found in an antique mall tucked into the hills of christiansburg, virginia…the ultimate vintage find for a college football fan! sure it’s old, but “what does a lunchpail have to do with football?”, you may ask.
at first glance, this old tin lunchbox is a commonplace household item that many a shift worker carried to + from their job everyday–meaningful for some + an ordinary item to most. but for those with ties to virginia tech, it means a whole lot more.
to the hokie football program from the late 90s to early aughts, as well as the coaches + fans that’ve cheered them on, it’s a deeply meaningful symbol of a defense that led the conference in statistics for the better part of twenty years.
we live in a time when athletic teams have become very creative with their celebrations + some may say they equally serve as a motivator…getting to hoist a trident, wearing a special hat or jacket, taking home a wwe sized belt or stabbing deflated footballs through a miniature space needle. whatever the gesture, they each have their backstory + the longer these rituals have been around, the more the lore seems to grow with them.
in 1995, virginia tech’s defensive coordinator bud foster, working with his team of coaches decided to start bringing a lunch pail to practice. this symbol, reminiscent of the hardworking blue-collar virginians of the area, served as a reminder to those at practice that a full days work would be required + everyone would be expected to show up to grind it out each day. this in turn built a program that was known for their collective drive, discipline + preparation resulting in some of the most incredible defensive play the sport had seen to date.
over time, the tradition grew to include a list of defensive goals packed away in the pail + after a win on the road, tufts of turf grass from the opponents field as a souvenir. players were often awarded the lunch pail to carry with them for outstanding performance + it became an honor to be the keeper of the dinged up tin box that held a great deal of meaning(s) for so many.
my husband, a hokie alumnus remembers during the glory days of his college years, seeing players like corey moore + darryl tap, among other defensive superstars like kam chancellor, deangelo hall, justin hamilton + the fuller brothers to name a few. these guys are legends + they led the defensive squads that defined beamer ball over the years. it was the type of era many would like to see happen again + the hokies are long overdue!
when you see the lunch pail on the sidelines today (thanks to a recent revival), it may be a look a little roughed up from all the travel over the years but you’ll know it when you see the orange “VT” painted on one side + “WIN” on the other…still symbolizing what hokie football once stood for + could again–the ultimate talisman of inspiration!
it’s even inspired a line of gear to harken back to the spirit of the lunchpail defense:
the question that begs to be asked: do you think we should paint ours to make it official before our next tailgate?!
