Reggie Ball

Techster

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I'm not sure RB was arrogant as much as he was supremely confident in his abilities. The guy left everything on the field...which makes me a little mad when people take cheap shots at him.

I think he would have been far more successful in CPJ's offense than he was in Gailey's offense. Dude was never scared to put his head down to gain an extra yard or two, and he was a dangerous runner.
 

dressedcheeseside

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I read a recent interview by him that I really enjoyed and made me think highly of him, but when asked if he ever would have come to GT to play for Paul Johnson, he unequivocally said no. So I doubt he would have been any good, he never would have came. Even if he happened to already be here, we all know too well what happens when the qb doesn't buy into the system.
 

Techster

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I read a recent interview by him that I really enjoyed and made me think highly of him, but when asked if he ever would have come to GT to play for Paul Johnson, he unequivocally said no. So I doubt he would have been any good, he never would have came. Even if he happened to already be here, we all know too well what happens when the qb doesn't buy into the system.

http://www.sportingatl.com/2014/10/02/sporting-atls-exclusive-interview-with-reggie-ball/

T: I can’t tell you how many times our site contributors have played the “What if Reggie Ball played in the triple option?” game. Finally, we get the chance to hear your thoughts. How do you think you’d fit in Paul Johnson’s offense? Would you have considered Georgia Tech had the system been in place when you came out of high school?

Reggie: Whoever’s job it would have been to recruit me would have had their work cut out for them. I didn’t run anything close to a “Wing T” in high school. I was running everything from a pro set to 4-5 wide receiver sets. But I must admit, I f’ing love Paul Johnson. He’s a winner, and he’ll take nothing less than whatever it takes to win. Even still, me running the ball 20 times a game as a QB would have been a huge downside. On the other hand, if it would’ve won me 10 games a year and a shot to be in a BCS bowl game, I would’ve signed to Tech without question. I’m sure I still would’ve been a Yellow Jacket, though. It was just one of those things that was meant to be.
 

dressedcheeseside

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http://www.sportingatl.com/2014/10/02/sporting-atls-exclusive-interview-with-reggie-ball/

T: I can’t tell you how many times our site contributors have played the “What if Reggie Ball played in the triple option?” game. Finally, we get the chance to hear your thoughts. How do you think you’d fit in Paul Johnson’s offense? Would you have considered Georgia Tech had the system been in place when you came out of high school?

Reggie: Whoever’s job it would have been to recruit me would have had their work cut out for them. I didn’t run anything close to a “Wing T” in high school. I was running everything from a pro set to 4-5 wide receiver sets. But I must admit, I f’ing love Paul Johnson. He’s a winner, and he’ll take nothing less than whatever it takes to win. Even still, me running the ball 20 times a game as a QB would have been a huge downside. On the other hand, if it would’ve won me 10 games a year and a shot to be in a BCS bowl game, I would’ve signed to Tech without question. I’m sure I still would’ve been a Yellow Jacket, though. It was just one of those things that was meant to be.
He kind of flip flops in that paragraph and then says something nonsensical:

On the other hand, if it would’ve won me 10 games a year and a shot to be in a BCS bowl game

There's no way in hell to know that as a recruit and it was not very likely and still isn't today even though we are heading into the ACCCG.
 

Bruce Wayne

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Very nice find Techster. I hold head coaches accountable for wins and losses, for the records of the teams. So any bitterness I have over losses when Reggie was here I just direct to Gailey and Nix. RB is clearly a proud supporter of Tech football, and that is good enough for me for all our ex-players.
 

Techster

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He kind of flip flops in that paragraph and then says something nonsensical:

On the other hand, if it would’ve won me 10 games a year and a shot to be in a BCS bowl game

There's no way in hell to know that as a recruit and it was not very likely and still isn't today even though we are heading into the ACCCG.

I just don't see where he "unequivocally said no".

Personally, it sounds like timing of his recruitment would have been a big factor (say after the 2009 season or after this season when we're going to the ACCCG and to the OB), who's doing the recruiting, and his love for GT. Nothing different than recruiting any other guy. That's just recruiting.
 

dressedcheeseside

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I just don't see where he "unequivocally said no".

Personally, it sounds like timing of his recruitment would have been a big factor (say after the 2009 season or after this season when we're going to the ACCCG and to the OB), who's doing the recruiting, and his love for GT. Nothing different than recruiting any other guy. That's just recruiting.
Ok, I strike the word "unequivocally". If his fairy godmother comes to him and promises 10 win seasons and BCS bowls, he'll come.
 

