FRANKLIN
Southampton High School class of ‘79 split end Ashley Lee was inducted into Virginia Tech’s Hall of Fame on Sept. 16, an honor reserved for VT student athletes, coaches, administrators and staff members who have made outstanding contributions to Virginia Tech athletics.

“Ashley was a very good athlete,” said now-retired Southampton High School Head Coach Wayne Cosby. “When he was a senior, we lost most of the team and had to move him from split end to full back. He was [also] a very very good receiver. During those years he played, we were 31-1 in ‘77, 14-0 in ‘78 and 13-1 in ‘79.”

Lee committed to Virginia Tech after guiding Southampton High School to two state championships. Though only 185 pounds, he jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman for VT’s then-head coach Bill Dooley in 1980, where he recorded 95 tackles (54 solo) and earned All-America honors from Football News.

During Lee’s sophomore year, he finished with 146 tackles (75 solo), including five for a loss. Lee missed nearly all of his junior-year campaign though after tearing his ACL on the season’s first play. The following year, Lee bounced back, recording 77 tackles and breaking up to 10 passes. As a fifth-year senior, he recorded 105 tackles and seven interceptions, helping the Hokies to receive a berth in the 1984 Independence Bowl.

In 1985, the Atlanta Falcons selected Lee in the eighth round of the NFL Draft, but was released during the last cut. After trying to land a job in the United States Football League, which folded shortly thereafter, he returned to Tech and earned his degree in sociology in 1986.

He resides with his wife and two children in his hometown of Franklin, where he owns a home improvement store.