Here are my thoughts on Dedrick. First I think he was a special talent and possibly a once in a generation type of player with a very high ceiling. I had even thought of maybe a Heisman award for him if he stayed 2 more years and remained healthy. He is just one tough SOB and a natural born football player. We were blessed to have him last year and even in that short time, he made a huge impact on the team. He exemplified toughness and you could see our opponents were weary and reluctant to tackle him as the game wore on. Perfect for what we do on offense.
So yes, like most Tech fans, I thought Dedrick was the man and our ticket to great things in the next few years. But it did not happen so now we have to accept that, re-calibrate and move on. We will do that and we will hopefully be able to find another tough running back to fill Dedrick's shoes. You know you can be mad at CPJ, the GTAA and at Dedrick but nobody is responsible for this but Dedrick. He knew the rules and decided whatever activity was in violation of those rules was worth forgoing his scholarship at Georgia Tech. Those are choices we all confront and make in life.
I just want to thank Dedrick for the time he was here, for the contributions he made while he was here and for giving Tech a chance. Tech is a tough place on many levels and it scares off a lot of folks. At least Dedrick gave it a try and we did get to enjoy one pretty good season watching him play in a majority of our ball games. I wish him the best as he moves on in life and hope that he learns something productive from this experience. As always I hope Georgia Tech does well and we find the next great running back is already on the roster.
Go Jackets!