Inside The Chart: Single-Minded

Single-Minded: Eric Singleton, Jr. can run away from defenses, but he doesn’t run away from the scrutiny. And with defenses desperately trying to take away the deep ball from Georgia Tech, the sophomore has shown he’s more than just a home run threat.

By Andy Demetra (The Voice of the Yellow Jackets) | Inside The Chart

All around him, Eric Singleton, Jr. sees reps.

Turning down the sidewalk on his way to class? That’s a chance to get better.

Maneuvering around the couch on his way to the kitchen? A chance to get better.

There’s no such thing as a trivial stroll in the wide receiver’s mind. So if you see Singleton around Atlanta, leisurely headed from Point A to Point B, look a little closer. There’s a good chance he’s working on routes while en route.

“I practice my technique when I’m walking around,” Singleton said. “Around corners, breakdowns for no reason, practicing releases for no reason around the house. That’s always what I do because I want to constantly get better.”

After a debut season in which he finished second in the voting for ACC Rookie of the Year, Singleton knew the attention from defenses would increase. The scrutiny from the outside would intensify. And he didn’t want to waste a step – literally – in getting ready for it.

Defenses may still be playing stubborn umbrella coverage against Georgia Tech, all aimed at limiting the Yellow Jackets’ big-play ability. But thanks in part to that obsessive drill work, Singleton, Tech’s blindingly fast sophomore, has still found ways to be effective.

“His development as a true receiver, it’s been great to see, to watch the chemistry he has with the quarterback, the way he affects others around him, his work ethic,” said head coach Brent Key. Despite a fluctuating situation at quarterback against Virginia Tech, his 90 receiving yards were his second most of the season.

That development allowed Singleton to join one of his childhood favorites earlier this year. Against Louisville on September 21, the Douglasville, Ga., native became the second-fastest player in Tech history to reach 1,000 receiving yards, accomplishing it in his 17^th-career game. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson did it faster (14 games).

Long before he knew he’d be a Yellow Jacket, Singleton said he loved watching Johnson play for the Detroit Lions.

“That’s always a person I’ve been looking up to since I was younger. I’ve always been watching ‘Megatron.’ It’s just a blessing to have my name mentioned with his,” Singleton said.

When kids look for a role model, they often find someone who resembles their body type or playing style. So how did a 5-foot-11, 190-pound wideout like Singleton gravitate toward a goliath like Johnson?

“Not too many people could guard him. He was making plays, going up on top of people. They had to double-team him a lot. I thought that was cool,” he smiled.

Then again, the admiration may not be all that surprising – like Johnson, Singleton has had a knack for playmaking his whole career. He scored a touchdown on the very first touch of his first football game as a five-year-old.

“[In] Little League, whoever is getting the ball, they were at quarterback for that play. So I got the ball, ran to the outside, and I outran everybody. I didn’t really know too much back then, but I still knew I had to get to the end zone,” Singleton recalled.

Fast forward a dozen years, and Singleton’s speed helped him find the end zone early at Georgia Tech. His 59.5 receiving yards per game last year was the fourth-highest among freshmen nationally. He led the Yellow Jackets in receptions (48), receiving yards (714) and receiving touchdowns (6). He also fulfilled his two-sport ambitions in the spring, running track for the Jackets and earning second-team all-ACC honors in the outdoor 200-meter dash.

As flashy as his numbers were, Singleton knew he had a long way to go to become a well-rounded receiver. Despite juggling both sports in the spring, he was never concerned that running track would slow his development as a wideout. The man who wears No. 2 has taken a “por qué no los dos?” philosophy toward his two-sport career.   

“Ever since I was younger, I’ve been doing football and track at the same time. It’s never been an issue with me,” said Singleton, whose uncle, Vince Johnson, is a longtime jumps coach with stops at Alcorn State, Kansas State and Nebraska. In addition to chasing down Johnson’s records, he also has his eye on another mark: the Georgia Tech record in the 100-meter dash, held by Jeff Larkin since 1982 with a time of 10.24. Singleton ran a season-best 10.32 last Spring and has already called his shot that it will go down this year.

But first there’s the matter of football, where his coaches have also seen him on the right track.

“I think he’s grown so much as a receiver, but also so much emotionally. Being able to have a drop, be able to put it behind him, move on to the next one, then make a big play later on down the road,” Key said.

He can still be a one-man panic attack for opposing secondaries on deep balls – witness his 57-yard catch in double coverage against Virginia Tech – but wide receivers coach Trent McKnight says Singleton has contributed more of the consistent, all-field plays that are critical to him becoming a complete receiver. He’s also become a force in Georgia Tech’s perimeter blocking.

That may seem like it plays against reputation – a warp speed, catch-me-if-you-can deep threat laying down physical blocks? – but McKnight says Singleton has bought in.

“On a good day, you’ll get seven, eight catches, [but] you’re out there for 50, 60 other plays. What are you doing to help the team out?” he explained.

“I always say the best teams have the best perimeter blockers. From Buster to Coach Key to myself, we’ve preached that as a group, and our guys have really taken ownership.”

He’ll try to stay effective this Saturday when Georgia Tech faces No. 4 Miami at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (Noon ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network). In addition to boasting the nation’s highest scoring offense, the Hurricanes rank seventh nationally with 13 interceptions.

He’s already proven he can run away from a defense.

Eric Singleton, Jr. doesn’t run away from a challenge, either.

Said McKnight, in a statement that could elicit both dread from opponents and excitement from Tech fans: “He’s got a really bright future of doing things that we haven’t even seen yet.”

But not before you see him practicing his technique on a random sidewalk first.

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