Walk-ons at Virginia Tech
John Burke went from a walk-on at Tech to playing in the Super Bowl with the Patriots in 1997.
Through hard work on and off the field, Brandon Dillard has become one of the latest walk-ons to earn a scholarship at Virginia Tech.
Meet the Hokies
From walk-on to NFL draftee. Sound improbable? Not at Virginia Tech, where it’s happened numerous times. Take John Engelberger for example. The San Francisco 49ers selected Engelberger as the 35th-overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Engelberger, who arrived in Blacksburg as a walk-on in 1995, was following in the footsteps of tight end John Burke, who graduated from Tech’s walk-on program as a fourth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 1994. Three years ago, Will Montgomery was taken by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round and ended up starting four games at offensive guard as a rookie, followed by playing in seven games in 2007 for the New York Jets. He joined Tech originally as a defensive tackle walk-on but was eventually moved to the guard and center positions, where he would start the final 36 games of his collegiate career as a scholarship athlete. Last year, another former walk-on achieved success as Orion Martin concluded his career by earning All-ACC honors. He finished with 7.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss and was signed by the Miami Dolphins to a free agent deal almost immediately after the NFL Draft concluded. Walk-on players are an important part of Virginia Tech football. With scholarship reductions, not all high school football players earn scholarships to compete in college. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity for those individuals, especially at Virginia Tech, where walk-on athletes have a history of contributing. The walk-ons at Virginia Tech are treated in the same first-class manner as the rest of the squad. Former walk-ons have eventually earned scholarships, earned starting positions, gained all-conference and All-America honors, and some eventually played pro football. “The important thing for a walk-on, is to know he’s going to be given a chance,” said Tech head coach Frank Beamer. “The way you track that is to look at programs around the country to see how many scholarships are given to walk-ons. “We’re one of the top two or three programs in the country in that category. So for a guy who’s interested in walking on, there’s not a better place than right here at Virginia Tech. We give people a chance and we treat them the same as everybody else.”
Engelberger was a recruited walk-on, meaning he was invited to try out for the team. He arrived in Blacksburg in 1995 as a 6-foot-4, 210-pound tight end from Springfield, Va. He got into the weight room and transformed his body into that of a big-time college football player. After his redshirt year, he earned a scholarship for his tireless work ethic. Thanks to endless hours of work on the practice field and in the weight room, Engelberger finished his career as one of the best defensive ends in Tech history. Over his career, he was named an Associated Press All-American, was an All-BIG EAST selection three times and was one of the best players in the state of Virginia as a senior. His dedication to the game paid off as he played nine years in the NFL as a starting defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Burke walked on in 1989 and eventually earned a starting position for the Hokies. He was a four-year letterman at Virginia Tech (1990-93) where he caught 21 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He moved into the starting lineup in 1992 after lettering as a special teams player and backup tight end for two seasons. Burke was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1994 and was a member of the Patriots’ 1997 Super Bowl XXXI team. He also saw action with the New York Jets, San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders. Burke, Engelberger, Martin and Montgomery aren’t the only Hokies to excel in the walk-on program. Tech had five walk-on players start or see playing time in the 1996 Orange Bowl against Nebraska. Along with Engelberger, end Danny Wheel, tackle Kerwin Hairston and linebacker Steve Tate each made at least six starts for Tech’s defensive unit during the regular season. On offense, split end Michael Stuewe made his mark as one of the team’s top receivers. All five of those former walk-ons earned scholarships and paid big dividends for Tech in the 1996 season. None of these players would have lived their dream and reached their potential if Virginia Tech hadn’t extended the opportunity they were seeking. Their eventual success has become a cherished part of the Hokie football tradition and heritage. “Our walk-on program is so successful for two reasons,” said John Ballein, the associate athletics director for football operations, who directs the program. “First, our coaches work at it. When they’re out on the road, they’re looking for players who can fit into our program. Secondly, we have a head coach in Coach Beamer who is loyal to each player in this program.” Tech’s walk-on program has provided countless young men a chance to
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