Football - The QB Race Thins

Well, you knew it was eminant. With a gazillion QB's on the roster next season, something had to give - and it did. Jonathan Garner is transferring. Now, while we know that his chance at playing time was limited. He's one of the guys caught in the middle. Only one guy is likely to pick up the mantle from Reggie Ball, and Taylor Bennett has a firm grip on that spot. However, check out what Coach Gailey said about the situation:

"We've got a lot of things to get accomplished in spring practice at that position," Gailey said. "I think he realized that he was going to be in that group that was not going to get as many reps because we knew what he can do. So he wanted to go somewhere else."

How do you feel about those comments? On one hand I agree. There's a lot of new blood to be evaluated. However, is it really fair to Jonathan? To say that he "knew what Garner could do", is to say that JG had not improved in the off-season, and that he wasn't going to get a solid chance to get reps to actually improve his game.


So my question - will the number of reps in the spring be allocated on an inverse proportion basis to their experience in the program? Will Bennett get the fewest reps? Will Threet get the most?


I'm not challenging how Coach Gailey runs spring practice. I trust his judgment. More than anything, I'm just curious how the reps are structured and doled out.


The most interesting nugget out of this for me is that Garner had developed a bit of a reputation as a guy whose game play was superior to his practice reps. Could Garner have been one of those "gamers" that just stepped in and stepped up his game once on the field? We'll never know - unless of course he pulls an Andy Hall and goes and wins a I-AA championship somewhere.


One last bit - remember that Garner was originally committed to Florida with Ron Zook. When Urban Meyer came in he told Garner he didn't really fit the offensive style he was going to put in place - and he ended up at GT.

Where are they now - Calvin Johnson

Well, Calvin Johnson was not going to workout at the Indy NFL combine today. However at the last minute he decided to run the 40. Unfortunately he had to borrow someone else's shoes. He ran twice, recording a 4.4 and a 4.34............ "Sick" is the proper term when it comes to CJ. There is absolutely nobody arguing with the fact that CJ is THE elite player in the draft. It is simply amazing to have a guy like that associated with Georgia Tech. However, CJ wasn't the fastest in his grouping. No. 1 was Yamon Figurs (4.30) of Kansas State, No. 2 was Jason Hill (4.32) of Washington State. Figurs if 5 feet, 11 1/2 and 181 pounds; Hill is 6-1, 208. Johnson is 6-4, 239.......................... On the NFL Network, one of the announcers made the point that Tampa Bay's loss of the coin flip could have been one of the most expensive flips in sports history - potentially causing Calvin to lose upwards of $7MM, since the Bucs were probably going to pick him with the 3rd or the 4th pick anyhow.

Hoops - Jackets Can't Close

Well, another day, another road loss. This one sure hurt since we seemingly had the game in hand. But UVA surged and the Jackets folded their tents in the last couple of minutes and that was all she wrote.

This game was that familiar pattern - the Jackets fall behind early by double digits (in this case 22-6 at one point). Then the Jackets fight their way back. Half the time they win these games and half the time they lose, but never do they win on the road after going down by double digits........... and today didn't change that trend.


To get the true sense of the game flow, best to look at the game flow graph:


You can see the early first half deficit the Cav's built. Then you can see how the Jackets serioiusly upped their defensive intensity and how they actually took a lead to the half. From then on it was basically nip-and-tuck until it appeared that the Jackets were going to win, building a 6 pt lead. Then someone threw the bucket of ice on the Jackets................ Flat-line............. Nobody scored......... Nobody stopped UVA............ and just like that the game was over and the Jackets were trying to figure out what happened:


Even Coach Leitao was dumbfounded:

"For the life of me, I'm not sure just what happened," Virginia head coach Dave Leitao said. "It just happened in a blur."

Coach Hewitt had a little better idea:

"I'm not sure we could fight any harder than we did for about 37 or 38 minutes," Hewitt said. "We just didn't finish the game."

"They looked pretty much dead in the water with three minutes left and summoned the courage to come back," Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt said.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Well, it's really this simple

(As Of February 24)
School	Conf.	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
North Carolina	10-3	.769	24-4	.857
Virginia Tech	10-4	.714	20-8	.714
Virginia	10-4	.714	19-8	.704
Boston College	10-5	.667	19-9	.679
Duke	8-6	.571	21-7	.750
Maryland	7-6	.538	21-7	.750
Georgia Tech	6-8	.429	18-10	.643
Florida State	6-9	.400	18-11	.621
Clemson	5-9	.357	19-9	.679
NC State	4-10	.286	14-13	.519
Wake Forest	4-10	.286	13-14	.481
Miami	4-10	.286	11-17	.393

It's really quite simple. The Jackets MUST win their final two games - a tall order considering it's UNC and BC. But they must get seperation from Clemson and FSU since they both have 9 ACC losses. Win one-of-two and we must do serious damage in the conference tourney. SERIOUS damage.......... and on top of that we need help from the selection committee. Win none and it's light's out my friends - here we come to the "Not Invited Tournament".


HAVE FAITH
I always give the benefit of the doubt to Coach Hewitt teams to finish the season strong. Always remember that the games must be played. Nothing is handed to UNC or BC. They must earn the W just as must as we must. This is VERY do-able. Backs are firmly planted up against walls, but this thing can happen.


GO JACKETS!!!!

Where Are They Now - Mansfield Wrotto

Mansfield getting a pretty good rating (top 4 OG in the draft)...............

4. Mansfield
Wrotto, Georgia Tech. A converted defensive lineman who played tackle as a senior, Wrotto earned All-ACC honors. He lacks ideal height (6-3) but has a strong upper body and solid lower base, which fit in perfectly with a move to guard. He moves well at 310 now and will get better with improved experience and technique.
Wrotto impressed position coaches and scouts with his interviews during the Senior Bowl. If he learns to keep his hands higher and make better use of his upper body strength, he can become a solid pro starter, especially for a team that might not come off the board until the third round.

By the way, Mansfield is at Indy this weekend at the official NFL combine. He was invited, along with KaMichael Hall, Kenny Scott, Calvin Johnson and yes - Reggie Ball - as a receiver. If I see any updates on these guys, I'll pass it along.


By the way, Calvin evidently weighed in as the heaviest receiver at the combine at 239 (based on one list I saw).


Here's the schedule for the weekend:


Friday, February 23: Kickers, punters and long snappers.
Saturday, February 24: Offensive linemen and tight ends.
Sunday, February 25: Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.
Monday, February 27: Defensive linemen and linebackers.
Tuesday, February 28: Defensive backs.


Prospects are broken up into 12 groups according to position. Each group partakes in the following four-day schedule (per ESPN):


Day 1: Registration, X-rays, Cybex testing, orientation and individual team interviews.
Day 2: Urinalysis, height/weight/arm-length/hand-span, Wonderlic test, bench press (max reps at 225 pounds), physical examination, taped video interviews and individual team interviews.
Day 3: NFLPA meeting, psychological testing and individual team interviews.
Day 4: Still photograph, 40-yard dash, agility drills and individual position drills.

Hoops - Jackets Take Care of Deacs

Time to head home Deacs. You may have stolen one from us at your house, but you weren't going to do it in ours. Other than a late 2nd half stretch, it was a "comfortable" Jacket victory tonight, as they took down Wake Forest 75-61........ Since the fine folks at ESPNU carried tonight's game, the vast majority of us couldn't see it. Such is life in the wasteland of cable television.

