Georgia Tech Buzz Magazine - Fall 2009

C e n t e r s o f At t e n t i o n

a toast to

tech golf Ready to Mash Jacket setter Mary Ashley Tippins talks about the upcoming season

Opening the Playbook Tech football looks to improve upon last season

Building a Dream Danielle Donehew is putting her basketball experience and industrial engineering degree to good use

fall 2009

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fall 2009 • Volume 3, Number 1 EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cheryl Watts

David Johnson, Sam Morgan and Barry Williams

WRITERS

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Simit Shah Jack Wilkinson Adam Van Brimmer

Summit Athletic Media

2009

www.summitathletics.com

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In This Issue 4

2009 Fan’s Guide to ACC Football

6

A Toast to Tech Golf

Wes Durham Column

Summer of ’09 proves to be one of the finest on the links

10

Opening the Playbook

14

Ready to Mash

GT_Buzz_HPH_v1_June09.qxd:Layout 1

What a difference a year makes

A Q&A with Mary Ashley Tippins 3/25/09

2:27 PM

20

Centers of Attention

22

Building a Dream

28

Returning to His Roots

31

Sean Bedford and Dan Voss will see plenty of playing time in 2009 Danielle Donehew has gone from nailing threes at AMC to the front office of the Atlanta Dream.

It took some time, but Joel Langsfeld finally returned to where he began his college career.

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3

20 QUESTIONS: 2009 fan’s guide to acc football By wes durham

How about a twist this edition? A different kind of “20 Questions.” With football season fast on the horizon, let’s try and sort out the questions, and hopefully the answers, to what Georgia Tech and ACC fans will see this fall.

At the end of the year, we’ll go back and check the outcome…if we are not too far off.

Here we go…

1. Are Virginia Tech and Florida State the easy favorites to reach the ACC Championship game in Tampa?

I think it’s one of many scenarios that could happen, but you can make an argument for other teams as well. In the Coastal, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami have enough talent and experience to justify the claim. In the Atlantic, FSU might be the easy choice, but Clemson and NC State played very well at the end of the year and could also find themselves there. Don’t count out Wake Forest - the Deacons return only four starters on defense, but have the most experienced quarterback in the league with Riley Skinner.

2. Who brings back the most and who lost the most?

Obviously Georgia Tech has one of the strongest returning classes in the ACC with 17 starters back this fall. But beyond the Jackets, North Carolina returns 16 starters and Virginia Tech has 15 back from their respective bowl teams a year ago. The hardest hit were Virginia, who return just 8 starters from last fall, and Boston College, who has just 10 starters back for Frank Spaziani’s first year as head coach.

3. What school will lean on true freshmen the most this fall?

While every school manages to play a handful of rookies each year, the overhaul at Boston College might force the Eagles into their youth early. Dillion Quinn (6-6, 295) and Conor O’Neal (6-3, 295) are just two guys that might have to go early in the year to fill the gaps left on the defensive line by Ron Brace and B.J. Raji.

4. Who plays the biggest non-conference game in the first month of the season?

Without question, Virginia Tech’s game with Alabama at the Georgia Dome is not only critical for the Hokies, but also for the national reputation of the ACC. After the Crimson Tide blasted Clemson in that game last year, the ACC had to spend all fall repairing its collective image with the national media. It was finally back to normal when Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl, but the Hokies and ACC can ill-afford a season debut like last year.

5. What is the biggest non-conference game of the year?

If Florida State is in a position to appear in the ACC title game on December 5, then their season finale against Florida could prove to be one of the critical ten games of the college football season. If the ‘Noles don’t find themselves in a position for the championship game, then that matchup against the Gators probably won’t carry as much weight. Florida is nearly everyone’s choice to repeat for the national title, but the Seminoles will only have two home games in their final six of the regular season.

4

The Buzz

6. Is there a critical stat to watch in conference play?

There are two stats that work together that I think might be the most important. Sacks and turnover margin are imperative to the overall success of a team. Last year, Georgia Tech was +2 in turnover margin, but +13 in sack margin.

If you win those two lines, you have a chance to be successful. The Jackets don’t suffer many sacks because of their offensive system, but they have to get them to be good. If you need another school to show you how important those stats are, use Louisville as an example.

The Cardinals won just five games last fall and only one Big East game. They were -12 in turnovers and -7 in sacks for the season. Those two stats count every game.

7. The one ACC team that scares you the most is…

It’s a toss up between Miami and Clemson.

