Senior Appreciation B. J. Bostic #7, RS SR, Became a Jacket on 6/11/09

[Bruce Wayne]

Senior Appreciation: http://4te.ch/seniors2014

Mr. Bostic of Louisville, GA was rated a 4* athlete and recruited by Charles Kelly out of Jefferson County HS. He chose Tech over a large number of D1 offers, including Mississippi State and Stanford (just to name two of current interest to the board).

Bostic enrolled early and played as a true freshman in all 13 games of 2010 including primary kick return duties by the third game of the season. He ended that season with 574 return yards which actually placed him 12th on Tech's all-time list. B. J. was injured the next August and so redshirted the 2011 season. In his remaining seasons he entered the A-back rotation, made several starts, a slew of big catches and runs and even threw a 15 yard pass against Duke his senior year.

Like Perkins Bostic had to overcome serious injury and so seemed to have a slow start in some ways. Amazingly his first TD was as a Senior on October 4th against Miami. Yet, as his bio at Ramblin Wreck puts it, he always had "a knack for getting to the first-down marker." I will definitely remember him for that. From his Twitter account I learn that B. J. lives by "God, Family, School, and Football" which suggests he understands how to prioritize the good things in life.

By the way, on January 1, 2015 he smartly tweeted that "The SEC needs a reevaluation!"

Career Highs:
Rushing Attempts: 5, five times, last vs. Florida State, Dec. 1, 2012
Rushing Yards: 51 vs. NC State, Sept. 25, 2010
Rushing TDs: 1 vs. Miami, Oct. 4, 2014
Receptions: 1, twice, last vs. Florida State, Dec. 6, 2014
Receiving Yards:24, vs. Florida State, Dec. 6, 2014
Completions: 1, vs. Duke, Oct. 11, 2014
Passing Yards: 15, vs. Duke, Oct. 11, 2014
Longest Rush: 43 vs. NC State, Sept. 25, 2010
Kick Returns: 6 vs. Miami, Nov. 13, 2010; 6 at Georgia, Nov. 27, 2010
Kick Return Yards: 125 vs. Miami, Nov. 13, 2010
Longest Kick Return: 35 vs. NC State, Sept. 25, 2010

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Some videos of interest:

A rather low-tech highlight video from HS


A great interview of Bostic by Wes Durham in which he talks about overcoming injury and a sudden redshirt year as well as how he got the number 7 (and incidentally how Jamal Golden got #4).


Fantastic catch on a Washington pass:


I am having trouble uploading the ESPN highlight videos I located such as his pass to Byerly against Duke. Feel free to try to add more videos to the thread.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Here are some nice pics of Bostic:

Celebration after his first career TD:

He was always a sharp dresser!

And when dressing in a Tech uniform hedges make the best accessory for a snappy dresser:

 

[TechnicalPossum]

I selfishly hope you do one of these for all the seniors so they can fully be appreciated and so I don't have to spend the effort to find all the info if I get curious.

 

[96Jacket]

Amazingly his first TD was as a Senior on October 4th against Miami.

Wow, I did not realize this. I was actually sitting on the south goal line in the Upper East for the Miami game, so I had a great vantage point for that TD (as well as Jamal Golden's game-sealing interception.) It was great hustle and a nice dive on BJ's part to dive into the endzone on that play. I thought he was a really solid receiver from the A-back position. Wish he could've gotten a few more throws his way over his career.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I should have placed this info in the first post but Bostic is also part of one of the highest academically achieving classes seen at Tech.

He also shows off his maturity and thoughtfulness in a great interview and article put out by Scott Michaux for The Augusta Chronicle. Here are some highlights:

On the end of his time at Tech: "I’m dreading the end of it but at the same time so anxious to see what’s ahead of me as far as life, too,” Bostic said. “Interested to see what life throws at me. I’m ready for it.”

On his role on an offense where he averaged "fewer than two touches a game": “I’m not disappointed,” he said of his diminished offensive output. “Everybody has their role and I see myself as a good perimeter blocker. So my role this year has kind of been leading the way on the perimeter.” That is from a FOUR STAR out of high school with a slew of big offers.

