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BEAMER BALL LIVES HERE!

Virginia Tech retired Frank Beamer’s No. 25 in 2002, but with Beamer’s

blessing in 2016 head coach Justin Fuente and his staff paid homage

to Tech’s legacy of excellence on special teams by selecting a different

special teamer each week to the honorary Beamer 25 jersey. The

response by the team and some of the subsequent performances by

players wearing that symbolic number quickly ensured that another

Virginia Tech tradition had taken root.

“Thanks to Coach Beamer, his assistants and many talented student-

athletes, Virginia Tech has become synonymous with special teams

success,” Fuente said.

“I’m really honored that a member of the special teams will get to wear

my old number every week,” Beamer observed. “Of course, it’s not just

a recognition of me, it’s about all those coaches and kids who made

special teams part of our identity at Virginia Tech.”

It was only fitting that the first player to score a touchdown

wearing the 25 was CB Greg Stroman, who returned a

punt for an 87-yard TD vs. East Carolina. Stroman also

registered a punt return score in Beamer’s final game as

head coach in the 2015 Independence Bowl. Of course,

he gestured to the 25 on his chest as he entered the end

zone in a 54-17 win against ECU.

Tech was facing Notre Dame for the first time in school

history admist snow, cold and blustery conditions. Despite

trailing by 17-point deficits twice in the game, C.J. Carroll’s

62-yard catch and run to the six-yard line set up a Steven

Peoples’ TD run that cut the Irish lead to 24-21 en route to

a 34-31 comeback win.

Arguably the largest human ever to wear No. 25, Settle

donned the jersey for a 49-0 shutout of Boston College.

“You stand out when you wear No. 25,” he said. “Everyone

knows what it means -- that you’re a big part of the team

when you wear No. 25.”

The pride of Mechanicsville, Virginia authored one of the

best Senior Day performances in recent memory. Rogers

ran for a career-high 105 yards and scored two TDs as the

Hokies registered a 13th consecutive victory over Virginia. If

a 52-10 win, raising the Commonwealth Cup and the ACC

Coastal Division trophy weren’t enough, Rogers proposed

to his longtime girlfriend on the field after the game, and of

course she said “yes!”

In a game played amidst the driving rain and wind of

Hurricane Matthew, the Hokies seemed oblivious to

the conditions, dominating at North Carolina in all three

phases of the game. WR Cam Phillips, who blocked a

punt the previous week vs. East Carolina broke through to

tackle punter Tom Sheldon for an 18-yard sack in a 34-3

Tech victory.

Playing in the Hokies’ second consecutive Thursday night

game before a national TV audience on ESPN, freshman

WR Divine Deablo forced a fumble on a kickoff return that

was recovered by Tech. Special teams were the star at-

traction at Heinz Field that evening as K Joey Slye tied an

ACC record with six made field goals in a 39-36 victory

for the Hokies.

CB GREG STROMAN

WR C.J. CARROLL

WR CAM PHILLIPS

DT TIM SETTLE

WR DIVINE DEABLO

RB SAM ROGERS

2016

25

JERSEY HONOREES

Date Player

Opponent

9/3

RB Steven Peoples Liberty

9/10 LB Sean Huelskamp Tennessee

9/17 DT Tim Settle

Boston College

9/24 CB Greg Stroman

East Carolina

10/8 WR Cam Phillips

at North Carolina

10/15 K Joey Slye

at Syracuse

10/20 LB Anthony Shegog Miami

10/27 WR Divine Deablo

at Pitt

11/5 S Chuck Clark

at Duke

11/12 CB Adonis Alexander Georgia Tech

11/19 WR C.J. Carroll

at Notre Dame

11/26 RB Sam Rogers

Virginia

12/3 DT Woody Baron

Clemson

12/29 ROV Terrell Edmunds Arkansas