Today was the final day of pre-Louisville media and we had players. Tomorrow's media with Brent Key was canceled as I sort of expected because of logistics with it being a day away from kickoff.
RB Dontae Smith was up first.
He said it is bittersweet getting ready for his final and 6th! season on the Flats.
Very excited and confident in what we are doing and if we do what we practice in spring and summer, the byproduct will be what we want to be. I’m excited about my first last game here. Some of my boys have been here a long time like Jaylon King and we are ready to go.
The intelligence level of the OL is way higher than it has been. Dontae said that Coach Wade has done extremely well in coaching them up and how detailed the OL is with him.
The RB room is still detailed and disciplined in everything and he made camp hard for us and that way the game is easy. We have to stay on those details and all those little things.
On how he prepares his body after six years, Cold/Hot tub, do more stretching, steam room and you can start to feel it after six years, my body almost feels like 2 years ago and not like my 6th college season. You work with S&C and do what you need to do on the side too.
It was a hard camp and we made it through as a group we have a good group, what the coach expects, and play up to our standard. Coach Key put on a hard camp.
On the hype about the season opener, It is very different, I try to stay off social media, but every day I’m getting tagged on a post or DM’d about the game. There is a lot of hype, but to us, it is one game at a time.
WR CHASE LANE
On how preparations have been, I came from TAMU and we did a lot of similar things to coach Key, at A&M we did more fall camp things going into game one there. We’ve taken more time to break down film and watch Louisville/Purdue tape and an array of clips ahead of the game than we did at TAMU.
On Haynes King, I met Haynes in 2020 when he came to TAMU and from day one he has been a warrior and he is the toughest guy in the room. When he came there in that January he was eager to learn. We built a chemistry and a bond, he is one of my guys. "He is one of the most personable guys I've been around on the football team so to be on this journey with him here it just makes it that much sweeter."
On how he ended up at GT, I got my degree at TAMU things didn’t pan out the way I wanted to and I hit the portal in 2022 in December, I was going to Arizona State and Haynes hit me up before I signed there. Haynes talked with Coach Faulkner, coach Key and coach Weinke and Haynes had known Coach Weinke for years and he asked me if I wanted to meet them. "From my first conversation with Coach Key, coach Weinke and Coach Faulkner, I just felt like I had known them for years and that was really the biggest thing I was looking for in a new school, just going into a family atmosphere and being able to start brand new on a team where I could have a potential role in the offense. I committed here, I didn't come here in the spring, I got here in the summer, but I've been happy with my decision ever since."
On comparing the TAMU WR room to the GT one, similar with a lot of guys who haven't seen the field much yet either due to youth or injuries. He said that people think because he played in the SEC there would be a dropoff but the room is loaded with guys like Eric Singleton, Avery Boyd, D.J. Moore, Abdul Janneh and Christian Leary. It is loaded from top to bottom and there are guys the coaches can trust to have the ball in their hands and make plays.
Lane thinks the offense will be explosive on Friday and they want to get up and down the field, he said that he thinks Georgia Tech fans will have a lot to look forward to this season.
Lane likes Faulkner's offense because it isn't focused on a player is in one box X, Y, Z or whatever, a player like him has played all of those can just get in space and make plays and Faulkner trusts them with the ball in their hands and he wants them playing loose and free.
Lane said that Haynes King has really helped him with the learning curve since he wasn't here in the spring and if he has a brain fart on a call, Haynes can even give him the TAMU version of that call. He said that Coach Weinke and Haynes really helped him with the terminology of the offense to make it easier for him.
LB PAUL MOALA
Moala was last up
On Friday's game, I’m real excited to play football again at a high level and the guys I’ve created a bond with over the last few months.
Louisville has a good group of guys and a lot of athletes and transfers and to take on that challenge, we are excited as a developing group to take that on and see how we are as a defense. We want to focus on how we look at the end of game one vs the results.
We’ve created our identity in the last couple of weeks and we’ve been flying around and been more confident in our play. Having a mix of older guys and young guys has been great.
On the GT DL, The guys upfront are bigger guys than Idaho, but being around those guys and playing at a different speed has leveled up my play and encouraged me and this style of football and where I was at last year.
Moala said his duty is to be the vocal guy in the LB room and they have some good leaders on D like LaMiles Brooks as well as Trenilyas Tatum at helping him out with certain calls or if he can't find the words for a call.
Moala said he is playing the MAC LB spot (Middle) and Trenilyas Tatum is playing MONEY LB. He said that when GT recruited him it was as a MONEY LB (weakside linebacker) when he heard from them he googled Charlie Thomas and watched all his film on youtube and how dynamic that position is. With Tren Tatum there now he has big expectations to live up to and he will probably exceed them. He is very excited to see Tren in action.
