What Is a Hokie Bird?
The Hokie is a fictional bird Virginia Tech's (VT) official mascot. The name comes from an old school chant and the look is based on a turkey, VT's former mascot.
Appearance
The Hokie is an incarnation of VT's previous mascot, the Fighting Gobbler. It is a Chicago maroon color with a burnt orange beak and feet. The Hokie Bird features white turkey feathers and a turkey-like head.
History
The Hokie's name was first used in a VT school spirit cheer known as the Old Hokie. It was adopted as the new mascot in 1982 when the name of the school mascot, Gobbler, had to be changed due to the controversy. A VT student is now considered simply a Hokie.
Traditions
At football games, the Hokie leads the players onto the field and afterward performs bench presses: one bench press for every point earned by VT. No one knows which students portray the Hokie birds until graduation, when they are the only students wearing the Hokie bird feet.
Fun Fact
According to the Virginia Tech website, the Hokie mascot made an appearance in the Animal Planet special "Turkey Secrets."
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