BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – The traditions that make up the identity of the Virginia Tech football program are sacred ingredients that make Saturdays special in Blacksburg.
Captain Vince Houston, who has protected Hokie coaches on the sideline for more than 30 years, is part of the tradition.
“I have always enjoyed participating in this activity. I have always loved athletics, especially soccer. Virginia Tech has provided me with so many opportunities through this job. ” he says.
Captain Houston grew up in a rural resort where he fell in love with track and field. Houston, who joined the Virginia Tech Police Department in 1989, was assigned to protect the Hokies’ principal after legendary coach Frank Beamer lost a tooth in an incident in Charlottesville. Captain Houston has been guarding the ship ever since.
From road trips to pre-games to his signature Enter Sandman entrance, Captain Houston takes an intimate look at it all.
“If you’re standing in the tunnel, you can feel the ground shaking,” he explains. “And Enter Sandman is a hit. I can’t help but be excited. To be a part of it.”
Houston also shares his appreciation for quieter, more personal time with the team and the coaches he has served.
“That’s the special part of this game because a lot of times you get to have one-on-one conversations with the coaches off the grid about their families and how they’re doing. That’s special,” he said. explain. “But also about the X’s and O’s of the game. We get behind the scenes. You’re in the locker room, you hear that conversation in the locker room. ‘This is who we are, this is who we are.’ You can hear speeches from coaches like this. So, throughout my career, that one-on-one time has been very special. ”
After 31 years as the iconic fullback on the Virginia Tech coaching staff, Houston, a captain, credits the relationships he has built for his midseason form.
“What keeps me going is being around good people. When you’re around good people, good things happen. Good things happen in your life.” What I’ve experienced myself and what this program has done for me and my family, especially the police, keeps me going. It keeps me as young as I was about 30 years ago. A lot of the players who were with him come back to Lane Stadium and look at him and say, “You’re still here.” You haven’t changed. That’s why I’m happy to stay here and be one of you. ”
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