Some thoughts:

40 MINUTES OF HELL?

Did the Jackets truly play an intense, non-stop 40 minutes of in-your-face ball tonight? From the sounds on the radio, you got the impression that it might have been as close as we've come all season. The Jackets broke out to a 20-6 lead and stretch it to 36-19 late in the 1st half. As is typical in ACC action, Wake made their run, pulled within 3 points, but could do no better. The Jackets finished strong by re-extending their lead and winning by 14 pts.

DEFENSE GETS THE STAR

The Jackets played solid D, particularly in the first half. WF managed to pull up their overall percentages in the 2nd half, but the Jackets force 15 turnovers, 11 coming on steals.

REBOUNDING KEY

Wake missed 28 shots, and Tech grabbed 23 of those misses. Wake only had 7 live-ball offensive boards (2 were dead ball kind). That's a solid effort and one that Coach Hewitt touched on after the game. In his mind, when we prevent opponents from getting OR's it means we are more focused on doing the little things we need to win - like boxing out. It's a statistical sign to him that the mental focus is there.

OFFENSE - PASSING

The Jackets shoot 49% tonight and 35% from 3pt range. Only JC / A-Mo hit 3pt'ers, going 6-12 combined. Everyone else was 0-5. Key was only 11 turnovers and most of those came in the 1st half. A team assist:turnover ration of 1.6 - that's pretty good.

JAVARIS - THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

JC had an all-star game tonight. 22 pts (7-16, 3-6, 5-6), 6 boards (2 off), 9 assists, 3 to's and he played 35 minutes. That my friends is a nice stat line - particularly the dishes. Folks, with JC's last 5-8 games, he has moved himself squarely into consideration for some big ACC honors. It will be virtually impossible to keep him off the All-ACC frosh team, and he's quickly become one of the front-runners for ACC ROY. In addition, if he keeps up this pace, he merits serious consideration for 2nd team All-ACC. You hate to say he's "matured" and past his frosh tendencies. However, life in college hoops these days means you're no longer a frosh at this point in the season.

THADDEUS YOUNG - A MOUSE LIKE EFFORT

By "mouse like" I only mean TY scores 17 tonight and you're like - when did he get 17? He really plays with the flow of the game and quietly racks up the stats. He also threw in 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Very nice effort. If he can continue to play with a high energy - which has not always been there - it really opens things up for a lot of other players on the floor.

JEREMIS SMITH - LUNCH PAIL

7 pts......... 9 boards (4 off).......... No matter who the opponent, you can pretty much count on Jeremis putting up those kind of numbers each night. You know what you're going to get with JS. Probably underappreciated by many.

PT REPORT

Coach Hewitt gives 9 guys 10 or more minutes and Faye gets 3 minutes. Bell and Aminu seem to have solidified their place with hard work and results on the court. Coach Hewitt complimented Alade again tonight on his work with Dickey keeping Visser in check.

COACH "THINKS THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE"

In the ever-challenging world of managing emotions, expectation, energy and momentum, Coach Hewitt seemed to choose his words carefully after the game. He told Wes that before the game he told the team that "he tought they were close". He reiterated those comments after the game and the fact that we have 3 quality opponents left to make our statement. Kind of like Chan Gailey's ever-repeating "we have a chance to be a good football team". Of course, Hewitt's teams generally perform their best at the end of the season, so who am I to question him?

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Folks, the media is out there hyping the ACC, making arguments for getting in 8 and even 9 teams this year. Yes, there will be some things in the ACC's favor - like getting slighted last year. But let me assure you - the ACC will NOT get 9 teams in the big dance. The ACC will not get 8 teams in the dance. My bet is that they won't get 7 teams either. My money is on 6 teams getting in, but what do I know. If it is 6 - then Tech REALLY has some work to do.

Right now UNC, VT, UVA and BC are locks. They're in no matter what they do from here on out. They all have 9 wins................. Duke is sitting at 7-6 with 20 wins on the year. Personally, I think their win over GT gets them in. That's 5................. Next you have Maryland at 6-6 and as I write this is beating FSU handily. Assume they end the night 7-6.............. Next you have Tech at 6-7, (rising), Clemson at 5-7 (and fading), FSU at 5-9 (out).....................

The challenge is that Tech's remaining 3 games are against teams ahead of them in the conference. That means Tech will truly have to show they "got game" to earn they way in. Even then they will have to rely on the selection committee going for 7 ACC teams - a real possibility.

Of course Tech could make the whole exercise moot and just win the ACC tourney. That would be sweet my friends.

GO JACKETS !!!!

Hoops - Must Win Wednesday..........

Tonight's game at home against Wake Forest is absolutely in the 100% must-win category. Make no bones about it - lose and this team is NIT bound. Win.............. and they live to fight another bubble battle.

At this point each game remaining is very very close to "win and advance". Very, very close.

Can they do it. Absolutely. Should they do it? Tonight - absolutely. They should win.

GO JACKETS !!!!

ACC Coaches As South Park Characters

(click to enlarge)

Well, in a link that will of course spread across the 'net, here comes a parody of the ACC Coaches as South Park characters. Pretty good actually. Yes, Ralph Freidgen is the best, but frankly, that one is like shootin' fish in a barrel. Courtesy of the Georgia Sports Blog & KitKitchens blog.

Where are they now - Will Bynum

Well, our boy Will "The Thrill" Bynum is going through some frustrations in Europe. Read about it here. Funny, when he was at Tech he had to bide his time. Remember the frustrations he went through with Coach Hewitt? Remember Coach telling him it would pay off and he would be the go-to guy if he just listened? Well, Hewitt's prognostications turned out to be oh so true as he hit game-winning shot after game-winning shot on our improbable run to the National Championship game in 2004.

Sounds like he's not getting the same "arm around his shoulder" treatment from his current coach. It also sounds like he's become a bit of an outcast with teammates and the media.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Will Bynum has had enough. The guard may have hit 20
points including five triples Sunday night against Ashkelon, but he has come
under fire this season from the press and from his team. Like his critics, he
knows that what really matters at Maccabi is the Euroleague, where the team lost
its opening Top 16 game at home to Tau Vitoria last week, a game Bynum ended
with 0 points in 18 minutes on the court. "I have nothing to prove to anyone,
but I do need more time on the court," Bynum said yesterday as the team prepared
for Thursday's Top 16 match day 2 game at Lotomattica Roma.

"In good teams, good players get to play. In my case that isn't happening
and I have no idea what the reason is."

Well, there's one thing that Will has never lacked - confidence. Here's a guy who's been told all his life he's too small.

"You can ask all the players and coaches. I'm sure they know my real
ability. Maybe some players [at Maccabi] have lost their confidence, but mine
has never been affected. "I'm not pressured by the importance of a game or by
the number of fans in the stands; I have already played in front of 50,000
fans."

Will - stay strong. Do what you can do when they give you the chance. Keep fighting the good fight................. Jacket for life..................

Dickie V Spoof

Over at the UNC board, someone wrote this pretty hilarious spoof of Dickie V's thoughts on the GT/Duke game. Thought I would share:

Dickie here, back with thoughts on Sunday’s action. I thought the Buckeyes looked strong against Minnesota. And it was upset city in the ACC where the Wolfpack dominated the Hokies.

And speaking of the ACC, it looks like order has been restored as the Dukies notched another impressive home win against unranked Georgia Tech. What an awesome performance it was. I think it’s really obvious that Duke has built this turnaround by putting in some extra practice time perfecting the old Duke staples. For example, did you notice their complete domination from the free throw line? We’re talking 28 free throw opportunities to a mere 4 – that’s right 4 – for Georgia Tech. What an M&Mer! How can you not stand in awe at the one-sidedness of that statistic? And it you think that kind of perfection doesn’t matter, you better think again, baby! It accounted for a 15 point advantage in the made free throw department. Hey, it’s not hard to see the significance there when the final margin of victory was only nine. Even I can see that one, and I was a D performer in math!

