Spider Athletic Fund Donor Spotlight: Joe Kroger
11/16/2022
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his teammates, always with his teammates, are some of Joe Kroger’s B’80, fondest memories of his time on the University of Richmond football team.
“We played in some awesome venues,” Kroger said. “Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia were some of my favorites.”
“One of my great memories was being a captain at Wisconsin, along with Jeff Nixon, who had a great NFL career with Buffalo,” Kroger said. “Standing in the tunnel at Camp Randall Stadium with the two Wisconsin captains, getting ready to go out for the coin flip was a great life moment.”
And it was a battle. The Badgers edged the Spiders by one, 7-6.
Kroger looks back fondly at his time as a football student-athlete at the University of Richmond. He believes that his time as a Spider helped give him the confidence to tackle any challenge in life, whether that’s in business, relationships or his family. He learned to do the hard things first and not shy away from the difficult challenges.
“I would like to have dinner with my head coach Jim Tait,” Kroger said. “He was a really good human being. We had some challenges during my four years with wins and losses, although we had some great wins over Virginia Tech (twice), North Carolina and Cincinnati.”
“I would like to hear his perspective of that time and the challenges we faced as a very small University competing at the highest level of Division I football on a national scale. He was a great man and we miss him.”
That connection with teammates and former coaches, the pride of being a Spider, no matter how long they wore the UR crest upon their chest, is why Kroger continues to support Spider Football and the Spider Athletic Fund.
“I think athletics is a critical part of the college experience for all students and alumni of the University,” Kroger said. “It helps connect Spiders across generations as one Spider family. Pride, recognition and national exposure are benefits of the Spider athletic programs and our student-athletes deserve our support!”
Kroger feels that as an alum, it’s their responsibility to continue to support the programs and give current student-athletes the best experience possible. Building off of the core needs supported by the University, it’s the extra support that allows each team to provide a first-class experience to Spider student-athletes.
“In particular, I would like to challenge the alumni that were fortunate to attend UR on an athletic scholarship to give back and support our current teams.”
Showing support for the current student-athletes comes in all shapes. Kroger has even found himself helping out fellow alum Jasmonn Coleman ’98 when he needed a hand managing the Spider Football Alumni golf tournament.
“Jas was doing a great job putting on an annual golf event for the football alumni. It was really fun time but he was really stretched thin and needed some help,” Kroger said. “I kinda knew the drill and offered to help. Over the years it’s morphed into me running the event, with some help from a core group of guys that have done a lot.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to engage and connect football players from recent grads to alumni from the 60s, 70s, and 80s,” Kroger continued. “I have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know and connect with so many former players. The coaches are all there and interacting with the team, it’s a lot of fun! Many stories are shared and not much good golf. And I don’t really play golf either!”
Being an active alumnus also greatly impacted his daughter, Megan, and her love of the University of Richmond. A 2015 grad, attending UR and, especially, being a Spider cheerleader was a dream for her.
“From an early age, it was her dream to be a Spider and make the cheer squad,” Kroger said. “We have a picture of my daughter when she was less than two in a Spider Cheer outfit!
“UR was the only school she wanted to go to! There were many tears when she finally got her UR acceptance letter and even more tears the day on campus when I saw her as part of the cheer squad! I will never forget that moment.”
Kroger is very energized watching not only Spider football, but all Richmond teams perform well, year after year. “The sky is the limit for athletics at UR! The University has an environment that is invaluable to our student-athletes, from the amazing facilities and great coaches, to the diploma that the athletes can earn. UR has the ability to attract the best and that will make us successful on the field.”
One piece of advice that Kroger likes to pass along to current student-athletes is tried and true: enjoy the moment. “You are so lucky to have the skill to compete at the Division I level. Now I know football practices in August are not that enjoyable, but they are all part of the experience you will take with you. The relationships and memories are ones you will have for a lifetime.”
