ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football continued preparations for Pitt on Wednesday with a long practice session in Bobby Dodd Stadium in shells. After practice, graduate senior right guard Ryan Johnson was announced as a Semi-Finalist for the William Campbell Trophy for the nation’s top college football play academically, athletically and leadership-wise. Essentially it is an academic Heisman Trophy.
“When you talk about the Campbell Trophy, yes I’ve been nominated for that, but that is a testament to all of the people that are here too,” Johnson said. “That is not something I could’ve done by myself, you’ve got ten other guys on the field doing their jobs and helping me do mine. You have countless other people around the program that aren’t seen behind the scenes that helping all of us get to where we are. I am very thankful for all of the support staff, all the players, and all the coaches that have helped me pushed me, and got me where I am. I wouldn’t be the man I am or the person that I am or the player that I am if it wasn’t for them.”
On the field for Johnson, the performances by the Jackets the last two weeks are not a surprise to him. He said the team has plenty of confidence and is building to something special potentially.
“We've seen how good this team can be and how good this team is, for a long time, seeing it come together is brings a lot of positivity. But I still think there's a lot more that we can do. There's a lot of things that we can improve on,” Johnson said. “To me, that is a day-by-day thing, you’ve got to get better and keep working on improving that bond, improving the cohesiveness of the offense, but also a positive you know there is more growth to happen and more things you can improve on. I see a lot of potential here that we still haven’t hit.”
Turning the corner for the season and just showing signs of turning the corner are two different things. Johnson thinks the team has made the turn now, but they have to show it on the field against Pitt on Saturday.
“I think it all starting to come together around (the Clemson game) and everything just started clicking, but I think it is still a slow and steady climb and we are continually improving, but seeing how hard everyone fought and everybody playing in that game (against Clemson) is exciting,” Johnson said. “It is easy to set stuck in the past or look too far into the future. I think this team is doing a good job of focusing on what is in the present. Right now last week’s game is over and we got a new game.”
Johnson said that the offense is not worried about what Pitt will do offensively, he said they have confidence in the defense to handle that and they are worrying about their own jobs and executing at a high-level.
Johnson said the team feel like they have two amazing options at QB with Jeff Sims and Jordan Yates and they are not worried about whoever the staff put back there, they are just focused on protecting the QB and making plays to the best of their abilities for that QB.
Johnson said he has seen a lot of the younger OLs at guard stepping up and he thinks that is a testament to coach Key and the work he is doing. He believes if a young guy’s number is called to come in they can execute at a high-level at a moment’s notice.
Johnson said it was an easy decision to come back for another year at GT despite having other options in life and he thinks about that every time he looks at the guys in the locker room and that they are people he wants to be around and he loves Georgia Tech.
Johnson is working on a degree in analytics after getting an undergraduate degree and master’s degree at the University of Tennessee. He said doing that at Georgia Tech is like fitting 50 pounds into a 10-pound sack. He said he spends every moment he has free working on school so that includes while he is getting treatment in the Rice Center or meeting with Coach Key where he will do coding while watching film or similar multi-tasking. He said it is very hard but GT does a great job of giving support to SAs and the staff as well making it easier for him.
Charlie Thomas said he really is enjoying having the three-LB set with Ace Eley and Quez and they are pushing each other and they watch film together and have a great competition to see who can play the best each week.
Thomas said that Kenny Pickett has a ton of experience under his belt and he uses his running skills well so he does a great job of converting third downs and they have to contain him to the pocket, there are multiple risk points with him when the play breaks down.
Thomas said his role in the 3-3-5 is a mix of LB, pass rusher and nickel and he is often a QB spy as well so he can just play off his instincts in space so he likes that role a lot.
Thomas said at first he didn’t like linebacker, but he has grown to love it after he got used to it.
Thomas gave a little pep talk before Tuesday’s practice on Coach Lew’s microphone and he said he tries to spark everyone to have a good practice and he saw something in the body language when they got out to the field that make him want to help his team have a better sense of urgency.
Thomas said that Coach Collins and Coach Thacker have done a tremendous job helping him mature as a man and a player and that he loves that GT is one big family and everyone has to come with the right mindset.