Over the last year, FSU, Carolina and NC State have put things together, but the ‘Canes and Tigers are loaded with talent. If things go right for them early, they could both be a handful by season’s end. Clemson faces Tech on a fiveday turnaround and will be ready after losing two straight to the Jackets. Miami has lost four straight to Tech and has the hardest first four games to start a season - at FSU, home to Tech, at Virginia Tech and finally home to Oklahoma. Wow. 8. What team could build in-season momentum and be dangerous late?

NC State plays all four of their non-conference games at home to start the year. They could go 4-0 in September before playing three of four on the road in October, two of which are against Wake Forest and Florida State.

And then three of their last four are at home, including two against Clemson and Carolina.

Veteran skill players return on offense, and the front seven on defense is stout. It could be an interesting finish for the Pack.

9. What team has a favorable schedule to work from?

Here again I’m going with NC State. Four home games to start the year and only one road game in their last four (Nov. 21, at Virginia Tech), make the Wolfpack an easy choice.

They have the second hardest October in the ACC, behind Georgia Tech, with road trips to Wake, B.C. and FSU. 10. Is there a player in the league who could emerge to have an all-star season?

Despite all the pre-season talk of C.J. Spiller at Clemson, sophomore tailback Jamie Harper (who had 133 yards last year for the Tigers) will be one of the feature points in the Tiger offense. Spiller is going to touch the ball a ton every game (returns, reverses, carries, etc.), but Harper will run behind four returning starters in the offensive line and could be the same kind of player as James Davis and Raymond Priester of Tiger teams gone by.

11. Most important piece of pre-season practice for Georgia Tech…

Special teams work in August will be important the overall success of the Jackets this fall. Coach Johnson has cited the area in almost every press conference since the end of last year. The Jackets played several young guys on those units last season, so that should be a positive going into this fall. The kicking and punting assignments will be firmed up,

Derrick Morgan steamrolled quarterbacks last season and will anchor a young defensive line in 2009. and the Jackets will be looking at a new long snapper with the graduation of Brett White.

turned that number in for #33. He’s one of three players to change jersey numbers.

12. What Tech player is ready to step up this fall?

17. Is Morgan Burnett the 21st century “Force of One”?

After making one of the most important plays of 2008 (fumble recovery vs. FSU with less than a minute remaining in the game), Cooper Taylor had a productive spring for the Jackets and will be an essential piece to what Tech is doing on defense. Taylor finished his rookie campaign with 69 tackles in three starts, and his instinctive and fundamental play will be valuable to the Jackets this fall.

If you are a Tech fan from the early ‘90’s you remember the promotional poster that had Ken Swilling looking through his tinted helmet shield (very unique at the time) and the term “Force of One” at the top. Burnett, who wears #1 just like Swilling did, has emerged as the Jackets best safety since the former member of the national championship team.

His ball skills and knack for interceptions a year ago make him a contender for national honors with a similar season this fall.

13. Who is the most improved veteran player since last year?

Robert Hall has been practically forgotten because of the play of Michael Johnson and Derrick Morgan at defensive end last year, but he worked hard in the off-season and now has a chance to earn his spot with the revamped defensive line. His patience looked to have paid off in the spring, and this fall he’ll get some of the benefits Morgan enjoyed last year with double-teams on Johnson, Richard and Walker.

14. What is the biggest area to watch during pre-season practice for the Jackets?

The bread and butter of what the Jackets do is on offense, but in particular the line play will be interesting to watch from a competition standpoint. There are guys back who played a lot last year, but young guys working for a chance as well. It could end up where Coach Johnson has as many as nine guys he could platoon during a game along the line.

15. Where is the biggest area that depth needs to be developed in pre-season?

The defensive front. The Jackets lost three starters there to the NFL Draft. A combination of guys can fill those spots - redshirt rookie T.J. Barnes (6’7, 325) is the most anticipated player, but Ben Anderson, Logan Walls and converted end Jason Peters are going to get shots inside too. If a rookie plays on defense, it might be here. Izaan Cross (6-4, 250) and Emmanuel “Too Tall” Dieke (6-6, 235) could earn chances to play at the end spots.

16. Do we have a jersey number change to watch out for?

Mario Edwards served as a back up in the secondary and played on special teams last year, wearing #46. This fall, Edwards has

18. How good a year can Derrick Morgan have on defense?

Despite having only seven sacks last fall, Morgan was the most disruptive force on Tech’s defensive line. Pro scouts watching tape of the other three guys last winter got an eyefull of Morgan, who has the right skill set for the end position. Now with three new mates up front, he will be focused upon more than he was last season. His speed and quickness have set him apart in the ACC, and he could potentially be one of the best defensive ends in the country.

