Groh goes to work as Tech starts spring practice

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After his first practice as Georgia Tech defensive coordinator had ended, Al Groh was in no mood to tarry. He had practice video to break down.

"We've got 43 more practices in five months," he said. "So this is just the first step down that process."

At the first of its 15 spring practice sessions Monday, Tech's biggest change from its 2009 ACC championship season was Groh and his 3-4 defense. The early focus was communicating defensive calls and terminology.

"It's basically the same thing, but it's called different stuff," said Dominique Reese, who worked at cornerback after playing safety the last two seasons for former coordinator Dave Wommack. "You just have to learn what [Groh] is saying."

Reese and teammates have been learning the scheme and terminology in meetings, and Monday they received their first opportunity to work on it on the field. Reese even used flashcards to prep himself.

"This is a class," Reese said. "People don't know that, but you take notes and you go home and study and read over them. [You] try to read over them in the first 24 hours so you can remember it."

There will be plenty more to learn.

"It's brand-new for all these players," Groh said. "It's brand-new for most of these coaches. … Everybody else will have to catch up and we'll have to have the patience to give them the opportunity to do so."

New homes

Reese has known he would try cornerback since Groh's hire in January. Jerrard Tarrant has moved from cornerback to safety. Reese said he was told that his flexible hips make him especially suited for corner, which was the position he was recruited to play. Likewise, Tarrant was brought in as a safety.

"He was helping me in between plays," Reese said of Tarrant. "He would come over and help me out, tell me to get low in my backpedal. I'd tell him to weave off the [hashmark], stuff like that."

First look

The 11 players who worked with the first-string defensive unit Monday: Jason Peters and Izaan Cross at ends, Logan Walls at nose tackle, Brad Jefferson and Steven Sylvester at inside linebacker, Anthony Barnes and Anthony Egbuniwe at outside linebacker, Mario Butler and Reese at the corners and Mario Edwards and Tarrant at safety.

"I feel like this defense gets to show more athleticism through the players, so I really enjoy it," said Egbuniwe, who played defensive end last season.

AA at the BB

Anthony Allen, after playing A-back last season, was at B-back Monday, a position he'll likely keep with the departure of B-back Jonathan Dwyer for the NFL. Allen practiced some there last spring. Allen received some tips from Dwyer before the latter left to train for the draft, as well as quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who won't take part in spring practice while recovering from an ankle injury.

"There's definitely an adjustment because I'm getting the ball on the inside now, whereas before I was getting the ball on the perimeter and there was a lot of quick reads I had to make," Allen said. "But I played [B-back] when I initially transferred in [from Louisville] so I'm kind of getting back used to it.

Etc.

Coach Paul Johnson had no comment on B-back Daniel Drummond's suspension for at least the first 10 games of the 2010 season for violating NCAA eligibility rules. Drummond practiced on a limited basis Monday. … The quarterbacks worked in at least one passing drill out of the shotgun, a formation that the Jackets have not used in Johnson's first two seasons. … Starting right tackle Austin Barrick missed practice because he was in class.