Then there’s the amazing improvement in the Dukies’ defense. Just think about it for a minute. How many teams in America can hold an opponent to 4 free throws for an entire 40 minutes of PT? How many teams? How many? And did you notice how the Dukies were collecting offensive fouls left and right? We had diaper dandy Lance Thomas collecting three by himself. Did you see how he had the presence of mind to hit the deck on the slightest of player contact? That’s what you call basketball IQ my friends. I think Billy Packer said it best when he noted the Duke players were “feeling contact and flopping to the floor.” I mean they were dropping like bugs after a visit from the Orkin man, baby! What a thing of beauty it was. Yes, my friends, it is flopping like that that makes college basketball the great spectator sport that it is!

I was also impressed by the continued dominant play of Josh McRoberts. What an amazing skywalker he is. And just look at his scoring line. We’re talking 6 points on 2 of 5 shooting! Not to mention four rebounds by a 6’ 10” power forward! And I just can’t say enough about his passing ability. Did you see that second half behind the back pass? Ah baby, what a thing of beauty it was. And it was probably within 10 inches of landing in-bounds, too! That’s the thing about Mr. McRoberts. Even when he turns the rock over, he still just impresses me big-time!

The bottom line is this: In everything this kid does, whether its crying into a towel, cursing after a bricked layup, airmailing a pass into press row, or bouncing the rock off his own foot, he still has that steady composed look of a winner. And that’s why he will follow right in the footsteps of his mentor from last year, the all-time great PTP’er, Mr. JJ Redick. What else would you expect from a program that develops players with such consistency?

And that takes us to the most amazing component of this Duke team. We’re talking the hall of fame coach, the ultimate Rolls Roycer, the maker of miracles, one Michael Krzyzewski. His level of overachievement this year has been flat out unfathomable. Just think about it. He brings his young team of 6 high school All-Americans into the season ranked No. 10 in the polls. He takes them all the way up to No. 5 after a brutal non-conference season. Sure, some Duke haters questioned the quality of opponents like Columbia, Georgia Southern, UNC-G, Kent State, and San Jose State. But the bottom line here is Duke won, frequently big, against all of these teams. Granted, they stumbled a bit after playing a conference schedule that they had no choice but to play. But even this week, Coach K still had his once 5th ranked Dukies in first place in the prestigious poll category of "others receiving votes!" How incredible is that? And you know what it all comes down to? His passion for the game. You can just see it in so many ways. Like the way he slapped hands with each and every one of his players -- even those benchwarmers who never, ever peel off their Johnny Cash all black warm-ups -- to celebrate his own personal record of 700 wins. Yes, my friends, Coach Krzyzewski is excellence unsurpassed. He is the be all and end all, the Alpha and the Omega. He is, in the words of one Tina Turner, simply the best!

So those are my thoughts on another day of incredible hoops action.

Theyyyyyyy're Baaaaaackkk......

Georgia Tech loses today to Duke, on the road, by a final score of 71-62. Am I being too hard on this team by thinking that the "old" squad is back? Probably. It was a valiant but never serious threat to get back in the game and win after falling behind due to a lackluster first half. They never 100% let us believe it was over at the end, but they never really made that key play down the stretch to turn the tide. While there was an overall strong physical effort made by the team, they just plain lacked fundamentals and basically wilted under the very tough Duke pressure. It was not a complete departure, but enough of the "bad Tech" play showed up today to make you wonder where this team really is mentally.

Paul Hewitt said it best:

"If it were a fight, it would have been called in the 1st half" - Paul Hewitt

PLAYING FROM BEHIND
What is it about this team that they play from behind so often. Ok, so it's a road game. So it's Dook. So what. It's just dang hard to win on the road when you're trailing by double digits. Tech never led today...It's also personally frustrating for me............ and that should count for something.

THE BIG FUNDAMENTAL
How do you win with 22 turnovers?
How do you win when your oppoent scores 35 pts off your 22 to's?
How do you win when you only score 10 pts off your opponents 18 to's?
How do you win when you cannot inbound the ball?
When you have to call 2 timeouts because of the inbounding issue?
When your team cannot handle the defensive overplay on the perimeter?
When your PG dribbles about 35 feet from the basket for most of the shot clock?
When your team's lack of communication results in 2 different guys getting leveled from picks at halfcourt?
When your team cannot score with numbers on the break?
When your team cannot rebound a missed free throw by the opponent?

In a word, you don't win......... you lose. More than anything I was just frustrated at the missing fundamentals........ However, before the bash Hewitt crowd starts piping up about how Hewitt teams always have trouble with inbounding, don't forget the last 4 games. It's been there and it came back ok in the 2nd half. Mostly it was a result of focus, concentration and effort.

BABY STEPS
Ok, we lost. We played terrible in the first half. We settled down and played better the rest of the way out. Unfortunately we dug a hole they couldn't get out of against a tough opponent. It happens. It doesn't help that Duke is in game 2 of their patented late season surge. You knew it was coming. There is still plenty of time to make good things happen in the remainder of the season - but make no mistake - there is still work to be done.



GO JACKETS!!!!

Could it be

We can only hope...........

Where are they now - BJ & Luke's Posse

BJ Elder and Luke Schenscher faced off in the NBDL the other night. The results? BJ Elder went off 29 points, including 15 in the 1st quarter. Guess he wanted to show his old mate he still had it.

In addition to that, both will be playing in the NBDL All-Star game. Good show mates.......................

"I was saying before the game that we can't let him get up on us," Schenscher said. "If he gets going, he's pretty much unstoppable."

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

Well, my post below about Dan Radakovich generated a comment from none-other than ............. Mr.Radakovich himself. Well, we cannot be 100% certain, but it certainly smacks of authenticity. If it is in fact the real D-Rad, then we may have the first public comment on the situation.

So here's the comment:

Scott,
Thanks for the great work on the BLOG.
I just wanted to let you know that my family and I are very happy here at Tech. As you know we have a lot of work to do, and my staff and I have jumped in feet first. I hope to be here a long while. I am usually not a "no comment" guy...as evidenced by the "Good Word"... but the writer caught me at a banquet last nite where I could not speak.
Thanks again.
DRad

D-Rad has certainly developed a reputation as a guy who responds and interacts with the fans and donors. This would certainly fit the mold. Having said all that, he didn't say he would NOT go back to LSU either, so no doors have been closed............ and I wouldn't expect him to.


So there you have it - the Blog exclusive from DRad himself.

HE'S GGRRREEEEAAATTTT !!!

Dan Radakovich that is........... Evidently the outgoing AD at LSU still thinks so and has now publicly endorsed D-Rad to take his place when he retires in 2008. So yet another drama unfolds for Tech fans, who certainly hate stability and continuity ........................ yeah right.

"Dan Radakovich is excellent," Bertman said after a reporter brought up Radakovich's name. "Can't miss at Georgia Tech or anywhere else. He's terrific. People like Radakovich would be excellent."

Well, here we go again. That's what happens when you hire talented people........... other people want them too. Having said that, a good number of schools took a pass on giving D-Rad his first AD job............. Georgia Tech was the one to take a chance on him. Will that count for something?

I think Tech fans to a VERY large degree have embraced and accepted that he's the right guy for us............ but are we the right school for him? What he's doing with the ticket program is not popular with a portion of the fanbase, but then what is popular when you are tasked with pulling a budget out of negative territory? He's doing the hard things he was tasked to do.

