Georgia Tech Buzz Magazine - Spring 2015

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SPRING 2015

JACKET’S HOOPS IDENTITY IS CLEANING THE GLASS

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In This Issue 4 8 12 16 20

2015

WHAT’S NEXT?

22

WITHOUT A HITCH

CLEANING THE GLASS

30

EIGHTH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT DINNER

Veteran talent, team camaraderie bode well for Yellow Jackets’ football future

Yellow Jackets forging identity with rebounding success

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund hosted the Eighth Annual Scholarship Endowment Dinner, honoring endowment donors and student-athlete scholarship recipients, on January 26, 2015 at McCamish Pavilion.

NOT ON OUR WATCH!

Juniors Roddreka Rogers and Aaliyah Whiteside stepped up when the chips were down

A CHEMICAL REACTION

The chemistry appears to be just right for 2015 Yellow Jackets softball

NEVER REST

Head coach Paul Johnson and his staff signed 27 high school prospects with a minimum of drama

32 35

PHILANTHROPIC PRIORITIES

An update on major facilities projects happening now in Tech athletics

COMPLIANCE CORNER

FAQ on Institutional Control

As he finishes out his last year at Tech, Ollie Schniederjans is on a never-ending quest to improve

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fb FOOTBALL

WHAT’S VETERAN TALENT, TEAM CAMARADERIE BODE WELL FOR YELLOW JACKETS’ FOOTBALL FUTURE

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

S

Stop along Bobby Dodd Way and listen these days, and you will hear something underneath the rumble of traffic along the nearby connector, the laughter of students commuting between residence halls and classes, and the echoes from dozens of headphones connected to iPods.

The sound comes from inside the empty Bobby Dodd Stadium, and the whispers ring clear: “Encore. Encore.”

The 2014 Georgia Tech football team put together the type of season in the Yellow Jacket faithful have been clamoring for since the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference championship run.

The late-season surge included five straight wins to finish the regular season, highlighted by victories over rivals Clemson and the hated Georgia Bulldogs, along with a near miss against Florida

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THE BUZZ

NEXT?

Tech’s late-season surge included five straight wins to finish the regular season, highlighted by victories over rivals Clemson and the hated Georgia Bulldogs, along with a near miss against Florida State in the ACC title game, an Orange Bowl victory against previously top-rated Mississippi State and a final top-10 national ranking.

State in the ACC title game, an Orange Bowl victory against previously top-rated Mississippi State and a final top-10 national ranking. The 11-win season, only the third in school history and the first since the 1990 national championship team, validated the high expectations head coach Paul Johnson established in his early seasons on The Flats and helped earn Johnson a contract extension through 2020.

With 13 starters coming back, including four offensive linemen and mesmerizing starting quarterback Justin Thomas, the Yellow Jackets have the returning cast to answer the encore call.

“Coming off a season like that, we certainly don’t plan on going backward,” said Thomas, the sophomore quarterback. “We got a taste of what it’s like to be ranked among the best in the

country. We’re going to work harder to stay there and move up a bit even.”

Such incremental progress has always been coach Johnson’s expectation for his program, even if his measure doesn’t match that of the fans. Four of his seven teams have won eight or more games, and the Yellow Jackets have played in three ACC title games and won at least a share of the Coastal Division title in four seasons.

Georgia Tech is inarguably a perennial contender for the ACC title.

“The thing you strive for as a program is consistency. We have to keep that going first,” Johnson said. “There is a fine line between winning and losing at this level. We have the program on a solid foundation. We just need to focus on continuing to go in the direction we are going in.”

PROGRAM BUILT ON CAMARADERIE

The solid foundation Johnson speaks of is what makes this offseason different than those that have come before under the veteran coach.

The Yellow Jackets failed to build on the momentum of their last double-digit win season, 2009, in large part due to decisions by four star underclassmen to leave school early for the NFL. While Georgia Tech started strong the next year, the Jackets lacked depth, experience and playmakers and struggled to a losing season after veteran quarterback Joshua Nesbitt was lost to injury.

The program is not in such a fragile state this time around. Every player on the roster is a Johnson recruit, and even the inexperienced have WWW.RAMBLINWRECK.COM

5

followed, we kept working for each other and stayed focus on doing our own job. We never looked at individual goals and worked instead to be stars together.”

EARN THAT ENCORE

The Yellow Jacket stars aligned in late October.

Following back-to-back losses to Duke and North Carolina, Georgia Tech posted four consecutive blowout victories, then outlasted Georgia in one of the wildest finishes in the history of a rivalry that has seen many wild finishes.

Unbeaten Florida State needed a nearly flawless performance from Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston to defeat the Yellow Jackets 37-35 in the ACC title game. Georgia Tech responded by embarrassing Mississippi State, a team ranked atop the polls for five consecutive weeks during the regular season, in the Orange Bowl.

As if the late season run wasn’t enough to spark the team’s enthu-

siasm heading into the offseason, watching the first College Football Playoff left them itching for Labor Day’s arrival. Ohio State’s run from last team into the playoff to national champion reset aspirations.

“Ohio State goes to show that if you are clicking at the right time, you have a chance,” White said.

“Win the conference, get in there, and see what happens.”

Winning the ACC will be a tall order, even for a veteran team like Georgia Tech. Johnson understands every team is different, that whatever it was that brought the 2014 team together could just as soon push the 2015 team apart. Yet the “nucleus” returns, and the Yellow Jackets play what traditionally are their toughest opponents—Virginia Tech and Georgia—at home.

An encore should not be assumed, though. Thomas, the quarterback, insists it be earned.

“The team we had last year had a great season,” he said. “The team we have now hasn’t done anything.

We have to go prove ourselves.” ■

Quarterback Justin Thomas is still just a junior after energizing Tech’s offense last fall.

been in the program for some time, as Johnson red-shirted the majority of his signees as freshmen. Thomas is gradually mastering Johnson’s option offense, showing a knack for when to hand the ball, keep the ball or pitch the ball—and he’s operating behind a veteran line.

And on defense, coordinator Ted Roof has carved out an identity long missing from Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Roof was a member of the famed “Black Watch” defense during his Yellow Jacket playing career in the 1980s, a group notorious for its hard-nosed and opportunistic play.

The second coming of the “Black Watch” forced 29 turnovers last fall and opponents converted on only 46 percent of their third-down plays.

Eight starters return on defense, including the tackles leader (P.J. Davis), sacks leader (Adam Gotsis), interceptions leaders (D.J. White and Jamal Golden), and tackles-for-

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THE BUZZ

loss leader (KeShun Freeman).

“I saw a culture change here in 2014,” said White, a junior cornerback. “There is a selflessness, a commitment to one another. And with so many guys coming back, and seeing what that chemistry produced, it’s only going to grow from here.”

Camaraderie—and quarterback play—were the difference between another good season and a special one in 2014, players say. Teammates grew closer together last offseason, they say. While none could pinpoint what sparked the esprit de corps, all remember when and where the bond was forged: midfield at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium in the moments after a 27-24 win.

“We ran to the middle of the field and were diving on each other and stuff, just celebrating each other,” said Freeman, a freshman linebacker. “Even in the losses that

Interceptions at big moments became the calling card for D.J. White.

MB MEN’S BASKETBALL

The cornerstone of Tech’s philosophy under Brian Gregory is rebounding, and the Jackets are on a school-record pace in that category.

CLEANING THE GLASS

YELLOW JACKETS FORGING IDENTITY WITH REBOUNDING SUCCESS

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

E

Every established college basketball program wants to claim an indelible identity, one the public pins to its jerseys like a badge and reads things like “Talent Factory” (Duke) or “Showtime” (Kentucky) or “Zoned Out” (Syracuse) or “Bangers and Bruisers” (take your pick of Big 10 and Big East teams).

Georgia Tech’s long-time nom de guerre, Point Guard U., no longer applies. Yet fourthyear coach Brian Gregory has quickly developed a new calling card for the Yellow Jacket program, one built around rebounding.

The Jackets have spent most of this season ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams in

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THE BUZZ

rebounding margin and offensive rebounds and has out-rebounded opponents in all but three games. The low post trio of Charles Mitchell, Demarco Cox and Robert Sampson all rank among the top-20 rebounders in the Atlantic Coast Conference and swingman Marcus Georges-Hunt is among the top backcourt rebounders in the league.

“Rebounding really speaks to our philosophy of giving great effort and valuing each and every possession,” Gregory said. “We don’t get too caught up in it, tracking rebounds per minute or anything like that, but being a good rebounding team speaks to toughness and the

mentality you bring to the game. It does shape our identity as a program.”

Rebounding success reflects many of Gregory’s coaching tenets. Not just effort and toughness, but also discipline, accountability and basketball intelligence. Rebounding is one basketball skill coaches can’t scheme around, while it is at the same time arguably the most impactful skill on the game. Teams that hold opponents to one shot per possession won’t surrender many points, and teams that get second-chance opportunities courtesy of offensive rebounds will score plenty.

Every Yellow Jacket understands that reality,

extent. College newcomers often find themselves pushed under the basket, crowded away from the front and backside of the rim where many misses fall, or trapped between two bigs who divide the lane between them.

“Once you figure out what they’re trying to do and that you need to get that far side of the rim and hold that position, where you can the ball if it bounces toward you or in front of the rim, it all goes back to energy and effort again,” Cox said. “You have to want it.”

DEVELOPING BETTER REBOUNDERS

Gregory instills a desire for rebounding in his team in surprisingly subtle ways.

