Monday Musings: Let Us Give Thanks

I figure everyone else will do enough Hate Week coverage, so let’s do a little bit of the opposite. Let’s get in the spirit of the season and give thanks for all we have.

Let us give thanks for Wesley Wells, possibly the greatest midseason find ever. This kid has been incredible ever since he burst onto the scene against Bowling Green. Oh and by incredible, I mean he hasn’t missed a kick yet. 8/8 on FG, 35/35 on PAT. Pretty awesome for a freshman walk-on. People have knocked him saying “oh well Paul just doesn’t let him kick the hard ones he can’t make”. Well buddy,,, that theory has been put to rest now. Our boy Angel (Wesley Wells -> double W’s -> superheros have alliteration in their names -> Warren Worthington -> Angel. I dunno, still working on it.) hit two absolutely CLUTCH kicks from 48 and 40 to give us the win last Saturday. Someone please give this kid a scholarship.

Let us give thanks for Pressley Harvin III, aka my guilty pleasure favorite player on this team. This game was looking rough until Pressley booted a 57 yard punt to the one yard line, leading to a safety two plays later. Obviously huge credit to the defense, but it all starts with Pressley and his cannon of a leg. It’s been awesome having such a big field position weapon, especially when considering how mediocre our punting was before he arrived.

Let us give thanks for Juanyeh Thomas (@BenTankersley HYPE TRAIN), the absolute MAN. This dude is 6’3” of pure athleticism. I was actually breathless watching him run that kick back; the way he moved and accelerated was incredible. His future on the Flats is beyond exciting.

Let us give thanks for not beating ourselves. I said it after the Miami game and I’ll say it again. We lose this game earlier this season or last year. This is now two tight games in a row that this new team has held on to win. I don’t think that’s ever happened in my recent memory. Sure, Virginia made a couple bad play calls at the end, but it doesn’t matter. They held on when they needed to. I’ve suffered through too many seasons where that hasn’t been the case, so I will continue to praise it whenever I see it.

Let us give thanks for our seniors. TaQuon Marshall has come back after his midseason energy with a different, more poised look about him. He is a big reason we won this game, and has been the deciding factor in a couple more of our wins this year. Qua Searcy, probably my favorite of the seniors, has been so fun to watch over the years. He always plays his heart out and always comes up with a clutch run or catch when we need it the most. Qua is also responsible for one of the most memorable plays of all time in Athens two years ago, and for that he will always be a Tech legend. Brad Stewart was the #2 guy behind Ricky Jeune for most of his time here but much like Qua, he always came in clutch when we needed him the most (look no further than his ICY double move catch on Saturday). CPJ said last week “I wish we could have a whole team of Brad Stewarts”, and I’m not sure there’s much higher praise to be had than that. The guy was Mr. Dependable throughout his time here. There’s not enough time to talk about every senior but guys like Clinton Lynch, Kyle Cerge-Henderson, Anree Saint-Amour, and many others will be missed.

Let us give thanks for hope and change. Starting 1-3 and finishing with at least 7 wins is a heck of an accomplishment. No matter what happens in Athens on Saturday I think this season will be a success and a turning point for the program. We came back from the brink of the abyss to put together a fun and exciting year; at the end of the day, what more could you hope for?

Let us give thanks for Tobias Oliver, the best backup in the country since Tua. Make no mistake, Tobias was huge this season. When the offense needed a spark or when our starting QB went down with an injury, Tobias stepped right in and led a scary good variation of the offense. He’s amassed 800 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground with another 166 and 2 through the air. We’re probably a couple wins shy of a bowl game without him, plain and simple. Next year should be fun with him and a healthy Lucas Johnson competing.

Let us give thanks for a bowl game. We’ve learned in recent years that a bowl isn’t guaranteed, and I for one am ready to begin a new streak. Now let’s do our part: show up and be loud.

Let us give thanks for Adidas. Seriously, we went from probably the worst uniforms in the country to maybe some of the best. This is only the beginning too. Once we start getting special throwbacks, ice-outs, and limited editions its over. I’m so excited for the future. I’m probably gonna buy myself one of the white jerseys for Christmas (#TreatYoSelf), so if you’d like to donate to the fund, my Venmo is open.

Let us give thanks for Todd Stansbury. The man who brought us Adidas has done so much more for the program and the school. You can feel the new energy surrounding the program and it is all due to this man.

Let us give thanks that we are the best school in the country. It’s tough to put into words how much pride I have for Tech as an alum, but I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to have gone anywhere else. No matter how hard it is, no matter how much effort it takes, no matter how bad the football team can be, I will forever be grateful to Tech for everything.

Happy Thanksgiving y’all. Welcome to hate week. See you on the other side.