Q&A with Tech's Roddy Jones

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On Oct. 24, in a win against Virginia, Georgia Tech A-back Roddy Jones didn't get a carry for the first time in his career.

After the game, coach Paul Johnson said that wasn't predetermined, it just happened that way. There was no message being sent. In an option offense the defense sometimes dictates who gets the ball.

The opposite happened in Saturday's 56-31 win against Vanderbilt, when Jones set season-highs for carries (nine) and yards (80).

And Jones might just be getting warmed up as Tech (8-1, 5-1) prepares to host Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Yellow Jackets need to defeat the Deacons and Duke the following weekend to secure a spot in the ACC championship game in Tampa on Dec. 5.

Jones, a sophomore, rushed for 367 yards in the last three games of the 2008 regular season and finished the season with 690 rushing yards. This season, he has rushed 34 times for 173 yards.

He took a few minutes to talk with the AJC about the wrist he dislocated during the summer, talk that takes place in the huddle, and Tech controlling its route to the ACC title game.

Q: Is there anything particular about this time of the year that sees your yards and carries increase?

A: I don't know. I think it's just coincidence so far. The rest of this year is still to be determined. I hope the trend continues, but the most important thing is that the team wins. As long as the team's been winning like we have been, it doesn't matter who gets the yards.

Q: So, when you're in motion and coming around the corner, quarterback Josh Nesbitt's got the ball and about to make the pitch and you see either a defender coming up to clean your clock or an open field in front of you. Tell me the thought process as you're getting your shoulders square and about to get the ball.

A: As we're coming around, you're looking at the guy that Nesbitt's reading to get a feel for what he's about to do. When he pitches the ball and you get your eyes downfield, it's all about just playing football at that time. You get the ball in your hands, it's all about natural instincts. You try to get your shoulders squared so you can make a move. If it's wide open, you just put your head down and run.

It's an exciting thing. It's definitely an adrenaline rush.

Q: Do you ever go back to the huddle after a guy's been right on top of you and say ‘Josh, don't do that again'?

A: [Laughs]. I'll never tell him not to pitch to me. As a matter of fact, I might tell him to pitch it to me the next time and I'll make the guy miss.

But you know we'll have some discussion about what went wrong and why that guy was there.

But, I'll never tell him don't pitch it again.

Q: Is the wrist almost 100 percent, or 100 percent?

A: It's definitely getting there. I've been doing rehab on it all season. I'm starting to get the strength back. It's starting to feel real good. I'm starting to feel comfortable with it without wearing a splint. So, hopefully I'll be out of it by the end of the season.

Q: How exciting is it for you and the team to know that your destiny is in your hands with two games remaining in the ACC?

A: It's definitely great. We've been working to get to this point all year. We talked about it all summer. We want to have it in our hands so all we have to do is go out and execute every week. You know it's not one of those things you have to wait and see, we just have to go out and do, and we can't say it's anybody else's fault if we don't get it done. We like it that way.