The Yellow Jackets don’t spend practice time on rebounding drills, incorporating those into individual and small group workouts instead. Players, particularly those in the post, will work on rebounding techniques on their own.

Yet Gregory constantly stresses rebounding and applies a punitive approach to rebounding failure during team practices. Those play-

Mitchell is among the national leaders in offensive rebounds.

and every player on the floor, from the post to the point, takes pride in the team’s growing reputation for board work.

“The biggest challenge we face for rebounds comes in practice, and it’s not just among the bigs,” Mitchell said. “We team rebound.

We do it together.”

ANATOMY OF A REBOUNDER

Rebounding, according to Tech’s Mitchell, starts and ends with effort and energy.

“Some of it is technique and physical makeup, but the bottom line if you just have to go rebound the basketball,” Mitchell said.

“You can be a great rebounder without much technique or height or girth but you can’t be a great rebounder without energy and effort, at least at this level. There are many tall guys out there who would never get a single rebound at one of our practices.”

Rebounding is instinctual, Gregory said. He’s seen many high school players on the recruiting circuit who wouldn’t know a box

out from takeout but will come away with the ball every time it comes off the rim. Coaches teach the basics, he said, but too few reinforce the benefits of the block out, the wedge, and around-therim positioning.

High school and youth coaches focus instead on energy and effort. They run Oklahoma drills, five-on-five box out drills where defenders must hold their positions until the missed shot hits the floor, or War games, where teams score points for rebounds instead of made baskets.

Gregory doesn’t mind—he can teach technique much more easily than he can energy and effort.

“Most of the kids know, they just haven’t done it because they haven’t had to,” he said. “You make it a priority, and all the sudden they’re fundamentally sound.”

The rebounder’s biggest adjustment to the college game is strategic. Opposing players have the strength and savvy to neutralize energy and effort, at least to an

Cox not only has provided a big body in the middle, but often scored in double figures.

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9

ers who miss a block out assignment or a wedge opportunity in a scrimmage are replaced and must complete three block outs or wedges on the side before they can go back in the game.

“It’s a three-for-one deal, which they don’t like, and they hate coming out of the run,” Gregory said. “The feeling is they’d rather just do it right all the time.”

Rebounding fundamentals quickly becomes ingrained as a result, as simple as setting screens and as natural as rotating as a help-side defender. Gregory considers rebounding a vital part of the program mindset.

Given the success, Georgia Tech could soon be widely known around college basketball for rebounding.

Out with the Point Guard U. identity, in with the Window Cleaners. ■

Sampson used his long arms to rank in the ACC top 20 despite more limited minutes.

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THE BUZZ

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WB WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

When head coach MaChelle Joseph’s team needed scoring and leadership in the wake of Sydney Wallace’s injury, Roddreka Rogers (54) and Aaliyah Whiteside (2) came to the rescue.

NOT ON OUR WATCH!

JUNIORS RODDREKA ROGERS AND AALIYAH WHITESIDE STEPPED UP WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN

BY JON COOPER

I

In college sports, senior leadership is a factor upon which every team depends, especially one that has six freshmen on its roster.

But what happens when you lose your lone senior?

That’s what happened to the Georgia Tech women’s basketball at the end of the first half of their Dec. 29 game with Lipscomb University at McCamish Pavilion.

Sydney Wallace, the team’s only senior, was only five seconds removed from a moment of triumph — she’d hit a jumper with five seconds left in the half to become just the 27th Yellow Jacket to score 1,000 career points — when di-

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saster struck. She took a bad fall, and although she’d get up and make it back to the locker room for halftime, her season was over as she’d suffered a severe knee injury.

The obvious overriding feeling around the team was heartbreak for the popular senior guard, who ended her career sixth all-time in program history with 167 three-point field goals — she was two away from tying Carla Munnion for fifth.

At the same time, there was the thought no one wanted to consider but one that had to be dealt with. It was the thought of ‘What now?’ and the realization that Wallace, whose pres-

ence was tied to the team’s success in the ACC and, potentially, the NCAA Tournament, was gone.

With the conference opener at No. 7 Louisville four days away, every player in the Yellow Jackets locker room were sure of one thing — no one was going to feel sorry for them, starting with the Cardinals.

But any pity party would be short-lived.

Two juniors, 6-0 forward Roddreka Rogers and 6-0 guard/forward Aaliyah Whiteside made sure of that. They did what upperclassmen do. They stepped up and led.

“You can see in the stats and the box scores

that they both stepped up,” said head coach MaChelle Joseph.

“Their stats improved, they got more shots and they made more shots. I’m really pleased and proud of the leadership they’ve showed.”

Perhaps even more of a source of pride and more telling about their character was that they didn’t need any prompting from Joseph or any of the staff.

“We just knew we had to do it,” said Rogers, the team’s leader in rebounds, who has averaged near a double-double for the season.

“If we’re not going to do it then who else is going to? We lost our senior, and I felt like Aaliyah and I had to do a better job of stepping up as captains on the team and provide some leadership.”

“I think from freshman year we’ve learned so much, and we’re very close so we kind of challenged each other to be leaders and try to lead the team,” said Whiteside, who not only became a serious second option after Kaela Davis both in the paint and on the perimeter, but also became a banger on the boards and the team’s most effective quarterback at the point.

“We had a young team. We just tried to push everybody every day and each other as well.

“She plays hard every day. She just makes everybody better,” Whiteside added. “We practice against the guys, so that makes us so much better when we play against the girls.”

Rogers was the rock in the paint even before Wallace went down, setting the tone with doubledoubles in each of the season’s first two games. But once she felt the need to step up for Wallace, the Charlotte, N.C., native, who came into the season averaging 4.8 points per game, turned it on offensively. She scored in doublefigures four times in the first five ACC games, turning in doubledoubles in three of those games, including the monster 16-point, 18-rebound game against Clemson on Jan. 4 at McCamish Pavilion. Rogers had scored in double figures once in the previous nine games.

Of course, she continued to pound the boards.

Rogers doesn’t consider herself ferocious. She just believes, rather strongly, that every rebound is hers.

“I try to see it that way,” she said, with a laugh. “My coach, Deja Foster, tells me, ‘Every rebound is yours. Go get it.’ So that’s what I tried to do this year, just focus more on getting my rebounds, knowing where the ball is, whenever it gets ready to drop and then go after it. Don’t give up on anything.”

That is as true in practice as in games.

“Definitely. We actually fought over a few rebounds,” said Whiteside, with a laugh. “We’re just kind of banging in there. I still see the shoulder off the court. She has that build of hers. She just goes out there and kind of bullies people.”

While Rogers spent lots of time bullying opponents — or anyone who wanted one of her rebounds — she still found plenty of time to instruct. She rubbed off positively on the freshmen front-liners, especially forward Zaire O’Neil, who emerged to become a starter and, during ACC season, became a key inside piece for the Jackets.

O’Neil credited Rogers’ influence for her development and traced the junior’s mentoring back to pre-season practices.

“It really helped because it helped me to be better,” she said.

“She pushed on me in practice, did things that opponents did. It made me stronger and made me tougher.”

“I just gave [the freshmen] positive feedback,” said Rogers, who arrived as one of the ACC’s top rebounders and led a Yellow Jackets’ concerted effort to clean the glass — she, O’Neil and Whiteside were 1, 2, and 3 in offensive rebounds on the squad and comprised three of the team’s top four in total rebounds (Davis was also right there). “If they messed up, I wasn’t going to get on them. I was going to be like, ‘You’re good.

You’ve got it for the next possession. You’ll be fine.’ Just positive reinforcement to make them feel okay.”

Whiteside took the call to action as an opportunity to blossom, especially offensively.

The 6-0 guard/forward had showed her commitment to improving during the off-season, putting in extra time in the weight room to bulk up and putting up an estimated 20,000 shots to improve her shot.

Rogers, who has led the team in rebounding all season, believes every missed shot is hers to take.

“I kind of added it up. ‘I have to shoot this amount every day,’” Whiteside recalled. “So I had to shoot almost a thousand every day, to get it where I wanted it.

It was tough, my arms were very sore.”

But what’s that they say about no pain?

Whiteside gained plenty, enough to become a sore spot for opponents. A career 36.2-percent shooter and sub-30-percent shooter from three entering 201415, she was draining shots in the neighborhood of 45 percent and in the high 30s from behind the arc. Over the first seven games following Wallace’s injury, Whiteside averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals, while shooting 46.7 percent and 32.1 from three, mak-

ing at least one three-point field goal in six of the games, including a season-high five straight. She went for at least 17 points in five straight games and even recorded a 17-point, 10-rebound doubledouble at Louisville.

Having success, Whiteside’s confidence grew and allowed her to push, taking the initiative in key spots where she’d normally defer to others.

“I think I was not that aggressive last year and was just kind of looking for other people to make plays,” she said. “But Coach told me I needed to step up and make plays that we need, so I tried to be more aggressive, and my teammates found me as well.”

She returned the favor many times over, passing her singleseason high for assists (42) in her WWW.RAMBLINWRECK.COM

13

16th game as part of a Jan. 4 bonanza at McCamish Pavilion against Clemson, when she set a career-high dishing out seven assists. Over the initial seven games post-Wallace, she had 19 assists vs. 17 turnovers, but 11 of the turnovers came in her first two games.

Over the next five games, once she got comfortable, Whiteside had 15 assists against six turnovers, including a clean game at No. 5 Notre Dame. She proved as tough on the ball, committing 16 steals (2.3 per game), including multisteal efforts five times -- two more than in her previous 13 games.

