Where did Jeff go?
He’s moved to a new location. Check him out on the new blogging platform and let him know what you think.
Home > Jeff Schultz > Archives > 2008 > September > 05 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPaul Johnson will not waver, even if Jackets do
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paul Johnson will tell you he played almost every position in football as a youth, and when he adds, “I wasn’t really good at any of them,” it comes off as less an admission than a badge of honor.
He just played, free of delusions of riches or celebrity. He just played, and he figured one day he would just coach, maybe back at his old high school in Newland, N.C. (population: 704, give or take a picnic).
“As a general rule, some of the best players aren’t great coaches,” he said. “They get frustrated with guys because it was easy for them. That wasn’t the case with me. Some guys get motivated by the reward at the end. I’m motivated by the thought of what happens if you don’t do well. Fear of failure. People saying you can’t do something. People saying you can’t do this or you can’t run that offense. That’s what gets me going.”
The small-town kid steps onto a bigger stage today, even if he doesn’t quite see it that way. Football is football, Johnson believes, whether it’s Avery County High School or Navy or Georgia Tech. But when the Jackets travel to Boston College today, how can it not be seen as the first major test of Johnson’s regime? If Jacksonville State was like the welcoming committee, consecutive games at Boston College and Virginia Tech are like a two-punch reality check.
Johnson makes no promises. He knows better. His team is young. The roster is short on scholarships. It’s a new coaching staff teaching a new offense. It was a chore just getting offensive and defensive players to acknowledge each other. (“The team was split into different factions when I got here.”)
He wants to win at Tech. He believes he can win at Tech. But look elsewhere for grand proclamations. These things take time, even if administrators and booster clubs and ticket sales often mandate otherwise.
“We could go up and beat Boston College, and what does that mean?” Johnson said. “We could go up and lose, and what does that mean? It’s a long season. … We’ve got a chance to win every game. We’ve got a chance to lose every game.”
Every coach says he doesn’t care what people think. When Johnson says it, you actually believe it. His manner is direct and without pretense. He is the anti-Petrino. If things don’t work, it won’t be because he cowered to public pressure or panicked and changed plans in mid-stream. He is tough and he’s a disciplinarian, and there’s a reason for that.
“Part of it is the way you grow up,” he said. “I grew up in a mill town, playing sports. My dad coached me in sports. I think sometimes when your dad coaches, especially in a small town, it forces you to kind of toe the line a little bit more than the other guy.”
This newspaper ran a photo last Sunday of Johnson grabbing Embry Peeples’ jersey, admonishing the freshman for missing a block. It has been a source of amusement for the coach and player all week. But Johnson caught some flak. An e-mailer criticized him, maintaining that yelling at players is counterproductive and it doesn’t build character. It prompted Johnson to joke on his radio show: “I forwarded the e-mail to the Marine Corps, because they want to build character, and I know they never yell at anybody.”
“Everybody has their own ideas about how to do things,” Johnson said later. “I have a 15-year-old daughter, and she thinks she knows what’s best all the time. But I don’t think she does. It’s like me checking on players [attending] classes. It’s about accountability. They say, ‘We’re grown men. We don’t need you to do that.’ Well, if that were true, I wouldn’t have to check. Deep down I think people want discipline and accountability.”
Eventually the Jackets will get there, Johnson said, even if the schedule isn’t going to wait.
Permalink | Comments (45) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech/ACC
Services »
Comments
By Eagledawg
September 5, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
Nice article on PJ. I think he got a lot of that attitude from Erk in the early GSC days, and he only intensified that attitude when he ran the GSU ship back to national prominence. His tenures at Navy went a long way toward shaping his present outlook. He ain’t warm, he ain’t cuddly, but he is all business and honest to a fault. GSU has never really recovered since he left, though Coach Hatcher has us back in the right direction. Our (GSU) never-say-die attitude was born of Erk and sharpened by PJ. It is still in us. Why don’t y’all give us a game? You’ve played EVERY other SoCon team since we restarted football. We’ll roll over just like we did in Athens last Saturday. Even though he’s the GNATS coach now, I and most Eagles wish him well. GATA PJ Jeff Schultz, if you like irony, then you should love what I just signed off with. GOOO Eagles and Dawgs and even Tech while PJ is in town.
By SavannahJacket
September 5, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
Paul Johnson is a great coach. He has accomplished great things with every program he has worked with. I have followed him from the early 80’s building a GSU Program with Erk Russell until now leading the way at Tech. He knows what it takes to win and will get there, maybe sooner than we think. We just need to lay off the criticism and let him do things the way that works for him.
