Newsome Following Footsteps To VT

Since Hampton (Va.) athlete Deon Newsome was born, he's been around Virginia Tech.

The three-star standout who committed yesterday to the Hokies has an important tie to his school of choice.

Newsome's father, Myron Newsome, played linebacker at Virginia Tech during the 1995 and 1996 seasons after two years at Butler Community College in Kansas.

The elder Newsome said he didn't try to persuade his son to choose Virginia Tech but is happy with the decision.

"I said 'Man, you've gotta go with who rolled with you from the jump,'" Myron Newsome said. "It's not about who's been coming on lately. He's been going there his whole life, really. He was a baby going up to Blacksburg, then as a younger guy. But I told him he has a choice. When I was going off to college I didn't have a choice and I had to go to El Dorado, Kan. Virginia Tech was with me and stayed with me the whole time."

Deon jokingly told HokieHaven.com he had some subliminal advertising from his dad.

"Pretty much every time a Virginia Tech game is on, that's what's on in the house," Deon said. "But my dad let me do my own thing."

The Peninsula District's defensive player of the year in 1992, Myron said he felt like the Hokies afforded him some big opportunities. He believes his son will have those same opportunities and more.

"For me, playing at Tech, you get to go to bowl games and that's the main thing," Myron said. "You get to go to a bowl game, get a good education and he's gonna do engineering. If he's gonna do that, that's the right pace for him. It's an honor for me, for him to follow in my footsteps, but he still has to make his own name. He can't do what I did. He has to do better than what I did."

But Deon has already said he hopes to make a name for himself and not worry about living up to any expectations from his dad's career.

"I just wanna get there and make a name for myself," Deon said. "Then, my brother (seventh-grader Dazz) wants to go there too. He's four years younger than me. But he's pretty good too."

Deon and his father will also complete the rare feat of playing college football for the same coach, Frank Beamer. The coach has been at Virginia Tech for 25 years.

"It's good because you know you've got stability with the coaches. By Coach Beamer being there for 25 years and Coach Foster, Coach Wiles there since 1996 and Torrian played with me. They have good stability around there and guys I know who I played with, they take care of 'em. Coach Newsome being from around here, I know they're gonna take care of Deon."

Myron said he also feels comfortable knowing he won't be terribly far away, in addition to the work of the Hokies' coaching staff.

"You're around people who know me and who have been around a long time," Myron said. "That's another plus. If Deon goes in the wrong direction, they can call me and cut him off, say 'This is what we've got going on.' I'm a phone call away and that's good having a rapport with those guys. I can call the coaches anytime."

But before he can worry about what happens at Virginia Tech, Deon said he has a few things to take care of at Hampton. A multi-positional athlete, he'll play quarterback this fall for the Crabbers.

"I guess I really need to focus on that," he said. "But I'll get better with my speed, which I'm doing right now running track. And route running and stuff, that'll improve."

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