NORFOLK, Va. – Local high schools aren’t the only ones playing under the Friday night lights now.
Friday was the season opener for the Virginia Tech Hokies – an exciting one as they start anew with first-year coach Brent Pry.
Hours before kickoff, fans began to file into the S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk.
The fans were excited to see what the Hokies were all about with Brent Pry as their new head coach. He’s familiar with ODY’s coaching staff, but also the many Hokie traditions throughout the years – traditions that led to many victories like the infamous lunch pail.
Whether on the field for some of Virginia Tech’s biggest wins or even by their side at past media day events, the iconic VT lunch pail has withstood the test of time.
“It’s part of the fabric to this place and in my mind, it’s something that’s initiated defensively,” Pry said.
First introduced back in 1995 and developed by former defensive coordinator Bud Foster, it became the symbol of the Hokies’ hard-hitting, blue-collar approach on defense.
But now under Pry, the hope is to not only bring it back but to make it part of the new culture.
“Its main home is on the defensive side of the ball but I want that mindset for our entire football team. It absolutely was going to be part of what we’re doing,” Pry said.
The Hokies made the announcement earlier this week first dropping a new profile picture followed with video snippets, highlighting its importance.
“We’ve carried that reference and what it meant in other ways throughout the course of my career on the defensive side of the ball so it was naturally going to make its way back,” Pry said.
A spirited effort from the Hokies as they revive a decades-old tradition.
See more from 10 Sports in Friday night’s 10 News at 6 show.