July 21, 2011
Who is the fastest player on the Georgia Tech football team? The strongest? OK, who is the best singer?
We asked the people who should know the answers to these questions and more – the players. Every returning Yellow Jacket took part in this preseason poll.
You might find some of the answers surprising.
You might find senior wide receiver Tyler Melton’s comments downright funny.
Here’s the results of the team pre-season survey:
Best Leader: Roddy Jones was the clear winner of this category and it should come as no surprise. The senior A-back has started 39 career games, he has demonstrated leadership qualities his entire career, and is respected by everyone in the locker room.
Melton: “Roddy Jones is going to be the 45th president of the United States. Right now he’s `Mr. Georgia Tech,’ but he could definitely be the next president.
Most Likely To Make A 4.0 GPA: The most telling part of this question is that 20 different Yellow Jackets received votes. That’s a large group of pretty smart guys. In the end, sophomore guard Will Jackson edged out Jones for the honor.
Most Likely To Surprise In 2011: Junior quarterback Tevin Washington’s winning margin in this category was by the slimmest of margins, in part because some of his teammates felt Washington proved late last season he is very capable under center. Washington nipped r-Fr. RB Tony Zenon, Jr. DB Jemea Thomas, r-Fr. RB Charles Perkins, So. LB Jeremiah Attaochu, r-Fr. QB Synjyn Days and others.
Melton: “Tony Zenon is going to be really good. I thought it would be him or Louis Young. The stuff he (Zenon) does on the field is like a video game, he’s so creative.”
Most Athletic: The overwhelming choice of his teammates was Jemea Thomas, who redshirted last season after playing as a true freshman in 2009. So. LB Brandon Watts and Jr. WR Stephen Hill were next in the voting.
Melton: “Jemea doesn’t have any bones in his body. He’s pure muscle.”
Fastest: Senior A-back Embry Peeples literally ran away with the title of the fastest player on the team. He’s shown that speed at times as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Zenon, Watts, Hill, Thomas, B.J. Bostic and Marcus Wright also got some consideration.
Pound-For-Pound, The Strongest: The choice of Jr. LB Julian Burnett was an easy winner in this category. Strength and conditioning coordinator Neal Peduzzi has praised Burnett’s effort in the weight room.
Melton: “Julian eats small animals for breakfast. Small, cute animals.”
Hardest Worker: The good news here is that 27 different players received votes for this honor. In the end, it was Burnett who claimed the title, but just barely. Sr. CB Michael Peterson, Washington, LB Daniel Drummond, Sr. DE Jason Peters, Jones and Young were all close behind.
Most Likely To Be An NFL Star: Jeremiah Attaochu, the sophomore linebacker, emerged as the favorite to star on Sundays in the future. A number of players received votes, which we can only hope is good news for the Jackets.
Melton: “I can understand Attaochu winning. I can see him playing in the NFL, becoming a philanthropist and giving away half his paycheck because he’s such a nice guy.”
Best Singer: Senior linebacker Steven Sylvester ran away with the title of best singer. And this one wasn’t close. If Sylvester can continue to make strides on the field, others will be singing his praises.
Melton: “Steven is going to win American Idol one day.”
Best Dancer: Only those with access to the locker room have seen Louis Young dance, but apparently the sophomore cornerback has some talent. He beat out Sylvester and r-Fr. DE Anthony Williams for the crown of best dancer.
Melton: “I fully expect him, after an interception, to break into a break dance right on the field.”
Could Play For Tech’s Basketball Team: Junior wide receiver Stephen Hill ran away with this honor and he couldn’t agree more (he voted for himself). Emmanuel Dieke (“Too Tall”), Fred Holton and several others received votes, but Hill has real game. For now, though, he’ll focus on catching passes instead of slam dunks.
Best At Video Games: There isn’t another category where a player voted for himself more frequently. Junior linebacker Malcolm Munroe got the most votes, finishing ahead of r-Fr. Deon Hill, Cory Pritchett and T.J. Barnes.
Melton: “Malcolm is the self-proclaimed best player in the world. There’s some controversy here, however, because I’ve heard that he has lost a few times to teammates.”