Bruce Wayne

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He kind of flip flops in that paragraph and then says something nonsensical:

On the other hand, if it would’ve won me 10 games a year and a shot to be in a BCS bowl game

There's no way in hell to know that as a recruit and it was not very likely and still isn't today even though we are heading into the ACCCG.
I totally disagree on your reading of his response. He is talking and thinking out his response at the same time and so it progresses in a recognizable arc.

He starts out thinking about his high school experience and so how foreign CPJ's offense would have been to him. Then he begins to think about how much he loves Paul Johnson, in fact he "effing" loves him! He is clearly a die-hard Tech fan and has enjoyed watching CPJ's Tech teams, in fact he has grown to love him. So now that he is thinking about his love for GT he then ends on the note that being a Yellow Jacket was his destiny, it was "meant to be," as in he cannot fathom being anything else now when looking back.

Frankly, I am impressed at how much love RB shows for Tech when he surely has been given a lot of grief or coolness over the years from Tech fans and ridicule as UGA's favorite QB. It is like how nice it was for me to chat with Tevin after the Miami win this year. TW was truly happy for the team, he loves GT and the football program. He had to have just shrugged off the fact that many Tech fans actually booed him. I personally, I can't shrug that off as easily. I think Tech fans should never treat the student-athletes that come to play at this school, where they actually have to be a real student-athlete, in such a manner. They should never be publicly disrespected for anything they do on the field of competition (that is within the rules of conduct of the game of course) whatever the outcome may be, however disappointing to us.

Heap the scorn on the adults, the paid coaches.
 

UgaBlows

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Did he have any other div. 1 quarterback offers? I've always thought he would've been awesome for CPJ who i think could have maximized his potential and calmed him down some against ugag
 

dressedcheeseside

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I totally disagree on your reading of his response. He is talking and thinking out his response at the same time and so it progresses in a recognizable arc.

He starts out thinking about his high school experience and so how foreign CPJ's offense would have been to him. Then he begins to think about how much he loves Paul Johnson, in fact he "effing" loves him! He is clearly a die-hard Tech fan and has enjoyed watching CPJ's Tech teams, in fact he has grown to love him. So now that he is thinking about his love for GT he then ends on the note that being a Yellow Jacket was his destiny, it was "meant to be," as in he cannot fathom being anything else now when looking back.

Frankly, I am impressed at how much love RB shows for Tech when he surely has been given a lot of grief or coolness over the years from Tech fans and ridicule as UGA's favorite QB. It is like how nice it was for me to chat with Tevin after the Miami win this year. TW was truly happy for the team, he loves GT and the football program. He had to have just shrugged off the fact that many Tech fans actually booed him. I personally, I can't shrug that off as easily. I think Tech fans should never treat the student-athletes that come to play at this school, where they actually have to be a real student-athlete should ever be publicly disrespected for anything they do on the field of competition (that is within the rules of conduct of the game of course) whatever the outcome may be, however disappointing to us.

Heap the scorn on the adults, the paid coaches.
I can buy that but the comment about guaranteed 10 win seasons and BCS bowls is ridiculous and seems to say "I'll come if you can promise the moon, sure."
 

GTpdm

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Very nice find Techster. I hold head coaches accountable for wins and losses, for the records of the teams. So any bitterness I have over losses when Reggie was here I just direct to Gailey and Nix. RB is clearly a proud supporter of Tech football, and that is good enough for me for all our ex-players.

Gailey's failure to actually develop Reggie Ball as a quarterback was one of the reasons I was ready for a new head coach. Reggie had so much potential, and if anything, it seemed like he regressed from one year to the next. When something like that happens (aside from injuries or the like), it is on the coach, not the player. I'm glad that the flak RB caught from many Tech fans has not poisoned his feelings about Tech. He gave us his best, and I applaud him for that.
 

Bruce Wayne

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I can buy that but the comment about guaranteed 10 win seasons and BCS bowls is ridiculous and seems to say "I'll come if you can promise the moon, sure."
That is why I think it is useful to see a kind of thread running through his thoughts as he answers. A development.

Notice the timing of this interview as well. It is from October this year after we just beat VT and Miami and before we played and lost to Duke and UNC. So I think he definitely could have been anticipating Tech winning the next two games to be 7-0 and so could have had in mind both CPJ having already had one 10+ win season and Orange Bowl plus looking really poised for a similar one when he was asked this question.
 
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