Player Poll: Yellow Jackets Discuss Expectations, Team Leaders, and Superstitions
ATLANTA, GA – For media and fans alike, Georgia Tech’s annual football media day provides the first opportunity to meet the newest version of the Yellow Jackets. GTSwarm was fortunate to attend for our fifth year running. Just like last year, we asked 8 student-athletes the same four questions, and the following are the results of the poll.
For reference, here are the results from last year’s poll: https://gtswarm.com/news/player-pol…-expectations-uniforms-and-team-leaders-2017/
Question 1: What are the team’s expectations and goals for the 2018 season?
- Finish big games and execute better on offense. -Redshirt senior A-Back Qua Searcy
- Our #1 goal is to win that first game. -Senior wide receiver Brad Stewart
- Win each week. -Junior offensive lineman Parker Braun
- Get better on all sides every day and try to build back to the storied tradition Georgia Tech has always had over the years. -Sophomore punter Pressley Harvin III
- Win a National Championship, an ACC Championship, and win every home game. -Redshirt junior B-Back KirVonte Benson
- Win the ACC Championship. -Senior defensive lineman Anree Saint-Amour
- Win the ACC Championship and get to the Playoffs. -Senior linebacker Brant Mitchell
- Improve as much as possible on both sides of the ball and come out on top of the ACC. -Senior linebacker Victor Alexander
Team Theme: The Jackets are working week in and week out to compete for the ACC Championship.
Question 2: Which players have emerged as leaders of this year’s team?
- Clinton Lynch has always been a leader, but this year he’s stepping up more vocally. Nathan Cottrell boosts us also. We have a good core of seniors and good leadership. -Qua Searcy
- Our senior class as a whole is really good. TaQuon Marshall is definitely a leader. I think I have stepped up more vocally than in the past. Brant Mitchell on defense and Kyle Cerge-Henderson have also stepped up as leaders. -Brad Stewart
- Brant Mitchell and TaQuon Marshall, both on and off the field. -Parker Braun
- TaQuon Marshall especially. He started playing last year, but took control of the offense really quickly. Brant Mitchell has always been a leader in my eyes, just because of the way he talks, but he’s really stepped his game up for his last season. I would also probably say Parker Braun. He’s a really good guy. I talk to him every now and then, on and off the field, and he always has something motivating to say. -Pressley Harvin III
- TaQuon Marshall, especially vocally. Ajani Kerr is someone else that has emerged as a leader. Jerry Howard is always pushing me, too. Parker Braun and Will Bryan on the offensive line lead the unit. -KirVonte Benson
- Definitely Brant Mitchell and TaQuon Marshall. They’re great leaders and they’re always pushing us. -Anree Saint-Amour
- Everybody has. This senior class has a lot of experience and we’ve got a good group of guys. -Brant Mitchell
- TaQuon Marshall and Kyle Cerge-Henderson are leaders. On the defense, JaQuez Jackson is showing what he can do. David Curry has been injured a lot but he’s got a great attitude and lifts us all. Brant Mitchell is another guy that is definitely a leader. -Victor Alexander
Team theme: TaQuon Marshall on offense, Brant Mitchell on defense, and the entire senior class as a whole are stepping up both on and off the field.
Question 3: Which team/game are you most looking forward to playing?
- We’ve got a tough schedule, but we’re going to treat each team as if they were ranked in the top 5. We don’t want to underestimate anyone and we want to prepare for each team as much as we can as if they were the most important, week in and week out. -Qua Searcy
- Obviously, you have to say UGA because of the rivalry, but we’re really just taking it in one week at a time, preparing for what’s ahead, so I’d also say Alcorn State. -Brad Stewart
- We’re really just taking it one at a time. -Parker Braun
- I think it’s the same as last year – Clemson. I was born and raised a Carolina fan, so Clemson is that game I get to show Dabo and his team that I’m a South Carolina native and you missed out on me. -Pressley Harvin III
- Alcorn State right now. -Anree Saint-Amour
- Tennessee didn’t go so well last year. I guess this year it’s UGA. -Brant Mitchell
- It’s my senior year, so I’m looking forward to every single last one of them. Hopefully we can play more than the 12 we’ve got. -Victor Alexander
Team theme: Eyes are focused on taking it one week at a time. Alcorn State is first up, even though there’s a slight eye towards that last regular season game.
Question 4: What is your pregame routine? Does it vary by opponent? Do you have any special superstitions?
- Nothing special. I go to one endzone, look around, jog down, take in the other endzone, take in the environment and atmosphere, and after that no more looking around and I’m just ready to go. -Qua Searcy
- I know baseball players have a lot of superstitions. I just go out, run around, get warmed up, and familiarize myself with the field, which is something Coach Buzz always tells us to do. I just get into a zone, but also relax and stay talkative with my teammates until we’re ready to go. -Brad Stewart
- I’m not superstitious. I just treat every game the same. -Parker Braun
- I really just do that same thing: go out, stretch, listen to music, start to get into a groove. I don’t really have a traditional thing. I just warm up with my guys, make them feel comfortable, just go out and do my thing. –Pressley Harvin III
- I’m usually the first person to go out there. I like to imagine the atmosphere, and just relax and be by myself for a little bit. -KirVonte Benson
- I don’t know that I have any superstitions. I like to get a prayer in right before the game to keep me at peace and beyond that, just get my mind right. -Anree Saint-Amour
- I just listen to some music. -Brant Mitchell
- I eat Twizzlers. It’s something I’ve been doing since high school. I think it helps me do better. You’ll know when I didn’t eat my Twizzlers because that’s when I won’t do as well. -Victor Alexander
Team theme: For a bunch of helluva engineers, there’s not a lot of method to the Yellows Jackets’ pregame madness. Most just try to relax , take in the atmosphere, get into a zone and get ready to go. But one question needs to be asked: Can AD Todd Stansbury please get a designated Twizzlers guy on staff?
Multiple staff members contributed to this article.