Evidently D-Rad had no comment for the media when asked. Maybe he should take a page out of the "Chan Gailey" handbook and at least let us know what's going on. On second thought, why would someone do that? He's not trying to keep any recruits from defecting. He can just continue to play his cards - and the fact is when the "search committee" comes-a-calling, D-Rad will take that call. Will he leave? Will he finish what he started? Who the heck knows. My guess is that he'd have a hard time passing up beeing wooed back by his old boss Skip................

Geoff Collins Leaving

In an incredibly disappointing development today, it is being reported that Geoff Collins is leaving Georgia Tech for a similar job at Alabama - as a recruiting coordinator but not as an on-the-field coach. It was no secret that Collins was looking to get on the field as an assistant again, although it's not clear what opportunity he has at Bama. However, he was KEY in helping put together this year's fantastic Tech recruiting class. Absolutely key. Yes, Giff Smith is the ring leader, but Collins was a key contributor to the outstanding class we just signed.


Collins will be working to get Nick Saban's recruiting structure in order and evidently got a pretty nice monetary offer to do so. Make no mistake that he will help that program. The real question is will the Saban the Slimy Weasel actually be around long? Will it pay off for Geoff. Well if not.......... take the money and run..


Sad sad day for the Tech family. I wish him the best personally, but I can't root a whole lot for Bama or Saban.


Dang it................

Where are they now - Calvin Johnson

So Calvin Johnson was in Indianapolis last weekend at an NFL scouting combine. Along with a number of other prospects, he was put through his paces.

The results? How about 4.33 40............. 11 foot standing broad jump................. 43 inch vertical............... What can you say - guess he must have been really under the weather...................... No seriously, those are just plain ridiculous measurables and an NFL even is not going to have a motivation to pump up these numbers. Unreal.

Now this is a pretty dang hilarious thread from a Tampa Bay Bucs site, discussing Calvin Johnson (as they really hope he goes to the Bucs). Some major hilarity ensues, along the lines of the M.Faye legend stuff. Here's a sampling of the creativity:

The reason Jimmy Hoffa is buried under Giants Stadium is because he tried to play defense against CJ.

CJ is the only known living human to survive a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the face.

When CJ makes a quick cut the entire stadium shifts 2 inches.

I heard CJ's tears cure cancer. Unfortunately, he's never cried.

He will when the Bucs draft him. I just hope the medical community is on hand to collect his tears.

Why would CJ put out a fire? Isn't he usually the one burning people?

I hear he is going to replace Barbaro. He was so upset about the horse that he has decided to run his races. Jockey and everything is included.

Motivated by the sad story, Calvin Johnson went on a five yard crossing pattern and somehow managed to catch the Lindbergh baby.

I heard he's Luke's real father.

When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Incredible Hulk. When the Incredible Hulk gets mad, he turns into Calvin Johnson.

Calvin Johnson CAN believe it's not butter.

I heard CJ can eat Kobayashi in one bite.

Calvin Johnson knows exactly where in the world Carmen Sandiego is.

Calvin Johnson is the only person ever to successfully divide by zero.

Calvin Johnson once helped jump start a Hummer using his nipples. The Hummer exploded.

When Calvin Johnson does a push-up, he isn't pushing himself up, he's actually pusing Earth down.

Calvin Johnson can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

Calvin Johnson gave Mona Lisa her smile.

Calvin Johnson has counted to infinity-twice.

Calvin Johnson's hand is the only hand that can beat a royal flush.

Calvin Johnson ordered a Big Mac at Burger King......and got one.

Calvin Johnson can have his cake AND eat it too

For every touchdown Calvin Johnson gets next season, Bill Gates has volunteered to donate $0.32 to foundations to cure cancer. Cancer is expected to be obliterated worldwide by game 3.

Calvin Johnson does not sleep, he waits.

Everyone loves Raymond. Except Calvin Johnson.

They once made a Calvin Johnson toilet paper, but there was a problem-- It wouldn't take mess from anybody.

Only Calvin Johnson can prevent forest fires.

There are now five cup sizes at Starbucks: Short, Tall, Grande, Venti, and Calvin Johnson.

When Calvin Johnson was born, the only person to cry was the doctor. NEVER slap Calvin Johnson.

Pigs line up to be made into footballs in hopes that one day Calvin Johnson will catch them.

Calvin Johnson went to the beach and some kids tried to bury him in the sand. This proved to be a futile effort, however, because nothing can cover Calvin Johnson.

Calvin Johnson is allowed to talk about Fight Club.

Calvin Johnson's incredible greatness has been attributed to the fact that his genetic code doesn't have any A, G, or C. His genetic code is in fact, nothing but TD's.

The last man who made eye contact with Calvin Johnson was Ray Charles

Calvin Johnson doesn't breathe, air just hides in his lungs for protection.

Every time calvin johnson catches a football an angel gets its wings

And for the height of weirdness:

Calvin Johnson was running so fast he went 50 years back in time. There he was taken in by a group of nuns who he spent the night with. The next morning CJ was gone and they were all pregnent. 9 months later they gave birth to the '72 Dolphins.

Shock the Monkey

Wow, after two years of futility in true road games, the Jackets finally shake the streak, downing FSU 63-57. Yes, it took Toney Douglas being out with injury and Al Thornton not 100%. But guess what - I don't care. The Jackets shook off their demons and got the W. A win on the road in the ACC matters. On a night when neither Thaddeus Young nor Anthony Morrow could buy a bucket, the Jackets found a way to win. Well, they found a PG to will them to a win. It was the Javaris Crittenton show tonight. Make no mistake.


Two keys to the game - Defense and Javaris Crittenton. That was the game right there. Another solid defensive effort by the Jackets, particularly in the 2nd half.


GAME FLOW
It was back-and-forth the entire first half. The Jackets eeked out a small 6 pt lead but later lost it and went into the half trailing 35-30. The second half was back-and-forth again, until the Jackets, though tough D, developed a slight 4-8 point margin they were able to hold for much of the remaining half. The key to the run - Al Thornton sitting on the bench with 4 fouls. Interestingly by the 3:22 mark, FSU had only scored 11 pts in the 2nd half, but it was only a slim 4 point margin. The closed the gap to 2 points, but the Jackets were able to hang on for the W through solid ball control, a couple of key shots and solid free throw shooting down the stretch. Wow!


WHO STEPS UP FOR FSU?
Well, Tony Douglas didn't play due to injury. Al Thornton was hurt and the Jackets bottled him up for most of the game (well until the end). They got him into foul trouble early in the 2nd half which put him on the bench until about 6-8 minutes remaining. So who stepped up? Isiah Swann just tore it up in the 1st half, hardly missing a shot. Lucky for the Jackets he cooled off in the 2nd half, but he did end the game with 23 pts................... Thornton, easily the best player in the ACC (yes, better than Hansbrough), still ended with 16 pts, but the Jackets really kept him in check most of the night. With Toney Douglas FSU is a tournament caliber team, but just not quite the same with him out.


JAVARIS STEPPED UP.....AGAIN
I said it before and I'll say it again. This was the Javaris Crittenton show tonight. This was the first game of the season where during each possession last in the 2nd half I found myself mumbling "just get it to JC and let him do something. Get it to JC. Get it to JC.".................. JC ended with 29 pts (10-17, 3-9, 6-7). He had 18 of those points in the 2nd half. He had a key layup and 3pt play late in the game. Not only that he hit 4 key free throws in the final minute to keep the game just out of reach. In addition, I believe he had ZERO turnovers in the 2nd half and as a team I think they only had 3. That's just outstanding.


