Football - Hear Charlie Weis Talk Tech

Click here to hear Charlie Weis talk Tech........... And from the Hive.........

Football Recruiting - Jackets Land two Top 100 Players

It's official. The Jackets land the #2 RB in the state and a Rivals.com Top 100 player (national) in Jonathan Dwyer. In addition, all services are reporting that Nick Claytor has also verbaled to the Jackets for the clean sweep. Claytor is also a Rivals top100 player and considered the #1 O-Lineman in the state and #10 OT in the nation. Not a bad day for Jacket fans if you ask me.

Welcome aboard gents. GO JACKETS!!!!!

Furmer Bisher Talks Tech / Irish

Just a great history of the Georgia Tech / Notre Dame series, which has been quite interesting over the century.

Football Recruiting - Today's the Big Day

Stay tuned. J.Dwyer should announce about 3:30 and N.Claytor around 7:00pm tonight. In addition, this weekend's game will be a huge recruiting effort, both in football and hoops as well. Hoops visitors include Gani Lawal, Lance Storrs, Al-Farouq Aminu and Mo Miller.

Hoops recruiting

I think we are going to like this kid.

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=240859

Check out the video

For your viewing pleasure.

Football - Recruiting Rankings

Sincere apologies about my MIA status the past few weeks. It has been hectic starting a new job in a brand new industry (going from paper industry to electronics). The learning curve is steep and the time available is way down. I'm not going anywhere but I'll try to keep things interesting as much as possible.

Here's an interesting story about "disappearing" football recruits by Dave Glenn. He makes outstanding points - that recruiting websites do not re-rank teams based on the actual freshman that show up on campus in the fall. When a school like UVA loses 7 players from their incoming recruiting class because they didn't meet minimum NCAA academic standards, how can you possibly rank their class with those 7 players included with any level of legitimacy? You can't. Note that Glenn points out that GT, BC, WF and Duke were the only ACC schools NOT to lose a recruit, and we rarely do. Just one more reason to lighten up about recruiting rankings - particularly team rankings.

It is also interesting to read the comments, where Glenn comments about the AT Barnes situation at GT:

The Tramain Hall-NCSU situation was completely different. Remember the three categories: qualifier, partial qualifier, non-qualifier. Barnes at Georgia Tech and Mullins at UNC are partial qualifiers. At the time of their enrollment, they met specific NCAA criteria (based on GPA, SAT and high school graduation) that has been defined as a partial qualifier. They're enrolling under the exact same rules as partial qualifiers in the past at UNC, NCSU, FSU, Clemson and many other schools.

The bottom line is, the NCAA told Georgia Tech and UNC that the Clearinghouse's reading of transcripts was different than Tech's/UNC's, but that under their readings Barnes and Mullins both are partial qualifiers.

Another Warm Up

Another warm up, this time a Calvin Johnson website.

A Little Warm Up

Just to get your juices flowing - check out this video.

Where are they now - Kyle Perry

Who's that? Well, he was a reserve guard at Georgia Tech under Bobby Cremins. Now he has reunited with Bobby as an assistant coach at College of Charleston...........

Football - No Penalties for the Irish

Surprise, surprise - no penalties for the Irish football player TV stars. Was it going to be any other way?

Nice Commercial

Check out the commercial for Georgia Tech by Chan Gailey.

Football - Patrick Nix

This is a pretty darn good article about Patrick Nix. This on the new offense:

"His job is to take the guys, find out what they're good at and tailor the offense around what he has," said Meacham, currently the tight ends coach at Oklahoma State. "He can scheme it with the best of them, but why try to put a square peg in a round hole?"

Georgia Tech's players trust Nix, too. Quarterback Reggie Ball views Nix as a father figure. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, an All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate, is confident he'll get the ball more with Nix calling the plays.

It's hard for the offensive players to contain their excitement over the changes Nix has made in the offense. Yet they keep the secrets.

"It's one of those I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you type deals," Ball said. "I know what's going on, but you all have to wait until Sept. 2.

"All you have to know is Patrick Nix is the man."

The Good Word - Issue #8

The latest from D-Rad:


The Good Word

Issue No. 8

Aug. 18, 2006

pre>
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics

FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics

The football and volleyball teams are well into their preseason
practice, and student-athletes from all other sports will be arriving
on campus this weekend, with classes beginning on Monday. We're all
very excited for the start of the 2006-07 year, and I know you are,
too. I hope you are able to make it to campus this Saturday for our
Football Fan Day, from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at Bobby Dodd Stadium, and then Volleyball Fan Day at 1 p.m. at O'Keefe Gym.

