Technical Tidbits 4/15

Yesterday saw Atlanta's sports teams sweep the "Player of the Week" award. Justin Upton took home the honor for his hot hitting with the Braves, Jeff Teague for his great play of late for the Hawks, and most importantly....

...Georgia Tech's freshman Connor Justus took home ACC Player of the Week honors for his dominant hitting in ACC play this year. In the weekend series versus Florida State alone, Justus batted .444 with 3 RBI's and 3 runs scored against some of the ACC's premier pitchers. Justus, who took over at shortstop earlier this season so that senior captain Mott Hyde could get playing time at second base while he worked out his early season hitting woes, has become one of many freshmen to make a big contribution to the young Yellow Jacket team this year.

After a phenomenal showing at Georgia Tech's Pro Day, former linebacker Brandon Watts is beginning to get a lot more attention as the NFL draft approaches. Paul Johnson was even quoted as saying "Brandon's a really good athlete. He's a fast guy." There are at least two compliments in that statement (which might be a new career high for CPJ) and I'd feel pretty warm and fuzzy if I were Brandon Watts after hearing that. Watts finished the 2013 season with 2.5 sacks, an interception, and 66 total tackles after playing in all but one game this season (missed the Alabama A&M game due to injury) and is by far one of the most athletic linebackers in the upcoming draft. He is currently the 49th rated prospect at linebacker in the nation.

This week is going to be an eventful one for the Yellow Jacket football team and fans alike. The annual "Friday Night at the Flats" event at Bobby Dodd Stadium is set to take place this Friday (April 18th) and will include the spring game, a pregame concert, and fireworks directly afterwards. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 PM and all festivities are free (season ticket holders receive additional discounts and other perks). The weather should be sunny and comfortable all day Friday, so be sure to come get an early look at the Jackets!

Safety Jamal Golden is excited to get back to football after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury against North Carolina last season, and he is letting people know about it in a recent interview. Golden was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA and now has two seasons left as a Yellow Jacket. He compiled twelve total tackles in three games last year before his injury and in 2012 Golden was considered to be one of the most dangerous return men in the nation while also posting solid defensive statistics.

Finally, let's send out a huge congratulations to former Georgia Tech guard Ty Marshall who was taken with the second pick in the second round (14th overall) of yesterday's WNBA draft by the New York Liberty! Marshall finished her career at Tech as the number one scorer in school history with a grand total of 2,129 points, second place in steals with 282, and fourth in career rebounds with 850. Her list of accomplishments, awards, and honors is simply too long for me to include in this post, but you can take a look for yourself here (I highly recommend it, what an impressive list!). We all wish Ty the best of luck in her WNBA career and congratulate her on a simply amazing career at Tech!

Grateful to join the New York Liberty franchise! This feeling is unbelievable right now!!

— Ty Marshall (@TyMarshall_15) April 15, 2014

Have a fantastic Tuesday and Go Jackets!