Recent years have shown just how valuable a walk-on turn scholarship player can be; just a few seasons ago, for example, we saw Robbie Godhigh transform before our very eyes into a key starter for the Jackets at A-Back. With that in mind, it is always refreshing to see walk-on players earn one of the valuable athletic scholarships that Paul Johnson hands out to so few, and three players have done just that in time for the season: Sam McNearny, Joshua Rogers, and Adrian Gardner. It's really nice to hear how hard they worked to finally earn a scholarship (and hopefully a chance at playing a few more snaps) and for Paul Johnson to give them that opportunity is great. I really recommend reading the above article if you have a chance.
It's only Monday and we are already talking about 2014 being a make-or-break season for Paul Johnson! If you follow Georgia Tech all, you should obviously know that this has been one of the biggest discussions of the past few years; part of the fanbase is optimistic about the future under Paul Johnson while others are waiting for the coach to pack his things and get off the Flats. There are plenty of valid points to support both perspectives -- one one hand, CPJ has taken the Jackets to six straight bowl berths, but on the other hand, he has failed to have a true breakout season in six tries to this point. The only thing that we can say with any hint of certainty in this regard is that Paul Johnson's time is running out to win big; the AD that brought him on is gone and the fans are growing restless.
Former Yellow Jacket golfer Cameron Tringale taught us all a lesson about honesty on Saturday when he requested to be disqualified from the PGA Championship following an accidental scorecard error. The error likely wouldn't have been noticed by PGA officials had Tringale not self-reported it, but he did it nonetheless, walking away from over $50,000 in the process. That bit of honesty is surely appreciated by the PGA, just as it is by all fans of golf and Georgia Tech across the nation.
The 2014 preseason AP Poll was released recently, and the ACC picked up where it left off last season by occupying the top spot in the form of Florida State. Clemson and UNC are the only other ACC representatives in the poll, occupying the 16th and 23rd spots respectively. AP tends to get it right when it comes to college football (except for that preseason No. 1 USC team that Tech beat in the Sun Bowl), and I really don't have any problems with any of the rankings. If I had to get really nitpicky about it, I'd argue a few teams like Mizzou and K-State belong outside the top 25, but I'll just overlook it. For now.
Is 2014 a make-or-break season for Paul Johnson? Has this dead horse been beaten enough already? Are you just ready for football season to start?
Have a great Monday!