In a tradition that has continued to roll on for the Virginia Tech Hokies, the team once again selected their player who will wear the number 25 jersey for their bowl game matchup on Wednesday. The Hokies are set to take on the Tulane Green Wave in the Military Bowl.
Who will wear the No. 25, and why does Virginia Tech change who wears it every game?
History Behind Number 25 at Virginia Tech
Before former Hokies head coach Frank Beamer coached the team, he was once a cornerback for Virginia Tech from 1966 through 1968. It would be until 2002 that Beamer would see his number 25 jersey retired by the school. This would be a 14-year gap of no Hokies player wearing the number until 2016.
At the beginning of the 2016 season, jersey number 25 was brought back to pay tribute to Beamer, as that was the first season he was not head coach. He served the position from 1987 through 2015, where he went 238-121-2 as head coach, winning seven conference championships, and was named coach of the year in 1999.
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The number 25 is a way to recognize the legacy of special teams’ importance for Virginia Tech in the school’s history. A special teams player gets picked to wear the number 25 jersey every week on game day.
Overall, 66 players since 2016 have worn number 25 on game day. Divine Deablo has worn the most as the only five-time recipient of the jersey number. 24 other players have worn it twice or more in their Hokie careers.
Who Will Wear 25 in the Military Bowl?
Now the burning question is who will be honored to wear the number 25 in their bowl game. That honor will be punter Peter Moore. This will be the third time Moore has worn the number on game day.
In 12 games this season, Moore has had 58 punts, averaging 43.2 yards per punt, the second-highest average in his career. The junior punter is coming off a game against Virginia, where he punted four times for an average of 42.8 yards per punt, and the team won 55-17.
Moore typically wears number 85 on game days, but in their bowl game, he will show the college football world why he was chosen to wear number 25.
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