| Tuesday, November 14
By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN.com |
|
NEW ORLEANS -- Ike Charlton hails from the prosperous football state of Florida, where he grew up in Orlando as a Florida State fan.
When he left high school, however, the Seminoles never called, and the
cornerback ended up at Virginia Tech, where he will start for
the Hokies on Tuesday night in the Sugar Bowl.
|  | | John Engelberger came to Virginia Tech without a scholarship, but now starts. |
Corey Moore has won just about every defensive award in
the country, but the Tech defensive end was only recruited by
Penn and Duke out of high school in Tennessee. He ended up at
Tech after a stint in junior college.
And then there is John Engelberger, not even good enough
to earn a scholarship when he first came to Tech. A walk-on,
Engelberger is now a star senior defensive end.
Three different stories, but all three players are common
in one respect: they had to do it the hard way to be part of
a defense that is ranked No. 1 in college football.
And that epitomizes the Tech defense, which is symbolized
by a rather ordinary household item. To look at it, few would
be impressed. But Tech defensive players speak of the metal
box with reverence.
It is a simple old lunch pail, but it means everything to
the Hokies.
"It represents hard work. It represents relentlessness.
It represents wide-eyed getting to the football," said Tech
linebacker Jamel Smith. "That's our defense. It represents
blue-collar workers. That's what our defense is known for.
"We're a no-name defense. We're a blue-collar defense,
flying around, having fun. It's a perfect match with our
defense."
Perhaps it sounds a bit, well, hokey. But Virginia Tech
defensive players buy into the concept, which has worked
remarkably well in this 11-0 season. The second-ranked Hokies
take on No. 1 Florida State at the Superdome on Tuesday -- and a strong defense is one
of the factors that got them here.
This lunch pail tradition began back before the 1995
season, when the Hokies were in the early stages of their
move toward the college football elite. They had been to two
straight bowl games and were having success attracting
hungry, hard-working players, especially on defense.
Defensive coordinator Bud Foster has been on head coach
Frank Beamer's staff since the beginning in 1987, but it
wasn't until the early to mid-90s that they implemented an
attacking style of defense.
"We wanted to have an identity, I guess," Foster said.
"Maybe we don't have the Parade All-American players, but
that doesn't mean they are not good football players.
"What the lunch pail signifies is when you come over
here, you're going to put in a full day's work, a good day's
work. We have the kids sign off on a mission statement as to
what we want our defense to be."
Virginia Tech has the nation's No. 1 scoring defense,
yielding an average of 10.5 points per game. The Hokies are
third in total defense, allowing just 247.3 yards per game.
They are also third in rushing defense, giving up only 75.9
yards per game.
Each week, the team comes up with a series of goals that
it lists and puts in the pail. The defensive player of the
game is responsible for the lunch pail the following week.
For the players carrying the pail, it is an honor. It is his
responsibility to bring it to practice each day and to all of
the defensive meetings.
"It is kind of a special deal," Foster said. "It
signifies us. Everything you do, you have to do it full speed
and give it your best effort."
And the players don't make light of it.
"If you forget the lunch pail, you see how big of a deal
it is," said defensive back Cory Bird. "The lunch pail is a
symbol of what we stand for. Hard work. We put our goals and
expectations in the pail. It's of great importance to our
defense.
"If you have it and forget to bring it out to practice,
it's a serious thing. And don't forget it at a game. You'll
have the whole defense in disarray."
Typically, that's what Tech's defense does to opposing
offenses. In fact, in three of the past four years, they have
ranked in the top 10 in the country in scoring defense.
Much of the success can be attributed to experience. The
Hokies start seven seniors and three juniors on defense.
| |
“ |
The lunch pail is a symbol of what we stand for. Hard work. We put our goals and
expectations in the pail. It's of great importance to our defense.
” |
|
|
—
Virginia Tech defensive back Cory Bird
|
"Those guys have taken a lot of snaps, they've seen a lot
of formations, plays. They're just a veteran group," Foster
said. "That's been a big reason for our success. They don't
panic. They show a lot of poise and maturity. They know it's
a long football game, that each play counts. That's a big
thing about maturity. They focus on the individual play, not
the end result, not the play before, just that play. That's
what we sell to them."
And nobody has bought it more than Moore, a 6-foot,
225-pound defensive end who was barely recruited out of high
school and is now considered one of the top defensive players
in the country.
The past month has been full of banquets and praise for
Moore, who has won all kinds of awards, including the
Nagurski (best defensive player) and Outland Trophy (for best
lineman). He was also named Big East defensive player of the
year for the second year in a row and captured the Dudley
Award as the top player in Virginia. And he's been named to
every All-America team published.
"I've never been big on the individual awards or honors,
but it's good for this football program because I think I
represent and exemplify what Tech football is all about."
Moore said. "Blue collar. Hard work. I just firmly believe
that good things come to those who work hard and I think
we've got a team full of hard workers and that's why we are
11-0."
It should come as no surprise: Moore is carrying the lunch
pail to the Superdome this week.
Bob Harig, who covers college football for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a weekly college football column for ESPN.com. |  |
Nothing simple for Simon