You know, I always have mixed feelings about a PG that leads the team in scoring. I generally don't like it. But during that recent string of 20+ pts games by JC I rarely found myself saying "what's he doing". I just haven't been frustrated with his shot selection. The guy has really seemed to take the offense as it comes to him. He only had 3 assists and had 3 to's, but he also added 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. In addition, he played much of the 2nd half with 3 fouls, so he did a good job controlling his play.


Here's the thing. JC willed this team to the win tonight. He absolutely refused to let us lose. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. He would not let the team lose. I don't know if he can keep playing like this the rest of the season, but if so - watch out. Just an outstanding job by JC tonight. He was the difference. Last season this game would be a loss. The Jackets would not finish. They would have faded. Tonight they didn't. They held on and made plays. They got the W. And JC with the difference. Did I mention that already?


JEREMIS - 3 POINT THREAT????
Jeremis Smith delivered a dagger tonight. With less than a minute to go and the clock shot running out he gets a wild pass and drains a 3pt shot to put the Jackets up by 7. A key shot in the game as it turned out............. That would be two 3pt shots in the past two games, but only his 3rd on the season. Jeremis had his usual workmanlike game, scoring 10 (4-6, 1-1, 1-2), 7 boards (3 off), 1 assist 2 steals. It was a usual JS night.


Now, what about this 3pt shooting? Hewitt's comment was that with 10 seconds or less on the shot clock our guys generally are told to take the shot if you have it. He had it. He took it. He made it. Jeremis had a rep as a guy in high school that had an outside shot. He's certainly never shown it at Tech. And let's be honest - it's not a great looking stroke. Do I want Smith shooting the ball from behind the arc much? Not really. But if he's going to hit 35% or so of those then tossing one up there every once in awhile might keep the defenses honest.


THAD / A-MO - THE LID WAS CLOSED
Thaddeus Young couldn't buy a bucket tonight. Neither could A-Mo. Between them they were 2-17. By listening to Wes Durham, you would absolutely believe that A-Mo was devoid of confidence in his game tonight. First off, his shooting was off. He was even shaky catching passes. Then he missed a key free throw with less than a minute in the game. However, A-Mo is the type guy that finds a way to do other things when the shot isn't falling - like rebounding, scrapping inside, etc. He did hit two to ice it with 12 seconds to go. He did grab 7 boarsd (4 off). as well. Let's hope A-Mo gets the mental side of his game right - because make no mistake - A-Mo is the most deadly shooter on this team................. period.


Here's the beautiful thing about TY/AMo going 2-17................ we still won. On a night when those 2 guys were terrible offensively we still won in the ACC on the road. Coach Hewitt said that it should send a key message to ALL the guys on the team - that defense and rebounding DO win games.


A FOUL GAME
There were 44 fouls called in the game tonight. Not complaining. Just saying. Tonight the refs decided not to let these guys play.


HEWITT COMMENTS
Said Javaris has a tremendous will to win - he saw it in high school and we've seen it this season. There is a rumor out there that he cheated him mom in UNO to win when he was 8 years old................. Said a key tonight was FSU's offensive rebounding. They only had 7 offensive boards (+2 dead ball boards), and the Jackets missed a total of 31 shots, so there were opportunities. He was pleased with the rebounding effort.........................Bottom-line is that you just want to be in the ball game the last 4 minutes - that's all you can ask on the road in the ACC................. The team will have the day off Wed to get back to class, then they're back to work thurs.................


WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The Jackets have played themselves squarely back into the bubble. No, they're not in the dance yet. There's still plenty of work to be done. But they're back in the national conversation again. The Jackets have as many marque wins on their resume as anyone in the country. That is not lip service - it is real. But they need to be as close to .500 in the ACC as possible. They could use another road victory and they need to protect home court.


All they have done is played themselves into an opportunity to play again for a chance for something bigger. Confused? Don't be. Build on this win like they did on each game during this win streak. The prize is visible again, but it's still out of reach. Stay hungry and humble guys.


GO JACKETS !!!!!

Where are they now - Jarrett Jack

So how's our boy Jarrett Jack doing these days? Not bad actually. However, he has developed an interesting relationship with his head coach Nate McMillan. Basically it's a "I'm going to be hard on you because you have so much potential" type of relationship.

As evidenced by this article, there is no doubt he's taking the challenges from his coach well, and as of course WE knew all along that Jack was going to be an eventual star and staple of this league.

"He said what he said and knew he could challenge me in front of the team, and I would take it man-to-man and move forward."

Or more succinctly, Jack took the message and applied it during the second half. He scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter to help erase 10 points off a 12-point deficit. The Blazers went on to win, with many of the players crediting Jack for how he responded to the criticism.

"Hey, I'm just playing basketball," Jack said afterward, trying to downplay McMillan's criticism. "If you grew up in any type of neighborhood, you had older dudes come at you the same way."

The Memphis game seems an example that McMillan's approach is working.

"I have been hard on him, really hard on him," McMillan said. "But he has responded each time, and I like that. I can get on him, and he doesn't take it personally. He doesn't go into his shell. It's almost like he says 'OK, I'll prove it to you.' "

However, the relationship seems deeper than just "being hard" on him:

The two spent hours in McMillan's hotel room in New Jersey going over the team's offense, the first time a player has done that in McMillan's coaching career. When McMillan needed a player to lean on in Toronto when the team was without leading scorer Zach Randolph, he turned to Jack. More than once, McMillan has counseled Jack after spotting him sitting alone and with his head down in the locker room after a poor performance.

Look, the bottom-line is this - Jarrett Jack is a winner and a leader. He wants to win, and he'll do what it takes...............................

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By the way, a new feature of the site is "labels". Each post will have labels so that you can "filter" on those labels and just see that stuff. For example this one will have labels for "Hoops" and "WATN" (which stands for Where Are They Now).

Blog Stuff

In the next few days you may see some bizarre stuff as to the format of the blog. I'm going to try some things and it could result in things really getting screwed up. Be patient and I'll try to keep the pain to a minimum. Thanks

Hoops - Jackets Muzzle Huskies

The Jackets win in what I can only describe as a game with a strange auro about it. Maybe it was the Ga Dome atmosphere. Maybe it was the lazy Sunday afternoon, after church kind of malaise I was feeling. Maybe it was the unexpected poor play of UConn. Whatever the reason, it was just a game that felt like it was over early in the 2nd half and yet I found myself saying - there are still 14 minutes left in this thing?


The key stat of all was the score - Jackets 65, UConn 52. The Jackets went up mid-way through the 2nd half and just never lost the lead after that. They even pushed the lead to 20+ points in the 2nd half, and then just seemed to coast across the finish line.


Unfortunately I don't have the game stats as Gametracker stopped and I've got to leave in about 10 minutes, but I'll offer my thoughts.


DEFENSE
The Jackets were again active today, with hands up, and created about 8 steals and forced a lot of turnovers from UConn. Uconn shot 31% from the field, and honestly they just don't look like a good shooting team. However, I would have to give the thumbs up for a good effort today.


REBOUNDING
UConn in the best rebounding team in the Big East and 2nd in the nation - and yet the Jackets held their own on the glass., outrebounding them 35-34. Of course UConn missed a lot more shots, but you could see the effort.


OFFENSE
Solid effort by the team. Solid ball movement. However, this was another team that didn't put heavy pressure on the guards out front. When they don't do that, it seems to open up our team movement. Also have to give kudo's to D-Bell. He stepped up when we were struggling and hit a couple of really good shots. Scoring was spread around pretty well today. Young had about 15 and JC about 13.