Rankings

The first Associated Press preseason football poll of 2006 will come
out today, but that's not what I'm talking about. Also released today
are the U.S. News and World Report's annual Undergraduate Rankings, and
as always, Georgia Tech can be very proud. My congratulations to
President Clough and everyone associated with the Institute.

Georgia Tech is consistently ranked among the nation's top 10
public universities, and this year is no exception; in fact, Tech moved
up to No. 8. Tech is also ranked No. 38 among all national
universities.

Tech's College of Engineering is ranked sixth overall,
highlighted by the industrial engineering program, which is again
ranked number one in the nation. Tech's biomedical engineering, civil
engineering and aerospace engineering programs are also ranked among
the top five. The College of Management is ranked 35th among
undergraduate management programs.

Finally, Georgia Tech continues to have some of the most
generous alumni. The percentage of Tech graduates contributing to the
Institute is the highest among any public university in the top 50.

Again, congratulations!

"Yellow Jacket 101"

It is about time for school to begin, and it is time for a bit of education here at The Good Word. Please read Yellow Jacket 101,
a dozen ABCs of BDS enjoyment this fall. If you'd like to make it a
"baker's dozen" or beyond, do not forget to drop me a line.

Football Fan Guide

Please take a few moments to review our Yellow Jacket Football Fan Guide, which includes helpful information on Bobby Dodd
Stadium as well as maps and directions for gameday parking and traffic
flow. There's even a map showing the location of portable toilets
around the stadium and the campus.

As I've mentioned before, we want to do everything we can to
make your Georgia Tech football experience the best that it can
possibly be, and we hope that this information will answer any
questions that you may have and will make your trip to Bobby Dodd Stadium more enjoyable and convenient.

Please keep in mind that all pre-game and post-game traffic flow is determined by the Georgia Tech Police Department.

Again, thank you for your positive response to "The Good Word." We welcome your feedback at goodword@athletics.gatech.edu
While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we
receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your
continued participation in this process. Some of your questions could
become topics for future issues of The Good Word.

I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who
may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage
as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.

I want to personally thank you for your continued support of
Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for
excellence.

Go Jackets!

Where are they now - Stewart Cink

Our old friend Stewart Cink is one of two captain's choices for the US Ryder Cup Team - congrats!!!

Football Recruiting

Scout.com now lists Steven Threet as the #13 overall QB in the nation, one behind UGAg commit Logan Gray. Very nice.................. On another note, J.Dwyer, J.Nesbitt and N.Claytor will all make their college decisions August 31 on ESPN. There is some speculation that Nesbitt might wait.....Stay tuned.......

The Real #1

So the Wall Street Journal does this story last Friday on which colleges really train the best NFL players. Well, at least that's what they said. What they really meant was how well their alumni are doing in the pro's. It did not factor the quality of the athlete coming in from high school versus the quality of the same player in the pro's. In my mind that's not necessarily an indication that they are training them better. If you're getting the best to start with, I would expect you to send more to the league. FSU comes in at #1 by a long way.


Now, if you have not been attracting the best of the best, then the next list you want to show up on is the "underrated" list of programs that has players consistently perform better than their draft position would indicated. Georgia Tech shows up at #9 on that list, which is a testament to the facilities, the strength/conditioning programs, teaching and the quality of individuals coming to school here.

MOST UNDERRATED

Among 250-plus schools that sent alumni to the NFL, these produced players who performed better than their draft level would have predicted..:
SCHOOL DRAFT VALUE
1. East Carolina 66.8
2. Arizona 60.3
3. San Jose State 50.9
4. West Virginia 50.0
5. Colorado State 46.5
6. Baylor 46.1
7. Indiana 44.8
8. So. Mississippi 37.6
9. Georgia Tech 34.2
10. North Carolina 31.2

On a side note, while UGAg finished 3rd on the overall list of schools whose alumni are performing well in the NFL, they also did show up on the "most overrated" list as well, coming in at #8. So while they are sending many players to the NFL, you can loosely draw the conclusion that they should be doing a lot better based on the quality of athletes they are getting in the first place.