RB Dontae Smith was up first.
He said it is bittersweet getting ready for his final and 6th! season on the Flats.
Very excited and confident in what we are doing and if we do what we practice in spring and summer, the byproduct will be what we want to be. I’m excited about my first last game here. Some of my boys have been here a long time like Jaylon King and we are ready to go.
The intelligence level of the OL is way higher than it has been. Dontae said that Coach Wade has done extremely well in coaching them up and how detailed the OL is with him.
The RB room is still detailed and disciplined in everything and he made camp hard for us and that way the game is easy. We have to stay on those details and all those little things.
On how he prepares his body after six years, Cold/Hot tub, do more stretching, steam room and you can start to feel it after six years, my body almost feels like 2 years ago and not like my 6th college season. You work with S&C and do what you need to do on the side too.
It was a hard camp and we made it through as a group we have a good group, what the coach expects, and play up to our standard. Coach Key put on a hard camp.
On the hype about the season opener, It is very different, I try to stay off social media, but every day I’m getting tagged on a post or DM’d about the game. There is a lot of hype, but to us, it is one game at a time.
WR CHASE LANE
On how preparations have been, I came from TAMU and we did a lot of similar things to coach Key, at A&M we did more fall camp things going into game one there. We’ve taken more time to break down film and watch Louisville/Purdue tape and an array of clips ahead of the game than we did at TAMU.
On Haynes King, I met Haynes in 2020 when he came to TAMU and from day one he has been a warrior and he is the toughest guy in the room. When he came there in that January he was eager to learn. We built a chemistry and a bond, he is one of my guys. "He is one of the most personable guys I've been around on the football team so to be on this journey with him here it just makes it that much sweeter."
On how he ended up at GT, I got my degree at TAMU things didn’t pan out the way I wanted to and I hit the portal in 2022 in December, I was going to Arizona State and Haynes hit me up before I signed there. Haynes talked with Coach Faulkner, coach Key and coach Weinke and Haynes had known Coach Weinke for years and he asked me if I wanted to meet them. "From my first conversation with Coach Key, coach Weinke and Coach Faulkner, I just felt like I had known them for years and that was really the biggest thing I was looking for in a new school, just going into a family atmosphere and being able to start brand new on a team where I could have a potential role in the offense. I committed here, I didn't come here in the spring, I got here in the summer, but I've been happy with my decision ever since."
On comparing the TAMU WR room to the GT one, similar with a lot of guys who haven't seen the field much yet either due to youth or injuries. He said that people think because he played in the SEC there would be a dropoff but the room is loaded with guys like Eric Singleton, Avery Boyd, D.J. Moore, Abdul Janneh and Christian Leary. It is loaded from top to bottom and there are guys the coaches can trust to have the ball in their hands and make plays.
Lane thinks the offense will be explosive on Friday and they want to get up and down the field, he said that he thinks Georgia Tech fans will have a lot to look forward to this season.
Lane likes Faulkner's offense because it isn't focused on a player is in one box X, Y, Z or whatever, a player like him has played all of those can just get in space and make plays and Faulkner trusts them with the ball in their hands and he wants them playing loose and free.
Lane said that Haynes King has really helped him with the learning curve since he wasn't here in the spring and if he has a brain fart on a call, Haynes can even give him the TAMU version of that call. He said that Coach Weinke and Haynes really helped him with the terminology of the offense to make it easier for him.
LB PAUL MOALA
Moala was last up
On Friday's game, I’m real excited to play football again at a high level and the guys I’ve created a bond with over the last few months.
Louisville has a good group of guys and a lot of athletes and transfers and to take on that challenge, we are excited as a developing group to take that on and see how we are as a defense. We want to focus on how we look at the end of game one vs the results.
We’ve created our identity in the last couple of weeks and we’ve been flying around and been more confident in our play. Having a mix of older guys and young guys has been great.
On the GT DL, The guys upfront are bigger guys than Idaho, but being around those guys and playing at a different speed has leveled up my play and encouraged me and this style of football and where I was at last year.
Moala said his duty is to be the vocal guy in the LB room and they have some good leaders on D like LaMiles Brooks as well as Trenilyas Tatum at helping him out with certain calls or if he can't find the words for a call.
Moala said he is playing the MAC LB spot (Middle) and Trenilyas Tatum is playing MONEY LB. He said that when GT recruited him it was as a MONEY LB (weakside linebacker) when he heard from them he googled Charlie Thomas and watched all his film on youtube and how dynamic that position is. With Tren Tatum there now he has big expectations to live up to and he will probably exceed them. He is very excited to see Tren in action.