BENCH KEY AGAIN
The bench played a key role again, with all but Faye getting double digit minutes and accounting for a bunch of points. Bell was key, Aminu was key, Rio was key. Peacock was key. Nice going by the bench, and it certainly gives Coach Hewitt options. While we had some guys in foul trouble today, it's not a big concern when your bench is that deep.....


CRITICAL WIN
No matter how we won, this victory will be critical to our NCAA chances. An out-of-conference, "neutral" floor, win against a high-profile opponent. UConn may not be what they once were, but this victory comes against a team with a similar record and position in their conference. That can help come bubble time. Today's win was a must for an NCAA bid ...................... period.


KEEPING THE MO'
I'll say it again.............. today only matters if you do something with it. Build on it like we've done 3 games in a row. Now we need that true road win. It's a must, and it's going to have to come against an FSU team playing much better ball than the last time we played at home.


GO JACKETS !!!!

Beesball - Jacksets Lose Opener

Jackets lose the season opener to Ga Southern 11-4.

Meet Your New OC / QB Coach - Are U Shaken, Not Stirred?

John Bond

Position:Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Experience:3rd Year
Alma Mater:Arkansas, 1985


This Bond--as in Northern Illinois University offensive coordinator John Bond--prefers to stir things just right and leave the opposition shaken.


In his first year with the Huskies he steered the One-Back attack to single-season school records in points (421), touchdowns (53), first downs (261), and total offense yards (5,265). The 43-year-old Bond boasts 22 seasons of experience, starting with two years as a student coach (1983-84) and a year as a graduate assistant (1985) under Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield at the University of Arkansas.


Bond arrived in DeKalb from Army after the final four seasons of an eight-year partnership wih Todd Berry. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Army (2000-2003), the same dual capacity he held at Illinois State University (1996-99). In between, Bond served as runningbacks coach under Jesse Branch at Southwest Missouri State University (1986-90), three months in the same capacity for Jim Strong at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1991), QB coach for David Lee at the University of Texas-El Paso (1991-93), and QB boss plus passing coordinator for Todd Knight at Delta (MS) State University (1994-95).
Bond's high-octane Redbird attack set or tied 50 school or conference records in three years as offensive coordinator. Illinois State reached the NCAA 1-AA playoffs twice (1998-99) and won the Gateway Athletic Conference title (1999). In 1999, he was a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Bond coached ISU All-America QB Kevin Glenn (1998) and all-league WR and current NIU receivers boss Marquis Mosely (1997).
At West Point, Bond installed a One-Back system that set 35 school records. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Mike Campbell Top Assistant Coach Award by the All-America Football Foundation. At Southwest Missouri State, he tutored the runningbacks on back-to-back Gateway Conference champs and 1-AA playoff entries (1989-90). A former Razorback QB, Bond was a member of the 8-4-0 Gator Bowl team under Holtz (1981), suffered a career-ending injury, and then served as a student coach on the 7-4-1 Liberty Bowl (1984) unit and grad aide on the 10-2-0 Holiday Bowl (1985) elevens for Hatfield.


As a prep at Rogers (AR) High School, Bond was a two-sport man, lettering in football (3) and track (2). An All-State quarterback as a senior, he played for his father, Gary "Blackie" Bond, who coached for 32 years and was enshrined into the state's high school federation Hall of Fame. In 2003, Bond was inducted into the RHS Hall of Fame.


He received a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Arkansas in 1985. Bond is married to the former Jennifer Wilder of Bloomington, IL. The couple has two daughters, Mackenzie Rae, 3, and Mallory Grace, 1.

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You know, the more I thought about the possibility of Dan Reeves or Larry Coker, the more I dismissed it after this quote from Chan Gailey the other day:

Don't look for a dramatic change in the Yellow Jackets' offensive system. Continuity will help the team build on what it accomplished last fall and make the best use of the personnel on hand, Gailey said.

"That person has to have the understanding, here's where we are," Gailey said.

You're not going to bring in a guy like Dan Reeves or Larry Coker and make a comment like that prior to their arrival. It would basically disrespect their own accomplishments at the highest levels.


Having said this, it appears that 007 (J.Bond) is a good hire - at least on the surface. Some notes:

- Coached the nation's leading rusher last season in Garrett Wolfe
- Wolfe was 2nd in the nation in rushing in 05 and 5th in 04 as a soph.
- His N.Illinois team in 2004 was a top 20 offense (rushing, scoring, total o)
- At Army he set over 35 school records with a wide open offense
- Having said that, Army was 7-51 while he was there. Of course he didn't coach the D
- Worked for Ken Hatfield and Lou Holtz (but we won't hold it against him)
- Has been a recruiting coordinator
- Has been a QB coach
- Was an all-state QB himself
- His father was a coach for many years and a state hall-of-fame coaching member
- He appears to be able to adapt an offense to the talent of the players
- He has developed single back running attacks as well as wide open passing attacks
- Has had 24 years of coaching experience, but none at a "major" college
- Interestinly, Miami U interviewed him but chose our own P.Nix instead.
- Is 44 years old, so a "young" up-and-comer maybe?
- From the Hive, he has coached against Ohio St, Iowa, Mich, Maryland, Iowa St and N.Wester and averaged over 23 points against them combined.


Now, any coach that has a job will face criticism, and he's faced some of his own last season:

In Bond's second year, the Huskies netted a school-record 5,329 yards and scored 52 touchdowns.

However, the Huskies fell short of expectations in 2006. Northern Illinois, picked to win the MAC Championship by the conference media, ended the season with a disappointing 37-7 loss to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. The Huskies ended with a 7-6 mark after starting the season with a promising 3-1 start.

Bond received plenty of criticism for his play-calling late in the season. Wolfe led the country in rushing, but the Huskies weren't able to capitalize on Wolfe's talents.

The Huskies amassed just 60 yards against TCU's highly-ranked defense on Dec. 19. Even with Wolfe dominating NIU's offensive totals - registering 90 percent of its rushing yards, 46 percent of the total yards and 52.7 percent of the touchdowns - the Huskies lacked firepower and weren't able to combat opponents stacking the box.

In addition, fans of NIU over on their boards were generally frustrated and don't seem upset to lose him (much like a decent portion of our fan base with Nix).

So you can't win 'em all I guess.............. However, I have to say that this seems like a solid hire. Of course the proof will be "in the pudding" as they say, so we'll see what happens during the spring for starters. Early word is that the offensive players are pretty happy with the choice.

So welcome aboard Mr.Bond. With the Tenuta D and another 5 points a game from your new offense, we will dominate the ACC my man!!!!

Football - Meet the New Jackets

Some bio's from RamblinWreck.com

Morgan Burnett Hometown: College Park, Ga. High School: North Clayton Height / Weight: 6-1 / 182 Position: Safety Birthdate: 01/13/1989

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-star prospect by Rivals, which tabbed him to its national Top 100 (No. 84) . . . Also named to the ESPN 150 and the PrepStar 100 . . . Rated the No. 6 player in Georgia and No. 7 safety in the nation by Rivals . . . The No. 5 prospect in Georgia by SuperPrep, which also rated him the No. 15 defensive back in the nation . . . Ranked No. 16 in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Class AAAA first-team all-state as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state recognition at quarterback as a sophomore . . . Preseason Super 11 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which also put him on its Top 50 in Georgia . . . Also on the Georgia Top 50 list compiled by the Macon Telegraph . . . The No. 21 player on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and a member of the Orlando Sentinel's All-Southern team . . . Four-year starter and three-year team captain for coach Don Shockley at North Clayton High . . . Defensive Player of the Year for Clayton/Henry Counties . . .