MOST OVERRATED

...while alumni of the following schools performed below the level their draft status would have indicated.
SCHOOL DRAFT VALUE
1. Texas Christian 8.2
2. Oregon State 10.7
3. Miami (Fla.) 10.9
4. Oklahoma 12.1
5. Arkansas 14.6
6. Wisconsin 15.4
7. Ohio State 15.6
8. Georgia 15.8
9. Oregon 16.0
10. Utah 16.2

In the ATL on Gameday

Well, if you are a past or present Tech student, or a sports fan in the city of ATL, this review of the hot spots to visit on or around gameday in the ATL is a must-read................... well, most is a must read. I'm sure some of the experiences might be familiar to you........... Thanks to Bryan for the link...........

Hoops Schedule is out

I won't have time to analyze the new hoops schedule, but it is out now...........

2006-07 Georgia Tech Men's Basketball Schedule
All times Eastern, subject to change
November
4	MOREHOUSE/exhibition, 6 p.m.
10	ELON, 8 p.m.
13	JACKSON STATE, 7 p.m.
16	GEORGIA STATE, 8 p.m.
20	Purdue/Maui Invitational (ESPN2), 5 p.m.
21 	Oklahoma or Memphis/Maui Invitational (ESPN or ESPNU), 1:30 or 7 p.m.
22 	Chaminade, DePaul, Kentucky or UCLA/Maui Inv. (ESPN), tba
28	PENN STATE/ACC-Big Ten Challenge (ESPNU), 8 p.m.

December
3	at Miami (FSN), 5:30 p.m.
9	at Vanderbilt (ESPN2), 5 p.m.
18	CENTENARY, 7 p.m.
22	GEORGIA (FSNS, FSN-FL, NESN), 7 p.m.
28	TROY, 2 p.m.
30	ST. FRANCIS, PA, 8 p.m.

January
3	WINSTON-SALEM STATE, 7 p.m.
6	at Clemson (RSN), 4 p.m.
10	DUKE (ESPN), 7 p.m.
13	FLORIDA STATE, 2 p.m.
20	at North Carolina (ESPN), 9 p.m.
24	at Maryland (RLF), 9 p.m.
28	VIRGINIA TECH (FSN), 3:30 p.m.
30	at Wake Forest (RLF), 8 p.m.

February
3	CLEMSON (RLF), 1 p.m.
6	NC STATE (RSN), 7 p.m.
11	Connecticut/at Georgia Dome (CBS), 1 p.m.
13	at Florida State (RLF), 8 p.m.
18	at Duke (CBS), 1 p.m.
21	WAKE FOREST (ESPNU), 7 p.m.
24	at Virginia (ABC), 3:30 p.m.

March
1	NORTH CAROLINA (RLF), 9 p.m.
4	BOSTON COLLEGE (FSN), 3 p.m.
8-11	Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament/Tampa, Fla. (RLF/ESPN)

Home games (in ALL CAPS) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum
TV designations:
RLF - Raycom/Lincoln Financial ACC regional syndication network
  (check local listings for station);
FSN - Fox Sports Net (national);
FSNS - Fox Sports Net South (regional);
RSN - ACC regional cable network including FSN South, Comcast SportsNet,
Sun Sports, FSN Florida and New England Sports Network  

What's Buzzin'

Ok, so the 2nd scrimmage took place Tuesday night and the good news is that the offense looked better...... and the "other" Johnson is ready to step up................. Good to see that the secondary is a pleasant surprise. If that unit steps up then this defense could very well be a top 10, Unfortunately the O-Line is quite a bit dinged up, as both Matt Rhodes and Nate McManus left the field - Matt limping and Nate needing help getting to the sidelines........... add to that a minor ankle injury to M.Wrotto, and all-of-the-sudden the O-Line is cause for a little concern. Oh, did I mention that Jacob Lonowski has a shoulder injury and now Trey Dunmon is out, having left practice "screaming"........... Oh yeah, the D-Line is banged up as well..................... Um, here's something we already know - Philip Wheeler is a freak................. I sure hope Darryl Richard shows his freshman form..................... The schedule is getting SEC heavy, but of course we all know those are the games that have filled up the seats more consistently than others, like it or not................. and no, I do NOT want GT to re-join the SEC. I'm an ACC guy all the way.................. Here's a nice article on all the player nicknames............ Interesting software to predict what decisions 18-year old kids will make............

