Even before his notorious involvement in the brutal "sport" of dogfighting, Michael Vick was arguably the most recognized name among the aforementioned attendees of Virginia Tech, possibly the most famous Hokie of all time.
A quick recap of the other less recognized figures: Yates - the first African-American to graduate from a predominantly white college in the former Confederacy; Swanson - served under FDR as Secretary of the Navy during a pivotal time in this nation's history; and more recently, Homer Hickam - the subject of his autobiographically-based film "October Sky" and engineer for the U.S. Army Missile Command and NASA.
How do we reconcile the value system in our society when an immensely talented athlete with ever accumulating baggage advances further in our consciousness than individuals who demonstrated at least equal or greater dedication in their professional lives, are model citizens and are reduced to relative obscurity? True, Peddrew-Yates Hall serves as an ongoing tribute to Mr. Charlie Yates, yet I doubt that most students who reside there know his life's accomplishments. On the other hand, I can almost guarantee that most students know that Michael Vick was instrumental in Tech's highly successful and undefeated 1999 football season and quest for the national championship. In addition, we are forced to learn more about these athletes through their continued escapades and negative publicity than we ever wished for.
When we examine cases like Michael Vick's and that of any other high-profile athlete, we search for the root causes of their out-of-control behavior. Most athletes, starting in high school and continuing into college, are known to live a different lifestyle with fewer boundaries than the average student. In fact, it is probably the best known "law of nature" we have come to accept: The more talented the athlete, the fewer boundaries are placed on his or her behavior. In the money sports (i.e. football and basketball), there is even greater pressure to succumb to this "law" with literally millions of dollars at stake.
To this university's credit, we have attempted to balance our temptation for winning at all costs with boundaries that apply to all of our student-athletes and students alike. These boundaries begin and end with our director of athletics, our football and basketball coaches, and, yes, our fellow students, fans and alumni. We can choose to mold our behavior, on and off the field, for our students, whether participating as contestants on the field or court, or as Tech fans in the stand. Our behavior, whether displayed by our fans or our student-athletes, serves to represent Virginia Tech and the image we desire to cultivate.
To date, Tech, probably more than most universities with successful athletic programs, has elected to enforce rules and eliminate preferred treatment of athletes despite the tendency of some supporters to want to overlook these indiscretions. The attempt to set an unwavering standard of behavior that includes on the field composure and dignity should be embraced by all individuals with a connection to Tech. After all, we cannot and should not accept less from our athletes than we would demand from any other student, no matter how fast they time in the 40-yard dash.
While we cannot control the behavior of our graduates once they have completed their education here in Blacksburg, we can and should set the highest expectations for a student's time while a part of Hokie Nation.
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I was at Tech with Vick in the late 90's... and at that time I can remember many atheletes who lived off campus having pitbulls and large fighting-breeds. I never thought much about it, despite the fact that my dog was attacked at the park by a couple of those poorly trained or controlled dogs. Those breeds need lots of exercise and strong leadership... something that would be difficult for anyone on a student-athelete schedule to provide. In hindsight it makes me wonder if Vick's dogfighting 'ring' actually started there in Blacksburg... or at least the culture of owning vicious dogs and not really caring much about them. I'm curious if this bit of "culture" still exists in Blacksburg today?
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Ah, true irony. A public commentary on how publicity makes certain figures famous or infamous. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Now, who the heck are Benjamin Rubin and Bruce Vorhauer? Do we care?
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