Away from home and following the recommendation of the only Power 5 college program to offer him a scholarship, offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw checked in to Fork Union Military Academy, turned in his cell phone and tried to make the best of it.
Holmon Wiggins, Virginia Tech's receivers coach at the time, saw Darrisaw play in his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Md., in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Even though the Hokies were thin on scholarships by that point in the recruiting process, Wiggins told head coach Justin Fuente, "This is a guy we have to get."
Darrisaw's grades needed to improve, though, so the Virginia Tech coaching staff referred him to Fork Union, where he could spend a semester without affecting his athletic eligibility.