Head coach Frank Beamer celebrates a win. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, Va. (HokieSports.com) – A big weekend in Blacksburg just got even bigger!
Virginia Tech Athletics announced Monday a series of events slated around and during the Notre Dame game this Saturday to salute the legacy that Frank Beamer has left on Virginia Tech, as well as his lasting contributions to the game of college football. More details on in-game recognitions for Beamer will be made available once finalized.
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 enshrined officially in December. The term “Beamer Ball” became synonymous with Virginia Tech’s innovative approach on special teams, as the Hokies rose to national prominence thanks in large part to their ability to consistently make game-changing plays in the kicking game.
Head coach Frank Beamer of the Virginia Tech Hokies. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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 spirit 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.
Frank Beamer is carried off the field. (Photo: by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)
A member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, Beamer was named recently the 2018 recipient of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. Beamer will accept this latest honor in January celebrating his contributions to the game for a span of more than three decades and his longstanding commitment to education and preparing student-athletes to be leaders in their communities.
At 4:45 p.m. (approximately three hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff), a monument celebrating Beamer will be unveiled at Moody Plaza located on the southwest corner of the Lane Stadium footprint adjacent to Beamer Way. Fans and members of the public are encouraged to attend. Unlike other monuments honoring iconic figures, this tribute to 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 Fancy Gap, Virginia.
Beamer’s coaching likeness will be 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 Beamer, and no doubt he will be pleased that this location will continue to bring the Virginia Tech family together.
Former head coach Frank Beamer. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Financed by private gifts, no university funds were utilized for this tribute to one of Virginia Tech’s most beloved and recognizable graduates. Noted sports artist, sculptor and painter Tom Gallo of Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina was commissioned to create this life-size bronze figure. Casting, finishing and installation will be performed by Carolina Bronze Sculpture of Seagrove, North Carolina.
Thanks to Virginia Tech partner Coca-Cola, miniature replicas of the monument will be available to the first 5,000 fans who enter the gates for the Notre Dame game. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with one replica per person. Gates open two hours prior to kickoff.
A limited quantity of miniature monument replicas courtesy of Coca-Cola will be available for purchase via Maroon and Orange Memories beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday. There is a limit of two miniature replicas per order. The price of $125 includes shipping and handling. Interested parties can purchase their replica HERE while supplies last.
Should any replicas remain by 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the price will increase to $150 and any remaining replicas as of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday they will be available for $175. All purchasers will need to provide a valid shipping address, as no in-person pickup will be available for this special offer.
