More from Georgia Tech sophomore defensive end KeShun Freeman following notes from a recent interview posted Wednesday.
Freeman, the sequel
When the incoming freshman class arrived, Freeman said he took notice of defensive end Anree Saint-Amour from North Gwinnett High.
“When he first came in, I was like, Man, that guy kind of reminds me of myself,” Freeman said.
He apparently wasn’t the only one to make the connection. Freeman said that defensive tackle Pat Gamble told him that Saint-Amour was Freeman’s little brother, which has caught on.
Aside from sharing similar appearance, Freeman said, “apparently, we have similar personalities and we act alike, too.”
If Saint-Amour can bear any sort of resemblance to Freeman on the field, where he led Tech in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (9.5) last season as a first-year freshman, that would be something.
“He looks like he has a lot of potential, so we’re going to work with him, so we can get him really good,” Freeman said.
New in '15: Saint-Amour bears similarities with Freeman
Coach in the making
One returnee on the line who has done a lot of that molding work, according to Freeman, is Gamble. Freeman said that Gamble, a junior, has been showing freshmen linemen such as Brentavious Glanton, Kyle Cerge-Henderson, Trent Sellers, Scott Morgan and Saint-Amour the finer points of line play.
“The freshmen that have come in, he’s really been working with them and saying, ‘Hey, instead of stepping this way, how about you step forward?’” Freeman said. “He’s really been taking on a coaching role.”
As a result, Gamble has a new nickname: “Coach P,” which is what defensive line coach Mike Pelton goes by.
Bond rating
Team chemistry and attitude are nebulous qualities and not easily judged, particularly prior to the start of a season. Nevertheless, Freeman gave an affirming report on what he has been sensing with the Jackets thus far. He said he sees teammates hanging out in each other’s dorm rooms and gathering groups to go out to eat. He opined that “our brotherhood is even better than it was last year.”
Freeman said that, on the line, tackles Adam Gotsis and Jabari Hunt-Days have taken on leadership roles with a relatively young group.
“They’ve really been doing a lot to make sure everyone’s head is focused,” Freeman said.
Speaking of chemistry
Freeman changed majors from chemistry to business, but still intends to go to medical school with a goal of becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist. In addition to his business course load, he is planning to load up on science classes to be prepared to take the MCAT going into his senior year. A particular challenge with majoring in chemistry is the number of lab classes that take place during practice hours. He is taking a lab class this summer.
“I know this fall, I’m planning on taking organic chemistry,” he said. “That’s going to be a tough class, but the positive thing is I’m not taking the synthesis lab with it, the lab that goes with the class. You can take it separately, so I’ll be taking it at a separate time.”
Encouraging words
Freeman was able to visit briefly this summer with the man he replaced in the lineup, Jeremiah Attaochu, who was in town in June to visit friends after his offseason workouts with the San Diego Chargers ended.
“It was cool talking with him, because he did some great things in the league,” Freeman said. “So him coming and speaking and saying, ‘Man, you’ve got this. You’ll do some great things this season,” it’s good to always hear that, especially from him.”
