2009.04.25
Rockbridge County offensive tackle commits to Tech
Caleb Farris and his family have been attending a couple of Virginia Tech football games every fall for the past 10 years. Well, the Farris clan will be spending a lot more time in Lane Stadium in the near future.
Farris, a junior offensive tackle from Lexington, made a verbal commitment Saturday afternoon to play his college football at Tech. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound picked the Hokies over Marshall and East Carolina, the other two schools that had offered him a scholarship.
"My family has always been Virginia Tech," said Farris, a standout performer at Rockbridge County High the past three seasons. "Ever since I was 7 years old, I was going to camps and games at Tech so I think I was hooked at an early age."
Farris said the fact that Tech is a 90-minute drive from his home was key in his decision. Meanwhile, ECU is 4 1/2 hours away and Marshall is close to five hours removed from Lexington.
"I felt at home at both Marshall and East Carolina, but Tech is an hour and a half from my doorstep," he said. "At Tech, my family can come up there and watch every game and kinda watch me grow up."
Farris, who was recruited by Tech associate head coach and running backs coach Billy Hite, was a second-team All-Timeland selection last fall. He was named The Roanoke Times’ offensive "Sizzling Sophomore" in 2007 after allowing no sacks. Farris started all 14 games as a freshman in 2006 for Rockbridge County, which advanced to the Group AA Division 3 championship game that season.
Farris made his official commitment before the Hokies’ Maroon-White game Saturday.
"It was crazy up there [Saturday]," said Farris, referring to an atmosphere that was spiked by a record 41,000 fans at the Tech spring game. "I’m still on a Virginia Tech high right now. I’m glad to get this over with, so now I can focus and lifting and getting bigger, and maturing mentally and physically. I want to give Virginia Tech its money’s worth when I get there."
-- RANDY KING
