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.