“Aaliyah has been an instrumental part of our team for the past three years, but I think she’s really taken on more responsibility, more leadership responsibility, more point-scoring responsibility, more rebounding, she played 40-minute games night in and night out,” said Joseph. “She’s done just about everything she can do to help this team.”

That meant almost never leaving the floor.

Prior to Wallace’s injury Whiteside played only three games of at least 35 minutes in 2014-15 and had never a 40-minute game. But following the injury, she played at least 35 minutes six times in seven games (34 in the other) and had a five-game stretch

(Jan. 4 through 22) where she played 202 minutes. In that stretch she played back-to-back 40-minute games, set a career-high by playing all 45 against Pittsburgh on Jan. 18, and lasted 39and 38-minutes.

That she’d logged so many more minutes than usual wasn’t an issue. To her, it didn’t even seem unusual. She was simply doing a job that needed doing.

“I think it definitely was a challenge at the beginning, but when you’re out there, you’re just playing. You don’t really think, ‘I’ve been out here the whole time,’” Whiteside said. “My teammates were encouraging me so I just kept playing. I wanted to do well for myself and the team. So it was just keep pushing through it.”

That idea of pushing through it kept dreams alive for the 2014-15 Yellow Jackets, dreams that could have vanished before the calendar had even turned to 2015.

The example set by Rogers and Whiteside will serve the up-and-coming personnel well moving forward, whether it means someone battling for every rebound she thinks is her personal property, be it game or practice, or putting up 20,000 shots during the offseason until her arms are sore. ■ Whiteside put up an estimated 20,000 shots in the off-season.

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SB SOFTBALL

The Yellow Jackets hope their trip to the Dominican Republic, along with fall activities involving a pro fastpitch team and the Wounded Warriors, will build togetherness for the season ahead.

A CHEMICAL REACTION

THE CHEMISTRY APPEARS TO BE JUST RIGHT FOR 2015 YELLOW JACKETS SOFTBALL

BY JON COOPER

I

Is it really possible to win a softball championship in November and December?

Georgia Tech softball coach Shelly Hoerner won’t necessarily go that far, but she is a firm believer in building character, forming chemistry and establishing a mindset in the winter then going on from there.

“We’ve worked on our mental game more this year,” said Hoerner, who will begin her second season on the Flats after a 23-24 debut season (11-17 in ACC, eighth place). “It’s those little things, the mentality of getting them stronger. I think the team is in a good mindset.”

That good mindset came from association with and exposure to some very special people, all of whom exhibit extreme mental strength in various ways. The Jackets played the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch league, the entire team met then watched the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team, a group of veterans that has overcome and overcomes tremendous adversity every day, and, finally, four players went on a mission to the Dominican Republic with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), helping build a

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community while getting a unique lesson in perspective.

Hoerner hopes these experiences will create a better, stronger team. She knows it will create better, more-well-rounded people.

“When we get on this field we want to win and we want to represent Georgia Tech in a great way, but it’s about being the whole person,” she said. “This team loves softball but we also love each other and we like to give. They are givers.

“I think the Wounded Warriors game put a lot in perspective for each of our players and our staff members. That showed great character and built character,” she added. “We are so fortunate in today’s society. We are so fortunate to be able to play Division I softball, to be here at Georgia Tech, that when things are bad, you just take a look to your left, you take a look to your right and that will put life back in perspective. I want to have these players know more about life than just the softball game.”

The team got the message.

“Coach Hoerner is really about the kind of people we are. Of course she wants good athletes but she really wants people that are

going to give back, to be grateful for the things that we have more so than the athletes that we are,” said senior catcher Caitlyn Coffey, who is expected to get the majority of the time behind the plate, replacing two-time All-ACC catcher Alysha Rudnik. “The Wounded Warriors game was the coolest thing I’ve done in four years, and we’ve done a lot of service projects through the Total Person Program and the Athletic Association. They’re hitting home runs with one arm, one leg, they’re diving into bases. The positive outlook they have on life, they’ve been through something tragic, and they know their life could have been taken away. They have a whole new perspective and I think that was good for us to see.

“Playing the pro team was pretty cool, too,” she added. “There’s not a huge pro league for softball, but just getting to have the chance to play against some of the best people that play our game and see how they play, competing at the same level was awesome to do.” “[Coach Hoerner] is big on having a team full of good character,” agreed senior third baseman Chelsie Thomas. “She wants us to be better people coming out than when we got here. It’s all about giving back and doing things for other people. It’s not just about ourselves.

She’s big on those things, and it was awesome to see everybody get involved in these things.”

That everybody included the underclassmen, who outnumber the upperclassmen (9-8) and includes six freshmen.

“You feel like family right off the bat,” said outfielder Draven Sonnon, one of those six.

“Practice was intense, getting used to everything and the way they do things, but once you get in the swing of things it’s real easy to ease into.”

“This team is about character. I’ve never met a team that feels so much like a family,” added sophomore infielder Jessica Kowalewicz. “We do everything out there for each other, we’re there for each other 24/7. That’s what we’re about. Coach Hoerner definitely enforced that with Wounded Warriors. It was a long fall season, but we worked hard, and then we got to meet these amazing people. They served our country, they gave everything that they had and they came back missing a part of themselves and dealing with all the trauma that comes with it. We got to hear their stories. We got to talk to them. They are amazing. They weren’t afraid to show us, ‘This is what happened to me. This is how it changed my life.

Don’t let something like this happening to you change your perspective.’ All this was just about perspective for me. It changes you.”

Coffey, Thomas, Kowalewicz and Sonnon also were part of a life-changing mission, as one of 20 Georgia Tech student-athletes that went to the Dominican through FCA. “That was eye-opening to see how little the people in the Dominican have and just how passionate they are about life and people

and community,” said Coffey, vice president of Georgia Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board. “That’s one thing that those of us who went were trying to bring back to Tech … just loving other people and building that community.”

“It blew my mind,” said Sonnon. “You think you’re going over there to change their lives, but they end up changing yours. Them being so happy with so little was really crazy, and it made us open our eyes to what really mattered.”

With eyes open and their off-season crash course in character-building complete, the Jackets head into the 2015 season united, which will be important, as they need to replace three key starters — Rudnik, shortstop Ashley Thomas, the 2013 ACC Player of the Year, and centerfielder Hayley Downs, a dependable glove and reliable leadoff hitter — and key role player Kaitlin Kates, the team’s top pinch-runner.

The Jackets plan to start Coffey behind the plate, freshman Kelsey Chisholm at shortstop and sophomore Samantha Pierannunzi in center field.

‘We’re a completely different team than last year. We lost those four seniors. They were crucial for us,” said Hoerner. “It’s coming together nicely.

“Sam is so strong,” Hoerner said of Pierannunzi, who batted .364, had a .455 on-base percentage and a .606 slugging average in 29 games (20 starts), with three homers and 12 RBI. Defensively, she did not make an error in right and had three assists. “She’s just an athlete. She had a great freshman year, and I look for to her to continue to do great things.”

The corner outfield is wide open with senior

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17

Katie Johnsky, junior Morgan Taylor, sophomore Colleen Darragh the top returnees. Sonnon and Malea Bell also will push for spots.

In the infield, big things are expected from Chisholm, who will benefit from having Chelsie Thomas to her right and junior Maddie Lionberger at second. She’s also receiving some one-on-one help from her predecessor, Ashley Thomas, a volunteer assistant.

“Kelsey’s got a great arm, she’s got a great softball mentality, which I love,” Hoerner said.

“She’s learning the game more and more but she’s a very smart ballplayer. I look for her to have a really good season.”

The Jackets are solid at the corners with seniors Karly Fullem and Thomas manning first and third.

The duo will be important both offensively and defensively. Offensively, Thomas, who went 4-for-4 against the USSSA Pride, will bat first or second (Pierannunzi will hit in the other spot), while Fullem is one of the big bats in the middle of the order, along with junior Courtney Ziese.

Coffey may have the biggest shoes to fill in Rudnik’s, but she feels she’s ready.

“I think playing behind Alysha for three years has helped me mentally more than anything,” she said. “I’ve never felt more confident behind the plate, and that’s stemming from my pitchers believing in me, [Assistant] Coach [Charlotte] Morgan believing that I’m going to get the job done and Coach Hoerner giving me the reins to go out there and lead on the field.”

The Jackets return only one starter in the circle, but it is senior ace Kylie Kleinschmidt (15-13, 2.77 ERA, three shutouts, 170 K’s,

18

THE BUZZ

.255 opponents’ batting average). She plans on a big finish to her career.

“I want to go out and have a blast out there,” said Kleinschmidt, who finished sixth in the ACC in ERA, seventh in strikeouts and ninth in innings (174 2/3). “I hope to leave my mark not only on the pitching staff, but on the team when I leave, and I know I can speak for all the seniors when I say that.”

While Fullem has experience (23 games, nine starts), freshmen hurlers Emily Anderson and Christina “Barbie” Biggerstaff will be expected to contribute.

Anderson opened eyes in the game against the Pride, as she threw six innings, allowing only three runs. Biggerstaff — who got the nickname ‘Barbie’ as a youngster, playing on a team

with two Christinas — also has a big arm.

“We’re going to need the whole staff,” said Hoerner. “I think Emily showed great promise in the fall. ‘Barbie’ has come back stronger this spring than she was in the fall.”

Hoerner is eager to see how this young team progresses and isn’t allowing class to be an excuse.

“They’re not freshmen anymore,” she said.

“They’ve been through it even though they haven’t been through a true freshman season.

They’re still ballplayers and that’s how we look at everybody on the team. You’re a ballplayer.”

