Q&A with Jackets safety Morgan Burnett

Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett tied for the lead nationally with seven interceptions last season. The sophomore led the Yellow Jackets with 93 tackles, 62 solo, while earning second-team All-ACC honors.

A College Park graduate, Burnett spoke with staff writer Larry Hartstein about offseason workouts, his growing leadership role and the 2009 season.

Q: What aspect of your game are you working to improve?

A: Everything. Speed, size, learning to play with my eyes and disguise my coverages better.

Q: I hear that phrase, “playing with your eyes,” all the time around here.

A: [Defensive coordinator Dave] Wommack drills that into us. Just making sure you’re playing your assignments, having your eyes on your keys, not worrying about somebody else’s or looking in the backfield trying to see what the offense is doing. Once you do that, you’ve lost, and your man is running behind you for a touchdown.

Q: You’re losing three starters on the defensive line. Does that put more pressure on the secondary and linebackers?

A: No. It’s the same mentality. We’ve got to do everything together and come together as a whole defensive unit. We lost three good linemen, so young guys are just going to have to step up fast. I feel we’ve got a lot of great young talent, with the redshirts and the incoming freshmen. So we’ll be pretty good on ‘D.’

Q: The entire starting secondary returns. Who is going to push you guys for playing time?

A: We have guys like Jerrard Tarrant, that’s a big key back to our defense. You’ve still got Dominique Reese and Cooper Taylor [at the other safety spot]. We had a lot of young guys last year, but we’re learning from the experience. We’ll have a little more knowledge toward the scheme coach Wommack wants to run.

Q: Do you have to become more of a leader?

A: Coaches have been telling me I have to step up and be a leader. I know I’m ready. It’s just another role I have to take on. I take it as a challenge.

<.b>Q: What does it involve?

A: I’m not too much of the talking type, but there are times when it’s the right time to say something and then there are times just to show it by your actions. It can be as far as setting an example, work ethic in the weight room, conditioning, things like that.

Q: You made second-team All-ACC last season, behind Clemson’s Michael Hamlin and North Carolina’s Trimane Goddard. Did you agree with that?

A: Those guys are some good safeties, they did some good things. I just look at it as an honor to be labeled All-ACC. I didn’t really think too much about it because we were getting ready to face LSU. That’ll just push me to go harder.

Q: Speaking of LSU, has that loss lingered?

A: It sticks in your stomach because that was the last impression America had of Georgia Tech, LSU beating us 38-3. So we’ve still got to earn respect. There are a lot of things we feel we’ve got to prove. It’s motivation in everything we do. Working out in the weight room, on the field. Because at the end of the day you look back, look at films and the last game you see is LSU. And we all know we didn’t play a good game.

Q: Compare last year’s offseason workouts to this year’s.

A: Last year a lot of things were still new. We were still learning how things were going to work with the new coaches. This year, I feel the intensity level is so much higher and guys are more passionate about it and bonded together. Guys are willing to push each other to go harder. Even when we feel we can’t go anymore, you’ve got someone pushing you.

Q: What will a year of experience do for the secondary and linebackers?

A: It means a lot. We had the experience of playing with each other, knowing each other’s capabilities, and having the passion to have each other’s back out there.

Q: What do you think of the schedule?

A: I’m excited, especially about the teams we’re playing early. The Thursday nights [Sept. 10 vs. Clemson, Sept. 17 at Miami]. It’s just fun. I love the atmosphere when you play big games like that.

Q: What kind of comments do you hear around town about the team?

A: A lot of people say Georgia Tech did a good job, but as a team we know we can do a lot better than we did last year. And that’s what’s pushing us to work harder.