The following, a weekly feature of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, allows our reporters to open their notebooks and provide even more information from our local teams that we cover daily. We think you’ll find it informative, insightful and fun.
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett remembers the days when his mother served as a de facto team equipment manager. But as he and his teammates prepare for the 2024 season, he knows the team’s equipment staff is as important as any position group on the field.
OK, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but the team’s veteran leader recognizes and appreciates the work of the equipment staff. Much has been said and written about the team’s joint practices with the Dolphins in Miami before the exhibition opener, but the real work began in Flowery Branch with the packing and moving of most of the locker room to South Florida.
“Without them, it doesn’t roll,” Jarrett said. “From setting up practice, to making sure that everybody has their pads right. They know what everybody needs on a personal basis.”
More from Jarrett on the equipment staff:
- ”They’ve got your back if you forget something. ... They are the people who make all of the necessary steps for the ‘what ifs.’”
- “They have as many team meetings as we do. … They do a lot of the work that people don’t understand that they do behind the scenes.”
- ”As a pro, you can get spoiled sometimes having your pads dry every day. You have to remember that when you were in middle school, Momma had to wash your stuff every day. You only get what helmet they had in the back in youth league.”
- “All of the effort that these guys put into us, they spoil us. Our staff is amazing.”
Jarrett’s standing as team leader and locker-room favorite probably went up a notch or two after such high praise. We will check back and see how many fresh, clean towels are in No. 97′s locker next week.
UGA draws Grand Canyon in return to ‘Hoopsgiving’ Tournament
The Georgia Bulldogs once again signed up for the Holiday Hoopsgiving basketball tournament at State Farm Arena.
This time, Georgia’s opponent will be the Grand Canyon Antelopes, who the Bulldogs will be seeing for the first time Dec. 14. It is part of a tripleheader basketball event at the venue, which will include contests between Auburn versus Ohio State and Florida versus Arizona State. All three Hoopsgiving games will be televised live on ESPN networks.
This will be the second time in three seasons that Georgia has participated in the tournament. Two seasons ago, Georgia defeated Notre Dame 77-62 on Dec. 18, 2022. Braelen Bridges scored 18 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting effort from the floor to lead the Bulldogs against the Fighting Irish. Bridges earned SEC Player of the Week honors following the win.
“Holiday Hoopsgiving continues to grow year after year, and we are thrilled to host another incredible lineup of teams at State Farm Arena for the fifth year anniversary,” said Christopher Williams, CEO of The VII Group, the event organizer.
Tickets will go on sale at a later date. Check HolidayHoopsgiving.com for updates.
Grand Canyon should bring be bringing a good team to Atlanta. A 2024 NCAA Tournament participant, the Antelopes are led by former Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew. They won their first-round game against St. Mary’s in March before losing to Alabama in the Round of 32 to finish with a 30-5 record. Five of Grand Canyon’s top six scorers from that team have returned.
Georgia, in its third season under coach Mike White, adds 5-star signee Asa Newell and eight other newcomers to a squad that includes three returning starters in Silas Demary, Blue Cain and Dylan James. The Bulldogs finished 20-17 last season after losing to Seton Hall in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
Ex-Falcons LB Quinton Bell flourishing with Dolphins
Quinton Bell, who was a 218-pound pass-rushing defensive end in the SWAC at Prairie A&M, is set to start for the Dolphins.
Bell, an outside linebacker, was with the Falcons in 2022 and played in four games. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Raiders in the 2019 draft. He played five games with Tampa Bay in 2020.
Bell, who now weighs 258 pounds, worked with the first-team Dolphins defense against the Falcons, with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips coming back from injuries.
Bell is hoping finally to stick with one team in the NFL.
Former Prairie View A&M defensive line coach Todd Middleton (who currently is at Alabama A&M) is credited with get Bell to move to from wide receiver to defensive end.
“I was taking a nap in my dorm room one day, and he called me and said, ‘Hey man, come in and talk to me,’” Bell said. “He said, ‘I want you to come edge rush,’ and really at the time it was a crazy request. I was a receiver, I was about 215 (pounds), lanky. But he started talking to me about opportunity. He started talking about the NFL, and ultimately, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made to this day, for sure.”
The Dolphins also have offensive linemen Terron Armstead (Arkansas Pine Bluff) and Kion Smith (Fayetteville State) who played at HBCUs. Smith also spent some time with the Falcons in 2021.
“There are only very few of us, but it’s always good when you have a couple guys that come from HBCUs on a team and they talk about the experience,” Bell said. “A lot of people don’t know what it’s like to go to an HBCU and what it’s all about. So, it’s always good to have a couple guys on your team that have similar experiences like that coming out of college.”
The Falcons have four players from HBCU programs – wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (Prairie View A&M), wide receiver Chris Blair (Alcorn State), wide receiver O.J. Hiliare (Alabama State) and cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. (S.C. State).
Tech to deploy a two point-guard lineup
Georgia Tech already had a point guard on its roster going into the 2024-25 season. But coach Damon Stoudamire went and got another one, anyway.
“I’ve always envisioned as a coach of playing two point guards. That’s what my coach did in college,” the second-year Tech coach said. “I’m saying it now, so everybody just get used to it, so it’s not something that’s new. You gotta figure that out as an opposing coach, when you got two dudes that can get downhill, two guys that can make plays and two guys that can make shots, it’s hard to guard.”
Nait George ran the point as a freshman in 2023-24 and averaged more than nine points and more than four assists per game. He made a game-winning shot against No. 3 North Carolina, scored 24 points in a conference tournament loss to Notre Dame and had a season-high 11 assists in a loss to Notre Dame in January.
Now he’ll be in the Tech starting lineup alongside Javian McCollum, a senior who played last season at Oklahoma and two seasons before that at Siena. McCollum averaged 13.3 points and 3.4 assists with the Sooners.
George appeared to be all for Tech’s new-look lineup.
“It’s gonna be a problem,” he said. “(McCullum) is the quickest guy I’ve ever guarded. So it’s gonna be a nightmare for whoever is guarding him every night.”
Tech represented at U.S. Amateur
Three Tech golfers with Tech connections will compete at the U.S. Amateur starting Monday in Chaska, Minnesota.
Current Jackets Hiroshi Tai, the defending individual national champion, and Bartley Forrester along with Tech incoming freshman Albert Hannson (Helsingborg, Sweden) are scheduled to tee off at Hazeltine National Golf Club. The six-day event includes two rounds of stroke play followed by a cut then five rounds of match play, culminating with Sunday’s 36-hole championship match.
The Golf Channel will provide television coverage each day of the tournament.
-Staff writers Chad Bishop, D. Orlando Ledbetter and Chip Towers contributed to this report.
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