Al Casey, born in Portsmouth, Virginia, was confined to a wheel chair and unable to speak clearly when he learned of his induction to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He promised to be present at the Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and was.
In 1928, when Casey was a senior at Wilson High School he wrote a letter to a Washington D.C. High School, saying that he personally would score five touchdowns when they played. He scored 6 touchdowns as Wilson won 40-0. Al’s dad would stand in the end zone of the old Shawnee Stadium waving a $5.00 bill screaming for Casey to “Come and get it son”. His team never lost a game to another high school team. They won the State Championship in 1926 and 1927. They tied with Newport News High School in 1928, which kept them from the title that year. Although football was his favorite sport, he also starred in baseball, basketball and track.
Upon graduation, he spent a year at Potomac State, a junior college in West Virginia, before enrolling at Virginia Tech. He was a broken field runner, pass receiver and kicker. He was nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost”, and became a star of one of the greatest Hokie Teams of all time. The 1932 Tech team only lost one game.
Alfred Casey is deceased but will always be remembered for his great contributions to sports in Virginia.