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Your Favorite Tech Athlete of All Time
by the HokieCentral Members
7/10/98

Note from Will:  please forgive me, while for the sake of completeness, I repeat some material that has already appeared in the free News and Notes section.

For the last few weeks or so, I've been taking votes in the Members Only area from the HokieCentral members.  The question:  "Who is your favorite Tech athlete of all time?"

I preloaded a list box with the following names: 

• Bruce Smith
• Frank Loria
• Jim Pyne
• Don Strock
• Bob Schweickert
• Chris Kinzer
• Jim Druckenmiller
• Dell Curry
• Bimbo Coles
• Ace Custis
• Dale Solomon
• Allan Bristow
• Jimmy Carruth
• Franklin Stubbs

I also allowed the members to select "Other" and list a different athlete.   The results are surprising in some ways, not so surprising in others.

Speaking of the results, there were a total of about 123 votes cast.  Some voters listed a tie, and in this case, I gave a vote to each athlete named.  I did not, however, give points for honorable mention, so many of you who included "honorable mentions" will not see that athlete listed here as received votes.

And if I seem to have missed someone that you voted for ... sorry.  It was a big job (HokieCentral members are about to find out just how big in a few minutes)

Drum roll, please ... here are the final results:

Here in the Member's Forum, I've got some of my own thoughts about the voting and the athletes, but more importantly, I've got many of the comments written by you, the HokieCentral members, as you voted.  So dig in and enjoy the most ambitious Member's Forum article to date!

Blessed with natural leadership ability, a great work ethic, a cool head, and an uncanny knack for winning, Jim Druckenmiller engineered some of the greatest seasons - and victories - in Virginia Tech football history. His one-man-gang performance against a powerful Nebraska team in the 1996 Orange Bowl, arguably his best game as a collegian, will stand as one of the greatest games ever for a Tech football player.

Druck is firmly entrenched in Hokie lore for the game-winning drive he directed against UVa in 1995, culminating in "The Catch," which was called in spine-chilling fashion by radio voice Bill Roth and captured in a computer WAV file for "wired" Hokies to enjoy forever.

Druck would later go on to become the first quarterback picked in the 1997 draft, by none other than one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, the San Francisco 49ers.

He ran into trouble now and then, getting in a bar brawl after the 1995 season, and when he went pro, he spent the first year of his career dating a Playboy Playmate, appearing on the Howard Stern radio show, and driving around the country on a motorcycle. If nothing else, Druck knows how to have fun.

Despite his larger than life image, Jim Druckenmiller has somehow always been as genuine and accessible as the guy next door. Druck is the quintessential Hokie. He raised himself up from nowhere to greatness in just two seasons, through sheer force of will and a work ethic that is second to none.

Perhaps what makes Druck most endearing to Hokie fans, other than the victories and his lovable big-lug personality, is his love for Virginia Tech, which he has always worn on his sleeve.

After the 1996 Orange Bowl loss, Druckenmiller spoke fondly of Virginia Tech and showed sadness that his days as a Hokie were over, and that he was leaving his friends and his mentor, quarterback coach Ricky Bustle. I'll never forget the picture that ran in the paper of Druckenmiller walking off the field of Pro Player stadium after the Orange Bowl, arm in arm with Ricky Bustle, his head lowered in sadness not at the loss he had just suffered, but the end of his career in Blacksburg.

HokieCentral Member Comments About Druck

Vip in Danville: "To me, Druck best exemplifies what VT sports is all about. Whether we want to admit to it or not, Tech has always been about scrapping hard, overcoming obstacles, and winning---even when it's not a pretty win.

Druck couldn't get a Division I school to give him the time of day after high school. He didn't let that faze him. He managed to impress a coach during warm-ups at a prep school game, and came to us. Part of our university's mission is to recognize potential and give it a chance to develop. That's exactly what we did with Druck.

Even after enrolling at Tech there was more adversity. He sat during his sophomore year, when he thought he was going to be given a chance. He considered transferring when it appeared Al Clark was going to be handed the job in 1995. But Druck kept working, and working, and working.

Once in the lineup, you couldn't get him outta there with a shotgun. Combine a rifle arm with unquestioned leadership skills and a "Cool Hand Luke" approach to pressure situations; and you have the ultimate folk hero for Tech sports.

