Dec. 13, 2007
I’m not sure what you’ve been up to since I last visited with you via The Good Word two weeks ago. Me? I’ve been a little busy! Haven’t had much time for Christmas shopping. Seriously, as we approach the holiday season, all of us at Georgia Tech should feel a sense of pride and excitement with the addition of Paul Johnson as our new head football coach. I am delighted to welcome Paul, his wife Susan and daughter Kaitlyn to our Yellow Jacket family.
Today’s edition of the Good Word may be somewhat abbreviated, but important nonetheless. Coach Johnson is up and running in his new role, spending much of his time assembling his coaching staff and visiting with recruits. In the meantime, I appreciate the hard work and dedication of Jon Tenuta and our coaching staff as they prepare our 2007 team for its appearance in the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise. We will be taking on FresnoState December 31st at 2 p.m. EST….on the famous blue field.
The team and our official party will depart for Boise on the 27th for what promises to be a rewarding bowl experience. Those Yellow Jackets that were around for our previous appearance in Boise reported a fun and unique experience, not to mention a resounding victory on the field. They are all recommending an extra pair on long johns for the trip, however.
You won’t need long johns inside the Alexander Memorial Coliseum over the holidays because the basketball is going to be red hot. Our men’s team takes on Kansas in a highly-anticipated game next Tuesday at 7 p.m. They follow that up with home games against Centenary (12/22), Tennessee Tech (12/27) and their ACC opener vs. Florida State (12/30). The women, off to a 7-1 start, host the annual Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center Holiday Invitational on Dec. 29 and 30.
Throughout the holidays keep up with Georgia Tech events, news, notes and video on our newly-designed Ramblinwreck.com web site. Much good work has gone into this effort and it will continue to expand and improve in an effort to give you the most comprehensive multi-media coverage you can find. As always, your feedback is appreciated.
Before I finish with some Georgia Tech briefs, let me personally wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season and a happy new year. The Good Word will resume on Thursday January 10th.
George Morris
As I said on Monday, when learning the sad news that George Morris had passed away, Georgia Tech lost a part of its heart and soul. He represented everything that is good about Georgia Tech football. The pride that he felt in the Institute and its athletic program saw no bounds. The pride we all feel in return for George and what he stood for as a Yellow Jacket and a human being can not be measured. We have truly lost one of the great ones.
George was a very dear and special friend to me personally. My heart goes out to his wife, Polly, and his entire family. As there was no replacing George on the football field, there is no replacing George as a friend.
One Talented Guy
Durant Brooks earned the prestigious Ray Guy Award last week as the nation’s best punter. It’s only fitting that Brooks won the award. After all his punting average is higher than the collegiate stats put up by Ray Guy himself. Brooks also has the highest career average in the history of the ACC. Brooks is just the third Yellow Jacket football player to win a national individual award, joining Joe Hamilton (1999 Davey O’Brien) and Calvin Johnson (2006 Biletnikoff).
Yellow Jackets Off To Flying Start
The women’s basketball team is off to an exceptional 7-1 start and Janie Mitchell was named the ACC Player of the Week last week. Now MaChelle Joseph’s team faces an unusual road trip. They will play at SEC foe MississippiState on Sunday, then travel to the town of Itta Bena to play MississippiValleyState on Tuesday.
Big-Time Hoops
Tuesday night’s basketball game vs. 3rd-ranked Kansas should be a great atmosphere. The Jayhawks, 9-0, are the highest-ranked non-ACC team to come to Alexander Memorial Coliseum since 1989. A national television audience (ESPN) will be watching.
Boise Notebook
As the football team prepares for the Dec. 31 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, here’s a few facts you can use to impress your friends:
– The average weather for Dec. 31 in Boise is 35 degrees and clear, with no precipitation. Maybe, but it sure looked much colder last year when I watched the game on TV. And keep in mind that some of our players have never seen snow.
– The Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl derives its name from the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, which is located in Boise. Roady’s is the bowl sponsor.
– You’ve probably seen a very good FresnoState team play on television this year. It’s a tradition at Fresno to wear a green “V” on its otherwise red helmets. The reason? It represents the school’s pride in California’s San JoaquinValley.