19. Can Jonathan Dwyer do it again?

It will be understandable if his numbers are not the same as a year ago, but he can actually be more effective this fall because of the experience around him. Dwyer’s combination of speed and power make him tough to handle.

Now the question becomes how much focus will be given to him and how much will that allow other players in the backfield to get yards and touches that might otherwise have gone to Dwyer.

20. How many games will the Jackets win this fall?

I hate trying to put a number of wins on a team before the season starts - in part because it is just an absolute guess, which I can’t stand to do. Last spring (2008), my wife Victoria told Coach Johnson she had a “case of the 9-3’s”.

The head coach asked her if she saw the spring game. Victoria told him she felt good about the season, and she was right on with her pick.

I thought about asking her what I should put here, but I’m going to step back and let the season play out, hoping we end up with 14 games this year. That would mean things have gone pretty well. ■

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MG men’s golf

A Toast to Tech Golf Summer of ’09 proves to be one of the finest on the links

s

by Jack Wilkinson

Somewhere, Bobby Jones is smiling. Somewhere, sitting on a celestial veranda, the greatest of all Georgia Tech golfers, the game’s first Grand Slammer and still its finest gentleman, is crossing one knickered leg over another, sipping a corn whiskey and toasting the Institute’s summer of ’09.

And likely needing a refill.

There’s a lot for Mr. Jones, and any Techster, to toast these days. Indeed, if this is the Year of the Ox on the Chinese calendar, it’s the Year

of the Jacket - Yellow, not Augusta green - on the links.

“It’s been a great, great run for Tech golf,” said the resurgent Bryce Molder, once a four-time All-American on the Flats, now in the midst of his finest season on the PGA Tour.

Yellow Jackets? They’re everywhere.

Often high up the leader board, from Bethpage to Bethesda. Or, as at Turnberry, at the very, very top.

So let’s start there. At the pinnacle, with the unsinkable Stewart Cink - or, to use his Letterman-

inspired street name that Cink hopes catches on, “Fifty-Cink.” Or you can simply call him “The Champion Golfer of the Year,” as Cink was proclaimed after winning the 138th British Open at Turnberry, Scotland.

In denying 59-year-old Tom Watson his sixth, and a historic, British Open title, Cink won his first major championship.

He became the fourth Tech alumnus to win a major. The legendary Jones won the U.S. and British Open titles. Larry Mize chipped

Bruce Heppler, Georgia Tech’s golf coach since 1995, has tutored several future professionals during his tenure on the Flats.

He’s shown here with Cameron Tringale, who represented the United States on the 2009 Palmer Cup squad.

6

The Buzz

in to win the 1987 Masters. David Duval was the 2001 British Open champion.

And in June, Duval, once the No. 1-ranked player in the world before plummeting below 800th in the rankings, nearly won the U.S. Open at fabled Bethpage Black before a late bogey betrayed him.

“His golf swing is finally back in order, and he can trust it,” said Puggy Blackmon, the former Tech golf coach who’s now the director of golf at South Carolina, and who has reunited with Duval. By the last round at Bethpage, Blackmon said, “He looked just like the old vintage David, with laser vision. It just validates where he is on his trek back.”

Just as this summer reemphasizes the excellence of Tech’s golf program - first under Blackmon, and now in the splendid care of Bruce Heppler, the Jackets’ coach since 1995.

“They certainly bring a lot of attention to your program,” Heppler said, “and a lot of validity to what you’re doing.”

Molder does, too. Once a seemingly sure-fire professional success who twice earned his PGA Tour card and promptly lost it, he earned it again after a stellar season last year on the Nationwide Tour and is now finally playing up to his talent and all those expectations.

After a characteristically slow start, Molder took off. “I started playing really well,” he said by phone from his Arizona home.

“Second in Memphis. Fourth in Tiger’s tournament [the AT&T Championship at Congressional in Bethesda, Md.] “I think I’ve made seven straight cuts,” Molder said during an off week following the British Open.

“It’s the most I’ve made consecutively on the PGA Tour. It’s just been a very good summer.”

And very nearly a great one. Playing in his first British, Molder shot a 67 in that Saturday’s third round, moved into the top 10 and was paired on Sunday with Cink. Yes, Molder was disappointed to doublebogey No. 1 and to shoot 77. But no, he wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.