This group of ballplayers will be expected to grow up fast. The Jackets opened the season in a tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. that included Kansas, a 30-win team in 2014, then traveled to Tallahassee the following weekend for the FSU Unconquered Invitational, which featured No. 8 Michigan and No. 18 Nebraska in addition to host and No. 5 Florida State, last year’s ACC regular season and tournament champ.

They’ll also visit No. 13 Tennessee, No. 3 Alabama, last year’s SEC regular season champion, and, of course, have a home-and-home with No. 12 Georgia, the SEC Tournament champ.

“It’s going to be a tough schedule, being on the road so much and playing the type of teams we’re scheduled to play, but it’s going to pay off by the time we get to the ACC tournament in May,” said Kleinschmidt.

“We have a very tough schedule, but my philosophy is to be the best you have to play the best,” said Hoerner. “We have to go out and see that competition right away, see what we’re made of.

“We want to be prepped for ACC play and for postseason play. So I don’t expect us to peak [by opening day],” said Hoerner. “I’m happy with our progress. We always expect more but they understand it, and they expect more of themselves. I think that’s the neat thing. They’re buying into that culture that our coaches are setting.” ■

MG MEN’S GOLF

NEVER REST

AS HE FINISHES OUT HIS LAST YEAR AT TECH, OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS IS ON A NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO IMPROVE

BY MATT WINKELJOHN

T Schniederjans, the No. 1 amateur in the world, spends a tremendous amount of time learning and searching for ways to improve.

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THE BUZZ

There’s just about always something about Ollie Schniederjans that doesn’t sit quite right with Ollie, so in preparing for the final back nine of his sterling four-year college career, he’s muscled up and wrenched his already mighty skill set.

With a chance to go out as the finest golfer in Georgia Tech’s fine history, the senior from Powder Springs has taken to the gentleman’s game as a black smith might wield a hammer and chisel against an anvil.

Never mind that last fall he won a tournament, tied for second twice, banked third place once, and tied for sixth in the Yellow Jackets’ five tournaments, nor that he went under par in 13 of 15 rounds with a scoring average of 68.2 and a record of 344-9 against other collegiate golfers.

He says he never felt right.

So, Ollie cast himself as wrought iron between tools, ever seeking new and improved shape and game.

In the “offseason” between semesters, he pumped iron, tended to his body and ate like never before to add 10 pounds. While wintering in Florida and California, he was not just practicing. He sought the counsel of a swing coach in re-engineering a major part of his weaponry.

Schniederjans came to consider his booming driver a nuisance.

“I wasn’t pleased with my game last fall ball striking-wise off the tee,” he said. “Moreso than other offseasons I worked on my game, trying to make changes and hit it straighter. I can put up some good scores, but it hasn’t been good enough to be as good as I want to be.”

Ollie didn’t get to be Ollie by idling. He did not win five tournaments as a junior by standing pat.

Schniederjans, 21, does not roll with cruise control.

He gained entry to this summer’s U.S. and British Opens by last summer winning the McCormack Medal as the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur player, a spot he still holds.

Yet he’s ranked No. 2 in the NCAA right now by Golfweek. His rating of 67.49 trails Washington senior Cheng-Tsung Pan (66.89), who last fall carded a win, three second-place finishes and a third. Georgia’s Lee McCoy (68.15) is third.

“I definitely am trying to be Player of the Year, win as many tournaments as I can, and get as good as I can,” he said. “I set a goal at the beginning of the year to have the lowest scoring average in college golf history. I did that because it would keep me focused on every shot.”

Mix these incentives with Ollie’s incessant internal battering ram,

and with the Jackets’ season nigh, he feels the need to straighten up.

“With my speed, I’ve learned some things that fit better to hit it without as much of a draw,” he explained. “I’m trying to zero out my [swing] path and have a proper attack angle with the driver, and then work on proper alignment.”

One might look upon this strapping 6-foot1, 185-pound lad as he powers around the links and think, “Wow; he’s got it going on, what rhythm.”

Why mess with a good thing?

Those near Schniederjans are not surprised by what might seem restlessness.

Linda Schniederjans traveled in January to watch her oldest boy compete in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

A mother knows best that Ollie did not get to where he’s earning invitations to play against professionals by following a single pattern.

“His mental approach to the sports that he loved was always very intense and telling. He always had an innate drive to tinker,” she said.

“I think back to basketball, where ... in the back yard, he was trying to figure out a crossover from both sides.

“He’d play for hours by himself, and go dribble over a mile and half trying to figure out how to do something. For baseball, he was trying to figure out how to produce different pitches.”

Tech head coach Bruce Heppler sees Schniederjans’ deviations as the player’s baseline.

“The fall scoring average was great, but he never was comfortable. He never got to feeling good about stuff. Who knows why?” the coach said. “He was scoring OK, but leaving a lot out there, capable of a whole lot more.

“I don’t think it is so much changing stuff as trying to find the best stuff. I don’t think he felt like he felt last spring. He’s always wanting to learn, and he’s a deep thinker. There’s a difference between searching and changing.”

Schniederjans searched on that Florida trip for future living arrangements in and around Jupiter and West Palm Beach in anticipation of his summer change to professional golf. He stayed with buddies -- former Alabama golfer Justin Thomas and former Stanford linkster Patrick Rodgers – who are now pros.

His mind rarely rests, though he finds time to watch younger brother Ben pitch for the Jackets.

In that mind, there is no such thing as a universally “perfect” golf swing because every person is different, and yet the game Ollie plays may fit him that very way as it lays his quest for aces and answers before him hole by hole, shot by shot.

His sticks would be ideal tinker toys.

“When he did move into golf, it was a natural fit because there are an infinite number of ways that golf can be played,” his mother said. “Add the venues, clubs ... he had found

his playground. It fit him to a T. It’s the perfect game because you cannot ever attain perfection. He’ll stay interested.”

Schniederjans is likely to remain amateur through the British Open, affording the opportunity to represent the United States in June’s Palmer Cup. Heppler will coach.

If last spring is set as a standard, Schniederjans will need to eat his Wheaties.

He was a finalist for both the Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus awards after winning or ty-

He will miss the Seminole Intercollegiate March 13-15 in Tallahassee as he competes in the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship -- a reward for winning last year’s Valspar Invitational, a collegiate tournament in Palm City, Fla. Ollie missed the cut in Abu Dhabi after rounds of 76-75, perhaps unleashing too much muscle, but took profit from his first competitive outing in two-plus months.

“The trip was great, very valuable,” he recalled. “I will just say strategy and course

Schniederjans shares a light moment during the Jerry Pate National Collegiate in the fall with head coach Bruce Heppler and associate head coach Brennan Webb.

ing for medalist honors in four tournaments, including the ACC Championship, earning Academic All-ACC honors, and tying for low score in the NCAA championship only to fall in a playoff.

Ollie’s search for a similar or surpassing state of links zen brings soreness.

Take a jackhammer work rate, add the power of Schniederjans and the sum will be pain in the neck.

There are visits to specialists and over break a training regimen to remind of other sports. He built up his body, although he expects to drop five pounds by the Jackets’ season opener Feb. 22-24 in the Puerto Rico Classic.

“I stretch a ton, way more than have. I was getting treatment for my hips, back and neck for how many balls I’m hitting,” he said.

“You’re not supposed to swing 120 mph a billion times. A PGA average would be 110, 112 mph; that’s club head speed at impact.

“I stay away from too much chest and biceps. I like to feel strong in posture and in the back and shoulders with really strong glutes and legs, and mostly my core. It’s good for stability and balance.”

Schniederjans has moved out of his power training phase and into maintenance and injury prevention. Stretching remains a big deal.

A transition to the pro ranks is underway.

Ollie last summer tied for fifth in the Air Capital Classic on the Web.com Tour, just below the PGA level, and tied for 41st in the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen, another pro event.

management were not there. It helped remind me what I need to do, and not try to dominate.”

Maybe Schniederjans does not search for rhythm, per se, but rather he tweaks for fear of falling into the psychological morass of feeling like a settler.

There is a line between obsessing upon change for sake of change and managing the search for progress. Ollie has walked it.

“He’s had to learn his own personality, and learn what he needs to learn,” said Linda.

“There are times when he doesn’t need to utilize a certain shot ... take a stock shot. There were times of intense disappointment. If he didn’t have the results he wanted, he was very disappointed.

“In those moments, you say, ‘It’s the effort. Enjoy the process.’ He had so much joy in what he was doing. He enjoyed working hard.

This enthusiasm was just bubbling over, so you didn’t feel bad for him. If he can manage the disappointment, which is a part of life, he can have a balance.”

Schniederjans seems certain to keep toeing the line, searching.

“I’ve tried literally everything,” he said.

“There is nothing that I’m doing that I haven’t tried before, but I have a better understanding of what to do. I was really kind of day in and day out last fall. Who knows what I was going to try that day. I was kind of lost.

“I’ll always be evolving. I’m a risk taker; that’s the way I’ve been my whole career. I’ll always be taking risks to get better.” ■

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21

fb FOOTBALL

Every year, the hard-core Tech football fans come to the Edge Center to listen to Yellow Jacket coaches talk about the year’s recruiting class.

WITHOUT A HITCH

HEAD COACH PAUL JOHNSON AND HIS STAFF SIGNED 27 HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS WITH A MINIMUM OF DRAMA

BY SIMIT SHAH

W

With 36 years in the coaching business, Paul Johnson has just about seen it all.

So in the middle of the annual frenzy that is National Signing Day, Georgia Tech’s head coach was the picture of calm in the team staff room. As letters of intent streamed in via fax, e-mail and even text message throughout the morning, Johnson shared stories of past signing days as he leaned back in his chair.

