Tony Elliott sends powerful message to Virginia alumni as fall camp begins

Entering year five of the Tony Elliott era, the Cavaliers have made gigantic strides towards ACC title contention.

This was once a program that had the ACC’s worst offensive line, worst sack production, mediocre quarterback play and constant self-inflicted mistakes. But as resources increased, Elliott and staff doubled down on beliefs and the talent pool improved, Virginia became a genuinely strong program.

Elliott does not forget his former players, however. He has a vision for program alumni and how they can continue to help the Cavaliers.

“This is not, as I said from day one, this will never be the Tony Elliott football program,” Elliott said Wednesday. “This is Virginia football and we're all a part of it.”

The alumni, Elliott says, provide a valuable perspective. When a young freshman joins the program, they’ll quickly appreciate the Hardie Football Operations Center, or multiple night games at Scott Stadium. But perhaps that young freshman might miss a small plaque on the wall, a plaque which lists the accomplishments of Jonas Sanker or Malik Washington.

“My message [to program alumni] would be — we need you, right?” Elliott said. “We can't get to where we're going without you, right? The only way [current players are] going to get to where [we want to go] is you got to know where you came from, right?”

Elliott also mentioned that he wants to make his former players proud. Every team, every year, they carry the responsibility of wearing the uniform well in honor of the last man to wear it.

“I'm not worried about [external expectations], but I want the expectations of the former players. I want these guys to know it, right? I want the guys that are on this team now to know what it means for all the guys that have worn the V-Sabre before. I embrace those expectations and I want the guys to be fully aware of that because it is a brotherhood. And this is home.”

Elliott called his alumni “big brothers.” He meant that not just on the field, but in the classroom. Ultimately, college comes first in the title of college football.

Virginia’s head coach attended a different school — Clemson — and he thoughtfully noted that his college experience was significantly different than what his Cavaliers experience at UVA.

“They know the experience at the University of Virginia better than I do right?” Elliott said. “Because I didn't sleep in the dorms on Grounds, I didn't go to the classes on Grounds. They did, right? They also know what life after football is as a Virginia alum. So all of that, man, we need as we build this program. Only thing I'm going to ask [alumni] for is time. And time that I want is for you to invest in these young men because they need you. They need positive voices in their ears as they're navigating this crazy time in college football.”

Last season, Virginia invited one program alum to speak to the team at some point during the week leading up to a game. The players liked the tradition — and hope to see it again in 2026. Maybe in a few years, some current players will return to Grounds and pass it on to future generations of Cavaliers.

“So this is home, we need you, you're welcome here,” Elliott said.

Add us as a preferred source on Google