TAMPA, Fla. – The resounding mantra from the Yellow Jackets since they found out Dec. 3 they would be playing in Friday’s Gasparilla Bowl is that they were coming to Florida to win the game, not just take a week off in the sun.
That mantra didn’t change when Georgia Tech arrived at its team hotel Monday. But first-year Brent Key said he doesn’t want his team to necessarily be all business, either.
“We want to come down here and have fun, want the kids to reap the rewards of a good season, a successful season,” Key told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But really the fun comes a couple different ways: there’s the fun of being down here with your friends and being down with family and getting to do those things. Then the fun of competing, the fun of preparing to play a game. And then the third one, really, we have to earn - that’s the fun that comes with celebrating on the field after a win.”
Tech had a team meeting Monday afternoon shortly after its entire traveling party had settled in at the Tampa Marriott on Water Street. From there many of the Jackets were afforded the opportunity to spend the rest of the day at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a zoo and theme park.
On Tuesday morning, however, Tech went back into football mode by practicing at Carrollwood Day School, located 30 minutes north of downtown. It was there that the message was reiterated on what’s at stake.
“We’re definitely gonna have fun, no doubt about it. But there’s a clear message through the team, we’re here to win a game more than to have fun,” Tech tight end Dylan Leonard said. “Everybody on the team is behind that so we’re gonna have fun, but we’re here for one mission and one mission only and that’s to win this game.”
Leonard, like most of his Tech teammates, has never played in a bowl game. Running back Dontae Smith and safety Jaylon King are the only players who were on the roster the last time the Jackets made the postseason so they may have some insight on the right way to balance the fun and the focus this week. Tech has a handful of players on the roster who transferred into the program who played in bowl games with other teams.
Key, of course, has been a part of a long list of bowl games both as a Tech offensive lineman and as an assistant coach during his career. He said how his squad handles the buildup to Friday will come down to maturity.
“I’ve seen teams that are in absolute lock-down and go out and do two-a-day practices and get their butts kicked in games,” he said. “It’s really a mindset that you have on your team and with those guys that they can dial in and focus. We’ve got good leadership on the team and I think they’re hungry to come play a game and we made the point of understanding we’re gonna have fun in this, but we’re coming here for really one thing and that’s to win a football game.”
Terrorizing teammates
There are eight roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and self-described “roller coaster guy” Joe Fusile was ready to ride all of them.
The Tech offensive lineman had a cheeky smile on his face Monday when asked about visiting the area’s theme park and zoo.
“I was surprised to learn, actually, a lot of the O-line, most of ‘em haven’t been on a roller coaster,” he said. “I look forward to torturing them with that.”
MacDill visit
Both Tech and UCF spent Tuesday afternoon visiting MacDill Air Force base.
The Jackets arrived first, via bus, to one of five hangars on the base and were first shown a demonstration featuring a military service dog. They then had free range to learn more about the base’s operations by speaking with military personnel at a number of different educational exhibits.
Tech players and staff were also permitted to explore a Black Hawk helicopter, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and other military vehicles, as were the Knights who arrived 15 minutes after the Jackets.
The urge to compete, however, was too much to overcome for both teams. By the end of the 90-minute visit the two squads found themselves in a football throwing competition.
Tech and UCF then joined the military personnel on site for a group photo before the two teams left the base.
Greetings from Godsey
John Godsey has been serving as Tech’s team host since the Jackets arrived in Tampa on Monday.
Godsey is the father of former Tech quarterback George Godsey (and teammate of Key’s). Gary Godsey, also a son of John, is on the Gasparilla Bowl’s board of directors.
About the Author