PERSONAL: Full name is Morgan Mark Burnett . . . Born January 13, 1989 . . . Parents are Cap and Ellary Burnett.

Mario Butler Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. High School: Nease Height / Weight: 6-2 / 180 Position: Cornerback

HIGH SCHOOL:Rated the No. 62 prospect in Florida by Scout.com . . . Also among the Florida Top 100 by Rivals (No. 76) and SuperPrep (No. 73) . . . Ranked No. 34 nationally among cornerbacks by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100 in Florida . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Named to the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . Coached by Craig Howard at Nease High School . . . Helped his team reach the Class 4-A state title game . . .

Nick Claytor Hometown: Gainesville, Ga. High School: Gainesville Height / Weight: 6-6 / 312 Position: Tackle

HIGH SCHOOL: The top offensive line prospect in the state of Georgia, and one of the best in the nation, according to Rivals and Scout.com . . . Rated the No. 5 overall prospect in Georgia by Rivals, and No. 6 by Scout.com . . . Ranked the nation's No. 15 offensive tackle by Scout.com and the No. 19 by Rivals . . . Named to the PrepStar 100 and the Rivals 250 . . . Tabbed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super Southern 100 . . . Also named to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . First-team all-state selection (Class AAA) . . . All-area by the Gainesville Times . . . Selected to play in the Georgia North-South All-Star Game . . . Coached by Bruce Miller at Gainesville High . . . Graded 94 percent for his senior season with 25 pancake blocks.

D.J. Donley Hometown: Folkston, Ga. High School: Charlton County Height / Weight: 6-4 / 218 Position: Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 7 prospect in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Rated the No. 20 prospect in the state by Rivals and No. 31 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals . . . Recruited as a wide receiver but is a two-way standout who is rated the No. 14 safety in the nation by Scout.com . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, as well as the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . Also tabbed to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . First-team all-state selection for prep powerhouse Charlton County, which he helped to three straight Class AA state championships . . . Coached by Rich McWhorter . . . Had six catches for 172 yards in 2005 Class AA title game . . . Caught 88 passes for 1,490 yards and 15 touchdowns during his career . . . Also had four interceptions and three fumble recoveries on defense.

Jonathan Dwyer Hometown: Marietta, Ga. High School: Kell Height / Weight: 6-0 / 197 Position: Running Back

HIGH SCHOOL: One of the nation's top running backs . . . Parade All-America, one of just two selected from the state of Georgia . . . Rated among the top prospects in Georgia in every ranking, including No. 5 by Scout.com and No. 8 by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Scout.com national Hot 100, the PrepStar 100 and the Rivals 250 . . . Ranked No. 10 nationally among running backs by Rivals and No. 14 by SuperPrep . . . Super Southern 100 pick by the Atlanta Journal Consitution and Top 50 in Georgia honoree by the Macon Telegraph . . . Also tabbed to the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 and the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . First-team all-state selection and the Class AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year by the AJC . . . Honorable mention all-state selection as a junior . . . Rushed for 1,802 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior, when he had five games with over 200 yards, including a career-best 307 versus Centennial . . . Also had 23 receptions for 220 yards and three touchdowns . . . Scored a total of 25 touchdowns including a 99-yard kickoff return for a score . . . Added 1,863 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns as a junior, when he also had 22 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns . . . Set Cobb County records with 5,565 career rushing yards and 71 touchdowns scored . . . Finished second in the state in the Class AAAAA 100 meters as a junior . . . Coached by Irvin Sigler at Kell High.

Joseph Gilbert Hometown: Cartersville, Ga. High School: Cartersville Height / Weight: 6-4 / 280 Position: Offensive Line

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 46 prospect in Georgia by Scout.com . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top 50 in Georgia . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Honorable mention all-state selection (Class AAA) . . . Two-time all-Bartow County . . . Played in the Georgia North-South All-Star game . . . Graded out at 90 percent for his senior season with 36 pancake blocks and no sacks allowed . . . Credited with 67 pancake blocks in his career . . . Coached by Frank Barden at Cartersville High.

Kyle Jackson Hometown: McDonough High School: Union Grove Height / Weight: 6-0 / 225 Position: Linebacker Birthdate: 03/08/1989

HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 50 in Georgia . . . Rated the No. 40 prospect in the state by Rivals and No. 41 by Scout.com . . . Also a Top 50 in Georgia pick by the Macon Telegraph . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Honorable mention all-state selection in Class AAAAA . . . Two-time all-region and all-area . . . . Coached by Mike McDonald at Union Grove High . . . Made 91 tackles in 10 games as a senior, with five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal . . . Added 110 tackles as a junior with 28 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 12 pressures, two interceptions, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and a blocked punt . . .

PERSONAL: Full name is Kyle Ryan Jackson . . . Parents are Beverly and Ray Jackson . . . Born March 8, 1989

Brad Jefferson Hometown: Wrightsville, Ga. High School: Johnson County Height / Weight: 6-2 / 215 Position: Linebacker

HIGH SCHOOL: The nation's No. 19 middle linebacker, according to Rivals, and No. 12 weak-side linebacker by Scout.com . . . Ranked among the Top 30 prospects in Georgia by Rivals (No. 26), Scout.com (No. 26) and SuperPrep (No. 22) . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 50 in Georgia, as well as the Macon Telegraph Georgia Top 50 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . First-team all-state honoree in Class A as a senior and an honorable mention selection as a junior . . . Had 78 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior at Johnson County High . . . Caused four fumbles and recovered five, including one for a touchdown . . . Also blocked a punt for a touchdown . . . On offense he had 32 rushing attempts for 196 yards and one touchdown, and 12 receptions for 235 yards and two scores, plus three two-point conversions . . . Coached by Bill Bonds at Johnson County High.

Roddy Jones Hometown: Chamblee, Ga. High School: Chamblee Height / Weight: 5-9 / 184 Position: Running Back

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated as high as No. 19 in Georgia SuperPrep, as well as No. 28 by Scout.com and No. 34 by Rivals . . . Scout.com ranks him No. 36 in the nation among all running backs, while Rivals puts him at No. 39 . . . Tabbed to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 50 in Georgia . . . Also a Top 50 in Georgia selection by the Macon Telegraph . . . Named to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team . . . First-team all-state pick in Class AAA as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore and junior in Class AAAA . . . Most Valuable Player in the Georgia North-South All-Star game, played in December in Columbus . . . The all-time leading rusher in DeKalb County with 5,055 yards and 76 touchdowns . . . Led the county this season with 1,776 yards rushing (177.6 per game) and 33 touchdowns; his total was second in Metro Atlanta only to fellow Tech signee Jonathan Dwyer . . . Added 1,654 yards (150.4 pg) and 24 touchdowns as a junior, 1,369 yards with 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 256 yards and three scores as a freshman . . . Three-time, first-team all-DeKalb County . . . Coached by Brent Miller at Chamblee High . . . Also a three-year letterwiner as a centerfielder in baseball, earning honorable mention all-county honors last spring.

Tyler Melton Hometown: Houston, Texas High School: Langham Creek Height / Weight: 6-0 / 182 Position: Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Area Top 100 by the Houston Chronicle. . . . Two-time all-districtr selection . . . Second-team all-state as a junior . . . Had 46 receptions for 518 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior . . . That followed a junior season in which he caugth 70 passes for 976 yards and 15 touchdowns . . . Team MVP for coach Mac Woodfin at Langham Creek High.

