AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USCooking up some ball on The Flats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, Sedric Griffin is not in South Carolina; he’s here. So that’s good.
Spring practice No. 6 is underway at Georgia Tech and Griffin, a linebacker as you probably best know of him, is participating. At the end of practice Monday, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Marie didn’t like something Sed had to say in a drill, and among other things told him he could return to his home state if he had any more to say.
Sed’s here, though.
So is Josh Nesbitt, although the quarterback is working with a yellow — not red — vest on over his practice gear. I don’t know for sure, but that likely means he’s off-limits for contact later. Check that. In 11-on-11 work later, with contact, the yellow jersey is off, and he’s fully engaged.
Other players wearing red vests, like A.J. Smith (elbow), Tyler Evans (shoulder), Cord Howard (right leg) are working on the side, whereas Nesbitt is out there with the rest of the players. Dunno what that yellow jersey was all about. We’ll see.
No sign — again — of WR James Johnson. Hmmm.
Jarrard Tarrant has been working at CB today in front of Mario Butler. Hmmm.
Greg Smith has gotten some work with the first string A-backs.
Talked to Jeremis Smith today. He’s not trying out for tight end. Somebody asked last week. He is, in fact, working out to get ready for what he hopes will be a prosperous pro basketball career. After graduating in a little more than four weeks, he’ll move to Portland for a month or more to work out with some sort of guru. No football for Jeremis.
While on the topic of other athletes/sports, it’s going to be interesting as coaching changes continue to see which players who’d already signed letters of intent to various schools are released, and where they end up.
Tech has one signee, Iman Shumpert, and coach Paul Hewitt wants to sign at least one more. He recruited G Ty Taylor very hard out of New Jersey before Taylor signed with Marquette. But Marquette lost coach Tom Crean yesterday to Indiana, and there is plenty of speculation that Taylor will request a release from his LOI.
If that happens, it’s just about a lock that Tech will resume its pursuit of the young man. Others, like the kids from Indiana who’ve requested releases, will be interesting to watch. We’ll see.
It’s a bit warmer out here than I anticipated. That’s what I get for paying attention to local weather forecasts.
Center Trey Dunmon appears to have over-heated, unless I’m missing my guess as to why he’s sitting in the shade in full gear with his head down.
David Brown looks like a heat casualty as well.
Comments
By Matt Winkeljohn
April 2, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this
Dunmon was ill last week, it should be noted, and missed some practices.
Matt
By Matt Winkeljohn
April 2, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
I have noticed that all the D-linemen are wearing knee braces akin to those offensive linemen have worn (and still wear). It does not appear to be optional.
Hmmm.
By Adam
April 2, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this
The D-linemen have been wearing knee braces all spring.
By matt Winkeljohn
April 2, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
I didn’t write that the knee braces were new today. It’s good that you’re paying attention, though.
By a passing question
April 2, 2008 8:17 PM | Link to this
The new Tech style is still certainly new to me but if Tech is to pass, they will need receivers… sounds like many are no longer around. Is that a concern?
By quaildawg
April 2, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this
James Johnson…last seen picking up his gear,teeth and whatever else was knocked loose when he got blown up in Athens. One of the hardest hits I’ve ever seen.
By addicted
April 2, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this
Nice blog Matt. Keep up the good work!
By GT76
April 2, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this
Earls, Thomas, G Smith, and others will give Tech enough receiving. I know Smith is working at A back, but he will still get looks as a receiver. Earls is a key and so is Thomas. They are both strong.
Is James Johnson quiting football, school, or both? Wish him the best. Reminds me of Clarence Moore a few years ago in basketball who just needed to get away from it all for a while. It happens.
By Mike Knobler
April 2, 2008 10:21 PM | Link to this
AFAIK, James Johnson is done with football, not school. He has a lot more going for him than his football skills and has been a class act through the three years I have covered Georgia Tech football.
I asked Paul Johnson about Nesbitt’s injury. He declined to say specifically what was the matter. There is absolutely no sign it is anything serious, though.
By Mike
April 2, 2008 11:03 PM | Link to this
Best wishes to JJ. Thanks for everything !!
By CharlieFoxtrot
April 2, 2008 11:59 PM | Link to this
I’m a little disappointed that James Johnson won’t stick it out with the CPJ regime, but if it really is an issue with desire to play football and he intends to continue pursuing a degree(whether at GT or elsewhere) I wish him the best and hope he finds satisfaction in whatever profession he chooses.
By surfrider
April 3, 2008 2:41 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the updates Matt. Johnson was a plus for Tech and hope he gets over his injuries. As for Tech’s shortage of receivers the three you mentioned plus walkons look pretty good from what I have seen but if we’re still short how about bring in the H’back option or wishbone with one slot and one wr until we recruit more wr’s. We have some good FB’s and H’back or two. Also curious if a decision has been made on the uniform design for next year, personally I kind of like either the traditional one or the one Ross had (Blue) or even one as far back as Carson and Fulmer. I guess it does’nt matter that much but each regime likes to set their own mark. The two lines look pretty good from what I’ve seen in drills.
By Jacketnation
April 3, 2008 4:12 AM | Link to this
Has anyone considered Michael Johnson is the most athletic big man on the team; with the highest verticle leap and the best speed? He was a #10 rank PASS catching tightend in Highschool. We are running out of pass catchers. The only one we had at tight-end was Collin Peek and he ain’t around any more.
By Help Wanted
April 3, 2008 6:45 AM | Link to this
136 passing attempts all last year? I’d leave the team too. That one dimensional crap isn’t going to work in a BCS league with some of the best defenses in the nation. They will eat it alive.
By daug lover
April 3, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Actually, quaildawg, that hit the Awbern DB put on our bulldog receiver was the hardest I’ve ever seen. He stayed down a lot longer than Johnson.
By NYJacket
April 3, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this
Help Wanted,
I should keep your blog response and send it to you next year with a little bit of crow.
Just what is it about a BCS conference that means Johnson’s offense can’t move the ball?
Let see now we can line up with one running back and a fullback and run the ball using Chan Gailey’s offense with a QB who couldn’t hit the side of a barn with no one rushing.
But, if we have three running backs plus a running quarterback that the defense has to be concerned about we can’t run the ball?
Is that because defenses will “stack the box’? If they do what do you think will be done with the slot backs and split receivers?
We finally have a coach who knows what he wants to do, is recruiting players who can do it, is not one demensional (he will throw the ball), and he is going to play the guys who earn the right to play and demonstrate that they should be on the field.
My only concern is with the defense. I think Tenuta was too one demensional. He believed in attacking the defense and that was good. But, his D backs got beat a lot if pressure did not get to the QB. And, really good throwing teams ate up his zone coverage. I just hope the new guy doesn’t play the “bend but don’t break” type of defense that is slow death.