Jeremiah Attaochu is looking forward.
He's not dwelling on the hateful messages that the Georgia Tech linebacker received on his Twitter and Facebook accounts or to the half-game suspension he received for punching Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas in the helmet. Or to the blow itself, the action that, while out of character, set the situation in motion. Attaochu has learned lessons, about himself and others, and is moving on.
"If it had to happen to anybody, I would have let it happen to me, just so I can learn from it and just grow from it," Attaochu said.
After his first-half benching against Duke, Attaochu may not miss a defensive snap of Saturday's game against Georgia. Arguably Tech's top defender, Attaochu could be a difference-maker in the Jackets' efforts to harness Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and running back Isaiah Crowell.
Said Attaochu, "I'll be ready to perform."
Had he not missed two games to injury and the half because of the suspension, Attaochu might be cementing his candidacy for the All-ACC first team. In nine games, Attaochu has 49 tackles, tied for fourth on the team, and 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team by a half tackle. His five sacks lead the team and are tied for third in the ACC and tied for first among linebackers.
Tech will need him to apply pressure to Murray, the SEC's leader in passing efficiency who the Jackets last year with 271 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 attempts. On Saturday, Tech had a tough time disrupting Duke quarterback Sean Renfree, giving him the time and space to complete 26 of 42 attempts and avoid a sack. Attaochu said Tech spent practice time Monday on the basics to correct errors in its pass rush.
"You've got to beat ‘em with your hands and your feet and technique and just being explosive off the ball," Attaochu said.
Regarding his punch of Thomas, Attaochu said he "acted on raw emotion" when he jumped on his back and was unable to bring him down, which drew a crucial penalty. Attaochu said he learned a lesson about controlling his emotions.
"I guarantee you it's not going to happen again," he said. "That's the most important thing to be gained."
Attaochu apologized to Thomas last week, according to Virginia Tech.
There was considerable backlash against Attaochu, including on his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Attaochu laughed off a question about it, saying he wasn't looking for a sob story but acknowledged that "if you want to write about people saying stuff, you can write a million pages about that."
He said he didn't care about the negative response, but called it eye-opening.
"There's a bunch of crazies out there," he said.
Said linebacker and team captain Steven Sylvester, "Jeremiah's a good kid. He kept his composure better than some other guys would have done."
It was fresh territory for Attaochu, a player heretofore known for his vast potential and athletic ability, relentless effort and team-first attitude.
"I've always been praised and all that stuff," he said. "It was something I definitely had to get used to and just put it in the back and keep marching forward."
Attaochu doesn't feel a burden to make anything up to his teammates. He'll play Saturday's game at Bobby Dodd Stadium with the same urgency to win that he does for every other game.
"It's time to move forward," he said, "because dwelling on the past is stupid."
