Editors Note: Over the last five years, Virginia fans have come to love and admire Matt Schaub. Through the ups and downs, among Matt’s biggest supporters was and continues to be his mom and dad; Debbie and Dale Schaub. TWO is honored to receive and now publish the heartfelt thank you letter from the Schaub family to all of you, the Virginia fans!

We would like to take this time after the regular season and before the bowl game to say a huge Thank You. This provides a great way for us to get our message out to the many people HOO have shared the past 5 years with us. Although we have never met most of you, I feel as if I know you personally. You have become a part of our family, because I have read your comments every day for years. In good times and bad I was interested in what the fans had to say. The emotional roller coaster of college football never ended now it is coming to an end for our family.

As fans, alumni and fans paying per game, you come to the game expecting the most for your dollar. We can tell you our son prepared himself the best he could for every game he played in or did not play in at UVA. The coaching staff at Virginia is the BEST and everyone responsible for getting the players ready for the games is the BEST. The game day atmosphere has changed considerably since we started our UVA experience. Please build on what has been started here. The stadium is by far, in our opinion, the best and most beautiful. The “orange and blue-make it part of you” has been embraced by everyone from the students to the alumni. The players totally feel your enthusiasm and are responding to it. Great things are ahead for this program, it just takes patience. We were hopeful this year would be the year for an ACC championship, it did not happen. It will happen we believe that. We will not have a son playing when it does, but we will be cheering for the HOOS when it does.

The proudest and most rewarding time for us was when Matt received his BA in Economics last May. We do not need to tell you how much it means to get your degree from this University. He worked so hard during all he had to do for football and to watch him walk the lawn, even through the rain, was the proudest we will ever be. He never set out to receive awards when he started at UVA, team and team goals were his focus. But last year the attention did come his way. We thank the University and the people responsible for putting his Heisman campaign in motion. As a family we knew he would be a long shot, but the fact The U thought he was worthy of the promotion was so special to us. We will never know what could have been because of his injury. But to see and hear the support from so many fans was so heart warming to us. He worked hard to get himself back on the field to lead the team he loved so much and never once complained. We would call and ask how he felt and he would always say "Great and fine!! We have no idea what the future has in store for Matt, but we do know he will be ready for whatever it is. We will also be right beside him to encourage him and cheer him on to whatever is ahead. We always hoped if he had to put his name on something he would make it his best work. We think he did that at UVA. To those few who feel otherwise I'm sorry you feel let down.

Please bear with us while we take a moment to thank a few people Coach Groh and the entire staff, Coach Musgrave, Coach Welsh, Robert & Kathy Cooper and staff at the Hampton Inn, Dave &Lori Trent, Johnny, Betty, Jeremy, Gary & Sharon Strickler and everyone we tailgated with, Media relations, Mac McDonald, Kathryn Jarvis, the entire Athletic Department, Professor Burton, Mike Lewis, Mike Ingalls, Greg Waters, Chris Ames, Janet & Jim Richardson, Nancy Luzar for all the time with the parent tailgate, the event staff guys in section 108, the parents and families, the alumni we have come to know ( you know Hoo you are), Wilk Hall crew, and many friends we have made along the bumpy road, also our family and friends who traveled to games and taped them for us when we could not. We wish Carson Ward a speedy recovery our prayers are with him and his family. Thank you to the entire football team for providing so much excitement and being young men we are so proud to know. Last but not least, thank you Matt, for being you, we love you. Thank you all again for the special memories of the past five years, you have a special place in our hearts.

In closing we wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday season. Come support your HOOS defending their Continental Tire Bowl Championship in Charlotte, December 27.

GO HOOS!!

The Schaub Family