“You know the best part of coaching in Hawai`i?” he asked, referring to his seven seasons as the Rainbows’ offensive coordinator. “With the time difference, it was over by

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THE BUZZ

the time we woke up. We’d usually go play golf later that morning.”

As dramatic developments unfolded across the country, Georgia Tech’s day was dramafree, just the way Johnson liked it. Within a few hours, every letter was in hand and certified by the school’s compliance officers.

No last minute flips, hat ceremonies or publicity stunts, just a group that gave their word over the last six months and stuck to it.

As Johnson surveyed the growing list of names on the board and kept tabs on the live ESPN3 broadcast originating from the Edge

Center museum, assistant coaches dipped in to hand off a cell phone with the newest signee on the other end. The head coach took a few minutes to offer congratulations and convey his excitement to see them on campus this summer.

Most of the calls wrapped with a gentle reminder from Johnson, “I’m sure you have to get to class.”

With 27 members, the 2015 signing class is the largest of Johnson’s tenure on The Flats.

It addressed a number of needs left by the departure of a talented group of seniors who led

the Yellow Jackets to 11 wins, an Orange Bowl championship on New Year’s Eve and finished seventh in the final coaches poll.

“I’m really proud of our coaching staff and the young men that we signed this morning, went off without a hitch,” Johnson said at his midday press conference.

“It was kind of a dream with no drama and not much going on. We had more openings this year, more slots than we’ve ever had, and I think we were able to hit a lot of key positions and get our numbers balanced to the point that I feel good about it at each position.”

Each signee boasted an impressive list of accolades, owning a variety of school, region and state records. Four were their state’s Player of the Year in their classification, and safety A.J. Gray of Sandersville, Ga., earned Parade AllAmerica honors.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Jackets looked to re-stock after losing seven of the team’s top 10 rushers in 2014, plus their top two receivers, to graduation.

Ideally, up to seven of the signees could end up in the vacant A-back and B-back positions featured in Tech’s spread option attack, and another four at wide receiver.

The defensive haul was impressive as well, as the defense welcomes 13 new members to a unit that was short-handed, especially in the trenches, at times in 2014. Five of the signees

are projected to play in the front four.

With nine true freshmen seeing the field (eight on defense) last season, the coaching staff isn’t shy about throwing them into the fire early.

“We’re going to play the best players,” explained Johnson. “That’s what I tell guys in recruiting. I don’t ever promise they are going to play, but if they are the best player, we’re going to try to win games.”

Staying true to the team-first philosophy that vaulted his team to national prominence in 2014, Johnson was careful not to elevate any signees above the rest of the class. He emphasized that each had a chance to contribute to the program over the course of their collegiate careers.

However, one signee’s story stands out.

North Carolina native Jaylend Ratliffe suffered serious injuries in an ATV accident after committing to Georgia Tech prior to his senior season. Tech steadfastly honored the scholarship agreement despite doubts whether the multitalented quarterback will ever play again.

Ratliffe is slated to join the program in January 2016 while he continues his rehabilitation.

“If you look at what he has been through or what he has done, I think it’s amazing, I’m not counting him out from being able to come in here in January and start playing,” Johnson predicted. “It’s like I told him, he is going to

work his rehab as hard as he can. We are going to plan on doing that. If he doesn’t, he is going to be our assistant quarterback coach. Either way, he is going to have a good future.”

The class generated excitement and anticipation among the staff and fans.

Just that morning, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.com released a statistical analysis of recruiting rankings versus actual performance that illustrated Georgia Tech got the most out of its perceived talent in 2014 and was fifth over the past ten years.

“Everyone gets caught up in (the ratings), but we win with that we have,” linebackers coach Andy McCollum underscored on the ESPN3 broadcast. “Our job is to make sure they have five stars by their name when they leave here, no matter what it was when they came here.”

Four of the signees – Will Bryan, Kyle Cerge-Henderson, Harland Howell and Quaide Weimerskirch -- enrolled early and have been on campus since January ready to take part in spring practice. For the rest of the class, decisions on positions and playing time await once they enroll in school this summer and hit the field for fall camp in August.

With the signing class in the books, Tech’s staff now turn its attention toward the start of the spring practice, which concludes with the annual spring game on Friday, April 17. ■

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof on the air with Tech radio voice Brandon Gaudin during the Jackets’ ESPN3 broadcast of signing day.

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23

2015 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS SIGNEE

POS.

HT.

WT.

HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL

Victor Alexander

LB

5-10

220

Jacksonville, Fla. / Trinity Christian School

KirVonte Benson

AB

5-8

190

Marietta, Ga. / Marietta HS

Will Bryan*

OL

6-4

285

Lavonia, Ga. / Franklin County HS

Christian Campbell

QB

6-2

195

Ponchatoula, La. / Ponchatoula HS

Kyle Cerge-Henderson*

DL

6-1

280

Tampa, Fla. / Plant HS

Tyler Cooksey

LB

6-3

220

Suwanee, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian School

Nate Cottrell

AB

5-11

185

Knoxville, Tenn. / Knoxville West HS

David Curry

S/NKL

6-2

207

Buford, Ga. / Buford HS

Meiko Dotson

DB

5-10

185

Daytona Beach, Fla. / Mainland HS

Brentavious Glanton

DL

6-2

280

Albany, Ga. / Monroe Comprehensive HS

A.J. Gray

S

6-1

196

Sandersville, Ga. / Washington County HS

WR

6-3

200

Marietta, Ga. / Wheeler HS

Harland Howell* Omahri Jarrett

AB

5-10

168

Douglasville, Ga. / New Manchester HS

Mikell Lands-Davis

BB

5-11

205

Douglasville, Ga. / Alexander HS

Marcus Marshall

AB

5-10

200

Raleigh, N.C. / Millbrook HS

TaQuon Marshall

QB/AB

5-10

175

Hamilton, Ga. / Harris County HS

Brant Mitchell

LB

6-2

240

Knoxville, Tenn. / Webb School

Brad Morgan

OL

6-5

266

Woodstock, Ga. / Etowah HS

Scott Morgan

DL

6-5

275

Woodstock, Ga. / Etowah HS

Christian Philpott

WR

6-3

203

Tallahassee, Fla. / North Florida Christian School

Jaylend Ratliffe

QB

6-2

200

Laurinburg, N.C. / Scotland HS

Anree Saint-Amour

DE

6-3

236

Suwanee, Ga. / North Gwinnett HS

Trent Sellers

DL

6-4

230

Tyrone, Ga. / Sandy Creek HS

Brad Stewart

WR

6-1

190

Savannah, Ga. / Benedictine Military School

Dorian Walker

WR/DB

6-0

175

Kennesaw, Ga. / Mt. Paran Christian School

Quaide Weimerskirch*

BB

6-0

205

Milton, Fla. / Pace HS

Dante Wigley

DB

6-1

183

Carrollton, Ga. / Carrollton HS

* early enrollee (January 2015)

Lettered four years for head coach Verlon Dorminey … Led Conquerors to back-to-back Class 3A state titles … Recorded 74 tackles, 17 for loss and three sacks as senior … Named first-team All-First Coast and first-team Class 3A All-State … 2014 All-First Coast Defensive Player of the Year … 2014 Times Union Super 24 in Jacksonville … Tallied 70 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss as junior … Earned first-team All-First Coast honors in 2013 … Registered 82 tackles, two sacks and 14 tackles for loss en route to third-team All-First Coast honors as sophomore.

Three-sport standout at Marietta HS in football, basketball and track … Only played two seasons of football at Marietta … All-Region 4-6A first-team selection in 2013 and 2014 … All-County honoree in 2013 and 2014 … Marietta Daily Journal All-County Team (2013, 2014) … Helped Blue Devils to Class 6A state playoffs as junior … Finished career with 3,587 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns … Added 682 receiving yards and four touchdowns … Also returned kickoff and punt for scores … Rushed for 318 yards in Marietta’s 44-28 win over South Cobb … Class 6A All-State honorable mention in 2013 … Won state championship in 100m as sophomore in 2013 (10.6) … 2012 and 2014 100m region champion … 2013 and 2014 long jump region champion … 2014 100m Cobb County champion …

Started on basketball team.

#FUTUREJACKETS BIOS

Enrolled in January 2015 … Full name is William George Bryan … Born April 28, 1996, in Snellville, Ga. … Son of Mac and Tracy Bryan … Dad played football

24

THE BUZZ

at Georgia in 1983-84 … Has one brother, Justin, who played baseball at Georgia in 2012-13 and is B-Back for Georgia Tech … Grandmother, Francis Bryan, was elected to Georgia Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 2011 … Great-grandfather, Kenneth Bryan Sr., played football at Vanderbilt from 1923-25, team captain in 1925 … Grandfather, Kenneth Bryan, played football at Kentucky in 1948 and East Tennessee State from 1949-51, team captain in 1951 … Lettered four years in football and one year in track & field at Franklin County HS … Played left tackle and defensive end …

Threw shot put on track team … Football team captain as senior … Named Georgia Class 3A All-State First Team by AP, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association as junior and senior …

Named 8-3A All-Region as sophomore and junior, 7-3A All-Region as senior … Region 7-3A Lineman of the Year … Played in NUC All-American Game … Member of Honor Roll with 4.0 GPA … Majoring in business administration.

