Nov. 3, 2004
If you could open and run any kind of restaurant, what kind of food would you serve and where?
I would serve seafood. I would serve it in Buckhead. I would serve seafood, mainly shrimp, in Buckhead because that place stays live all the time. To me, I love Pappadeaux’s. I would open up a chain of Pappadeaux’s down in Jacksonville. Jacksonville has the Super Bowl coming; I would open it up just for that week. Pappadeaux’s gives you more food and everything. I have been to every seafood place in Jacksonville. I have tried to get to all of them here in Atlanta, the big named ones and the small ones. Pappadeaux’s is the best.
If you were elected to be the President of the U.S. tomorrow, what would be your first act?
My first act would be to try to find a way to get more people employed. I get tired of seeing homeless people on the streets. I would try to get a program in place to get them to help themselves.
What would be your ultimate Sports Center highlight?
Drop back in coverage at defensive end. Start in a three-point stance, drop back in coverage and catch an interception. I would take it the whole eighty or so yards for the touchdown. That would be my ultimate highlight. It would have to be against Florida State.
If you could communicate with any type of animal, which would you pick?
It would have to be a squirrel. They go around and do everything. They are wild. I always wanted to have one as a pet. They don’t seem that intelligent, but it would be nice to talk to them and communicate with them.
If you had to exchange wardrobes with someone on the team, whose clothes would you want?
Xavier McGuire. He is my roommate. He always complains that he doesn’t have any clothes, but he comes out with something no one has ever seen. He comes into my closet and my roommates’ closets and tries to wear all of our clothes, but he’s got clothes galore.
Whose clothes would you not want?
Brad Honeycutt. Brad just has this attitude of `whatever’. The whole O-line has their own style with their little short shirts that just go to the waist. They have shorts that are all torn up and shoes that they have had for the past four or five years. I just wouldn’t want Brad’s clothes.
Tell about one visible scar…
I got a scar under my eye. This happened when I was four or five. I was outside playing with my brother who is six years older than me. We were outside playing and he picked up a brick. He yelled, `think fast!’ He had already thrown it. I just remember seeing this rock and then blacking out. Next thing I know, I woke up in the yard with a big gash under my eye.
If you could relive any single family outing in your life what would it be?
Going fishing with my dad when I was younger. He had this little boat and he took all us boys and left mom at home. We used to go deep-sea fishing with dad and my two brothers.
If you could have season tickets for any team, sitting in any place in the stadium, which team would it be and where would you sit?
Buffalo Bills right there at the fifty-yard line. I had a cousin that played for the Bills back in the day. Before that I was still a Bills fan. He played for them back in ’94. Jacksonville came around late and even though they are doing well right now, I always was a Buffalo Bills fan. So I have to stay true to my team.
What is the nicest compliment that you have received?
One night at Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles, this waitress came up to me and said, `has anyone ever told you that you are gorgeous?’ I think that was the best one.
When your Tech days are over, how would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as one of the guys who could make you laugh on the team and cut hair. I want to be remembered as someone who went out there and did what he needed to do and kept a positive attitude about everything.
Whose hair do you cut?
P.J.’s…I could go down the line. It’s like twenty guys on the team. I have cut Reggie’s before, but he doesn’t want a haircut. I think he’s trying to grow it out. I think he is trying to look like Mike Vick.
Who has had the greatest influence on your athletic career?
It would have to be my cousin, the one who played for the Bills. He told me to do as good as I could do. He told me that I had the ability to go to college. He used to weight train with me, run with me. He was a defensive tackle.
If you could teach any subject/thing, what would it be?
It would be sex education. I think a lot of people take that for granted. They think sex is something that is not suppose to be talked about, but today with everything that is going around, people need to be informed of what it can do to you. I think sex is a big issue today. I had a sex ed class in middle school but I think it should be all the way through high school and college.
When I was a youth growing up, I pretended to be like…
I tried to be like Superman. I dislocated my arm one time trying to be like Superman. I was standing on top of a bucket and when I went to jump off, the bucket slipped and I fell on my arm and dislocated it.
You are an athletic guy, what sport are you not any good at?
Putt putt. I can’t stand that stuff. My girlfriend beat me at putt putt golf and I was so mad. It is frustrating. I can’t play that at all. I will stay away from that.
What one thing makes you smile?
A lot of things make me smile, but seeing somebody fall makes me smile. I’m going to see if you are doing all right, but after that I’m going to smile and probably laugh.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from being a college athlete?
Just to work hard. In five years you won’t be here and to get through Tech, you have to work hard.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
I listen to my music. I like to get crunk and stretch.
What has been the most memorable game that you have been a part of?
It would have to be the Clemson game this year. It was a pretty intense game so it was pretty memorable.
What won’t you miss about being a college athlete?
I won’t miss getting up early for football meetings and stuff. I like to sleep in.
If you could have the largest collection of one thing, what would it be?
I think it would have to be shoes, probably Air Force One’s. I would want different colors. Shoes are important. Mark [Logan] has got a lot of shoes. Him and Little Freddie [Jonathan Smith] used to exchange shoes and clothes so you never knew whose clothes they were wearing, his, Little Freddie or Tony’s [Hollings]. All of them used to exchange clothes.
What is your all-time favorite meal?
It has got to be fish and grits. Fish and cheese grits. My mom used to make that. It was so good. Gladys Knight has it too. My mom’s is better. I like a big piece of catfish with grits with cheese all over them. It is good.
If you were a pro wrestler what would your name be?
It would probably be Gumby. [Coach Jon] Tenuta gave me that name. It would just be something different.
So why does Coach Tenuta call you Gumby?
Coach calls me that because of the way I play. My legs are everywhere and my arms are everywhere. I guess that’s why he calls me that.
What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up?
G.I. Joe. I was Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe.
If you could make one thing come true for a friend what would it be and for whom?
Reggie Koon. He used to play here and if it were possible I would help him get a relationship back with his mom. He doesn’t talk to his mom. I would make sure that relationship with his mom was still there.
What team would you add to the schedule?
I always wanted to play one of the black colleges. I would want to play Morehouse. Mainly because they talk a lot of junk and I would want to tattoo them real quick and get the respect of the AUC. It would be a nice game. It would be an in town game. It would attract the black college students and us. I would want to play Morehouse.
Name a professor that has had an impact on you here at Tech:
I can’t really name one, because I have three professors that are in my corner, Lloyd Byars, Jan Lukens and Ferdinand Levy. I go by and talk to them all the time. They said if I have any problems getting a job, they would give me a recommendation. I don’t have any classes with them right now unfortunately, but I will next semester.
If you could get a sack on any quarterback in all of college football, whom would you want to sack?
Chris Rix. It would have to be him. He is just too arrogant. It’s good to be confident, but he is just arrogant. It would be nice to hit him and get up and talk some junk to him.
