Tech fans should tune in Wednesday night at 10 p.m. for a special documentary on ESPN concerning the 30th anniversary on the Marshall University plane crash. As most fans know, Frank Loria, one of the all-time greats at Tech, was the offensive coordinator at Marshall at the time and died along with 75 others in that crash. He was just 23 years old.

Loria played at Tech from 1965-67 and was a teammate of current head coach Frank Beamer. He started every game at safety during his three years, and in his junior year, he helped the Hokies to a Liberty Bowl berth. He also earned first-team All-America honors that year, and as a senior in 1967, he became Tech's first consensus All-American.

Loria shares the Tech record for most touchdowns on punt returns in a season with current Hokie AndrÚ Davis. He also holds the record for best punt return average in a career (13.3) and his 95-yard punt return against Miami in 1967 still ranks as the school's longest. On Dec. 7, 1999, Loria was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Today, Omicron Delta Kappa has established the Frank Loria Award in honor of Loria's distinguished athletic and academic career at Tech. Each year, the award goes to a varsity athlete who best represents the fine attributes of citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership, academics and athletics.

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