Two-sport athlete at Ponchatoula HS … Played both football and baseball for the Green Wave … Finished with 4,030 career rushing yards and 75 total touchdowns … Averaged nearly 10 yards per rush as senior, gaining 1,533 yards on 156 attempts … Rushed for more than 2,700 yards and 30 total touchdowns in final two seasons at Ponchatoula HS … Named to Louisiana Class 5A All-State team as athlete … Twotime All-District 6-5A selection as athlete … Named District 6-5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014 – his 2014 selection was a unanimous vote by the coaches … Also named to New Orleans All-Metro Team by NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune … Led Ponchatoula HS to 11-0 regular season as senior, best in school history.

Enrolled in January 2015 … Full name is Kyle Lamont Cerge-Henderson … Born April 12, 1997, in Atlanta … Son of Kevin Henderson and Denise Cerge … Dad Kevin was LB for Georgia Tech in mid-1980s under Bill Curry … Godmother Tiffany Cleaves played basketball at Tech and godfather Kevin Battle played football at Tech … Lettered three years in football and two years in track … Was a two-time team captain of football team and was also team captain of track team … Recorded 96 tackles, one sack and one interception return for touchdown as senior … Selected to play in Blue-Grey All-American Bowl and NUC All-American Game … Big County Prep All-District selection …

Majoring in business administration … Hopes to be CEO of a company.

Full name is John Tyler Cooksey … Goes by Tyler … Born July 13, 1996, in Decatur, Ga. … Son of Tom and Cindy Cooksey … Dad Tom played nose guard for Georgia Tech from 1976-80 and played one year (1981) with Atlanta Falcons … Played tight end and inside linebacker for three seasons of football at Greater Atlanta Christian School for head coach Tim Hardy …

Was team captain as senior … Tallied 91 tackles, six sacks, 12 tackles for loss and returned interception for touchdown as senior … Helped lead Greater Atlanta Christian to 2014 regional title and state runner-up finish with 14-1 record … Named to Gwinnett Honor Roll

by Gwinnett Daily Post in 2013 and 2014 … Named to AJC Super 75 for 2015 … Selected first-team AllRegion 6-2A and second-team All-State as senior…

Played two seasons on baseball team … Plans to major in business with engineering minor.

Full name is Nathan David Cottrell … Goes by Nate … Born Aug. 2, 1996, in Knoxville, Tenn. … Son of Alan and Emmeline Cottrell … Has two older brothers, Dorian and Josh, and one older sister, Delena … Was all-district, all-region all-state running back as junior and senior … First-team PrepXtra running back in 2013 and 2014 … Named all-region running back of the year and returner of the year in 2013 and 2014 … Named to High School Heroes Team as junior and senior … Also named High School Heroes Player of the Year as junior and senior … Finished career with school-record 3,974 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns … Averaged 11.8 yards per carry (334 carries) … Also hauled in 35 catches for 685 yards and nine touchdowns (19.6 yards per reception) … Averaged 40.7 yards per kick return with five touchdowns over career (23 returns, 937 yards) … Finished with school-record 5,594 total yards and 63 total touchdowns, including one passing TD … Rushed for school-record 1,956 yards as senior … Also set school single-game rushing mark with 255 yards … Named Offensive MVP of 2014 state championship game … Led Knoxville West to 2014 state title and 2013 runner-up … Timed in 40-yard dash at 4.33 … Undecided in major … Chose Georgia Tech because of the academics, great football team and the city of Atlanta.

Full name is David Joshua Curry … Born Oct. 29, 1995, in Durham, N.C. … Son of Buddy and Dawn Curry … Has two older brothers, Justin and Jessel, and one younger sister, Gabby … Dad was two-time All-Pro linebacker for Atlanta Falcons and 1980 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year … Brother Justin was drafted by Cincinnati Reds out of high school … Brother Jessel played football at Auburn in 2009-11 and Delaware in 2011-14 … Three-year letterwinner in football for head coach Jess Simpson … Team captain as senior while leading Buford to three straight state titles … Buford was 58-2 in four years … 2014 allcounty, all-state first team selection and region defensive player of the year … Also played receiver, punter and punt returner … Led Buford with 75 tackles along nine pass break-ups, two interceptions and two punt returns for touchdown as senior … Member of Buford HS state championship team with twin sons of Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof … Lettered three years in track for head coach David Snell … Team captain all three years … Was 2013 Georgia state pole vault champion … Plans to major in business.

Steady performer on tough Mainland Bucs defense that made state semifinals three straight years …

First-team All-Central Florida performer as junior and senior … Named 2014 Florida Athletics Coaches Association All-District 9-6A Player of the Year … Finished career with 12 interceptions and 25 pass break-ups in three years as starter … Returned two interceptions for touchdowns … Recorded eight interceptions as junior, including two in Mainland’s Class 6A state semifinal loss in 2013 … As senior, had 22 tackles, one interception and three pass break-ups in seven games (shortened by injury) … Ran second leg of 4x100 team that finished second at district meet (41.66).

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Training Camp … Also played point guard on basketball team … Gained all-state recognition in hoops as sophomore and junior … Was Region 3-3A Player of the Year in basketball as sophomore … Three-time Merit List honoree … Jersey retired at Washington County HS.

Full name is Brentavious Jaron Glanton … Born Feb. 28, 1997, in Albany, Ga. … Son of Billy and Stacey Glanton … Has one older sister, Breneshia, and two younger brothers, Bevin and Bryce … Four-year letterwinner in football for head coach Charles Truitt and track for head coach Billy Glanton … Also lettered two years in wrestling for head coach Clifford Wooden …

Recorded 77 tackles, six sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 41 hurries as senior … Also recovered five fumbles …

Named first-team All-Area and first-team All-Region as senior in 2014 … Participated in GACA North-South Game and Blue-Grey All-American Game … Plans to major in exercise physiology … Chose Georgia Tech because of the coaches, academics and life after football.

2014 Gatorade Football Player of the Year in Georgia … Parade All-American … Older sister, Allisha, plays basketball at North Carolina … She was 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year … Dad, Dr. Allen Gray, is principal at Washington County … Led Washington County HS to back-to-back state runner-up finishes as quarterback and defensive back … As senior, rushed for 2,358 yards and 39 touchdowns, including a 442yard, eight-TD game in state quarterfinals vs. Pierce County – both Georgia High School Association records for QB … Completed 97-of-182 passes for 1,810 yards and 21 touchdowns … Also had 10 interceptions, returning four for touchdowns … Responsible for 64 touchdowns during senior season … Was 28-2 in two seasons as starting quarterback … Recipient of 17 Player of the Year awards … Named to nine all-region or all-state teams … Two-time Region 3-3A Player of the Year (2013, 2014) … Named American Family Insurance ALL-USA Georgia Offensive Player of the Year (all classifications) … Named Player of the Year for all classifications by Augusta Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association in 2014 … As junior, rushed for 1,324 yards with 18 touchdowns, while passing for 1,913 yards and 16 touchdowns (only four interceptions thrown) …

Recorded 75 tackles and five interceptions as defensive starter … Two-time All-Middle Georgia Player of the Year by The Macon Telegraph … Two-time Channel 6 All-CSRA Player of the Year … First-team All-State by Georgia Sports Writers Association and Atlanta JournalConstitution … Played in Rising Senior Bowl Game …

Selected to play in Georgia Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-State Football Classic … Selected to play in Georgia/South Carolina Border Bowl All-Star Football Game … Invited to participate in Nike Football

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THE BUZZ

Enrolled in January 2015 … Born Dec. 20, 1996, in Austell, Ga. … Son of Harland and Sharon Howell …

Has one sister, Jessica … Lettered in football and track at Wheeler HS … Named first-team all-region in 2013 and 2014 … Named to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 75 … All-Cobb County selection in 2013 and 2014 … Played in Rising Senior Game … Participated in Cobb County Senior Bowl … 3.8 GPA in high school … Five-time state qualifier in 110m hurdles … Participated in triple jump, 110m hurdles and 4x100 relay …

Majoring in business administration.

Four-year varsity starter on football team … Team captain … Team MVP in 2013 … Participated in 2014 Nike Sparq Combine in Charlotte and 2014 Nike Football Training Camp … 2014 Howard Thompson Trophy by Douglas County School System – given annually to senior football player that represents best in academics, athletics and character … All-County in 2013 and 2014 … All-Region performer in 2014 …

Rushed for 525 yards with three touchdowns as senior … Also had two TD receptions … Returned four punts for touchdowns … Accumulated more than 1,000 all-purpose yards … Helped New Manchester win six games and make state playoffs for first time in fouryear history of program … Finished career with 2,078 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns … Member of Beta Club and Project Manhood – organization that helps needy in Douglas County … Played baseball and track, participating in 100m and 200m and long jump … Plans to major in either computer engineering or computer science.

Full name is Mikell Charles Lands-Davis … Born April 13, 1997, in Berkeley, Calif. … Son of Kelli Lands … Lettered one year for head coach Reginald Burnett at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School as slot receiver and middle linebacker … Lettered three years for head coach Matt Combs at Alexander High School as running back and safety … Was two-year captain at Alexander HS … Also lettered four years in basketball … Four-year starter for basketball team … Ran one season at track at both Mount Vernon and Alexander … Led Mount Vernon to 2011 state basketball title …

Was 2014 first-team All-Region selection on defense and 2013 first-team selection as running back …

2013 Douglas County Player of the Year and first-team All-State at running back … Rushed for 607 yards and added 56 tackles as senior … Rushed for Douglas County-record 2,374 yards and 28 touchdowns as junior … Accounted for 1,952 all-purpose yards (971 rushing, 251 receiving) as sophomore … Reeled in 970 receiving yards as freshman … Finished high school career with 4,286 rushing yards, 1,871 receiving yards, 1,702 return yards and 7,999 all-purpose yards … Amassed 65 career touchdowns … Plans to major in business with minor in sports management.