Hoops - Good Article

Here's a good article on Georgia Tech, with some interesting new quotes from Coach Hewitt, including this on Thaddeus Young staying more than one season:

Many analysts considered Young talented enough to go to the NBA if not for the rule that prohibits players younger than 19 from going straight from high school to the pros. Some college coaches thought that Young would play only one season before leaving for the pros and were wary of recruiting him. Hewitt isn't concerned and said he believes that Young will be at Tech for more than one season.


"I wouldn't call it 'fears;' I think it's part of our game," Hewitt said. "I've always been of the belief that yes, we need to win games and we want to win games, but it's also about kids putting themselves in position to be successful in life and get a good job.


"I can tell you that the people who helped us get Thaddeus, his closest advisors, they don't come into this thing with the idea that it's going to be 'one and done.' The people who are closest to him, his dad and his uncle, have all said, 'Paul, this is going to be a longer stay than shorter.'"

Look Coach, it's great that they're saying those things, but Chris Bosh wasn't going anywhere after one season, and Austin Jackson was never going to play hoops, and Stephon Marbury would never leave after one season, and neither would Dion Glover, etc, etc, etc................ Seems to me that unless you can keep Thad's minutes to under 20 a game, then we should enjoy his freshman season and just be pleasantly surprised if he has more than that.

Football - Interesting Note

Chan Gailey has a history of making good position switches with players and evidently there is another one starting to surface. Evidently David Brown, recruited as a D-Lineman, has switched to the O-Line and is getting reps at the tackle position. In the neighborhood of 260 lb, he's going to have to gain some weight over time. I'm sure we'll hear more in the coming weeks.................


Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately, but life is busy with a new job. Have to take care of the family first. I'll try to keep things interesting.................

What's Buzzin'

Well, I'm typing this from Moneterrey Mexico. My first trip to the 3rd largest city in Mexico. Definitely an upgrade from Mexico City. Interesting for sure. Not much time to blog, but thought I would pass along a few notes......................... The offense got a bit dinged up with CJ, J.Johnson, M.Cox and Kenny Scott on the other side of the ball nursing small injuries. Sounds like there's a chance that Mike Cox might miss the Notre Dame game, but knowing the type kid he is, don't count on it................... SI.com thinks Georgia Tech is one of 16 teams that is a legit contender to win the whole ball of wax this year.....................and of course SI.com had some explaining to do from many fans left out.............. The AJC has a bunch of articles and has done a great job of covering the team. Here are some links:

• Experienced offense absorbs quickly 
• Starting fullback may miss opener 
• Backup Walker still ready to go 
• Jackets keep families involved 
• Marius makes impression; Tongo out 
• Foot healed, Chambers prepares to make strides 
• Tech's Riles recovers from back surgery
  

Another quick update...................Eighteen Tech football players make the ACC Academic Honor Roll!!!!! Outstanding!!!...............Chan Gailey seems pleased with the O-Line so far................ Is Georgia Southern in our future?.............Reuben Houston was released...............
 A Notre Dame sight looks at our opening weekend match-up................. A look at the ACC................. How about the ACC refs and their conditioning?........................ Calvin Johnson is ready for the new offense............. Here's the Fox Sports preview........... Listen to a podcast with former Georgia Tech football player who happens to work at the NCAA as an associate director of education outreach.....................


This guy at ESPN thinks that Tech has the second toughest road to the championship:

2. Georgia Tech: Good thing QB Reggie Ball has experience, because he's going to need it. The Yellow Jackets open with Notre Dame and close at archrival Georgia. In between is a trip to Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, where they will hear "Enter Sandman" about 800 times, along with a trip to Clemson and a visit from Miami. The only break is Tech doesn't have FSU on its schedule.

How about this - Dick Vitale mentions Georgia Tech football:

It's August, and I'm counting the days waiting for the college basketball season to begin. November will be here soon and the tip-off of the 2006-07 season. I know the pigskin is going to be tossed around soon, including Notre Dame against the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech and Calvin Johnson on Sept. 2. The Irish have to watch out as this is not cupcake city.

Here's a nice story on Dawan Landry:

"Landry's just a smart, tough kid," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "We need a depend- able guy back there that can be in a good role. When you step in there with that first 11, you've got to be a special guy. You have to be tough and you have to be smart. Those are two attributes that he has."

