to get out of him every play with him being alongside me. Having that connection both on and off the field has made us better brothers, teammates, and players."
"It's so rare to have an opportunity to line up next to your brother, so it's never something I take for granted," said Braelin. "He played here for two seasons before I arrived on campus, and he's been a wealth of knowledge for me. We have a rapport on the field that just comes naturally, and we feed off each other's confidence to elevate our games."
They both agree that it's the family dynamic that separates VT from programs across the country. It's a tradition they see embedded in the team, and they believe it will live on for years to come.
"There's a long history of brothers playing at VT and I think it's because of the family atmosphere that was established," said Braelin. "When I arrived here last year, it was a very easy transition because everyone treated me and my brother like family. It truly is a band of brothers."
"Being able to add to that long history is special," said Kaden. "Coach Pry does a great job of emphasizing team first, togetherness, and being your brother's keeper, and that just highlights the culture he is establishing and promoting."
The Moore brothers look forward to continuing to play alongside each other in the remaining seasons they have together, and in doing so, strengthen the family culture that means so much to both of them.
Feels like home
Jorden and Jayden McDonald are more than just brothers – they're twins. Like many twins, they consider themselves a package deal and never had any intention of playing football at separate colleges.
"We were being recruited right at the heart of Covid, so we weren't able to network much," said Jayden. "We relied solely on Twitter to gain notoriety."
They posted their workouts on social media and started getting heavy traction from major DI universities, including VT.
"It was surreal because, before Covid, we didn't have any offers," said Jorden. "Once schools started taking notice of our videos that we posted online, that's when the offers came rolling in. The day we got an offer from VT, we committed."
As kids growing up in Salem, VA, they're ecstatic to be so close to home and represent their family and community as they live out their dreams.
"Since we were kids, Jordan and I always dreamed about playing football at the professional level, preferably on the same team," said Jayden. "At VT, we're one step closer to accomplishing that dream, and to have our family nearby where they can come to every home game just means the world to both of us."
"This is where we've always wanted to play," said Jorden. "We were just waiting for that opportunity. Once the opportunity arrived, we knew we'd be surrounded by a community that looks out for one another. VT feels like home for us."
While there have been many brothers that have played football at VT to continue the proud history and tradition, the Mcdonalds' want to be the first set of twins to make a substantial impact on the program.
As redshirt sophomores, they still have plenty of time to make that goal and their professional football dreams a reality.
Continuing a legacy
It's abundantly clear that putting on a VT jersey is about much more than conference rivalries, bowl games, and competing for championships; it's about the continuity of a legacy of brothers and families that came before, and the many that will come after.
As the Gosnells, Moores, and McDonalds take the field this fall, welcomed by the heavy metal classic, "Enter Sandman," they'll be brothers in arms prepared to go to battle.
Even more so, they'll be carrying on a tradition that makes Blacksburg one of the most unique places in the country for college football.