Spring Practice

[MWBATL]

I think I see why there is an Ignore button now.....loser fans....smdh!

 

[Sideways]

This is a remarkable post, but all too typical of the fans on this board who are clueless about what it takes to have a successful program or are happy with mediocrity. I am not sure which it is.

O'Leary didn't "ha(ve) the benefit" of Hamilton and Godsey. He put a staff in place that RECRUITED. He understood the importance of recruiting players-- and coaches. Danny Smith-who I knew--recruited Hamilton. Danny was an energetic fun guy who resonated with kids--not some lazy grump.

During those years we were the second best team in the ACC behind FSU, which was a top 5 team. The "ACC is better now" is just another excuse in a long litany of excuses for Johnson apologists. We were a perennial top 25 team---and not that long ago. We were top 25 nationally; comparative ACC strength is irrelevant.

We could be there again with the right leadership, which we haven't had since Homer retired.

But go ahead. Embrace your excuses--and your losses.

Why do we have so many loser fans? Why do they come on this board and show pride in mediocrity that is clothed in excuses instead of demanding better? Embarrassing. It's not what the Institute stands for.

Yes, a staff that recruited them without the academic restrictions we now have in place. I am not a "Johnson apologist" so much as one who recognizes the reality of the present situation. Change the recruiting dynamics and we can discuss this rationally.

 

[Sideways]

Charlie Thomas at OLB sounds nice...

Guess I must have missed something. I was under the impression he wanted to try wide receiver first.

 

[Dottie1145]

Guess I must have missed something. I was under the impression he wanted to try wide receiver first.

In CPJs presser, he said that he had moved to OLB.

 

[augustabuzz]

Self-censored AGAIN.

I do admire your steadfastness. I know I have the right to the same, but I don't always have the ability. (A nod to Ron White for that thought.)

 

[jwsavhGT]

I do admire your steadfastness. I know I have the right to the same, but I don't always have the ability. (A nod to Ron White for that thought.)

The burden of being a mod, as opposed to steadfastness.

 

[Lavoisier]

In CPJs presser, he said that he had moved to OLB.

He is really going to have to hit the weight room and pray then, 6'2" 190 is TINY for a OLB. I know Coach Woody has said he values speed over size but he's going to be destroyed at that size. I could see corner or safety maybe, but OLB I'm not sure. Maybe coach misspoke.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

He is really going to have to hit the weight room and pray then, 6'2" 190 is TINY for a OLB. I know Coach Woody has said he values speed over size but he's going to be destroyed at that size. I could see corner or safety maybe, but OLB I'm not sure. Maybe coach misspoke.

Depends on the scheme and what he is being asked to do. Against us, VT has employed DBs as essentially blitzing LBs numerous times to great effect. Chris Reis was an effective OLB after being moved from S. There are numerous examples of college LBs playing at around 200 lbs. Thomas Davis at UGAg was a big DB and then converted a monster LB in the NFL...

 

[Deleted member 2897]

No doubt Jacketup. The attitude of the fan base is the most depressing aspect of GT athletics. The willingness to accept our perceived new place in the bottom quarter of Power 5 football despite the fact it doesn’t match our historical standards dives me mad and I believe this attitude is a large inhibitor to the success of our program.

I know this upsets people and many disagree but it’s my honest opinion. I hate rolling over and I feel like that is what this fan base has become accustomed to doing. Excuses have always been and always will be for losers.

First, I want to say that I disagree with your opinion that our fans accept the mediocrity of last season's 5-6 record. But I agree with your ability to voice that opinion and defend it.

Now having said that, I also feel like 19 out of 20 times when I see a comment like that, I look over to the left and see someone who has only left a couple dozens comments ever or less.

What is my point? I hope you will continue to stay around and we can change your mind about the fan base. I feel the total opposite of you. What bothers me is we are a bad kicker away from being 8-3 last year, and many of our fans want to burn the entire world down. Georgia Tech's main school Facebook page would post a video of students doing a service project in Haiti or post news that our IE department was ranked #1 in the country for the 28th straight year, and the comments would get deluged with 'Fire Paul Johnson' and 'Our football team sucks!' That is embarrassing and pointless. Personally, I don't accept mediocrity, nor do I think we are mediocre in the first place. We had a double digit lead against every opponent last year except for Clemson and uga - 2 teams that went to the CFP. As fans, we need to be relentlessly positive and overwhelmingly optimistic. Its okay to vent and complain, but players and their friends and family see these posts on social media and everywhere. I've seen players' mothers publicly complain on social media about it. These guys bust their *** all week long dealing with obnoxious pompous professors while also trying to meet the demands of a 50 hour week dedicated to football and strength & conditioning. We of all people know our players are on the small, less traveled, more difficult road, dealing with all kinds of constraints and demands that 95% of other schools don't put on them.