He has had good athletes (Peterson, Hamm) to work with in the past. Now he has the opportunity to get great ones…. the sky is the limit.
By GT Fan
September 5, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this
GT has a winner. In one game the difference between he and Chan was night and day - emotion, fire, intensity and going 100% every play.
He will when big at GT very soon.
Beat The Eagles!
By Huh?
September 5, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Paul Johnson as to make sure his players go to class? To hear Tech fans tell it, they are all Rhodes scholars with 4.0 GPA’s that just play a little football in between studying and singing in the church choir. I am shocked. Can one of you Techies explain this for me?
By m
September 5, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this
Jeff, the point is we now have a real college football coach. For the last 6 years we had a run of the mill nfl never-was that came back to college to make some easy money. His heart wasn’t in it and he turned out to be the worst coach in the history of the NCAA. And you were a big coward for not writing about it a long time ago. Thank God and Greyhound that Gailey is gone.
By Johntide
September 5, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Best of luck to Coach Johnson. I think it’s true about the average players being the best coaches.
By GSU Panther
September 5, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this
Hey, Savannah and EagleDawg, Georgia State is the real GSU, beating Georgia Southern by 55 years and by about 1,000 SAT points.
We’ll teach you some lessons in football in 2010, too.
By GB
September 5, 2008 5:22 PM | Link to this
Tracy Ham wasn’t a good athlete… he was the greatest college football player that ever crapped between a pair of shoes.
By cooter
September 5, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
To Huh, how many points is a 3-point basketball shot worth?
By Huh?
September 5, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
Paul Johnson as to make sure his players go to class? To hear Tech fans tell it, they are all Rhodes scholars with 4.0 GPA’s that just play a little football in between studying and singing in the church choir. I am shocked. Can one of you Techies explain this for me?
By SouthernBred
September 5, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
GSUPanther … don’t talk smack until you have a real team … say around the year 2025. Also get your facts straight about the SAT then let’s compare.
By BobbyDodd
September 5, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
EagleDawg…
You are a blinded mutt. Not everything revolves around a dumb dawg. Johnson certainly made a success of Russell but as you can tell by this article Erk was not the source of Johnson’s character. BTW…How can you be an eagle dawg? Do you not realize they are competitors rather than bed buddies? You obviously are one of those ignorant folk that pull for UGAY because you think they represent the state of Georgia. STUPID! Every Georgia University represents the state even though they compete against each other. So you must be a coward…and can’t choose a team so pick two in the hopes of having a good season somewhere. Why not be a EagleDawgJacketCatamountWildcat and add whatever the mascots of the other 50+ schools in the state?
By Gene
September 5, 2008 6:12 PM | Link to this
I thought it was great to see the coach grab the player by the jersey and shake him. It would probably prove more effective than prayer meetings and Christian bowling leagues, which only seem to increase player arrests.
By GT Brill
September 5, 2008 6:13 PM | Link to this
It is a little ironic that CPJ was greatly influenced by Erk Russell, one of UGA’s greatest coaches (IMO). I always admired Erk and was saddened when he died. He was one tough SOB that loved his players. But then again Coach Dooley said Bobby Dodd was one of the coaches he was influenced by most. So it goes full circle. I hope Paul Johnson hangs around to build a legacy at the Flats and make Saturdays fun again.
By buzzwax
September 5, 2008 6:17 PM | Link to this
ALL indications are that CPJ is a very good coach. I am a very loyal GT fan who has supported this program for over 30 years from Pepper to now. This guy seems of the Ross Oleary mold, tough, smart and knows that 17-22 year olds need COACHING. Some more than others need to learn how to be tough and make disipline an every play HABIT. Coach CPJ has the talent THIS year like he has had at no other team. How fast he gets them tough and disiplined will determine the success of this year. Me thinks sooner than later……
By TechMan
September 5, 2008 6:29 PM | Link to this
OK, Huh. I’ll try to spell this out for you and take it slow so you’ll understand. Tech’s players have to be a cut above, because of what they have to do once they enroll at Tech which is take legitimate college courses and real college majors - Not P.E., Parks and Recreation, pre-NFL life skills, etc., etc. They actually get challenged academically and have to put in the effort in the classroom. They may only be slightly smarter than players at other schools, in general, when they first enroll, but by the time they graduate with a legitimate college degree they are a lot smarter. Just listen to our guys talk on the radio and compare them to most of your SEC guys. Sorry, I know the truth hurts.