Druck is like so many of us, just a big amiable lug at heart, with a burning desire to win; and a little wild side to boot!"

Falls Church Hokie: "I don't care what you say about anyone else (sorry, Don Strock) but not one quarterback in Hokie history had as much of an impact on Virginia Tech Football than Druck. Yes, I know the teams he was on were loaded with talent, but Druck was a flat out winner. The famous 1995 UVa game, the Sugar Bowl (with the help of Bryan Still, of course), and the sheer determination he showed against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl will have Druck living in Hokie fame for a long, long, time."

Tim Hawk: "No doubt Druck was the epitome of the working man's player. His desire and in-your-face attitude touched that wannabe middle linebacker in all of us. I grew up admiring the work of Vince Lombardi and always had the feeling that the coach would have loved Druck's overall game."

Jon Fleming: "Druck was usually superb in the clutch, and his junior year game against UVa locks up my vote. He was a guy who played hard and made himself a star and stayed clean off the field - a type of guy everyone loves rooting for."

Winchesterhokie: "If you could pick just one player that most "caused" the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl dream seasons, my vote is Jim. The winning touchdown lob in the UVa game (in C'ville) was typical of the excitement he could cause. For all the talk about how slow and lumbering he was, I can't remember him running when he didn't chug for thirty or forty yards (though I'm sure I'm forgetting some shorter runs). And it was always fun to watch him finish a run - not sliding or out-of-bounds - but PUNISHING! He was a field general."

Tony Rice: "Druck has the right attitude. You rarely hear "me" or "I" from him. It's usually "we" or "the team".

Outland Trophy winner. Number 1 pick overall in the NFL draft. NFL Defensive MVP. Perhaps the greatest lineman to ever play the game.

Those are impressive statistics, but what makes Hokie fans so fond of Bruce Smith is his continued devotion and dedication to Virginia Tech. Long after graduating, Bruce continues to donate money and time to Virginia Tech, and there has been no better ambassador for the university than the man called "Bruuuuuuce."

Bruce dominated college players during his entire Tech career, racking up an incredible 38 sacks in his last two years. Once he arrived in the NFL, he struggled at first, but quickly chiseled his once-overweight body into a lean, muscular sacking machine. Many NFL pundits now call Bruce Smith the greatest NFL defensive lineman of all time.

During his Tech career, when Virginia Tech was nobody in the world of NCAA football, Bruce did the unthinkable in the sleepy town of Blacksburg: he won a major NCAA honor, the Outland Trophy, awarded to the top interior lineman in collegiate football.

Bruce followed that up by doing the impossible: he was the #1 pick in the 1985 NFL draft, an achievement that many thought a Hokie could never achieve, particularly not at that time.

Bruce has had his problems, most notably when he ran afoul of the NFL's substance abuse policy early in his pro career, but for the most part, he has been the classiest, most articulate, and above all, most talented representative that Virginia Tech could ever hope for.

HokieCentral Member Comments About Bruce

ANOTHERDAMNYANKEEHOKIE: "Bruce epitomizes the value of our Virginia Tech family. In addition to being a superstar at the college & NFL level, he has used his stature and MONEY to endow many scholarships for higher education. To my knowledge these donations benefit all students, not just athletes, from his hometown area in Virginia. To me, not forgetting your roots and giving back to your community truly makes Bruce a superstar!"

RNCHOKIE: "Easily the most accomplished of Tech athletes, Bruce has not forgotten where he came from and he is still a strong supporter of and ambassador for VT."

BeachHokie:

1. Could have gone anywhere and chose VT
2. Was an incredible, impact player for VT
3. First in the NFL draft
4. Is an incredible, impact player in the pros
5. NFL Defensive Player of Year
6. Numerous Pro-Bowls
7. Most importantly - A continued love and respect for Va Tech as evidenced by the scholarships he has donated, as well as return visits where he makes himself available to the media and new players and fans.

Bruce is not a saint; has had a couple of scrapes (as many of us have). But he is a REAL Hokie who has not forgotten where he came from."

