Watching Olamide Zaccheaus “Break the Rock” is everything

The Virginia Cavaliers held off an Ohio University Bobcats comeback bid to leave Nashville with a 45-31 victory, bringing the Hoos to a 2-1 record on the season. In doing so, senior wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus set a Virginia program record with 247 single-game receiving yards, earning him the honor of Breaking the Rock.

Started by first-year Director of Football Development and Performance Shawn Griswold, who came to Virginia from Arizona State, breaking the rock is a new post-win tradition for the Hoos. Virginia started the season with 12 large slabs of rock in the locker room, each with their opponent’s name on it, and their goal was to break all 12 of them. Jordan Ellis earned the honor following the win over Richmond, while Zaccheaus earned the honor on Saturday.

This isn’t the first rock Zaccheaus has had the honor of smashing. He was asked to break the very first rock at Virginia, following summer conditioning. Breaking the rock, Griswold said in June, signifies achieving another milestone. For Virginia this season, every win is positive step towards their end goal of returning to a bowl game—and, of course, beating Virginia Tech.

Griswold admitted over the summer that this is a little gimmicky, but it’s the only real gimmick that he does, and he says it helps give value to what they’re doing.

BOOM.