Hallelujah, holy ****, where's the Tylenol...

 

[ATL1]

If he intends on being that smallish consistently then if I’m Chaney I’m lining up my athletic 350lbs guard and say run them over. We’ll be watching a GT Defense get trucked up and down the field.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

First, I want to say that I disagree with your opinion that our fans accept the mediocrity of last season's 5-6 record. But I agree with your ability to voice that opinion and defend it.

Now having said that, I also feel like 19 out of 20 times when I see a comment like that, I look over to the left and see someone who has only left a couple dozens comments ever or less.

What is my point? I hope you will continue to stay around and we can change your mind about the fan base. I feel the total opposite of you. What bothers me is we are a bad kicker away from being 8-3 last year, and many of our fans want to burn the entire world down. Georgia Tech's main school Facebook page would post a video of students doing a service project in Haiti or post news that our IE department was ranked #1 in the country for the 28th straight year, and the comments would get deluged with 'Fire Paul Johnson' and 'Our football team sucks!' That is embarrassing and pointless. Personally, I don't accept mediocrity, nor do I think we are mediocre in the first place. We had a double digit lead against every opponent last year except for Clemson and uga - 2 teams that went to the CFP. As fans, we need to be relentlessly positive and overwhelmingly optimistic. Its okay to vent and complain, but players and their friends and family see these posts on social media and everywhere. I've seen players' mothers publicly complain on social media about it. These guys bust their *** all week long dealing with obnoxious pompous professors while also trying to meet the demands of a 50 hour week dedicated to football and strength & conditioning. We of all people know our players are on the small, less traveled, more difficult road, dealing with all kinds of constraints and demands that 95% of other schools don't put on them.

Hallelujah, holy ****, where's the Tylenol...

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[ATL1]

He is really going to have to hit the weight room and pray then, 6'2" 190 is TINY for a OLB. I know Coach Woody has said he values speed over size but he's going to be destroyed at that size. I could see corner or safety maybe, but OLB I'm not sure. Maybe coach misspoke.

I think a lot of players will be cross trained. Specifically olb’s/safeties & maybe perhaps DE’s/Olb’s. Inside & outside linebackers may get crosstrained too.

 

[Sideways]

In CPJs presser, he said that he had moved to OLB.

Thank you. He can play a lot of positions.

 

[tech_wreck47]

He is really going to have to hit the weight room and pray then, 6'2" 190 is TINY for a OLB. I know Coach Woody has said he values speed over size but he's going to be destroyed at that size. I could see corner or safety maybe, but OLB I'm not sure. Maybe coach misspoke.

He said he’s working at OLB and safety. I would assume OLB would be on 3rd and long passing downs for his coverage skills. I would assume OLB is to help him get use to it and see if he can play it but they will definitely add weight on him if they permanently put him there. I think they are just seeing if he has the ability to read plays from the LB spot and then thy can go from there on wether to keep him at OLB or safer and if he should add much weight or not.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I think we are going to struggle to fit that OLB spot.

 

[JacketFromUGA]

 

[jgtengineer]

He said he’s working at OLB and safety. I would assume OLB would be on 3rd and long passing downs for his coverage skills. I would assume OLB is to help him get use to it and see if he can play it but they will definitely add weight on him if they permanently put him there. I think they are just seeing if he has the ability to read plays from the LB spot and then thy can go from there on wether to keep him at OLB or safer and if he should add much weight or not.

You are probably right. the nickle package ofr this defense is probably the same alignment as the base package but you swap out an outside backer for more of a safety type

 

[SidewalkJacket]

I think we are going to struggle to fit that OLB spot.

I'm more optimistic, b/c I actually think we've recruited several guys in the past couple years who are big, rangy DBs who may not have the quickness and speed to be great in coverage, but could muscle up and be really good OLBs in this scheme. Glass half full, I guess. But I usually am in the spring...

 

[Dottie1145]

He is really going to have to hit the weight room and pray then, 6'2" 190 is TINY for a OLB. I know Coach Woody has said he values speed over size but he's going to be destroyed at that size. I could see corner or safety maybe, but OLB I'm not sure. Maybe coach misspoke.

I’m sure he’ll bulk up before he steps foot on Grant field.

 

[takethepoints]

On Thomas to OLB:

One of my favorite Tech players of all time was Mackel Harris, all 6' 190lbs of him. He played inside linebacker and was quite successful at it. Why, you might well ask? Wasn't he pushed around by the OLs?

Well, he would have been if they could catch him. Because the one thing I left out above is that Mackel ran the 40 in 4.45. Needless to say, he had no problem with pass coverage. The keen thing, however, would be to watch him take a long outside loop around opposing OLs then close in on the runner from behind to hold them to a short gain or a lose. He was so fast it was breathtaking.

Maybe Thomas will be the same kind of player for us. We could use someone like that these days.