Younger brother of Georgia running back Keith Marshall … Set school’s season rushing record with 2,198 yards and 31 touchdowns for Millbrook HS …

Scored all 12 of Millbrook’s touchdowns in state playoffs … 2014 Conference Offensive MVP … Named all-conference and all-Raleigh Metro as senior … Also academic all-conference selection … Ranks third on school’s career rushing list with 3,165 … Holds Millbrook school record for most points scored in season (186) and rushing yards in game (350 vs. Jack Britt in 2014 playoffs) … Tied brother’s record for most points scored in game (30) … Has 4.3 GPA.

Graded out at 93 percent during senior season … Had 101 knockdown blocks … Played in inaugural Cherokee County School District Senior Bowl … Started as junior and senior … First-team All-Region 5-6A and all-County as junior and senior … Three-year letterwinner in wrestling … 2013 state qualifier, finishing sixth … Also lettered one year in track.

Full name is TaQuon Cartorious Marshall … Born Sept. 20, 1996, in Columbus, Ga. … Son of William and Tiffany Marshall … Has one older brother, TieRre … Lettered three years in football, two years in track and one year in baseball at Harris County High School … Passed for 1,376 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 1,436 yards and 12 touchdowns as senior … First-team Class 5A All-State as athlete by Georgia Sports Writers Association … Named 2014 All-Bi-City Offensive Player of the Year … Named to All-Region 5-1A First Team in 2013 and 2014 … Two-time recipient of Ironman Award (2013, 2014) … Named firstteam All-City by Columbus Ledger in 2013 … Was 2014 All-Region 5-1A performer in track … Ran 100m in 10.8 in 2014.

Two-time Tennessee Mr. Football in Division II-A in 2013 and 2014 … Named to Tennessee Division II-A All-State team as junior and senior … All-Region selection in 2013 and 2014 … Region MVP in 2014 … PrepXtra Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 …

Led Webb School to three Tennessee state championships … During senior year, recorded 97 tackles, eight interceptions and one fumble recovery … Returned two interceptions for touchdown … Two-way player also played fullback, rushing for 777 yards and 12 total touchdowns … Also was Webb School’s punter, averaging 31.5 yards on 19 punts … Named Defensive MVP of the 2012 state championship game and earned both Offensive and Defensive MVP honors in 2014 state championship game … Rushed 12 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns, and added two interceptions including one for 55-yard touchdown.

Twin brother of fellow Georgia Tech signee Scott …

Lettered three years in football for head coach Dave Svehla … Named first-team Georgia Class 6A All-State

by Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association … Named 2014 Offensive Lineman of the Year by Cherokee County Gridiron Club …

Twin brother of fellow Georgia Tech signee Brad Morgan … Lettered three years in football for head coach Dave Svehla … Named first-team Georgia Class 6A All-State by Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association … Named 2014 Defensive Player of the Year by Cherokee County Gridiron Club … First-team All-Region 5-6A … First-team All-County … Tallied 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception and five touchdowns as senior … Played in inaugural Cherokee County School District Senior Bowl … Started as junior and senior … Started on freshman team at center … Also wrestled for three years … Led Etowah to 2013-14 Region 5-6A wrestling championship … Also lettered one year in track.

Full name is Christian Monty Philpott … Born Jan. 11, 1997, in Baltimore, Md. … Son of Robert Jr. and Lazania Philpott … Has one older brother, Robert III … Lettered three years in football for head coach Robert Craft … Played receiver, free safety and special teams returner … Was three-year captain … 2014 Class 2A Player of the Year … 2013 Class 2A All-State First Team and 2014 Class 2A All-State First Team in football … Caught 44 passes for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns as senior … Finished career with 111 receptions for 2,070 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns … Played in 2014 FACA North South All-Star Game … Caught 48-yard pass and game-winning two-point conversion … 2014 All-Big Bend selection in football … Also letter four years in track … Competed in long jump, 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m … Was three-year captain for track team …

Was 2013 Class 1A state champion in 200m and 2014 state champion in both 200m and 400m … Named 2013 and 2014 Florida Class 1A All-State First Team in track & field … Is North Florida Christian’s school record holder in boys 200m (21.45) and 400m (48.17) … 2013 and 2014 All-Big Bend selection in track …

Plans to major in biomedical engineering.

Lettered two years for head coach Richard Bailey at Scotland High School … As junior in 2013, completed 56 percent of passes for 1,756 yards with 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions … Rushed for 2,053 yards and 36 touchdowns … Named 2013 WPDE North Carolina Player of the Year, first-team All-State and Region Player of the Year … Led Scotland to 15-1 record and state runner-up finish in 2013 … Rushed for 1,168 yards and 15 scores as sophomore …

Posted 28-3 record as starter in two seasons … Preseason North Carolina 4A Player of the Year in 2014 …

Sustained serious injuries in ATV accident in summer 2014 … Did not play during senior season (2014).

Son of Manfred and Frednise Saint-Amore… Older brother Manrey started four years on offensive line at Georgia Southern … Lettered at North Gwinnett HS for head coach Bob Sphire … Team captain as senior … Totaled 59 tackles, including 24 tackles for loss, 15 hurries, three sacks and four forced fumbles as senior for Region 7-6A champion North Gwinnett HS … Named all-state and all-region as senior … Had 75 tackles and four sacks as junior … Played in 2014 Gwinnett County All-Star Game … Led North Gwinnett to state championship game as junior in 2013.

Full name is Trenton Lee Sellers … Goes by Trent … Born June 27, 1997, in College Park, Ga. … Son of Lee and Lisa Sellers … Has one older sister, Tori, and one young brother, Hunter … Dad played football at Auburn … Played one year of varsity baseball …

Played four years of varsity football, earning three letters … Defensive captain … First-team all-region and honorable mention all-state as senior … Recorded 81 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 29 hurries as senior …

Honorable mention all-region as junior … Selected to play in Georgia/Florida All-Star Game … Plans to major in business … Chose Georgia Tech because of the coaches, close to home, great environment and he liked the campus.

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Full name is Eugene Brandon Stewart II … Goes by Brad … Born Sept. 27, 1996, in Savannah, Ga. … Son of Brandon and Wendy Stewart … Has one younger sister, Sarah, and one younger brother, Gavin …

Grandfather, Jim Walsh Sr., played football at Auburn (1954-56) and uncle, Jim Walsh Jr., played football at South Carolina (1981-84) … Won 2014 Ashley Dearing Award, which recognizes Savannah’s most versatile male high school athlete … Was three-sport standout at Benedictine Military School … Lettered four years in football for head coach Danny Britt at wide receiver and defensive back … Was team captain as senior …

Lettered four years in basketball for head coach Doug Willet at shooting guard … Was team captain as senior … Lettered four years in baseball for head coach Kevin Farmer as centerfielder … Helped lead football and baseball teams to state championships in 2014 … Hauled in 68 passes for 1,394 yards and 18 touchdowns as senior … Was first-team All-American by MaxPreps and first-team All-State as senior … Threetime all-district and all-area selection in football …

Also all-district and all-area selection in both basketball and baseball … Student Body President as senior …

Vice President for National Honor Society … Member of High Honor Roll all four years … Ranks third in class with 4.3 GPA … Plans to major in engineering … Lists academics as his top reason for attending Georgia Tech.

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THE BUZZ

Rushed for 2,262 yards and 34 touchdowns to help Mt. Paran Christian win first state title for Cobb County school in 40+ years … Ran for 215 yards and three scores in Class A private school state title game at Georgia Dome … Named MVP of 2014 state championship game … 2014 Marietta Daily Journal Offensive Player of the Year … First-team all-state and all-county as senior … 2014 Georgia Class A and Region 6-1A Offensive Player of the Year … Dad studied engineering at Georgia Tech.

Enrolled in January 2015 … Full name is Quaide Braxton Weimerskirch … Born July 23, 1996 in Lafayette, Ind. … Son of Todd and Carrie Weimerskirch … Youngest of four children … Has two older sisters – Kristi and Shawna – and one older brother, Colton … Lettered three years in football at running back and two years in track … Also played one season in baseball as centerfielder … Led Pace to 2013 football district title … Named 2013 and 2014 Florida Class 6A All-State First Team, All-Panhandle, Regional Elite

First Team, Regional Elite Underclassman of the Year in 2013, 2013 and 2014 Pensacola News Journal Offensive Player of the Year, 2013 and 2014 Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-District Team … Set Pace single-game (451 yards) and season (2,308) rushing records as junior … Rushed for 1,792 yards and 23 TDs as senior … Also owns Pace’s career rushing record (4,865) and career rushing TDs (59) … 5,983 career all-purpose yards and three kick returns for TD … 2014 Pace HS Homecoming King … Also member of Honor Roll and Athletic Council in high school …

Majoring in architecture.

Full name is Dante Malik Wigley … Born May 19, 1997, in Cobb, Ga. … Son of Dewy Chism and Kim Wigley … Has one sister, Zion … Lettered four years at Carrollton HS for head coach Ed Dudley … Played running back, cornerback and wide receiver … Team captain as senior … First-team all-region and all-area in 2013 and 2014 … Recorded 65 tackles, 8 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles and two interceptions in 10 games as senior while not allowing a receiving TD … 2014 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State First Team … Recorded 64 tackles, six pass break-ups and five touchdowns as junior (1 interception return, 2 receiving, 2 rushing) … Led team to 2013 state championship game … Undecided in major.

