Hokie ClubDuring his tenure as head football coach at legendary prep program DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Elijah Brooks placed dozens of his players at Power 5 schools around the country.
One of the most successful turned out to be Cam Phillips, a former Stag who would become Virginia Tech's all-time leading receiver during his career in Blacksburg. Phillips set all-time school records with 236 receptions for 3,027 yards during his Hokies career from 2014-17.
"Cam had a great career on the field," Brooks recounted this past week, "but when we would talk or text, he always brought up what a special place Blacksburg was, and how it always felt like a home to him."
When Brooks was hired as Virginia Tech's new running backs coach several weeks ago, one of the first texts he received?
"It was from Cam," Brooks said. "He was so excited to hear the news. It was a 'full circle' kind of thing for both of us."
Brooks comes to Virginia Tech from Maryland, where he spent the last four years as the Terrapins' running back coach.
Some background: As a player, Brooks was a legendary Stag himself. Playing for head coach Bill McGregor at DeMatha, Brooks rushed for more than 3,500 yards and scored 43 touchdowns in his prep career. A two-sport star, Brooks was a four-year point guard on the school's basketball team under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten.
In college, Brooks starred for three seasons at William & Mary under coach Jimmye Laycock. Brooks rushed for over 2,500 yards during his W&M career and caught 68 passes. He scored 24 touchdowns for the Tribe.
So with McGregor, Wooten and Laycock as mentors, he had terrific coaching pedigree. In 2011, at the age of 27, he was named McGregor's successor as Stag's head coach. He won four consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships from 2014-17, posting a 72-20 record.
An impressive list of DeMatha graduates to play for Brooks made the NFL, including Super Bowl champions Rodney McLeod (Philadelphia), Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England), John Lovett (Kansas City), Heisman finalist Chase Young (Washington), Cameron Wake (Miami), as well as brothers Arie (Buffalo) and Cyrus (Washington) Kouandijo.
Then he made the jump to college.
"I had a good high school job," Brooks said. "Coach (Mike) Locksley from Maryland gave me an opportunity and now I've really grown to love the college game. The teaching. The relationships."
And the recruiting.
"The DMV is rich with talent," Brooks said. "My plan is to recruit these players down to Blacksburg to play for a fan base that really loves its football."
Brooks is aware of the deep pipeline that existed for many years between DeMatha and Virginia Tech.
"Anyone who grew up in the DC area respected Virginia Tech football," Brooks said. "We knew about Billy Hite and the DeMatha connection to this program. We're going to get that back, and we will be back on a prominent level."
So, what did Cam Phillips say in his texts to his former prep coach?
"He said, 'you're going to love it here' and I see what he means," Brooks shared. "It's only been a few weeks and now I see what Cam was talking about. It really is a special place."
WELCOME COACH CROOK
The other new addition to Pry's coaching staff is veteran offensive line coach Ron Crook.
A West Virginia native, Crook's career has spanned three decades, including stops at Cincinnati, West Virginia, Stanford, Harvard, Illinois and South Dakota. He replaces Joe Rudolph who left Tech for the same job at Notre Dame.
"When I talked with Coach Pry and Coach Bowen on a Zoom, it was clear we believed in a lot of the same things," Crook told me. "The run game and its importance. Protection schemes. It was just a really good fit."
The West Virginia roots also seemed to connect with Pry, too.
"We had a similar background," Crook said. "We kicked around a lot of the same dirt."
What kind of coach are the Hokies getting?
"I believe we're the most important unit on the team – the offensive line," Crook said. "We have some tough and talented guys in the room right now, and that's what Virginia Tech has been known for over the years. I want to develop relationships with these guys, get a closeness with them. They need to believe in each other, and we'll get there."
Crook said he has 19 players in his room now, with four more recruits coming this summer. While 23 is a probably a large number for total offensive lineman on a roster, it gives Crook, Pry and Bowen a chance to evaluate a bunch of people and move some kids around if needed over the summer.
"When I was at West Virginia, we led the Big 12 in rushing. That's what we want here. That tough, physical group up front and I know we'll get there."
The Hokies' new coaches know the deal. They know Tech finished 13th in the ACC in rushing last season (110.8 yards/game). And as they unpack boxes and move into their new homes, their focus is to change that narrative in a hurry.
Their experience and enthusiasm suggest they'll do exactly that.