Derrick Morgan Class: Freshman Hometown: Coatesville, Pa. High School: Coatesville Height / Weight: 6-4 / 272 Position: Defensive End

AT TECH:Member of 2007 recruiting class who graduated from high school in December and is enrolled this spring . . . Will participate in spring practice.

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania, according to Rivals and SuperPrep . . . SuperPrep Northeast Defensive Player of the Year . . . Member of the Rivals 100 as the No. 76 overall player in the nation . . . Ranked the No. 6 strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals and the No. 12 defensive end nationally by Scout.com . . . First-team all-state selection at Coatesville High . . . Defensive Player of the Year in his league . . . Collected seven sacks, six tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries while making 47 tackles . . . Also played running back on offense . . . . Carried 112 times for 523 yards and scored eight touchdowns . . . Team captain for coach Tom Nichols at Coatesville High.

Josh Nesbitt Hometown: Greensboro, Ga. High School: Greene County Height / Weight: 6-1 / 204 Position: Quarterback

HIGH SCHOOL: The top quarterback the state of Georgia and one of the best in the nation . . . Dual-threat quarterback with tremendous athletic ability . . . Tabbed to the Scout. com national Hot 100 (No. 76) and the Rivals 250 . . . The No. 4 prospect in Georgia according to Scout.com . . . Also rated No. 14 in Georgia by Rivals . . . The No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals and the No. 12 quarterback by Scout.com . . . Two-time, first-team all-state selection and the Class AA Offensive Player of the Year as a junior . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and preseason Super 11 team . . . Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia . . . Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . As a senior at Greene County High, he passed for 2,256 yards and 32 touchdowns with just four interceptions . . . Completed 134-of-222 passes . . . Also rushed for 493 yards on just 93 carries and scored eight touchdowns . . . As a junior he passed for 2,833 yards with 31 TD and nine interceptions, while rushing for 1,252 yards and 22 scores . . . Also had four inteceptions in two seasons on defense . . . Coached by Larry Milliga

Jason Peters Hometown: Baton Rouge High School: Catholic Height / Weight: 6-4 / 270 Position: Defensive End

HIGH SCHOOL: Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in Louisiana . . . Defensive end who is rated the No. 10 prospect in the state by Scout.com and No. 12 by Rivals . . . Ranked No. 13 in the nation among strong-side defensive ends by Rivals . . . Rated No. 28 nationally among all defensive ends by Scout.com . . . Member of the Rivals 250 . . . First team all-state selection in Class 5-A by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association . . . Also selected Defensive MVP for District 3-5A . . . Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen . . . Named to the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 . . . Helped Baton Rouge Catholic reach the state semifinals the last two years . . . Had 14 tackles for loss as a senior, plus an interception and two fumble recoveries . . . Team captain for coach Dale Wiener . . . Academic all-state selection.

Michael Peterson Hometown: Tampa, Fla. High School: Jesuit Height / Weight: 5-11 / 190 Position: Cornerback Birthdate: 10/30/1988

HIGH SCHOOL: The No. 87 prospect in Florida by Rivals . . . Also rated among the nation's Top 40 cornerbacks by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the St. Petersburg Times Top 25 Bay Area . . . Selected for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game and the Hillsborough County All-Star Game . . . Second-team all-Hillsborough County . . . Had 71 tackles as a senior with two interceptions, 11 pass breakups, three fumbles caused and one fumble recovery . . . Also scored six touchdowns on offense . . . Comes from the same Tampa Jesuit program that produced current Yellow Jackets A.J. Smith and Andrew Smith as well as former Tech standouts George Godsey and Will Glover . . . Four-year letterman for coach Joe Ross.

PERSONAL: Full name is Michael Allen Peterson . . . Born October 30, 1988

Albert Rocker Hometown: New Market, Ala. High School: Sparkman Height / Weight: 6-1 / 205 Position: Linebacker

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 8 prospect in Alabama by SuperPrep and No. 11 by Scout.com . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . All-Metro and all-region selection as well as a second-team all-state honoree . . . Collected 14 quarterback sacks as a senior . . . Also had 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups . . . Team captain for coach Roger Haynes at Sparkman High.

Jerrard Tarrant Hometown: Carrollton High School: Carrollton Height / Weight: 6-0 / 187 Position: Safety

HIGH SCHOOL: First-team all-state honoree in Class AAA at both defensive back and return specialist . . . Rated the No. 43 prospect in Georgia by Rivals and No. 47 by Scout.com . . . Top 50 in Georgia selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon Telegraph . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Coached by Rayvan Teague at Carrollton High . . . Had 53 tackles, six interceptions and 12 pass breakups as a senior . . . Also played wide receiver (34 catches, 569 yards, four touchdowns) and returned punts and kickoffs.

Steven Threet Class: Freshman Hometown: Adrian, Mich. High School: Adrian Height / Weight: 6-5 / 230 Position: Quarterback

AT TECH: Highly-regarded quarterback and member of 2007 signing class who enrolled at Tech this semester and will participate in spring practice . . . Has excellent size and a strong arm.

HIGH SCHOOL: All-state quarterback at Adrian (Mich.) High School . . . Rated the No. 9 quarterback in the nation by Rivals and No. 12 by Scout.com . . . Also rated the No. 12 prospect in Michigan by by both Rivals and Scout.com . . . The No. 44 prospect in the Midwest by SuperPrep . . . Member of the Rivals 250 . . . Passed for 4,824 yards and 49 touchdowns as senior, completing 356 of 638 passess . . . Had 1,896 yards passing with 20 touchdowns as a junior . . . Added 1,528 yards and 19 TD as a sophomore, and 1,400 and 10 TD as a freshman . . . 2006 first-team all-state quarterback for Division II by the Detroit News as well as an honorable mention all-state selection by the Detroit Free Press and Associated Press . . First-team all league and all-Lenawee County three straight years (2004-05-06) . . . Coached by Phil Jacobs.

Logan Walls Hometown: Dawsonville, Ga. High School: Dawson County Height / Weight: 6-2 / 280 Position: Defensive Tackle

HIGH SCHOOL: Defensive line prospect who is rated among the Top 30 players in Georgia by Rivals (No. 22) and SuperPrep (No. 29) . . . Ranked the No. 30 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals . . . Tabbed to the Top 50 in Georgia by both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon Telegraph . . . Honorable mention all-state selection in Class AA . . . PrepStar all-region . . . Coached by Jeff Lee at Dawson County High.

Willie White Hometown: Kingsland, Ga. High School: Camden County Height / Weight: 6-3 / 183 Position: Wide Receiver

HIGH SCHOOL:Two-way standout who is rated as high as No. 14 among all prospects in Georgia by SuperPrep, as well as No. 17 by Scout.com and No. 29 by Rivals . . . The No. 38 athlete in the nation according to Rivals who is slated to play wide receiver at Tech . . . Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 . . . Also tabbed to the Macon Telegraph Top 50 in Georgia and the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Coached by Jeff Herron at Camden County High . . . Had 42 tackles with two interceptions on defense and 15 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns on offense.

Clyde Yandell Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla. High School: Nease Height / Weight: 6-5 / 304 Position: Offensive Line

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the 57 prospect in Florida by both Rivals and Scout.com . . . Ranked No. 23 in the nation among offensive tackles by Rivals . . . No. 38 on the Florida Top 100 list by the Orlando Sentinel . . . Named to the Florida Times-Union Super 24 . . . PrepStar all-region selection . . . Helped his team reach the Class 4-A state title game . . . Second-team all-state . . . Coached by Craig Howard at Nease High.