AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHow Bennett left
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Taylor Bennett was a stand-up guy with the media throughout his Georgia Tech career. No matter how bad things got on the field, Bennett would answer questions after the game. So it was out of character when he made himself unavailable for comment a few months ago when he chose to stop playing football for the Yellow Jackets.
This morning, he said there was a reason for his silence. He didn’t want to say anything that might affect his application for an NCAA waiver allowing him to play right away at his new school. If he didn’t get that waiver, his career would have been over, at least in Division I-A.
A couple of years ago, players who graduated could transfer and play right away with no need of a waiver, and a few did, most notably cornerback Ryan Smith, who transferred from Utah to Florida, Lon Kruger’s son Kevin, who joined his dad at UNLV. The NCAA changed that rule after only one year, but it left the door open just a crack. That was a big enough opening for Bennett, who successfully argued that he had a valid academic reason for transferring from Georgia Tech to Louisiana Tech, where he will enroll in a master’s degree program Georgia Tech does not offer.
The result is a strange compromise that reveals how difficult it is to draw up a rule that satisfies everybody. The player has to find an academic justification for the school he chooses, whether it’s his real motivation or not. (Not to say Bennett isn’t interested in Louisiana Tech’s master’s program. In fact, he says it’s a good fit with what he did as a Georgia Tech undergraduate and with what he wants to do after his football days end.)
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
Comments
By GTFan
April 28, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
And the master degree is in what?
By m
April 28, 2008 4:05 PM | Link to this
Bennett was a good kid who had NO coaching at Tech. Just like Reggie Ball and A.J. Suggs. The longer they played for Gailey, the worse they got. Chan Gailey was the worst coach in the history of the NCAA, especially regarding QB’s. I wish Bennett the best of luck. And Thank God and Greyhound that Gailey is gone FOREVER. We have a real college football coach now. HALLLEEEEEDAMLOOYAH.
By Richard
April 28, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
I spent most of the season doing nothing but defending Bennett. I never said he could have been a great QB, but he certainly would have been a decent one (and with a good running game and a strong defense, a decent QB can win games) if his receivers would catch a friggin ball. What did Tech have? 5 drops a game? If I was a pocket passer, I’d have wanted out too. I was always amazed by his restraint. If I threw a perfect deep bomb on the first play of the UGA game and watched my receiver let it go right through his hands, I’d have beaten him over the head with my helmet.
Bennett is the classic example of a good kid whose coaching staff failed to utilize his potential. Whether it was by failing to play him with Calvin (we might have seen more of the Gator Bowl performance), or failing to coach him up while he was a backup. Either way, we’re going to be left wondering what if.
Good luck to Taylor. We hope you do well at LA Tech.
(Meanwhile you’ll always have the trivia question: Who are the only two quarterbacks to have thrown a touchdown pass on their first collegiate pass?)
By Dan
April 28, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
@Richard
Matt Leinart and Taylor Bennett! Taylor to Bennett in the UConn game!
By Dan
April 28, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
@Richard
Matt Leinart and Taylor Bennett! Taylor to Calvin in the UConn game!
By JJ
April 28, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this
M, It’s getting real old. Also have you checked with your attorney to see if you are not opening yourself up to a lawsuit from Mr. Gailey? I believe what you are doing is defamation of character.
By Mike Knobler
April 28, 2008 6:59 PM | Link to this
The master’s is in information systems security.
By GT88
April 28, 2008 7:29 PM | Link to this
Good luck Taylor Bennett. The GT fans wish you well. We are proud that you graduated!
By Concerned
April 29, 2008 4:00 AM | Link to this
By the way, he is going to play for a Dooley…as they said in Airplane II, “Irony can be pretty ironic.”
By yellowblood
April 29, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
Taylor left for one very good reason. He never liked Tickle Piles and never participated with his teammates. Good riddance!!
By Chris
April 29, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
I guess the MS in Information Security three of my friends have from Georgia Tech is imaginary.
