Virginia Tech's Davon Morgan (31) blocks Virginia punter Ryan Weigand's kick in the second half of their game in this file photo from Nov. 24 in Charlottesville, Va. The Hokies won, 33-21.

Virginia Tech's Dustin Pickle (35) celebrates after blocking the punt of William and Mary's David Miller (87) during a game earlier this season at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., on the campus of Virginia Tech. The Hokies beat the Tribe, 44-3.

Duane Brown was so on top of it, the point-after try whacked him on the upper arm.

That bruise is the most glory Virginia Tech’s offensive tackle has received in a long time. And he loved every second of it.

Brown blocked an extra point in the ACC Championship game on Dec. 1 against Boston College. After the football hit him on the biceps as he reached up for the block, it was scooped up by a teammate and taken about 90 yards the other way for an unconventional two-point conversion.

A three-point swing, just like that. And Brown was the man of the hour.

“It’s crazy,” Brown said. “Everybody’s yelling and congratulating you. You can see smiles on everybody’s faces. That play helped us out a lot.”

Every football player needs a reason to be passionate about special teams, and Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer long has been known as being a man to fuel it.

Virginia Tech has blocked a remarkable 117 kicks in Beamer’s 21 seasons – 253 games – as head coach of the Hokies, heading into the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl battle with Kansas University.

That includes four this year: two punts, Brown’s blocked point-after and another block by Brown – on a field-goal attempt – earlier in the same game.

Blocked kicks are supposed to be rare occurances that jolt a team by offering up great field position or even unexpected scores. So Beamer went to work making it much more common in his program.

There, he found a critical edge.

“We emphasize it. We make it important,” Beamer said of special teams. “That’s just always been our approach. Everyone will say, ‘Well, it’s one-third of the ballgame.’ Well, some people don’t treat it like one-third.”

Beamer Ball

Virginia Tech will play Kansas displaying special-teams play just as aggressive and potent as it’s higher-praised defense.

It’s a way of life for Hokies football, and the payoff is big: Brown’s point-after block, for example, was returned for two points to make the score 16-9 Boston College. Had the kick gone through, it would’ve been 17-7 – a big difference.

“That helped us out a lot psychologically,” Brown said. “We ended up tying the game before halftime.”

And winning it, 30-16, to get the automatic Orange Bowl invite.

Virginia Tech’s latest punt block was just as rewarding. Against Virginia a week before the ACC Championship, Davon Morgan got a hand on a punt to set up great field position for the Hokies. The ensuing field goal made it a two-score game – 23-14, Hokies – in what turned out to be a division-clinching victory over their rival.

Blocked kicks often can result from leaky containment by the kicking team, thus a fortunate turn of events for the defense.

But 117 of them in 253 games by one team? That’s taking it to another level.

“It’s called Beamer Ball,” Brown said. “Turning the momentum around and getting that edge. If things aren’t going right, the special teams can really give a team a lift.”

Practice makes perfect

Brown said he and the rest of the big boys on the field-goal block team work diligently with VT defensive line coach Charley Wiles on anticipation. Brown is 6-foot-5 and 308 pounds, so getting any edge in terms of quickness is a must if he’s going to be any good in that role.

“Have a good get off on the ball,” Brown said. “Have a good, quick foot on the ball. The center has a little movement before the snap, and I have to key on that.

“Also, having good leaping ability helps.”

Brown has that: The former tight end has a 32 1/2-inch vertical and long arms. He’s a perfect candidate to line up over the middle and go for the block.

Beamer said that practices at Virginia Tech – like most schools – are constant motion, with players moving between stations, doing position-specific drills and sticking to a precise schedule.

It all stops for one thing, though: special-teams work.

“The punt-block team just does blocking drills, and you got to get off the ball,” Brown said. “The field-goal block team, we just practice against our field-goal team. Me and (defensive tackle) Kory Robertson, we work on double teams.”

Examples like Brown’s blocks against Boston College are all Beamer needs to be convinced that his priorities are in the right place.

The results, over time, have been startling, and could end up being a big momentum shift in the upcoming Orange Bowl if the Hokies can turn their preparation into opportunity.

“We think it’s important. But I think everyone, Kansas included, is better at special-teams play than they were 10 years ago,” Beamer said. “I think, across the country, people have said ‘Hey, this is an important part of the game.'”