Š2014 The Coca-Cola Company.

at ALEXANDERTHARPE FUND

EIGHTH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT DINNER

THE ALEXANDER-THARPE FUND HOSTED THE EIGHTH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT DINNER, HONORING ENDOWMENT DONORS AND STUDENT-ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, ON JANUARY 26, 2015 AT MCCAMISH PAVILION.

The inspirational evening, emceed by Brandon Gaudin (the voice of the Yellow Jackets), gives the opportunity for student-athletes to appreciate the philanthropy of donors to Georgia Tech athletics and allows them to see the impact their generous gifts and commitments make on these exceptional young men and women. This year’s dinner was the largest it has been with over 360 attendees. Invitees to the dinner include endowment donors, head coaches, and scholarship recipients.

Mary Brock, co-owner of the Atlanta Dream and Tom Fanning, CEO of Southern Company headlined the evening.

Mary Rockett Brock (far left) is a member on the AlexanderTharpe Fund Board and has committed to fully endow the Mary Rockett Brock Women’s Basketball Scholarship. She is pictured with current recipient, Kaela Davis. Mary and her husband John are among the thirty-two “Golden Jackets” (the highest level of giving to GT athletics) and they are co-chairs of the $1.5 billion Campaign Georgia Tech. They have funded chairs in biomedical engineering with a particular emphasis on cancer research. They support scholarships in the Department of Chemical Engineering and have been active supporters of Georgia Tech athletics, where they provided the lead gift for the John and Mary Brock Football Facility.

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Mary discussed the importance of endowments by stressing their permanence. Endowed scholarships last forever making them a wonderful mechanism to leave a legacy by supporting today’s student-athletes as well as those in the future. She explained her passion for supporting Women’s Basketball can be attributed to her dedication to women role models. As co-owner with Kathy Betty, another female “Golden Jacket”, of the Atlanta Dream, Mary has seen and guided many professional women that greatly enhance their community. She recognized Head Coach MaChelle Joseph as the epitome of a female role model and congratulated Kaela Davis for scoring her one-thousandth point faster than any other women’s basketball player in Georgia Tech’s history.

Thomas A. (Tom) Fanning has funded an unrestricted endowment and his recipient this year is De’Ashia Jones from Women’s Basketball (pictured together). Tom earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Industrial Management and also was awarded an honorary doctor of philosophy degree from Georgia Tech. Fanning is on the Alexander-Tharpe Fund Board, Georgia Tech College of Management Advisory Board, and the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Tech Foundation. Through Tom’s leadership, the relationship between Southern Company and Georgia Tech has never been stronger.

Tom’s inspiring and insightful message touched on key areas that define success which apply to business and athletics, and how Georgia Tech does it right year after year with pride. His definitions of responsibility and success resonated with the entire audience. Among his points, he noted how long-term successes coupled with those that enhance the enterprise of Georgia Tech have attracted a strong donor community. He stated that everything is accomplished through someone else, and you can never say ‘Thank you’ enough.

Jonathan King (Baseball), Ollie Schniederjans (Golf), Megan Kurey (Tennis), and D.J. White (Football) were this year’s student-athlete speakers.

King (Recipient of Hickok Family Baseball Scholarship) is a junior left-handed pitcher from Murfreesboro, Tenn., an Academic All-ACC selection for 2013, and listed twice on the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Schniederjans (Recipient of Homer Rice Total Person, David Duval and Robert T. Jones Golf Scholarships) is a senior from Powder Springs, Ga., and the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer.

Kurey (Recipient of Allen & Sandra Ecker Women’s Tennis Scholarship) is a junior from Alpharetta, Ga., and the Academic AllACC and ITA All-American captain of the women’s tennis team.

White (you know him from the game-changing interception in Athens) is a junior defensive back from McDonough, Ga., earning All-ACC honorable mention with 4 interceptions and 62 tackles in 2014.

These stand-up individuals each uniquely touched on how they have learned what is important in life while being a collegiate and competitive athlete. Characteristics influenced by Georgia Tech, which set them apart from other student-athletes and provide a foundation for future success.

Jonathan King and Megan Kurey realize the importance of balance in life and learning beyond the field or court of play. They each mentioned their experience of going on a mission trip with other Tech student-athletes to the Dominican Republic in December 2014. They learned that building relationships with the people was far more important than building walls and playgrounds, which they also did during their time there. They both felt spending time with children and sharing their love of sports with them provided far more value than a physical structure. Jonathan indicated his reason for being a student-athlete was to be part of something bigger, and the trip to the Dominican Republic definitely added to the experience of playing baseball for Georgia Tech. Megan said the trip was eye-opening to what is important as it is easy to get wrapped up in being competitive in your sport and focused on winning.

THE BUZZ

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Ollie Schniederjans talked about making a tough decision between staying for his senior year to graduate from Tech or go professionally compete in golf when he ascended to number one in the world ranking for amateurs. His reasons for attending Georgia Tech played an important role in his decision due to his respect and admiration for Coach Bruce Heppler and, as Ollie put it, “I didn’t go to Computer Science and EAS for nothing”, he wants his degree. He will graduate this May, and hopes to bring home a National Championship. Ollie mentioned losing a close friend who often was his caddy and the unfortunate experience “put his life in perspective”. During this difficult time, he realized there were more important things in life than just golf and school. His decision to stay at Georgia Tech for his senior year also weighed heavily on having an extra year close to his younger brothers; one is Ben on the GT baseball team.

D.J. White also discussed thinking through a big decision after having verbally committed to a school elsewhere before signing with Georgia Tech. He admitted his initial attitude towards going to college was purely for football. Fortunately, he reconsidered and realized Georgia Tech would offer him much more in addition to football. He sincerely thanked the endowment donors for making this opportunity available. With three brothers, D.J. knew that it was not financially possible for them to all attend college, especially an institution like Georgia Tech. He is very thankful for the philanthropy of those with resources that have allowed him to play football for GT. Mike Bobinski, Director of Athletics, concluded the evening with a heartfelt thank you to all the donors by saying there is not a bigger or more meaningful gift to give than the opportunity to impact these lives of student-athletes. It is a priority for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association to fully endow all scholarships allowed by the NCAA. Mr. Bobinski applauded the fact that we have more than $50 million in endowed scholarships. In order to achieve the goal of fully endowing all scholarships, another $60 million is needed, and he stressed that scholarship endowments are more critical than ever due to the changing national focus of collegiate athletics and enhancing the student-athlete experience.

For more information on the endowment program or to make a donation, please contact Mindy Hyde at mhyde@athletics.gatech.edu or 404-894-5435.

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COMPLIANCE CORNER

BY SHOSHANNA ENGEL, ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMPLIANCE Every February marks a very exciting time for athletics departments across the country – fax machines are dusted off for the football National Letter of Intent signing period!

We want to take you on a sneak peek behind the scenes to explain some of the acronyms and debunk some of the myths surrounding signing day.

Shoshanna Engel Associate Athletic Director for Compliance

National Letter of Intent (NLI): The NLI is an agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution that binds them together and guarantees an athletics scholarship for at least one academic year.

Grant-in-Aid (GIA): A grant-in-aid is an athletics scholarship agreement between a student and an institution. GIAs may be for any amount, but the maximum value may not exceed the actual cost for tuition and fees, room, board, and required textbooks/course materials.

A GIA may exist without an NLI, but an NLI may not exist without a GIA. The NLI program issues very specific dates during which prospective student-athletes may sign an NLI. Football prospects were able to begin signing National Letters of Intent at 7 a.m. on February 4.

Please see below for some frequently asked questions surrounding signing day.

What happens after an NLI is signed?

After a prospective student-athletes signs an NLI, our coaches may have unlimited contact with them and provide pre-enrollment information as they prepare to join the Yellow Jacket family. Additionally, a recruiting ban takes effect and no other schools subscribing to the NLI program may call, text, visit, or recruit the prospective student-athlete in any way.

A prospective student-athlete is not receiving an athletics scholarship, but they have been guaranteed a spot on the team – can they participate in their high school’s NLI signing day event?

NCAA rules do not prohibit any prospective studentathlete participating in a signing day event, but Georgia Tech may not provide or produce any agreement or other document for use during one of these ceremonies.

Is there a limit on the number of NLIs a team may sign?

Sports other than football are not restricted to a maximum number of NLIs, but they may not exceed scholarship limits for those sports. In football, an institution is limited to 25 signees between December 1 and May 31 of each academic year.

If there is a limit of 25 signees, why do some institutions announce signing classes that exceed 25 individuals?

If a prospect signs a GIA after December 1 and enrolls midyear, they may be counted for the current academic year or toward the 25 signees for the following year. No more than 25 NLIs may be signed on the February initial signing date. So, if the previous year’s numbers permit, an institution may announce more than 25 individuals as part of a signing class, but they may count for different academic years depending on when they enroll.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to compliance as we continue to welcome our newest Yellow Jackets. Please don’t hesitate to call the compliance office with any questions or concerns.

Does a prospective student-athlete have to sign an NLI in order to receive an athletics scholarship (GIA)?

No. A prospect may sign a GIA at any time after the initial NLI signing date, but the GIA need not be accompanied by an NLI. However, a GIA does not trigger a recruiting ban.

Shoshanna Engel Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance sengel@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-8792

Marquita Armstead Director of Compliance marmstead@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)894-5507

Bret Cowley Associate Director of Compliance bcowley@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)385-0611

Shardonay Blueford Assistant Director of Compliance sblueford@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-0416

Kyle Buffolino Compliance Assistant kbuffolino@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-0416

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