NORFOLK, Va. – Xavier Black was born and raised in rural Fishersville, Virginia, a village just south of Staunton, where hard work is not only appreciated, it's expected.
The major vocations in that part of Augusta County are farming and logging, and blue-collar values are learned at a young age. Xavier began working in his uncle's sawmill when he was 14 and Sean Black didn't cut his nephew any slack.
"You worked long days that began in the early morning," Xavier Black said. "You were out working in the heat or the cold. There was a lot of lifting. It was hard work.
"That's where I learned my work ethic."
Black learned it well. Standing a shade over 6-feet tall, he is undersized for an offensive lineman. In fact, he played middle linebacker as a senior at Wilson Memorial High School, where he was a four-year starter and team captain.
William & Mary and Richmond asked him to walk-on without a scholarship. He never heard from James Madison, located 20 minutes to the north. He had partial scholarship offers from Division II schools.
All of which makes what happened Saturday night after Old Dominion's 29-26 football victory over Arkansas State simply remarkable.
Ricky Rahne, ODU's Thurmond Family Head Coach, gave a short speech that left Black in tears.
"That was a team win," Rahne said. "You guys gutted it out, grinded it out."
Seconds later, he added: "Xavier Black, you're on scholarship!"
Video of Xavier Black
Black was mobbed by his teammates and covered with a Gatorade bath. Among the first to hug him was quarterback Hayden Wolff, perhaps his best friend. Tight end Zack Kuntz took a towel and tried to wipe the Gatorade from his eyes.
"I was just standing there celebrating the win with my brothers," Black said. "When I heard coach Rahne say that, I was shocked. I didn't know how to react.
"I kind of teared up a bit."
Actually, he teared up a lot, and who came blame him? The last 3 ½ years have been an uphill grind.
ODU was late getting into the recruiting process with Black. He got a Twitter message from then graduate assistant coach Eric Acciani and committed to walk-on at ODU on his visit to Norfolk.
"My dad (Brian) and my brother (Isaiah) both went to ODU, so when I got a walk-on offer, it was a no-brainer for me," he said.
He was a member of the scout team as a freshman in 2019, and although he made the travel squad late that season, playing time was still two years away. ODU sat out the 2020 season because of the pandemic.
He spent much of the pandemic working at the Black Forest Sawmill because all ODU students were sent home to take classes online. When he returned, he continued to grind.
He finally got playing time last season on the extra point/field goal team and in two games on the offensive line.
He was ODU's second string center last season, playing behind Isaac Weaver, ODU's standout senior.
"He was a trusted backup last season," said Kevin Reihner, ODU's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. "He was an unbelievable security blanket for us last year. We never hesitated playing him."
He earned a spot with the No. 1 offense in spring practice but was not named the starter. Reihner said he was clearly the top center during the spring, but with newcomers arriving this fall, it was too early to settle on who would start.
"I've seen a lot of guys in his shoes take it a different way," Reihner said. "They get upset. But X just doubled down his efforts."
When his father, Brian, asked him on a phone call what he thought might happen in the fall, Xavier's response was what his father expected.
"I said I just have to keep playing ball," he said. "I have to keep my grades up and be a good person on and off the field.
"That's what I did. I kept my head down and stayed true to myself. That's why I'm where I am today, because I stayed true to who I am."
Reihner said he was named the starter midway through fall practice.
Black said Weaver played a key role in his development.
"Isaac helped me out so much," Black said. "He basically told me, 'next man up' when he left. He said, 'go get it.'
"That's what I did. I didn't want to let him down."
Brian Black said his son was clearly emotional when he stepped out of the locker room Saturday night.
"He looked at me and said, 'Dad, I'm on scholarship,' and gave me a big hug," he said.
"It was such a great moment. I told him I was so proud of him. He did it the old-fashioned way. He worked hard and never gave up."
His mother, Michelle Williams, could not attend the game.
"When I called her, she was in tears," Xavier Black said.
Father and son shared an even more emotional time last month after ODU's 20-17 upset of Virginia Tech.
Given the agricultural nature of Fishersville, most of the Black family either graduated from Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or cheers for the Hokies. That included Xavier Black, who bled maroon and orange until he enrolled at ODU.
Brian Black was among the thousands of fans who jumped over the fence following ODU's upset over the Hokies and rushed the field.
It took him a few minutes to find Xavier.
"He just started crying when he saw me," Brian Black said. "He said it was surreal, that he's always rooted for Virginia Tech, and here we are, we've just beaten Virginia Tech.
"I told him to take it all in. He did. He stood there and took it all in. This is one memory he can pass onto his kids."
Rahne had tentative plans to tell the team after the game that Black had earned a scholarship.
"I probably wouldn't have done it had the game turned out a different way," he said. "But I was pretty sure that was going to happen.
"People say I gave him a scholarship, but that's not true. Xavier earned that scholarship. And I felt like we really earned that win. He's a guy who's a team guy all the way. That was a team win all the way.
"I thought it was an appropriate time to do that."
Being a center requires a ton of skill – you must snap the ball back to Wolff in the shotgun and then quickly block. And the only time you get noticed is when you hike on on the turf or miss a block.
But it also requires intellect.
At ODU, the center is tasked with reading the defense and calling the blocking scheme.
"He has such a command of our offense," Reihner said.
And, he added, a bit of charisma. Although he's among ODU's shortest linemen, players gravitate toward the redshirt sophomore.
"I see him as a future leader in our (offensive line) group," Reihner said. "He's got such great character and work ethic."
But Black also a realist. He isn't planning on an NFL career. While he's a talented athlete, and strong as a bull, he doesn't have NFL size.
Instead, he plans to return to Fishersville to work for his uncle at the Black Forest Sawmill. He majors in environmental geography at ODU, and is a Dean's List student, and wants to return home to work in forestry management.
"Xavier loves being outdoors," Brian Black said. "He loves doing manual labor. It's a great business and I know he'll do well."
"Before he went to ODU, I told him that a lot of guys are going to be bigger than him. They have all of these measurements they do to measure players in so many ways.
"But the one thing they can't measure is the size of your heart."
Email Minium at hminium@odu.edu or click to follow him on Twitter Facebook or Instagram
Minium: Xavier Black Learned He Earned a Scholarship Minutes After ODU's Victory Saturday