By alt method
September 5, 2008 6:43 PM | Link to this
Gene, I did not think it was great for the coach to grab/probably embarrass his player. The UCLA coach showed you another method recently. Both seem to work. Either way, he is the coach and I support Tech without any conditions…hope he wins all!
By Less Concerned Jacket
September 5, 2008 6:44 PM | Link to this
Good for PJ. I mean really, what the heck does one’s opinion of another accomplish in the end……basically nothing because everyone’s got an opinion and rarely do they all agree.
Some would say everyone wanted Gailey out at Tech. Not true. Gailey was winning and going to bowls every year. The problem is the difference between great and awful. There’s no secret recipe to winning or losing. Bobby Bowden wins, but so did the Bear, polar opposites at minimum.
I expect PJ to win not because he is some staunch disciplinarian, but because he, his staff, and his players are always prepared. Some guys work to live, but PJ lives to work. Don’t worry about BC and VT. Don’t even worry about 2008. Just start saving for the BCS trips that will begin coming in 2010.
By Less Concerned Jacket
September 5, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
Good for PJ. I mean really, what the heck does one’s opinion of another accomplish in the end……basically nothing because everyone’s got an opinion and rarely do they all agree.
Some would say everyone wanted Gailey out at Tech. Not true. Gailey was winning and going to bowls every year. The problem is the difference between great and awful. There’s no secret recipe to winning or losing. Bobby Bowden wins, but so did the Bear, polar opposites at minimum.
I expect PJ to win not because he is some staunch disciplinarian, but because he, his staff, and his players are always prepared. Some guys work to live, but PJ lives to work. Don’t worry about BC and VT. Don’t even worry about 2008. Just start saving for the BCS trips that will begin coming in 2010.
By Less Concerned Jacket
September 5, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
Good for PJ. I mean really, what the heck does one’s opinion of another accomplish in the end……basically nothing because everyone’s got an opinion and rarely do they all agree.
Some would say everyone wanted Gailey out at Tech. Not true. Gailey was winning and going to bowls every year. The problem is the difference between great and awful. There’s no secret recipe to winning or losing. Bobby Bowden wins, but so did the Bear, polar opposites at minimum.
I expect PJ to win not because he is some staunch disciplinarian, but because he, his staff, and his players are always prepared. Some guys work to live, but PJ lives to work. Don’t worry about BC and VT. Don’t even worry about 2008. Just start saving for the BCS trips that will begin coming in 2010.
By Redvette
September 5, 2008 6:49 PM | Link to this
I am happy to see that Coach Johnson will make sure his players attend classes. I never forgave Gailey for his attitude about academics and players…I remember him saying that it was not his job to enforce class attendance after losing 10 players due to academic ineligibility. Players are still supposed to be student athletes.
By gtforever
September 5, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this
All I can say is, FINALLY a REAL football COACH!
Go Jackets….. To all you UGAY fans,,, THE CLOCK IS TICKING!
By ga_tech_92
September 5, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this
CPJ is the man. Go get ‘em Nezzzzzzbit! Go get ‘em JACKETS!!
By wes
September 5, 2008 7:39 PM | Link to this
Jeff, nice article but where’s the smart-arse commentary?
Us Tech fans couldn’t be happier with Coach Johnson….and he hasn’t even coached a league game yet.
THWG!!!!
By BartBuzz
September 5, 2008 8:46 PM | Link to this
What! PJ grabbed a player for missing an assignment? How dare the head coach admonish one of his young players. Thank goodness Tech finally has a coach with some fire in the belly. If a player doesn’t want to catch the ire of PJ, then don’t screw up! Go PJ and Jackets!!!
THWG
By BartBuzz
September 5, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
BTW….that photo of PJ grabbing #24 is now posted on my desktop as a reminder of what intensity means!
By Seriously!
September 5, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
For Gene & gtforever, it’s nice to just sit back and dream about a victory against your state rival who has DOMINATED you for so very, very long. I know that you both are very giddy about the upcoming season since you wiped the floor with that juggernaut team down in Florida. I know that you think your defense is the cat’s meow. I know that you think your triple fumble plays will get you to an ACC championship. I also know that you clowns have the rediculous delusion that you have even a miniscule chance of defeating the awesome Bulldogs this year. How many years has it been since the North Avenue Trade School beat UGA in a football game? I have lost count. Good luck this year, ya bunch of slide rule toting geeks!! P.S. — your college girls look like something out of a 1950’s Soviet Union video.