Thomas ran through his list of positions he has played at GT, he started as an overhang LB like he is playing right now in the 3-4 under Nate Woody and later that season he moved to rush end/OLB and then played both. He said after that he moved to WILL LB when this staff got here and last year he played NB/S before moving back to LB and then playing rush end at the end of last year before moving to WILL again and now back to Overhang LB where it all started.
Thomas said in HS he played everywhere except of OL so that wasn’t a big deal to him.
We got Kyle Kennard for the first time since he arrived at GT, he said getting to play last year really helped him understand what he needed to do to be a smarter player and he said he always understood the physical part of the game, but the reps really helped give him a jumpstart this year.
Kennard said his success is based on repetition in practice and working every day to get better and then correcting his mistakes in practice and game prep each week.
Kennard said that they have worked on forcing fumbles and takeaways all year and the UNC was them doing exactly what they practice every week.
Kennard said that he has a good bond with Jared Ivey since they came in together and are sharing the field a lot and they have a lot of deep personal conversations as well because they were friends before they got to GT.
Kennard talked about how much he loves Marco Coleman and that he was in his same shoes and won a Natty at GT and played in the NFL for a very long time so he helps create the right mindset on and off the field for the DEs.
Kennard said they were a little insulted when UNC went for it from their own 39 in the game last week and the defense took that personally and stopped them. He said he understands why teams do that and they look forward to that challenge as a defense.
Kennard said he has enjoyed the move away from Sunday practices to Monday because now his body has more time to heal after a game.
Kalani Norris also spoke for a I believe the first time at GT. Norris said that his focus and what has helped him get on the field this year is being consistent every day whenever the opportunity presents itself to get in the game. He said in the past though he tried to be a good teammate and encourage others as he he was figuring things out for himself.
Norris said this past spring is when it started to click and he started being able to play faster and understand the coverages and what the defense was doing to stop him. He feels like his overall feel for the game has improved a lot.
Norris said this season has been a great experience and he feels like it is a testament to the culture coach Collins and his staff have built and he feels like once he fully bought into the whole culture things have been going well for him.
Norris said that Pitt looks like a well-coached team with a good defense and he isn’t to concerned about their coverage choices, he said football is football and it is about if you are going to make a play or not.
Norris admitted there is an emphasis on winning the coastal and getting to Charlotte. That has been a goal all year.
Norris said the Pitt games the last two years left bad tastes in the player’s mouths they are looking forward to battling with them because they are a very good team.
“When you talk about the Campbell Trophy, yes I’ve been nominated for that, but that is a testament to all of the people that are here too,” Johnson said. “That is not something I could’ve done by myself, you’ve got ten other guys on the field doing their jobs and helping me do mine. You have countless other people around the program that aren’t seen behind the scenes that helping all of us get to where we are. I am very thankful for all of the support staff, all the players, and all the coaches that have helped me pushed me, and got me where I am. I wouldn’t be the man I am or the person that I am or the player that I am if it wasn’t for them.”
On the field for Johnson, the performances by the Jackets the last two weeks are not a surprise to him. He said the team has plenty of confidence and is building to something special potentially.
“We've seen how good this team can be and how good this team is, for a long time, seeing it come together is brings a lot of positivity. But I still think there's a lot more that we can do. There's a lot of things that we can improve on,” Johnson said. “To me, that is a day-by-day thing, you’ve got to get better and keep working on improving that bond, improving the cohesiveness of the offense, but also a positive you know there is more growth to happen and more things you can improve on. I see a lot of potential here that we still haven’t hit.”
Turning the corner for the season and just showing signs of turning the corner are two different things. Johnson thinks the team has made the turn now, but they have to show it on the field against Pitt on Saturday.
“I think it all starting to come together around (the Clemson game) and everything just started clicking, but I think it is still a slow and steady climb and we are continually improving, but seeing how hard everyone fought and everybody playing in that game (against Clemson) is exciting,” Johnson said. “It is easy to set stuck in the past or look too far into the future. I think this team is doing a good job of focusing on what is in the present. Right now last week’s game is over and we got a new game.”
Johnson said that the offense is not worried about what Pitt will do offensively, he said they have confidence in the defense to handle that and they are worrying about their own jobs and executing at a high-level.
Johnson said the team feel like they have two amazing options at QB with Jeff Sims and Jordan Yates and they are not worried about whoever the staff put back there, they are just focused on protecting the QB and making plays to the best of their abilities for that QB.
