The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Virginia Tech football team continue their proud partnership to highlight the colors during the pre-game ceremony at every football game.

Three football players are selected, because of their performance in the last game or during practice, to carry the American flag, the state flag, and the team’s spirit flag as they lead the team onto the field. They carry the flags the length of the field and deliver them to cadets at the south end of the field. 

The cadets performing this honor are also selected based on their performance during their training. The cadets render honor to the flags and then securely carry them off the field. At home games three freshman cadets are selected and one or two upper-class cadets travel with the team and receive the flags at away games. 

Cadet Kris Rodriguez of Smithfield, Va., a junior majoring in mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering who is pursuing a minor in leadership studies from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Rice Center for Leader Development was selected to receive the flags at the Miami game. 

Rodriguez is a cadet in the Naval ROTC program and is a recipient of an Emerging Leader Scholarship. He will travel and lodge with the team, as well as participate in all team meetings and meals.

Rodriguez is a member of Kilo Battery and was selected to travel with the team based on his outstanding leadership as the cadet in charge of his company’s recent service project. His detailed coordination directly led to a safe and successful cleanup of the stretch of highway in Giles County, Va., that Kilo maintains as part of the adopt-a-highway program.

Future cadets will continue to be selected for this honor based on their performance in the cadet regiment. The program is part of the proud partnership the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has with the Virginia Tech Athletic Department and the Virginia Tech football team. 

Share this story