Oct. 21, 2004
If you could open and run any kind of restaurant, what kind of food would you serve and where?
It would be soul food. A soul food restaurant in Miami. Miami is a great place to visit and I like being right off the water. Soul food is my favorite food. Collard greens, chitlins, everything, cornbread.
If you were elected to be the President of the U.S. tomorrow, what would be your first act?
My first act would be that everyone would have a right to go to college to get a proper education. I would see that everyone would have sufficient funds so they could go to college. College would be paid for.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
Most people probably don’t know that I have a daughter named Jada. She is nine months old.
What would be your ultimate Sports Center highlight?
My ultimate Sports Center highlight would be catching the game-winning touchdown against Georgia.
If you could communicate with any type of animal, which would you pick?
I would probably pick a lion because they are the kings of the jungle. They pretty much took it over. That would be my only competition.
If you had to exchange wardrobes with someone on the team, whose clothes would you want?
It would have to be Leon Robinson because the clothes he has I haven’t seen in the stores anywhere. It seems like he keeps all his clothes from middle school until now.
Whose clothes would you not want?
Coop’s [George Cooper]. Too many colors for me. The guy has green and yellow shoes and orange shorts.
Tell about one visible scar…
My most visible scar was when I had surgery on my broken ankle. It was about a year ago when I broke my ankle in spring ball.
If you could relive any single family outing in your life what would it be?
I think it would be with my dad. My dad past away my senior year of high school and every year we always drove from Texas to Detroit. I always looked forward to that. It was just being in the car, a road trip. It was fun all the time.
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?
I would have sideline seats for the Detroit Lions, especially when they were against the Atlanta Falcons. I have got to have my man Darius Williams by my side because he loves the Falcons. It would just be me and him going at it the whole game. I am actually from Detroit. I was actually born and raised in Detroit. I didn’t move to Texas until I was sixteen years old.
What are your professional teams then since you lived in Detroit and in Texas?
I like the Lions. I was always a Barry Sanders fan, but my heart is with the Steelers though. I always loved the Steelers and the smash mouth football, Jerome Bettis, everything. Ever since I was little, I just liked smash mouth football.
What is the nicest compliment that you have received?
That I have a nice smile. A lot of people tell me that.
When your Tech days are over, how would you like to be remembered?
Just as a hard-nosed football player. A guy that wasn’t selfish and came out and gave it his all.
Who has had the greatest influence on your athletic career?
The greatest influence would have to be Eddie Lee Ivery. There were some times when I was down and he always picked me up and left a positive note. Through all my injuries I have been through, he always encouraged me to bounce back.
When I was a youth growing up, I pretended to be like…
I pretended to be like Barry Sanders. I dreamed of being like him.
If you were forced to give up all of your possessions but one, what would it be?
My cell phone so I could stay in contact with every one.
What is your best non-athletic talent?
My best non-athletic talent is probably video games, especially John Madden Football. You can ask Darius Williams and Key Fox about that one. I have many wins against them. Chris Woods beat me pretty badly in Madden. Really I just play with Darius Williams and Key Fox when he is in town. I already put myself in the game and I am 100 on the game.
What one thing makes you smile?
One thing that makes me smile is seeing someone else smile or me making someone else smile. I love to put a smile on others faces.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from being a college athlete?
You have to take the good with the bad; everything is not always going to go your way. It’s the same way in life. There are many ups and downs and you have to go through the bad times to recognize what the good times are.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Just listen to music to get me calm. I always listen to music to calm me down. Tupac Shakur’s `Me Against the World.’
What is the best thing about being a college athlete at Tech?
The city of Atlanta and our fans.
What has been the most memorable game that you have been a part of?
It would have to be this year’s Clemson game. That was just incredible. Every second counted. From beginning to end, it was just an awesome game.
If you could have the largest collection of one thing, what would it be?
Money. All the money in the world. All the different types of money. That would be my ultimate collection.
What is your all-time favorite meal?
My all-time favorite meal would have to be chicken; fried chicken. My mom’s fried chicken, corn and a tall glass of Kool-Aid.
If you were a pro wrestler what would your name be?
The Digler. I would probably do the power bomb. I used to be a Hulkamaniac when I was little. I used to come in and wrestle my little brother. Tear off my shirt. I had it all down pat.
What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up?
My favorite Halloween costume was pretty much just the `Jason’ mask.
If you could make one thing come true for a friend what would it be and for whom?
It would have to be my God-brother. He always wanted to play college football at the D-I level. In high school both of his shoulders got completely messed up and I would like to make that wish come true so he could live his dream.
What team would you add to the schedule?
It would have to be the University of Texas. A lot of my teammates I played high school ball with wanted me to go to Texas real bad. They always joked around with me about coming here so I would definitely want to put them on the schedule.
Name a professor that has had an impact on you here at Tech:
A professor that had an impact on me would have to be Professor Lukens. He is a professor of finance. I thought it was going to be a hard class, but he was so laid back and he made it interesting.
You were recruited as a tailback and switched to fullback. How did you handle the transition to a position that doesn’t receive a whole bunch of credit like tailback?
The whole thing, what it comes down, to is winning. If I do real well, we win the ballgame. The bowl game is my reward, getting the gifts and everything. I love putting a smile on our fans faces. It pretty much boils down to winning and that’s what makes me happy.
What advice would you have for the younger guys on the team who are just starting out?
Just to work hard. Hard work and dedication pays off. Not everything is going to go your way. Your position might be changed, you could get hurt, but you have to keep a positive mindset. Everything will work out for the best.
