Believe

First, I apologize for being a bit MIA lately. This first part of the season has been pretty go-go-go. But, I’m here now.

I’m feeling a bit down (still) after that deflating loss to Clemson last weekend so I got to thinking…how could I pick myself back up again? I immediately started thinking of a similar situation from many years ago, back when Tech was still in the Big East. We’d gone on the road and lost miserably to West-by God-Virginia. The upcoming game - also against Miami - held incredible meaning for the remainder of the season. There were a lot of questions and even more discontent swirling around the program and throughout the Hokie Nation. Would the season improve or simply spiral out of control? And that’s when Will Stewart, over at Techsideline.com, wrote the most energizing and motivating column I think I’ve ever read. He called it “Make It Real” and basically it was a plea to the fans to double-down and go all in (to use some gambling metaphors). To come support the team and show how much they still cared. To will those guys to the victory we all needed.

I was pumped and unbelievably psyched just halfway through the column; by the time I’d finished it, I was already attaching it to emails and sending it to other fans. I knew we were going to win an hour before kickoff, watching the fans line up to greet the players during The Walk. Hearing the roar of the crowd that was so loud it reverberated inside my chest. Bottom-line: that column mattered, it ignited the fan base, which in turn helped inspire the team - we throttled Miami in that game.

I know you can’t just recreate that sort of magic whenever you want to, but I’m committing here and now that I’m going to do my part.

I’m going to be there early.

I’m going to have an amazing tailgate and I’m going to get my crew ready to go.

I’m going to cheer even louder on 4th downs than I do on 3rd.

I’m going to lose my voice (again).

And I’m going to get everyone around me to do the same thing.

I may not have quite the audience that Will Stewart has…and that’s ok with me…but I have just as much devotion to my guys and my team. And I can be damn persuasive when I want to be.

I say, let’s go to work, stay focused, stay aggressive, stay hungry. I say let’s make it real, again. I say, let’s make it count.

Let’s go, Hokies – win #5.