Skydiver Crashes into Scoreboard, Rescued by Blacksburg, VA, Firefighters
David Teel
The Virginian-Pilot
(TNS)
BLACKSBURG — We’ll get to football in a moment. Promise. But any account of Virginia Tech’s spring game Saturday must start with Pasha Palanker, who’s encountered far more danger than any sport can present.
A retired U.S. Army Special Operations Master Sergeant, Palanker “was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Valor for confronting and stopping a suicide bomber,” according to the Robert Irvine Foundation. His action saved the lives of 17 soldiers.
Saturday, Palanker was among the three Team Fastrax skydivers headlining the pregame festivities. But in windy conditions that forced one of his colleagues to land outside Lane Stadium on the practice field, Palanker, a veteran of more than 700 jumps, crashed into the scoreboard as he was bringing the American flag into the stadium.
His parachute caught on the top of the board, Palanker dangled from his harness for more than 20 minutes before members of the Blacksburg Volunteer Fire Department Ladder 12 were able to maneuver their bucket into place for a rescue.
Harrowing doesn’t begin to describe, and the crowd was silent throughout the operation. Only until word arrived that Palanker was “secure and stable” did the Hokies proceed with their signature “Enter Sandman” entrance and the actual game, delayed by about an hour.
Palanker “was checked by medical on site and was released,” Virginia Tech said in a statement. “No serious injuries. Grateful for the rapid response and safe outcome.”
The players spent much of that time in the locker room, aware of the incident from head coach James Franklin but unable to see what was transpiring inside Lane.
“I didn’t even believe it at first,” quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer said.
Defensive coordinator Brent Pry was still on the field and communicated what was unfolding to Franklin in the locker room via the coaches’ headsets.
“Scary as all get-out,” Pry said.
Once everyone in the stadium exhaled and team warmed up on the practice field, the White squad defeated the Maroon 30-21. The stories were the tight ends and knee injuries sustained by cornerback Jaquez White and defensive lineman Zeke Chinwike, the latter a redshirt freshman from Green Run High.
Both limped off the field and, after the game, were carted to the locker room.
“The feedback that I’ve gotten already is they should not be significant,” Franklin said.
Grunkemeyer and Bryce Baker combined to complete 28 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, and their primary targets were tight ends. Luke Reynolds, Benji Gosnell, Ja’Ricous Hairston and Harrison Saint Germain teamed for 16 receptions and 190 yards.
“I think a lot of that was we were having success with the naked (bootleg) all spring,” Franklin said, “and we had success with the naked today, and with that our tight ends typically are going to be the primary targets…
“We like our tight ends. We’re going to feed them. We’ve got to get our wide receivers more involved on a more consistent basis.”
Gosnell, Hairston and Saint Germain are Tech veterans, while Reynolds is a transfer from Penn State, where last season he played with Grunkemeyer.
“I think Grunk and I have a good sense of each other’s timing,” Reynolds said.
Tech’s increased use of tight ends figures to be a season-long trend. First, the group is deep and seasoned. Second, offensive coordinator Ty Howle is a renowned tight ends coach from his time under Franklin at Penn State, where his prized pupil was 2024 All-American Tyler Warren.
“Arguably maybe the best tight ends coach in college football with what he’s built over his time,” Franklin said this spring of Howle. “Not only the production on the field but the number of draft choices that he has recruited and developed. So bringing that mentality and that approach here, with both Ty Howle and (assistant tight ends) coach (David) Rocco… They’re a really good 1-2 punch.”
Howle and Rocco were among the coaches who led Penn State during the back half of last season after the school dismissed Franklin six games into the year. Franklin compiled a 24-15 record in three seasons at Vanderbilt and a 104-45 mark at Penn State, and he’s clearly coaching with an edge at Tech, eager to show that the Nittany Lions made a mistake.
“We’re going to shock the world,” Franklin told the crowd Saturday during a break in the game.
Afterward, I asked him what he meant.
“There’s an excitement right now, and we want to keep that excitement going,” he said. “We have been fortunate to be part of two turnarounds (at Vanderbilt and Penn State) in two different conferences, and we plan on doing that again. And this place knows what it looks like. They’ve done it before. That’s what this whole re-establish is about…
“We’ve got a chance to do something very special here. We’re not going to hide from that… The positivity in this town and the excitement in this town is infectious. It affects our players. It affects our coaches. It affects our recruits, and it’s going to make for a very difficult environment for people to come and play in.”
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