Landry helped Georgia Tech rank in the top 25 in the nation in total defense in 2004 and 2005 and developed a reputation as a devastating tackler. Locally, he is perhaps best known for knocking out former Terps quarterback Scott McBrien in a 7-3 Yellow Jackets win in 2003.


"There's no better feeling in the world than that," Landry said of tackling the ball carrier. "Just lay a guy out and look at him and tell him, 'I did that to you.' It feels good."

Tony Hargrove is another Jacket standout in the NFL and here's a good story on his excitement about the Rams defense.


Ok, now this is pretty good - t-shirts that you might be able to buy pretty soon that say "Rudy was offsides" on the front - just in time for the Notre Dame game. From the Hive............


Lastly, a VERY nice comment for all recruits  considering Tech to read - the NFL Baltimore Ravens have both Dawan Landry and PJ Daniels on the roster. You saw the article on Landry above. Check this out., from Ravens head coach Brian Billick:


First - on Landry:

On S Dawan Landry taking reps with the first team:
"[He's] doing well. As I said the other day, it's pleasantly surprising. This is not too big for him and you would think [it would be] for a young rookie. So far so good."

Then, on Daniels:

On RB P.J. Daniels:
"I'm very impressed [with P.J.]. Again, they are doing a great job at Georgia Tech, because he is another one who doesn't seem overwhelmed with what's going on. Yeah he'll make mistakes, but he's got a firm understanding of what we're doing. He's getting better and better. Give [head coach] Chan Gailey a lot of credit for coaching him well down there."

Oh yeah, on a NON-hoops note, here's Rivals.com's latest top 150 hoops players in next year's class. Note that Gani Lawal is the highest ranked ACC commitment (for the moment), coming in at #27, only 2 slots away from "5-star" status. It's also worth noting that Maurice Miller cracked the top 100, coming in at #90. Tyrel Reed comes in at 99 and Jamelle McMillan at #105.

First Practice in Pads is Tuesday :: Jackets continue preseason drills

The bad news further down in the article is that true freshman Osahon Tongo suffered a season ending knee injury in last Saturday's practice. I feel for him. Even though he likely would have been redshirted, it certainly slows down his learning curve and opportunity to contribute. Our prayers are with you OT.


First Practice in Pads is Tuesday :: Jackets continue preseason drills

What's Buzzin'

A few quick hits........................................... Listen to a long press conference with ND's Charlie Weis and his plans -
Charlie Weis video Press Conference - 47 minutes long.............. per a user at the Hive, Weis starts taking questions at the 16 minute mark, and gets heated and starts talking about GT at about the 30 minute mark................................ Here's D-Rad's latest issue of "The Good Word"................... D-Rad is evidently ready for some football.....................Some practice notes..............


Here's the full practice schedule:

PRESEASON PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Subject to Change, Open to the public and media for the first two weeks

Saturday, Aug. 5	9:45 a.m. (shoulder pads)
Monday, Aug. 7	4:30 p.m. (shoulder pads)
Tuesday, Aug. 8	4:30 p.m. (full pads)
Wednesday, Aug. 9	9:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 10	4:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 11	9:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 12	3:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 14	9:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 15	7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 16	4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 17	9:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 18	4:15 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 19	3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 19	Fan Photo Day, 10 a.m. - 12 noon

Philip Wheeler "tackling knowledge"................Evidently TE Wayne Riles is moving up the depth chart this fall and is now finally healthy............ Jahi Word-Daniels is a hard worker............... More team notes from AJC..........


In hoops, the Jackets will face Purdue in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.......................

Steelers' Whisenhunt heir apparent to Cowher?

Great article on our former alum Ken Whisenhunt, who we would all love to coach the Jackets one day in the future:

There are plenty of ways to oversimplify Whisenhunt's impact on the Steelers' organization as constituted, but the one that shrieks for attention is the fact that with this 44-year-old Georgia Tech grad helping to design and calling Cowher's plays, the Steelers are 31-7, including 5-1 in the postseason. (In the five years before Whisenhunt ran the offense, Cowher was 44-35-1 and twice had losing seasons.) The glorious postseason freshest in the memory included a stunning and practically pristine offensive performance through which the Steelers averaged 27 points per game, in large part by converting a staggering 54 percent of their third-down situations, eight of 15 against a flummoxed flock of Seahawks.


