Witnessing Virginia Tech’s “Enter Sandman” entrance for the first time is a joyous occasion for almost everybody, but for defensive lineman Pheldarius Payne a little over a year ago, it only reminded him of what he was missing out on.

Payne was still on the mend at the time after suffering an Achilles injury in the spring shortly after he transferred to Tech from Nebraska.

“I kind of cried a little bit,” he said. “Because it was emotional and I couldn’t play in it.”

Fast forward a year and those tears are gone. Now healthy, Payne is starting to come into his own, playing on the interior and registering 3.5 tackles for a loss, including three sacks, in the Hokies’ last two games against Marshall and Pitt.

...