George Foussekis

George A. Foussekis was captain of the Lane High School football team that won the Virginia state championship in 1963. Living in Belmont, he previously attended McGuffey Elementary School, where he met Gene Arnette and Joe Bingler. Coach Bingler was an important mentor and Gene Arnette, the football team’s quarterback during its 53-game winning streak, was a lifelong friend. Coach Bingler was transferred to Lane the same year that George and Gene entered as eighth graders. Commenting on the role of sports in desegregation, he said: “I think Charlottesville at the time was a divided community. We had a lot of pockets of resistance. And then something happened which changed things, and it’s going to sound a little strange. When the football team started winning games, and more people started talking about the football team, less people started talking about integration… I think people needed something to get behind, pull together.” He described 1963 as “magical.”   

He graduated from Lane in the spring of 1964. He was recruited to Virginia Tech, where he started three years as a defensive end. His play earned him membership in the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame. After graduating from college, he began his long career as a collegiate football coach, including 22 years at the University of Maryland.