Notebook: Jackets begin preparing for bowl

Georgia Tech’s bowl preparations started off on the right foot.

Pleased with his team’s conditioning level after a two-week break to rest and take final exams, coach Paul Johnson ended practice earlier than planned Saturday.

“As you would hope at the end of the year, they’re in pretty good shape,” said Johnson after the practice at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Johnson said Saturday’s practice was devoted to going over mistakes made in Tech’s win over Georgia Nov. 29 and doing an initial overview of LSU, Tech’s opponent in the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Jackets finished with conditioning work.

Said defensive tackle Vance Walker of his team’s high spirits, “We’re all excited about the bowl game we’re going to and it’s a nice day outside. … I think [Johnson] gave everybody a break with conditioning, so everybody’s excited about it. He’s treating us real good right now.”

After taking Sunday off, the team will begin preparing for the Tigers on Monday.

Johnson commented briefly on his contract, which athletics director Dan Radakovich and Johnson’s agent Jack Reale are in the midst of renegotiating.

“It’ll get done,” he said. “It’s no big deal.”

Radakovich sought to redo the seven-year deal, signed a year ago when Johnson came from Navy, after Tech went 9-3 and beat Georgia for the first time in eight years.

Injury update

Linebacker Sedric Griffin (knee), safety Dominique Reese (knee), cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels (hamstring) and Walker (ankle) participated in the practice. They didn’t play against Georgia or were limited. Johnson said Griffin is the only question mark for the bowl game, but that the other three should play.

Word-Daniels, who missed the last five games of the regular season, is still waiting to fully test his hamstring and didn’t think it was completely healed.

“I’m going to try to get it as close to 100 percent as I can before the bowl game,” he said.

Graduation ceremonies

Defensive tackle Darryl Richard graduated Friday with an MBA. Richard, a team captain, earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in four and a half years.

Richard also received an $18,000 scholarship Tuesday as a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, given by the National Football Foundation to the top senior scholar-athlete in college football. Richard, who was also named the ACC’s top senior football scholar-athlete, was a second-team all-ACC selection.

Practice schedule

The Jackets will practice Monday through Saturday and may continue through the Dec. 21 and 22. They’ll be off Dec. 23 through Dec. 25 and then will reconvene Dec. 26. The team will work out at its practice fields for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Several high school seniors, on campus for their recruiting weekend, attended the practice. Said Word-Daniels of his recruiting trip as a high school senior, “I was in awe that everything was happening the way it was. ‘I’m about to play Division I football.’ And the next thing that went through my head was, ‘Gollee, these guys are so big.’ “