DBHokie: "A friend of mine had a customer service contact with Bruce's dad the year he turned pro. She told me his dad took her out to the parking lot, to show her his brand new gold Cadillac, which his son had purchased for him the previous day. She said she'd never seen a man who was more proud of his son's accomplishments. "My son", he said "is a generous man, but more important, he's a kind human being". I have always liked that quote by the elder Mr. Smith. It says a lot about the way he sees his son."

Never in my life have I heard so many different people use the word "class" to describe one person.   When the voters wrote about Dell during this polling, the word "class" was almost always present in their comments. The quiet, soft-spoken, silky-smooth jump shooter from a bygone era of Virginia Tech basketball left a bigger impression than I imagined on the people who watched him play.

A McDonald's All-American from Fort Defiance High School in Grottoes, Virginia, Dell Curry was arguably the most highly recruited athlete to ever attend Virginia Tech, and once he arrived in Blacksburg, he didn't disappoint. In a time before the three-point line existed, Dell routinely hit shots that would count for three points in this day and age. Bimbo Coles broke Dell's Virginia Tech career scoring record by nearly a hundred points (2484 to 2389), but if the three-point shot had existed in Dell's day, Bimbo never would have come close.

When Dell played for Virginia Tech in the days of the old Metro Conference, Cassell Coliseum was routinely packed to the rafters with screaming fans, and more often than not, Dell was the catalyst for the hysteria. He was one of only a handful of ballplayers I've ever seen who would pull up early in a two-on-one fast break and shoot a 23-foot jumper.

But what makes Tech fans especially fond of Dell is his quiet, classy demeanor and his continued support of Virginia Tech. Dell is such a gentleman that when I saw a tape of him getting a technical foul in a Charlotte Hornets game last year, I was stunned to see him shouting at the referee in anger. It was never Dell's style to raise his voice, talk trash, or draw attention to himself.

Whereas Jim Druckenmiller has his wild side, and Bruce Smith has made his off-field mistakes as well, Dell has never been anything but above-board. In this day and age of me-first athletes, Dell, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has stayed with the same team almost his entire career, and has never tried to milk the NBA system for money.

He is truly a credit to himself, the game, and Virginia Tech. And man, can he shoot.

HokieCentral Member Comments About Dell

Ron Almarode: "I followed Dell through AAU, high school, Va. Tech and now the pros and he has been a class act all the way. Arguably the most talent VT has ever had on the basketball court was when Dell played. He has represented VT well over the years and provides a beacon of light when dark clouds appear over our basketball program."

Christopher Smith: "Dell has ALWAYS exemplified the meaning of the word "Class". Dell's family and my family are friends. When he was drafted, the place where he waited for his telephone call was in my parent's house. There was a picture carried in many Virginia newspapers that showed Dell sitting on the floor of my folk's den watching the draft with my since deceased dog Ocean laying next to him.

"We have followed his pro career closely, attended games in DC and Charlotte. Through all the years he has maintained the same stable and classy demeanor. I don't know what his plans are after the NBA, I know he loves the Charlotte area, but it sure would be great to see him get involved with the rebuilding effort in Tech's basketball. I'd love to see another scene at Cassell like my best memory--when Memphis State brought their No. 1 ranking into the 'Burg on a Thursday night in 83 or 84 and we knocked them off. My ears rang and my throat was hoarse for days."

Statman: "I saw all 4 of Bimbo Coles' years, Olympics and all, have loved the great success of the football program led by Druck, appreciate the awesome skills and athleticism of Bruuuuuuce (not to mention that he's still a vocal VT supporter), but I still root and follow most a player I saw for only one year, Dell Curry.

"He was a senior my freshman year, but hoops season in '85-'86 was the most intense of all my Tech sports years. I never followed college hoops much until then, but boy was I hooked. Ranked as high as 13th that year, games against 2nd and soon-to-be-top-ranked Memphis St. and eventual champ Louisville along with the rest of the strong Metro conference schedule were draining, emotional, packed-to-the-rafters, LOUD events. I even had to BUY non-student tickets to get in a few of those games. I've followed him to Utah to Cleveland to being the last remaining original Hornet."

Hoosier Hokie: "The football players were great - I got to see several games in which Bruce played, and the 86 Peach was the only bowl I've been to and I don't think I've ever screamed so loud as when Kinzer made that kick. I am much more of a football fan, but I have to pick Dell Curry as my favorite VT athlete. I was really only introduced to the game of basketball as a freshman at Tech. Dell was such a great player and could really make the game exciting. I'm not sure that I'd have been such a fan of the game if it hadn't been for Dell Curry."