You're clearly entitled to any selected postseason moment freeze-framed for the memory, but you'll have a hard time beating Fake Toss 39 X Reverse Pass, the play Whisenhunt spoke into his headset with 8:56 left in Super Bowl XL and the Steelers leading, 14-10. Four players handled the ball on what turned into the only touchdown pass thrown by a wideout (Antwaan Randle El) in the Steelers' Super Bowl history. And wasn't it just the prettiest thing, spiraling most of 43 yards and landing in the dead-sure hands of Hines Ward, who took it deep into the Super Bowl's extensive visual history?


"People don't remember the ones that don't work," Whisenhunt said modestly. "Those kinds of things sometimes work for us because Bill believes in them, and we all have trust in the players to execute them. Those kinds of plays are devised by a great staff, late at night, and a lot of the success we've had is because we've used them in the context of our basic stuff."

Steelers' Whisenhunt heir apparent to Cowher?

Q&A With D-Rad & A New Associate AD

Here's a nice Q&A with Dan Radakovich which touches on how he has learned the history of our fine institution, reaching out to Homer Rice, Bill Curry and Bobby Cremins. Nice touch.




MDJonline.com - Marietta, Georgia

In related news, we now have a new Associate AD, Wayne Hogan, who has a history at FSU. Also sounds like he has a bit of a questionable past, so he must be good at what D-Rad wants him to do (which is basically marketing stuff / PR). Interesting.


What do you think?

AP Wire | 08/04/2006 | Colts announce signings of Tony Hollins, Jammal Lord, other moves

Tony Hollings is back in action again - this time with the Colts...............


AP Wire | 08/04/2006 | Colts announce signings of Tony Hollins, Jammal Lord, other moves

What's Buzzin'

Well, I've been out of pocket for awhile. FYI - my originally planned move to Albany NY is off. I've made a career change and found a job that allows me to stay in good ole Greenville SC. Of course that is nothing but good news as far as a Jacket fan would be concerned. That means road trips to the ATL are back on and life is good.


So, what's happening? Well, as you know, it's day 2 of fall practice. Life is REALLY good. That also means the mags and rags are ramping up their hype machines..................... Here are some articles to whet your appetite:


Reggie Ball doesn't care what you think
Gailey talks about the offense
Players speak to the media Thursday
Jackets continue pre-season drills
Georgia Tech can't wait for Notre Dame
Tech QB / Playcaller Have a lot to prove


Georgia Tech Player Quotes:
#1 Quarterback Reggie Ball#2 Cornerback Kenny Scott#21 Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson#22 Tailback Tashard Choice#35 Linebacker KaMichael Hall#68 Offensive Lineman Mansfield Wrotto#96 Defensive Lineman Joe Anoai


D-Rad and "The Good Word" #6


Hoops - pictures of Alade Aminu's little bro and Gani Lawal

Where are they now - Eric Henderson

Just a great article about Eric Henderson from the Cincy Bengals paper. How about this point that probably not many of you realized:

It was, in fact, Henderson's world-class character that got the club's attention in the first place. Never mind that, as a sophomore at Georgia Tech, he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks and tackles for loss, and that, in spite of missing seven games for various injuries, his career numbers in those categories are virtually identical to those of Mario Williams, who, playing in the same conference as Henderson at North Carolina State, was chosen first overall in the April draft.

Did you know that?

"Eric just came over and we started chatting and he started telling me the story of his life," recalled Hayes, the central points of that story being that Henderson grew up in a rough part of New Orleans and never knew his father, and his mother died when he was 10, and he and his brother and sister went to live with their grandmother and aunt, and the grandmother died when he was a senior in high school and the aunt died when he was a freshman at Georgia Tech, where he smuggled in his brother and had him sleep on the couch in his dorm suite.


"It just amazed me, the fact that he could go through all that turmoil and hardship and still be able to graduate on time (with both a major and minor in business programs) and help out his brother and sister and have the career that he had. I was amazed by the fact that he was even eligible to get into college, let alone Georgia Tech. I thought, talking to this guy, the look in his eye, telling his story . . . I just thought he would be a great guy to add to my room. I said, 'I don't know if this guy can play, but when I get back to the office I'm going to watch this kid on tape.' I was just really taken by his story."

Where are they now - Jason Varitek

Jason's out of commission for 4-6 weeks - knee injury........