Ben Jacoby's career in information technology has taken him all over the world, traveling to places like Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia.
And whether he is at his home in the north Atlanta suburbs or somewhere across the globe, the former Georgia State football captain always has a unique piece of Panther football history in his wallet.
Now a senior enterprise design architect in mobile device management for VMware, one of the world's largest virtualization companies, Jacoby opens his wallet and pulls out a coin. Not a quarter or a dime, but the commemorative slice of metal that was used for inaugural coin toss in Georgia State history on Sept. 2, 2010 at the Georgia Dome.
"I called heads, and we won the toss," recalls Jacoby, a game captain that night along with safety Brandon Jones and punter Bo Schlechter. "As I'm turning to the sideline to run off the field, the ref grabbed me by the arm and said, 'Hey you might want this,' and handed me that coin.
"I put it in my sock and played the whole game with it. I still have it and carry it with me all the time."
That inaugural 41-7 victory over Shorter before 30,237 fans at the Georgia Dome is one of many lasting memories for Jacoby, who joined the program for the "practice" season of 2009 after transferring from Ball State, where played his first two seasons.
But his most indelible memory was far less public.
"The one that actually stands out to me the most is one that most people would not think I would talk about, and that is mat drills," Jacoby said, referring to grueling off-season conditioning. "One of my crowning achievements was to be one of the first red jerseys in mat drills. Just being recognized by the coaches as somebody to chase in those drills, somebody whose tail to be on, was something that really meant a lot to me.
"More than anything, I remember the camaraderie and the honor in those sort of achievements that aren't printed in the newspaper and aren't on the game field but were kind of collective decisions by all the coaches about work ethic and leadership."
The lessons from those tough moments still resonate with Jacoby every day.
"College football is something that shaped who I am," he said. "Through the trials and tribulations, the mat drills and the fourth-and-ones on the goal line, those are things you carry with you always. Even in tough business situations, you can fall back on those times and know that if you continue doing your absolute best and pushing forward, you'll get where you want to be."
Jacoby earned his Georgia State degree in computer information systems in 2012. Chelsea, his wife of two years, is also a Georgia State graduate and works as a middle school science teacher in Forsyth County.
The couple, who began dating at the end of the first football season, are proud Panther Athletic Club members.
"We continue to support the team and give back because it certainly was a gift to me," Jacoby said. "The progression of the program has been unique to watch. Seeing it grow from when we were practicing in the YMCA parking lot to winning the first bowl game to beating the first Power 5 team ... it's fantastic to be part of that and know that you helped form that."