By Seriously!
September 5, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this
Oh….almost forgot. THWGT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess plumbers and electricians (GT alumni) will not take that too well but I don’t care. GT embarrasses the entire state every year and this year will be no different. New coach….yawn. Same result.
By Steve Skelton
September 5, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this
GSU Panther, didn’t your parents teach you not to eat the mushrooms in the yard? IF the commuter GSU ever beats Georgia Southern (clue: It won’t happen!), it will be a cold day in h-e-double hockey sticks. Can’t wait to see the Eagles give those wannabes at georgia state a lesson in how to play football…..it won’t be pretty for the Panthers. I feel sorry for Coach Curry. Back to the topic…Coach Johnson will do very well at Tech. It will be fun to watch that offense again!
By GOTECH610
September 5, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this
Seriously…
Wow UGA really does have students who care more about girls than an education??? Maybe that’s why GT students have higher salaries than UGA grads. You redneck fool, “I reckon we got us sum purty girls here, I reckon that makes us betta then them there BEE’s”. You moron, don’t you know there is more to life than parties and girls??? Like responsibility, education, and I don’t know a higher maturity level than high school kids.
This “trade school’ teaches students REAL life problems that takes more than half a brain to do everyday. Thus again, Tech students get PAID higher than the lowly UGA grads.
Need I remind you Mr. Hick, fool, we still have the leading games consecutively won in the series at 8. If you beat us this year your only just as good as we once were. Enjoy your year UGA, Tech is on the rise again. There was a past you know to the series and the past records say Tech once whooped UGA just as bad…. Think before you rednecks blog…
By michaelgee
September 5, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
Georgia State University may be older in age but they will never be what Georgia Southern is. Georgia Southern has SIX National Championship flags flying in Paulson Stadium, ALL were earned the hard way.
Before the GState folk start bragging too much just come on down to Statesboro and get Chris Hathcher to sign you up to play.
Once GState has more National Championships hanging in their stadium than Georgia Southern University (the REAL GSU), then you can start talking trash. Until then, you aren’t anybody’s Champion.
By kluttz13
September 5, 2008 9:36 PM | Link to this
Jacksonville State is not located in Florida. Seriously. I didn’t read beyond that part and I’m probably better for it. Saved a precious 30 seconds of my life.
By stony
September 5, 2008 9:50 PM | Link to this
Hey Seriously, I always suspected that bulldog fans couldn’t count to ten, but now I see that the actual limit is even lower.
By kluttz13
September 5, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this
He couldn’t count to ten because his brain exploded from trying to spell ridiculous correctly.
By GM
September 5, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this
My experience has been that the UGA fans who actually graduated from UGA or have kids attending the school are pretty decent folks. It’s all the other random, band-wagon, hick fans that are obnoxious. If I’m wrong, then I’ve just been lucky enough to only know the good ones.
By stony
September 5, 2008 10:41 PM | Link to this
GM, True, there are many good and decent bulldog fans, just as there are good GT fans, good Clemson fans, good South Carolina….well, maybe that’s stretching it a bit. Anyway, there are also disgusting fans of each school. Don’t try to deny it; I’ve been in the lower east stands, toward the north end zone, of Bobby Dodd Stadium enough to speak with authority. My comment was merely intended as a comedic generalization in order to return fire. Let’s all try to maintain our perspectives here, remember that this is a sports blog, and take each post in a sporting manner. Aren’t we all one big happy family of college sports fans? GO TECH!
By Tokyo jacket
September 5, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this
I think it’s awesome that CPJ grabbed Peebles by the jersey. The most I ever ran in HS was after a 35 point win, but one where we started to do stupid things. I learned a lesson that day that I won’t forget. I be Embry Peebles did too!
Here’s two groups of names. Group 1: Jimmy Johnson, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Pete Carroll, Paul Bryant, Greg Schiano. Group 2: Al Groh, Chan Gailey, Tommy Bowden, Bill Curry, Larry Coker,
I think the reason, even if everyone doesn’t understand it, that GT fans are so excited is because CPJ looks a lot more like group 1 than group 2. If he got beat-up, clobbered in a game, there’s no way in he!! that he’d say “it’s just another game” or call the coach that just beat him up for advice. He’d start planning right then and there for how to beat them next year. Kind of sounds like his first day on the job, doesn’t it?
