Tech’s Orion Martin takes day off to get married

Senior defensive end Orion Martin had a solid excuse for missing the Hokies’ bowl practice Saturday.

Martin had much more important business on his itinerary: He was getting married in his hometown of Martinsville.

Martin, 23, exchanged vows with his fiance, Jennifer Edwards, whom he met in church in Martinsville about eight months ago. Martin proposed to Edwards during a family dinner at the “Red Lobster” in Christiansburg following the Hokies’ 20-17 victory over Georgia Tech on Sept. 13.

Martin’s younger brother, Cam, a starting junior outside linebacker for Tech, also was excused from the workout to be in the wedding.

“I felt like we had probably ought to do that,” Tech coach Frank Beamer chuckled during the Hokies’ Saturday Orange Bowl Media gathering in Blacksburg.

“We actually changed practice times [Friday]. We were going to practice at 9 in the morning and we changed it to 4:45, and when we did that [Orion] said he didn’t know if he could make it for the rehearsal dinner Friday night or not … so I said, ‘you’re just going to choose between practice and the rehearsal?

“Nah, we let him out. He took little brother with him. Then Cody Grimm said he had been invited to the wedding, and felt like he ought to be excused so. But we didn’t excuse Cody. Orion will be back to practice [Sunday] and wish him the best.”

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