A mix of emotions rolled over Virginia Tech cornerback Loren Johnson (marketing education '99) as he took the Music City Bowl trophy, carrying it like it was a box of gold. The nearly 20 pounds couldn't keep Johnson from springing along on each step, appearing to walk on air, as he showed off with the prize before Virginia Tech fans as though he were personally presenting it to them.

"I didn't want to take the uniform off. I'll never put it on again," Johnson says. "It's going to stay just as it was during my last game."

That means unwashed, socks and all. A display frame is a possible destination for this keepsake, but whether in case or closet, the uniform will remain just as it was when he took it off.

Safety Keion Carpenter (residential property management '99) washed his bowl jersey, and he plans to pick up his maroon jerseys bearing his No. 1 before he graduates in May. All the players got to keep their bowl jerseys, and seniors can have their jerseys and helmets. For Carpenter, the realization that he was playing his final game as a Hokie did not hit him until the next morning. "I was just so happy we beat Alabama. It was always my dream to play them," he says.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Carpenter shouted after the Music City Bowl ended, and the players rushed the field in celebration. Tech fans will long remember him for big plays, including a 100-yard interception return for touchdown against Miami in 1996 that clinched Tech's first win in the Orange Bowl stadium. Carpenter blocked a punt in the Music City Bowl.

Replacing the uniforms of offensive line mates Derek Smith (interdisciplinary studies '99) and Dwight Vick (sociology '99) will take more fabric than those of the defensive backs. Smith and Vick are the anchors of the offensive line, playing side by side in the trenches. They share an apartment and are roommates on the road as well as in the Radford hotel where the Tech team gets a good night's rest before home games. Smith says the game was the perfect way to cap his career at Tech. "I'll always be able to look back on it and be proud."

Vick agrees. "I love this feeling," he said minutes after the game ended, the 14-degree wind chill unnoticed. "This was the last game I played with these guys as teammates. I'll never forget a game like this--how great it feels. Whether I play in the NFL or not, I'll never forget this."

This Tech team was special, Smith says, because the entire team was a close-knit, cohesive group that did not get too low after a loss or too high after a win. "We didn't split into the offense over here and the defense over there. There was never any finger-pointing," Smith says.

The team treated a win exactly the same as a loss--as a learning experience in the past, Carpenter says, adding "The only thing we did differently was a chant for Eddie after we won." The tribute was for Eddie Ferrell (athletic administration M.S. '94), the team's head trainer for 19 seasons, who died in August. Players wore his initials on their helmets throughout the season.

Ferrell is credited with devising the menu for the team pre-game meal, French toast and pasta. "It has been that for as long as I remember," Smith says. "I just like the French toast, so I steal other people's when I can."

At midfield, just after the teams met to congratulate each other on a hard-fought game, Johnson led a prayer for the last time. The son of a minister, Johnson started the tradition of Tech players gathering with members of the opposing team in prayer. He expects it will continue. "It's important to a lot of guys. They'll keep it going," he says.

This was the year Tech was picked to be down, but all three loses combined totalled only 10 points. The nine wins were what most fans noticed. For another senior, quarterback Al Clark (human nutrition, food and exercise '99), the last game was a perfect finale. Clark's 43-yard scramble for a touchdown on the game's opening drive set the stage for the 31 offensive points, including 21 in the second half. "Anytime you finish your career with a win, it's always special," Clark says. "It was time for us to get a win in a bowl."

Virginia Tech defensive ends Corey Moore '99 (No. 56) and John Engelberger '00 (No. 96) will anchor the defensive unit next season. Senior offensive tackle Derek Smith played against the best defensive ends in the country in various all-star games and says, "We have the best two I faced all year right here."

Johnson says the bowl trip was not reward enough for this team; only a win would suffice. "We didn't come here for a field trip," he said after the game. "We came here to take care of business." Smith says the team knew it needed a win to gain respect nationally. "Players know about us and our defense. They respect us, but most people haven't heard much. So we could make a statement with a win."

Besides leaving the seniors with a powerful memory of their last game and supplying all players with a champion's ring, the bowl win was a building block for the coming season. "It was great that we went out on a high note," Carpenter says. "We set the tone for those guys to start strong next year."

Smith and Johnson say the Tech team should be one of the best in the country next year. In practice, Smith took a beating as a tackle trying to block defensive ends Corey Moore and John Engelberger. "I got to play in two all-star games against the best college players. We have the best two I faced all year right here," Smith says.

"You heard it first from me," Johnson says. "Watch those guys. That stadium should be sold out every game."