Go Tech…I’ll be watching from 1 to 4 AM tonight!
By Tokyo jacket
September 5, 2008 11:22 PM | Link to this
I think it’s awesome that CPJ grabbed Peebles by the jersey. The most I ever ran in HS was after a 35 point win, but one where we started to do stupid things. I learned a lesson that day that I won’t forget. I be Embry Peebles did too!
Here’s two groups of names. Group 1: Jimmy Johnson, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Pete Carroll, Paul Bryant, Greg Schiano. Group 2: Al Groh, Chan Gailey, Tommy Bowden, Bill Curry, Larry Coker,
I think the reason, even if everyone doesn’t understand it, that GT fans are so excited is because CPJ looks a lot more like group 1 than group 2. If he got beat-up, clobbered in a game, there’s no way in he!! that he’d say “it’s just another game” or call the coach that just beat him up for advice. He’d start planning right then and there for how to beat them next year. Kind of sounds like his first day on the job, doesn’t it?
Go Tech…I’ll be watching from 1 to 4 AM tonight!
By Tokyo jacket
September 5, 2008 11:26 PM | Link to this
I think it’s awesome that CPJ grabbed Peebles by the jersey. The most I ever ran in HS was after a 35 point win, but one where we started to do stupid things. I learned a lesson that day that I won’t forget. I be Embry Peebles did too!
Here’s two groups of names. Group 1: Jimmy Johnson, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Pete Carroll, Paul Bryant, Greg Schiano. Group 2: Al Groh, Chan Gailey, Tommy Bowden, Bill Curry, Larry Coker,
I think the reason, even if everyone doesn’t understand it, that GT fans are so excited is because CPJ looks a lot more like group 1 than group 2. If he got beat-up, clobbered in a game, there’s no way in he!! that he’d say “it’s just another game” or call the coach that just beat him up for advice. He’d start planning right then and there for how to beat them next year. Kind of sounds like his first day on the job, doesn’t it?
Go Tech…I’ll be watching from 1 to 4 AM tonight!
By Jeff
September 6, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this
It may take some time at GT, however, I feel like we are on the right track. Why? The picture of last week of Coach Johnson grabbing Embry Peeples jersey and letting him know of his mistakes. Discipline, look where it gets you…To all the right places. I am not a UGA fan, I will say this….Your coach over there is a class guy, look where it has gotten UGA. Ga Tech, we are headed the right way, Johnson reminds me of the stories my dad told me about the famous Bobby Dodd. GO TECH!
By bearcasey
September 6, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
Anyone critical of Coach Johnson for grabbing Embry must never have played high school sports. The trick is to know WHEN to do it.
By Brewer
September 6, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
*BartBuzz * Ditto.
By Brad
September 6, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
To Huh?
Paul Johnson makes sure his kids go to class.
Beats Mark Richt having to make the rounds during visiting hours at Athens/Clarke County Prison.
By Brock
September 6, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Seriously, Seriously? You think Jax St. is in Florida and didn’t even bother looking at the history of the rivalry before speaking your bulls*@t? LMAO!! Typical uneducated dog fan. Just goes to show you anything any of these bozos say is total BS. Oh, BTW the geek and nerd trash talk has become really old. Please try to come up with something else in the future. GO TECH!!THWG!!
By WetHog
September 6, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this
As a Navy Football season ticket holder, and new GT fan, this article accurately sums up Paul Johnson. I said it on here when Johnson was named and I’ll say it again. If Johnson can turn Navy into consistent bowl game team imagine what he can do for GT? I am watching the GT/BC game and seeing what GT can do with the talent they have now is a step above Navy. Imagine how good GT will be in a couple years when GT is filled with Johnson recruits? I am excited for GT’s future and I only pay attention to GT now because Johnson is the coach.
I just hope the AD and Boosters give Johnson the chance to see his first real recruit class graduate. By that time GT should be in at least 1 BCS bowl.
By Dawgforlife57
September 7, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
May Paul Johnson become the toast of the town! May Georgia Tech football once again generate excitement instead of sleep! May it be the students of Georgia Tech who fill the seats of Bobby Dodd Stadium instead of the other team’s students! May the Yellow Jackets rule and dominate the ACC like no team before! May the Ramblin’ Wreck always enjoy a Top Ten ranking! And finally, may the football teams of Georgia Tech always enter the ACC Championship with a record unblemished but for the season-ending loss to GEORGIA! GO DAWGS!