Hokie helmets pay tribute to Sandy Hook

ORLANDO, Fl. (WAVY) - There's no college campus in the country that probably can relate better to the victims of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary than Virginia Tech.  When Frank Beamer's team plays in the Russell Athletic Bowl this Friday, they'll be honoring the victims.

The Virginia Tech football team is honoring the Connecticut school shooting victims and the similar tragedy on its own campus in 2007 with a helmet decal.

The Hokies are in Orlando, Fla., preparing to take on Rutgers on Friday in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The team is wearing a large ribbon on the side of their practice helmets this week.

The ribbon is half green for Sandy Hook Elementary and half orange for Virginia Tech and has the number 58 in the middle.  That's the combined number of victims between the two school shootings.  The word "prevail" is also written across it.  The Hokies will wear a small ribbon for the bowl game on the back of their helmets.

Virginia Tech plays Rutgers this Friday at 5:30.