Those guys have some ‘splainin to do.
By will
April 29, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this
I wish I knew where the trivia “fact” came from that Bennett and Leinart were the only two QBs to ever complete their first pass for a touchdown, because it isn’t true. Heck, Bennett wasn’t even the only ACC quarterback last year to lay claim to that—Sean Glennon completed his first career pass for a touchdown against Western Michigan in 2004, and I’m pretty sure anyone with a good means of researching this could find dozens of other players who also did so. It’s time to lay this urban legend to rest…
By GB
April 29, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
m- Please stop. This is ridiculous.
By Richard
April 29, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
Will,
I guess that’s what I get for listening to the AFLAC duck.
By Ty
April 29, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
Alas, we will miss TB as a “class-act” (something in which the Flats-folk have always taken pride). It is actually refreshing (for a change) that the whole sequence was done quietly, with class, and in what appears to be a “win-win” scenario for all concerned.
Also in this is a good ‘first lesson’ for the new coaching regime. Be fair, be consistent, act with class, and demand your team does everything in the same way. We won’t be undefeated every year, but we’ll walk with our heads held high regarding the program (something we have lost recently).
Add me to the group wishing TB best of luck (both in school and on the field). Here’s hoping he continues to grow wiser and be successful in whatever direction he goes.
By PTC DAWG
April 29, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
I think the GT Coaching staff deserves Kudos for the way they handled this situation. Best of luck to Bennett.
By JJ
April 29, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
Will,
I see that Glennon did in fact throw a TD on his first pass (wikipedia), but I doubt if it has been done more than 3 or 4 times. Think about it 1st collegiate pass for a TD? I’m checking but I think it is one of the rarest feats in college football. The network/cable TV guys reported on this a lot last year. They usually have their facts right on this sort of thing.
By MP
April 29, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
Mike Knobler, Why does the AJC have to sensationalize everything?
“Ex-Jackets QB leaving to become a Bulldog”.
Don’t you know these kinds of headlines just hurt your credibility?
By Tampa Dawg
April 29, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Good luck Bennett, but I guess you will have to wear the color RED after all. HA!
By For The Record
April 29, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
Just to clarify what the STAT is…Matt and Taylor are the only 2 who have thrown a touchtown pass on their first collegiate snap from the line of scrimmage.
It’s not about their first PASS being a touchdown…it’s about their first PLAY from scrimmage being a touchdown pass.
By EasyCharlie
May 1, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
Is there anyone out there but me who doesn’t give a s* that Bennett is going to LTech, or why? Good grief guys — get a life! A third-rate QB goes from a 2nd rate team to another 2nd rate team. Big f**g deal.
By MB
May 1, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
The more I read “m“‘s comments on all of these blogs, the more I come to respect Coach Gailey. It’s called class and “m” seems to be sorely lacking in it.
By Gee Tech
May 1, 2008 9:07 PM | Link to this
Some of us do care what Tech players are doing. I wonder if we ever gave two sh-ts that NaDerris Ward of UGA is thinking of transferring but I would bet there are a few UGA fans who disagree. Its summer and they have to write about something. Easy EasyCharlie. Easy.
Now back to the subject at hand. How much of a change will the O’line go through considering the new style of play. I bet this opens up pandora’s box for the short time being. I wonder if we’ll see more transfer b/c they become frustrated w/ the new techniques. Big ole’ Gailey style o’line where they run between the tackles is now a slim jim motion machine. I have to believe we’ll be okay but false starts and missed assignments lead to many many turnovers in the first few games. Did anyone see otherwise in the spring game???
By StraightJacket
May 7, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this
You Trivia Posters have it ALL WRONG!
Taylor Bennett and Matt Leinert were the only two QB’s to throw a TD pass on THEIR FIRST SNAP (i.e. very FIRST PLAY in college ball; NOT just “their first PASS).
Got it now?
Glennon’s first PLAY was handoff to Ore, no? Or was it a sack by Wheeler? ;-)
-StraightJacket