On his lone collegiate touchdown after having scored 17 rushing as a Senior in HS along with throwing for 17 TDs as his teams QB and even catching 4 TD passes at WR (that is a total of 38 TDs he was involved with in just his senior season): Bostic calls his lone collegiate touchdown his personal high point. “It was a long, long time,” he said of the five years between scores. “I do it in practice but to do it in a game is so much different – it sends chills down your body, the fans screaming. It’s a real exciting moment.” Bostic forgot to keep the ball he scored with. “I was too excited and threw it down after I got in,” he said with a laugh.

If anyone has that ball be sure to get it to him.

Again demonstrating the perspective that allowed his team in his senior year to be so special:
Bostic is more about the team goals than his own. “It does not matter to (the A-backs) as a group because we’re unselfish guys – as long as we’re winning, moving the ball, getting first downs, we’re happy,” he said.

And again on having the right priorities: “It’s a little surreal that everything is winding down,” he admitted. “Most important thing is that I got my degree and I walk in December.”

But don't forget that there are "priorities" and then there are . . . priorities:
It would be particularly sweet to pull off the upset between the hedges Saturday so he can hold his head high in his native “Dog country” whenever he comes home to Louisville, Ga. “I want to check it off and get that burden off my back,” he said.

Congratulations B.J., you did just that!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I selfishly hope you do one of these for all the seniors so they can fully be appreciated and so I don't have to spend the effort to find all the info if I get curious.

In the announcement thread I listed the order of all the seniors commitments to Tech and said we (the royal we) will do one on each. I actually am supposed to be sort of writing something pretty important these days (a dissertation) so really do hope to get help from others to get through the list. But maybe I can get to 4-5 a week on my own.

 

[Tech93]

Congrats B.J. ! Thanks for the memories!

 

[GTech63]

Great to know about the character and back ground of these young men. We certainly can be proud of men like BJ. He does have his priorities straight. I wish I had, when I was that age.

 

[RussianOffense]

he stand to me this year for blockng. he also has good catches.

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

I could've sworn he scored in the UNC game in 2010. It was a quick pitch read by nesbitt.

 

[Butler22]

Bruce, thanks for creating this thread (and the others) for the seniors.

 

[InsideLB]

We love and appreciate you BJ! You already are doing well in life and that is just going to continue.

And to think replacing Godhigh was a major concern! Bostic & Co. put on a clinic showing the TEAM way to get that done. Tough play during the OB sprang several perimeter runs.

Respect!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I remember a huge catch he had in the the first ACC showdown vs FSU. It lead to a late td and turned what looked like a blowout in the first half into a nail biter.

1:48



With each addition to the sr class recognition series, I'm just blown away with the character of these guys. All these guys were stars on their highschool teams, came in and had to work hard to see the field, some not seeing major time until their senior campaigns. Bostic, as much as anyone, could have hung 'em up after the lack time but decided to stick it out and made a huge contribution on this year's team.

He was a tremendous blocker on the edge and he took pride in it. I think most tech fans take for granted the skill needed to block the edge in space especially against db's just as athletic as they are. Hats off to another great young man who personified perseverance, determination and redemption!

 

[UgaBlows]

thanks BJ!

 

[B Lifsey]

A great Jacket and Helluva Engineer. Love the comments about earning his degree and going home after beating uGA. It's bad enough being a fan and losing to them...I can't imagine what players hear from their hometown folks.

 

[GTJason]

Pretty Good at freestylin too:

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

I always liked Bostic, perhaps mainly so since he is from what is considered part of the Augusta area (where I live). I was sorry he didn't see more action, but you got to love his team-first attitude. The interview Michaux of the Augusta paper gave him was one of only about 3 articles about anything or anyone related to Tech that even appeared in that paper over the past year. I'm glad for Bostic that he has that singular honor too.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Pretty Good at freestylin too:

Great find @GTJason

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I remember a huge catch he had in the the first ACC showdown vs FSU. It lead to a late td and turned what looked like a blowout in the first half into a nail biter.

1:48



With each addition to the sr class recognition series, I'm just blown away with the character of these guys. All these guys were stars on their highschool teams, came in and had to work hard to see the field, some not seeing major time until their senior campaigns. Bostic, as much as anyone, could have hung 'em up after the lack time but decided to stick it out and made a huge contribution on this year's team.

He was a tremendous blocker on the edge and he took pride in it. I think most tech fans take for granted the skill needed to block the edge in space especially against db's just as athletic as they are. Hats off to another great young man who personified perseverance, determination and redemption!

Calling @Longestday . . . do you have any vines of any of the seniors to add to the threads? Some big Bostic or Perkins blocks for example?