DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia Tech Football
Yellow Jackets tell all about their coach
Players reveal the many sides of Paul Johnson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
For most Georgia Tech fans, the Paul Johnson they know is the one they see on the sideline on Saturdays — calling plays, arguing with referees, congratulating players as they come off the field, getting into their faces if they make mistakes.
Those players, though, see many more sides of Tech’s first-year coach. They describe him as demanding, funny, hard-nosed and, in the estimation of defensive end Michael Johnson, “a Southern dude.”
A sampling of Jackets players’ insights into their coach:
Sophomore cornerback Dominique Reese: “He’s real stern on the field, but off the field, he’ll crack jokes with you. He’s really friendly. A lot of people probably wouldn’t expect that with Coach Johnson. … When we leave the field, if he was mad at you on the field, it gets left on the field. He’s not carrying it off the field.”
Freshman quarterback Jaybo Shaw: “He’s never satisfied, he keeps our expectations high. He didn’t say anything about us being ranked. He’s all business on the football field. Outside of football, he jokes around all the time. With me, he talks about me not getting my pads down. (Shaw suffered a concussion against Duke because he ran too high.) He calls me ‘Concussion Head.’”
Sophomore cornerback Mario Butler: “He’s going to make us tough. I already knew it, but it just was implemented this year that we were going to be a tough team. Just by the way practice is run, running full speed everywhere, the contact during two-a-days. Everybody was getting cut blocked, going through live drills, especially in the spring. I think that’s helping us right now.”
Senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard: “He’s approachable. He’s intense, but he’s not somebody you would just be afraid to go up and talk to, whether it’s about football or about anything. … We’ll talk about what’s going on in the financial markets. We’re sitting around, (saying), ‘O.K., what (stock) should I buy?’ things like that.”
Freshman A-back Roddy Jones: “He always says, ‘Nothing’s ever as good or as bad as it seems.’ You always have to look for the next play. Once it’s done, it’s done. … After we get a big win, we review the film and it’s over. We’re focusing on the next game. After our loss, we looked at the film and we focused on the next game. … (He might refer back to a past game) maybe for teaching purposes, but not to linger on.”
Sophomore defensive end Derrick Morgan: “Coach Johnson, he’s a real straight-forward type of guy. He lets you know what he expects. If you fall short, he’ll let you know about it. If you exceed his expectations, he’ll praise you for it as well. He puts everything on the table and he’s real straight forward about everything.”
Senior defensive end Michael Johnson: ” He’s got a good sense of humor. He’d tell us a joke every night in camp. (Johnson declined to share his coach’s jokes, explaining that “he doesn’t tell jokes for kids.”) He’s really laid back. He’s a Southern dude. He’s cool and real confident and it spreads, being around him. It makes you more confident, too.”
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