dressedcheeseside
Helluva Engineer
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Do you remember the kick and the pick? A db made that pick that saved our bacon. We had quite a few picks that year if I recall correctly. Who was our DB coach?He's our DB coach. That should tell you all you need to know. Lol
A little bit from his GT bio:
In 2016, Speed’s starting cornerbacks, Lance Austin and Step Durham, combined for 85 tackles and 21 passes defended in their first seasons as starters. Austin was particularly impressive, leading the ACC and finishing tied for 15th nationally with 15 passes defended (including a team-high-tying three interceptions). He was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week in back-to-back weeks to close the regular season, the latter of the two accolades coming after he intercepted a pass near midfield to set up the game-winning touchdown drive in Georgia Tech’s 28-27 win over archrival Georgia.
In four seasons since moving to the secondary, Speed’s pupils have recorded 32 interceptions and scored five touchdowns. In 2014 alone, his secondary racked up 15 touchdowns and scored three times.
Additionally, Speed has mentored three all-ACC honorees and four student-athletes that have gone on to play in the NFL during his tenure at Tech.
Other highlights from Speed’s time at Georgia Tech include:
- coaching a pair of all-conference selections in 2014, Jamal Golden (third team) and D.J. White (honorable mention), as well as the Yellow Jackets’ all-time leading tackler in the secondary, Isaiah Johnson (283 career tackles);
- plugging senior Jemea Thomas into the starting lineup at safety in 2013 due to injuries to projected starters Golden and Johnson and watching Thomas lead the Yellow Jackets in tackles (88) and pass breakups (8), paving the way for his ascension from likely backup to a sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2014 NFL Draft;
- overseeing the emergence of inside linebacker Julian Burnett from a backup in the first month of 2010 to one of the most prolific tacklers in recent Georgia Tech history. Burnett led the team in tackles in both 2010 (89) and 2011 (120). His 120 stops in ‘11 were 42 more than anyone else on the squad.
- having his starting inside linebackers, Burnett and Brad Jefferson, rank one-two on the squad with a combined 173 tackles in 2010.