149 / 204
STAFF
HOKIES
HISTORY
PROS
MEDIA
REVIEW
BEAMER
#HardSmartTough
#Hokies
#LPD
BEAMER AMONG F I VE WHO HAVE HAD JERSEYS RET I RED
CARROLL
DALE
FRANK
LORIA
JIM
PYNE
BRUCE
SMITH
A native of Wise, Va., Carroll Dale
entered Virginia Tech in 1956 as an
offensive and defensive end. After
seeing varsity action as a reserve
in the first game of the ’56 season,
Dale went on to start the remaining
39 games of his college career and
became Tech’s first bona fide All-American. As a junior in 1958, he was named
the Southern Conference Player of the Year. In 1959, Dale was captain of
the Tech team and earned first-team A-A honors. Dale led the Hokies in pass
receiving each of his four seasons and finished his Tech career with 67 catches
for 1,195 yards and 15 touchdowns. He went on to a pro football career that
lasted more than a decade and was inducted into the College Football Hall of
Fame in 1987. His Tech jersey was the first to be retired.
In 2002, the Virginia Tech Athletics Department developed a new policy on retiring football jerseys. This special honor is bestowed to acknowledge an individual
who has won an established national award in their sport, while allowing the number to continue to be worn by others. Tech no longer retires numbers. That year,
three jerseys were retired in ceremonies. The jerseys of Frank Beamer, Cornell Brown and Michael Vick were the first to be honored. In 2006, Jake Grove had the
same honor bestowed upon him. Corey Moore’s jersey has been retired since 2009.
Frank Beamer
·
Sept. 12, 2002
Winner of eight national coach
of the year awards following
Tech’s 1999 season.
Michael Vick
·
Sept. 1, 2002
Won 2000 ESPY as
College Football’s Performer
of the Year.
Cornell Brown
·
Nov. 20, 2002
Named 1995 National
Defensive Player of the Year
by Football News in 1995.
Jake Grove
·
Sept. 23, 2006
Winner of the 2003 Rimington
Trophy, given to the nation’s top
collegiate center.
Corey Moore
·
Oct. 23, 2010
Won Lombardi and Nagurski
Awards in 1999.
Despite his 5-9, 175-pound frame,
Frank Loria was one of the most
tenacious football players ever
to play for Virginia Tech. Loria,
who started every game at safety
from 1965-67, rapidly established
himself as one of Tech’s all-time
greats. During his junior year, he earned first-team All-American honors. As
a senior in 1967, Loria became Tech’s first consensus All-American, making
seven first-team All-American squads. He finished his Tech career with seven
interceptions and a number of punt return records. He went on to coach at
Marshall. In 1970, at age 23, he died in an airplane tragedy that claimed the
lives of the Marshall football team and staff. He was inducted into the College
Football Hall of Fame in 1999. His number was retired prior to the 1971 season.
Center Jim Pyne became Virginia
Tech’s first unanimous All-
American when he made all five
major teams that were selected in
1993. In addition to All-America
honors, Pyne was named winner
of the Dudley Award as Virginia’s
Player of the Year. During his four seasons at Tech, he established himself as
one of the Hokies’ top linemen of all time, leading the charge for the 1993 team
that rewrote the school record books for scoring and total offense. Pyne started
35 consecutive games and 41 of the 42 Tech games in which he played. He
allowed just one quarterback sack by the man he was assigned to block during
more than 2,700 career snaps. Pyne spent nine seasons as an NFL lineman
before becoming an assistant coach in the pro ranks.
Known as “The Sack Man” of
Virginia Tech football, Bruce
Smith capped his sensational
college career in 1984. As a Tech
player, Smith had a career total
of 71 tackles behind the line of
scrimmage for losses totaling 504
yards. Smith had 46 career quarterback sacks, including 22 during his junior
season in 1983 when he was named first-team All-America. In 1984, the
Norfolk, Va., native won the Outland Trophy as America’s top lineman and
was a consensus All-American. Smith was the No. 1 player picked in the
1985 National Football League draft. During his pro career, he established
himself as one of the greatest defensive players ever to play the game. He
ended his career in 2003 as the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 200.
RETIRED NUMBERS & JERSEYS