Tarrant relishes chance for 'restart' at Tech

By DOUG ROBERSON

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Perhaps no one was happier to be on the field for Georgia Tech’s first practice on Monday than Jerrard Tarrant.

This time a year ago, Tarrant could only watch his team practice. Tarrant couldn’t wear the jersey or go to team functions after coach Paul Johnson suspended him after Tarrant was arrested for rape in June 2008. The charges were dropped in February of this year and Tarrant was reinstated to the team. He went through spring practices but said he felt a step or two behind.

That’s no longer the case, he said Monday.

“It feels so good to finally know that I’m going to get to play a season,” said Tarrant, a cornerback who was redshirted as a freshman.

Despite not playing a down in two seasons, a lot will be expected of the Carrollton native. One of the team’s biggest weaknesses last season was returning punts, a Tarrant specialty.

“Jerrard’s a good athlete,” Johnson said. “Hopefully he can focus and channel his ability and help us. Certainly athletically he can help us. Hopefully he’ll be a positive for us this fall.”

So there was Tarrant on Monday during what he calls his “restart,” settling under punts from Scott Blair and Chandler Anderson, without feeling the slightest bit nervous.

“It’s like second-nature,” he said. “I take pride in returning punts. A lot of people really don’t want to do it, because of the thought of getting hit. I get a real adrenaline rush out of it.”

Tarrant said he spent last fall not doing too much. He would occasionally come to practice, but didn’t work out very much. He said he had to really push in the spring to get back into shape. He weighs 205, about 5 pounds more than his target weight.

He comes into the season feeling “like an oldhead,” a player who knows a lot but hasn’t been able to do a lot. He said he read the Bible a lot during the past year, Psalms 91-99 specifically. “It helped me to stay positive,” he said.

And he’s trying to teach the younger guys how to carry themselves.

“Just make the right decisions,” he said. “If you have to second-guess it, you probably shouldn’t do it. That’s with anything. Football, school.”

Tarrant looked nimble in the defensive drills on Monday, although he did drop one interception during drills.

“I’m really excited,” Tarrant said. “Glad to feel like I’m back with my family. I feel really comfortable back round the guys and can do something to help my team.”

OLDER, WISER TARRANT

What are three things that Tarrant, now a redshirt sophomore, wishes he knew as a freshman?

1. Be in better shape.

2. Pay more attention to the older guys are telling you when you are redshirting.

3. Go full speed on every down, every drill.