Carroll County doesn’t draw attention on most State Maps but we have two signs at our main intersection of US-58 & I-77. One is a billboard that reads – Thank You for Visiting Hillsville followed by “You’re Family Now”.
On the opposite side of US-58 there is a sign attached to a chain link fence that reads – Welcome to Coach Frank Beamer Country.
Tonight was a grand evening at the High School on the Hill, known to most as Carroll County High School. Legendary Virginia Tech Head Football Coach Frank Beamer was being inducted into the CCHS Wall of Fame.
Beamer grew up in Fancy Gap, located to the South of Hillsville a few miles down US-52. The actual birth place for Coach reads Mt. Airy, North Carolina which sits at the bottom of Groundhog Mountain because that’s the nearest Hospital.
Beamer in his athletic prime was a three sports star at the now defunct Hillsville High School. His high school years included earning 11 Letters while playing the Big 3 sports of Football, Basketball and Baseball.
Beamer excelled in every season but it was his efforts on the gridiron under the guidance of another Legendary Coach, Tommy Thompson that booked his ticket out of town. Beamer tossed 41 Touchdown passes in just two seasons which at the time was Patrick Mahomes type numbers.
When Beamer wasn’t throwing passes he was trying hard to defend them. It was his effort on the defensive side of the ball that earned him a football scholarship to Blacksburg to play for Virginia Tech University.
Beamer graduated and left town in the Summer of 1965 and headed up the Highway roughly 60 miles to Va Tech. His playing days included two trips to the Liberty Bowl and when he picked up his degree in the Summer of 1969 Beamer once again packed up his belongings and went in search of a job coaching football.
Like any football lifer Beamer paid his dues and followed the path of opportunities. There were a number of stops along the way and each had one thing in common, success on the football field.
The path made a full circle when Beamer was offered the top spot at the school where his journey began. From High School All-American to putting on the pads for the Hokies and now Beamer would be become the Head Hokie.
Beamer didn’t just succeed at his job he first became the face of Virginia Tech, both on and off the field. Beamer Ball became a household phrase among football fans far and wide. Beamer and his long-time assistant Bud Foster helped lead the school from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference where he and Florida State University Head Coach Bobby Bowden teamed up to let the Nation know that the ACC played football too.
Beamer didn’t just Coach football in Blacksburg he also was a leader and voice of reason in the days and weeks after the tragic shooting that rocked the Campus years ago. The football team peaked at the turn of the century when they played in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship.
The Sugar Bowl was part of an unprecedented 23 straight Bowl games that the Hokies played in. Before retirement from the game Beamer had firmly planted himself on the short list of the All-Time winningest coaches in the history of the game.
Beamer also captured so many Coach of the Year Awards over his career that the introduction phase of the Ceremony lasted quite some time. All of this was accomplished by a man known to oh so many as Fancy Gap Frank.
Tying together the Family aspect of this Feel Great story is the man standing next to Beamer throughout the evening was Principal Chuck Thompson, the Son of the man that taught a young Beamer about the game of Football many a moon ago.
The Fire Marshall might have been looking the other way last night as there was a building full of people that wanted to pay their respects to the man that edges out even Andy Griffith on the list of People that People Love to Love.
The actual Ceremony followed the Senior Night festivities for the Boys Basketball, Dance team and Cheerleaders in between the Junior Varsity and the Varsity games. After the Ceremony both Mr. Thompson and Coach set in one corner of the gym and remained there until the conclusion of the contest.
This allowed every person in the building to stop by a show their respect and sit for a photo next to the accomplished so much as Fancy Gap Frank.
Before the Coach arrived I asked Mr. Thompson a question about anything he knew about Beamer that would help me create a better story?
Principal Thompson shared a thought that Beamer had shared when he was about to take over the program in Blacksburg a lifetime ago. The quote that Coach offered up that day ?
“I’m going to make Carroll County proud.”
Before tonight I knew Coach Beamer as a true Legend of our generation. I was aware of the numbers – 23 consecutive Bowl Games, more Wins than almost everyone that has coached the game.
Tonight I was blessed with a few minutes with Fancy Gap Frank and its something I will treasure for quite sometime.
Proud, he wanted to make us Proud.
Coach, you had me at Hello !
Before ending my time with Coach I mentioned to him that I refer to him as Shane’s Beamers Father and asked him for his blessings – his answer came in the way of a nod and a smile from a Man that along with Bobby Bowden at Florida State did the unthinkable in proving that the ACC plays football too.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 