John Higgins: "The best pure shooter ever. His long distance "bombs" at the Cassell amazing. The place went crazy with 10,000 fans. Billy Packer called the Cassell during this time the loudest arena in the USA. Dell Curry was the catalyst for this exciting atmosphere."

I'm not qualified to talk about any of these guys, because I didn't see any of them play, but I have heard those who are older than I am speak of Frank Loria and Bob Schweickert in glowing terms. And Don Strock's proficiency as a passer speaks for itself in the number of times that his name appears in the Virginia Tech record books.

I'll let the members do the talking here.

HokieCentral Member Comments About Frank Loria

Atlee Hokie: "Loria played the game like it is supposed to be played. Even though he was a little on the small side, he never left any of his game in the locker room or on the side lines. He played all out to win, yet when the game was over he always represented VT in a first class manner. He defined class. In summary, he was a ferocious competitor on the field and a true gentleman off the field."

PoqHokie: "Frank Loria epitomized what a college athlete should be: 100% effort and leadership on the field, and a gentleman and good citizen off the field. He played while I was a student. He was a great defensive player and team leader. Had he lived, I imagine he would have been a great coach."

Hokester: "I had the great pleasure of seeing Frank Loria play all of his home games during the 1965 to 68. He represented VT with class and distinction both on and off the playing field as well as setting a superb example to his fellow students. It is such a shame that his coaching career was cut short and so few young athletes received the benefits of his wisdom."

Go VT: "Leadership. The way he (Frank Loria) is remembered by others. He is fondly recalled by many older Hoos. The way he played bigger than he was. Any 60's generation Hokie footballer I have ever seen interviewed about those teams all point to him as a source for leadership and inspiration. I am way to young to have ever have seen him play but, the stories speak loudly to me."

Marshall Bates: "Playing with a lot of competitive fire, Frank Loria relentlessly pursued excellence on the field. He was an exciting player that made big plays: The lone score via a punt return against a Miami team ranked in the top 10 in '67 stands out.. Frank made AA in days of limited visibility for VT."

Tom Aud: "Frank Loria was one of many great athletes to attend Va. Tech. I voted for him because he played every game as if the national championship was on the line. He got the absolute most out of his abilities. One of the most thrilling moments I have experienced in Blacksburg was Frank returning an interception against Miami ninety five yards (I think) for a touchdown."

HokieCentral Member Comments About Bob Schweickert

Hokie68: "This guy was Mr. Everything. The neat thing about his character was that he was not really expected to make it. Had a case of poor ball handling, but he started hauling the ball around campus and running everywhere he went (or so legend has it). His junior and senior year he was a threat every time he touched the ball. He could throw, throw on the run, and jitterbug his way outta trouble for a long game. With Sonny Utz as fullback, it was Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside. He well deserved splitting AAs with Staubach. Most of our younger posters won't know who he was. True, Druck was a stronger QB, but when it came to all-everything, it was Bob. He had the best pro-career of all - he was paid to sit on the bench so Namath could play. Bob was a good student as well with a degree in Biology."

Allan Auvil: " Bob Schweickert had it all--- punt, pass, run, as well as call the plays. He also played defensive back.

He was a classmate of mine and a man of great moral character. He was drafted by the NY Jets the same year as Namath & Huart (Heisman trophy winner). The Viet Nam war was in full gear and the Jets offered Bob a way to avoid the military draft by going into a sweetheart deal with a local National Guard unit. Bob refused. He didn't want the special treatment.

As it turned out, Bob's career with the Jets was short, I don't know if he did go into the military. I ran into him at an airport years later-- he was working with Lane Furniture Co. Yes, the same Lane as Lane Stadium. I lost track after that.

I hope he is well and happy. He gave us some great memories and reasons to be proud."

Hokie Mac: "Bob Schweickert was, hands down, the most exciting quarterback at Tech since WWII, others may have been more talented in one dimension, but here was a guy who did it all. Eyes in the back of his head, a runner to make defenses fall in their track, and a passer too...he was just EXCITEMENT when the ball was snapped."

