Former Athletes Jeff and Katie King Pledge Donation to Virginia Tech Athletics

Former Virginia Tech football and men’s basketball player Jeff King and former volleyball player Katie King have pledged a donation to Tech athletics to benefit their respective sports. Their donation will be split evenly among football, men’s basketball and volleyball.

“We are very grateful for Jeff and Katie’s generosity to Tech athletics,” said Director of Athletics Whit Babcock in a statement. “It’s so encouraging to see young alums like Jeff and Katie giving back to their alma mater. While they were both very accomplished athletes at Tech, it’s wonderful to see a continuing trend of former greats like Steve Johnson, André Davis, Lisa Pikalek Karlisch and now the Kings making a very tangible decision to help benefit current and future Hokies.”

Jeff King starred at tight end for Virginia Tech from 2002-2005, helping to lead the Hokies to their first ACC title in 2004. King played in 53 career games, catching 58 passes for 724 yards and 12 touchdowns. King also played in 16 games for the men’s basketball team in the 2004-2005 season. King was a fifth-round draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and played 108 regular season games with the Panthers and Cardinals. King now works as a scout for the Chicago Bears.

“Our experience at Virginia Tech made an immeasurable impact on our lives,” Jeff King said in a statement. “Not only did Katie and I meet in Blacksburg, but our time at Tech also helped us prepare for life in countless ways. Even more importantly, we both feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for those coaches, teammates, professors and staff at Virginia Tech who made a difference in shaping who we are today. It is in the spirit of Ut Prosim that we humbly share this gift to benefit a place we hold so deeply in our hearts. Go Hokies!”

Kate King, formerly Katie Esbrook, earned first-team All-ACC honors and All-ACC Academic honors as a senior in 2006. King was a four-year letterwinner and played in 435 career matches for Virginia Tech. King is third in school history in blocks (461), fourth in career hitting percentage (.324) and seventh all-time in career kills (1,285).

“Our friends and family have always known how much Jeff and I love Virginia Tech,” Katie said in a statement. “When people ask us what was the best part of our time at Tech, our response is ‘pretty much everything.’ Obviously, it starts with people like teammates and coaches who have become lifelong friends, but it was so much more than that. There’s a sense of community and the challenge of accomplishing something good together that creates a special bond for Hokies. We’ve been blessed in so many ways. We’re very honored to give back to Virginia Tech and hopefully this may encourage others to do so, too!”