Johnson said he has seen a lot of the younger OLs at guard stepping up and he thinks that is a testament to coach Key and the work he is doing. He believes if a young guy’s number is called to come in they can execute at a high-level at a moment’s notice.
Johnson said it was an easy decision to come back for another year at GT despite having other options in life and he thinks about that every time he looks at the guys in the locker room and that they are people he wants to be around and he loves Georgia Tech.
Johnson is working on a degree in analytics after getting an undergraduate degree and master’s degree at the University of Tennessee. He said doing that at Georgia Tech is like fitting 50 pounds into a 10-pound sack. He said he spends every moment he has free working on school so that includes while he is getting treatment in the Rice Center or meeting with Coach Key where he will do coding while watching film or similar multi-tasking. He said it is very hard but GT does a great job of giving support to SAs and the staff as well making it easier for him.
Charlie Thomas said he really is enjoying having the three-LB set with Ace Eley and Quez and they are pushing each other and they watch film together and have a great competition to see who can play the best each week.
Thomas said that Kenny Pickett has a ton of experience under his belt and he uses his running skills well so he does a great job of converting third downs and they have to contain him to the pocket, there are multiple risk points with him when the play breaks down.
Thomas said his role in the 3-3-5 is a mix of LB, pass rusher and nickel and he is often a QB spy as well so he can just play off his instincts in space so he likes that role a lot.
Thomas said at first he didn’t like linebacker, but he has grown to love it after he got used to it.
Thomas gave a little pep talk before Tuesday’s practice on Coach Lew’s microphone and he said he tries to spark everyone to have a good practice and he saw something in the body language when they got out to the field that make him want to help his team have a better sense of urgency.
Thomas said that Coach Collins and Coach Thacker have done a tremendous job helping him mature as a man and a player and that he loves that GT is one big family and everyone has to come with the right mindset.
Thomas ran through his list of positions he has played at GT, he started as an overhang LB like he is playing right now in the 3-4 under Nate Woody and later that season he moved to rush end/OLB and then played both. He said after that he moved to WILL LB when this staff got here and last year he played NB/S before moving back to LB and then playing rush end at the end of last year before moving to WILL again and now back to Overhang LB where it all started.
Thomas said in HS he played everywhere except of OL so that wasn’t a big deal to him.
We got Kyle Kennard for the first time since he arrived at GT, he said getting to play last year really helped him understand what he needed to do to be a smarter player and he said he always understood the physical part of the game, but the reps really helped give him a jumpstart this year.
Kennard said his success is based on repetition in practice and working every day to get better and then correcting his mistakes in practice and game prep each week.
Kennard said that they have worked on forcing fumbles and takeaways all year and the UNC was them doing exactly what they practice every week.
Kennard said that he has a good bond with Jared Ivey since they came in together and are sharing the field a lot and they have a lot of deep personal conversations as well because they were friends before they got to GT.
Kennard talked about how much he loves Marco Coleman and that he was in his same shoes and won a Natty at GT and played in the NFL for a very long time so he helps create the right mindset on and off the field for the DEs.
Kennard said they were a little insulted when UNC went for it from their own 39 in the game last week and the defense took that personally and stopped them. He said he understands why teams do that and they look forward to that challenge as a defense.
Kennard said he has enjoyed the move away from Sunday practices to Monday because now his body has more time to heal after a game.
Kalani Norris also spoke for a I believe the first time at GT. Norris said that his focus and what has helped him get on the field this year is being consistent every day whenever the opportunity presents itself to get in the game. He said in the past though he tried to be a good teammate and encourage others as he he was figuring things out for himself.
Norris said this past spring is when it started to click and he started being able to play faster and understand the coverages and what the defense was doing to stop him. He feels like his overall feel for the game has improved a lot.
Norris said this season has been a great experience and he feels like it is a testament to the culture coach Collins and his staff have built and he feels like once he fully bought into the whole culture things have been going well for him.
Norris said that Pitt looks like a well-coached team with a good defense and he isn’t to concerned about their coverage choices, he said football is football and it is about if you are going to make a play or not.
Norris admitted there is an emphasis on winning the coastal and getting to Charlotte. That has been a goal all year.
Norris said the Pitt games the last two years left bad tastes in the player’s mouths they are looking forward to battling with them because they are a very good team.