Joe Love: "Bob Schweickert played in an era when not many 'big name' or Virginia Top 25 went to Tech. He could excite a Hokie, or a crowd, like no one else I've seen in Orange & Maroon. He was a true TD threat each and every time he handled the ball. He was a QB who played his position with daring and also was a heck of a punter and a dangerous return man."

HokieCentral Member Comments About Don Strock

Tim Ferramosca: "Strock is my favorite, because of fond memories of Tech games of the early 70s where Strock made every play exciting and unpredictable. Those games were FUN to attend (it might have also had something to do with the antifreeze consumed!)"

Gene Weschler: "Besides being a great quarterback, both Don Strock and Dave (his brother and place kicker) would come and sip a beer or two at "Trucking Bucks" our off campus local tap on Maple Lane which is now Lucas drive. With Don at quarterback, we finally had someone who could pass and get out of the "Three yards and a cloud of dust" offense. As quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, one of the all time greatest football games was the overtime game against San Diego."

It's a testament to Brandon's character that he finished all alone in seventh place, receiving more votes than Tech luminaries Bimbo Coles, Ace Custis, and Ken Oxendine.

Brandon was a write-in candidate, not a preloaded choice, and when you get right down to it, was not one of the greatest athletes to ever wear a Virginia Tech uniform. He was a solid, heady player who didn't stand out physically, and he didn't make any All-American lists.

He does, however, love Virginia Tech, and his devotion to Tech and his clean Christian image made him one of the most well-liked and well-respected athletes of modern Tech times. Brandon stated on more than one occasion that his life goal is to be Virginia Tech's athletic director, so keep your eye on the Jamerson Athletic complex, and one day, the name "Brandon Semones" might show up on the "Big Man's" door.

8^th Through 11^th Place: Allan Bristow, Bimbo Coles, Ken Oxendine, Perry Young (tied with 2 votes apiece)

There are two big surprises in this group: Perry Young, for receiving votes, and Bimbo Coles, for not receiving more votes. As a matter of fact, Bimbo didn't receive a vote until over 100 votes had been cast, and those who voted for him did so without comment. This is surprising, for a man who is a class act, a fiery competitor, and a decorated athlete (Tech's all-time leading scorer and an Olympian).

As for Perry Young, Coach E.A. Smyth nailed it when he wrote about Perry Young, "Perry Young is my all-time favorite Hokie among players I actually saw compete with my own eyes. He was solid, unselfish, competitive, a true leader, and according to a friend in Cassell, a good guy as well. He was the glue for those great Curry teams. Metro fans in places like Louisville and Memphis knew he was the guy they had to worry about (remember Perry Young Nose Night at MSU?)"

Others Receiving Votes (one vote each): Jim Pyne, Jimmy Carruth, Steve Casey, Ki Luzak, Sam Foggin, Hank Coleman, Rick Razzano, Carroll Dale, George Del Ricco, Mickey Fitzgerald, Bill Conaty, Wayne Robinson, and Bryan Still.

Worth noting here is that Sam Foggin, whom I've never even heard of, also received honorable mention on another ballot!

Pre-loaded Choices That Received No Votes: Chris Kinzer, Dale Solomon, Ace Custis, Franklin Stubbs.

My top three surprises in compiling the votes.

• Dell Curry finishing third. I like Dell, but I didn't know that so many Hokies like him enough to name him their favorite athlete.

• Bimbo Coles only getting two votes. Bimbo beat Dell's scoring record, was an Olympian, and is as classy as Dell, but yet, only two people were inspired enough to vote for him.

• Ace Custis getting zero votes. Many of you spoke of the warrior-like qualities of Frank Loria and Bob Schweickert, for example, and Ace had those same qualities. He was also a great story, rising from obscurity in Eastern Virginia to being one of Tech's most celebrated basketball players ever, including winning an NIT championship. I would have thought that at least one person would vote for him.

I'm not the least bit surprised Druck won, and I'm also not surprised that Bruce Smith was close on his heels. Hokies have good taste in heroes.

Thanks to everyone who voted, and thanks for the great comments about former Hokie athletes. It was a pleasure to read the glowing accounts of Frank Loria and Bob Schweickert, in particular, because they were two players that I never got to see play.

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