Football - ACC Media Days GT Player Quotes

Andrew Gardner and Vance Walker represented Georgia Tech today at the ACC Football Kickoff. Here's what they had to say:

ANDREW GARDNER

What have been the differences in conditioning this year?

There's been a lot more running, especially the tackles. On a lot of plays, you are expected to run 20 yards downfield and try to get the safety. There is a lot of second and third level blocking so we have a conditioning test that we have to do before camp that we did not have in the past. Some of the lineman have been put on weight loss plans over the summer. In this offense, we do a lot more running and bottom line is, we just needed to be in better shape. There is more expected out of lineman in this offense than in year's past. This is the kind of offense that can be real fun for an offensive lineman. Once we get going, we can knock people over. I think the guys are really excited to get going.

What is one of the biggest differences on the line in regards to this new offense?

I definitely think it is the amount of cut blocking. Every team in the ACC is going to dread the week that Georgia Tech is on the schedule because they know that they are going get their legs knocked out from under them.

Was spring a little weird with all of the player changes as well?

It is always going to happen with a coaching change, but you can't worry about it. The big thing is that the guys here are the committed ones. For the guys that didn't want to be here, it's probably better for themselves and the team that they did leave. You don't want anyone that doesn't want to be here talking bad or bringing the rest of the team down. You want everybody moving in the same direction and doing what's best for the team.

VANCE WALKER

What is Coach Johnson trying to change about the team?

A lot of people played for themselves last year and Coach Johnson wants us to realize that the scoreboard doesn't read Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Tech. That's what he has been working very hard to instill in us and it's the biggest thing he wanted to get rid of.

What are your impressions so far of Defensive Coordinator Dave Wommack?

We all like coach Womack. He is a great person and he has a great charisma about him and he is very exciting so we believe all his stuff. It's not even about believing, we know what he has done and we on the defense know each other well so we think it will work.