“That was the highlight of my summer,” Molder said, “getting into one of the final groups on Sunday

“There’s a class [found in Georgia Tech golfers]. They’re gentlemen.

They’re not grouchy, not obnoxious … [They are] a real group of gentlemen who represent the school well and the game well.”

– Puggy Blackmon, director of golf at South Carolina.

David Duval became the second Tech golf alum to win the The Open Championship when he earned the coveted Claret Jug in 2001. of the Open Championship - in my first Open - and being able to witness Stewart winning. I’ll always remember that.

“I knew Stewart a little beforehand,” he said. “He’s such a nice, easygoing guy. But I never felt like we were in the third- or fourth-tolast group at a major championship.

I don’t think he did either. But it was an amazing experience to watch him pull it off.

Stewart didn’t do anything spectacular, just what you needed to do to win a major championship.

“I’m just glad I caught myself and realized what I was part of,” Molder said. “On the last hole, I crouched down and was looking at my putt.

He was looking at his putt. I had four or five feet for par, he had 15

feet for birdie. Suddenly I realized where I was, my back to the cameras, and I thought, ‘I’d better get out of the way.’

“I was fist-pumping when I crouched down, for Stewart,” Molder remembered after Cink sank the 15-foot birdie that ultimately put him in a four-hole playoff with Watson.

“Stewart’s a hard guy not to like.

That says a lot about him, as a person, his game. I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about him.”

Molder paused. “I’ll try to come up with something.” He paused again.

“You know what? He’s too tall, too tall,” he said, laughing. “I remember Stewart made the putt and walked around, and then I walked

Bryce Molder’s highlight of the summer came in the British Open, when he was paired with Stewart Cink in the final round. www.ramblinwreck.com

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Stewart Cink became the fourth Tech alumnus to win a major when he captured the British Open title over the summer. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of more than 12 Tech golf alums to be playing professionally this summer.

around and started to get the chills.

I had to calm down.”

Molder never got to watch the playoff. “I heard it on the bus,” he said. Molder was riding a bus carrying about 30 golfers to the airport for a charter flight to the U.S. when Cink won the coveted Claret Jug. Molder finished tied for 43rd, but has topped $1 million in earnings, with two top 10 finishes on tour and five top 25’s.

Back home, four other Tech alums were watching in the midst of their golf summers. Matt Kuchar - who made a thrilling run at Augusta while still an amateur and Tech undergrad -, Nicholas Thompson, Troy Matteson and Matt Weibring are all on the PGA Tour, too. Kuchar seems certain to keep his card, while the other three have some work to do before season’s end. Even Mize is having a fine year on the Champions Tour; he was 13th on the money list before the U.S. Senior Open.

“It’s a high-end concentration right now,” Heppler said of that glut of Tech players on tour. That can’t hurt in recruiting. “I don’t think alums playing well necessarily means [recruits] are coming to your program, but they’ll look at your program. Them [pros] doing well helps make kids put you on their list.

It opens a lot of doors.

“To have seven or eight guys out there right now is a lot, with 125 players [on tour],” he said. “Right now, the guys who played for me are doing very well. You know what it does? It inspires our guys who are now playing. It gives them something to shoot for.”

Like Molder, Heppler didn’t see Watson’s bogey on the 18th hole that forced a playoff and gave Cink the opening he seized. “I was in church that morning,” Heppler said, “and then went down to the office to get something to take to New Jersey [for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships]. I saw the playoff. Everybody in the world is pulling for the other guy. I’m thinking, ‘He’s got five [British titles]. Let Stewart have one.’”

Blackmon’s thoughts, precisely.

“I’m over there and I’m really pulling hard for Watson, like everybody else,” he said. “All of a sudden, Watson misses a putt and I say, ‘OK, Tom, you had your chance. Now, I’ve gotta pull for my boy.’”

Once Watson, having bogeyed the first playoff hole, made double on the third while Cink sank a birdie putt, it was all over but the presentation. In victory, Cink was characteristically classy.

“Immediately, the reaction was more about Watson losing than Stewart winning,” Blackmon said.

“But Stewart handled that with total class. He gave Tom Watson that

respect. Instead of Stewart demanding the stage, he stood back out of respect for Tom Watson.”

On the green, Cink embraced his wife, Lisa, and their sons Connor and Reagan. Back home, the homebody was welcomed at HartsfieldJackson Airport by some 25 close friends, flew up-and-back to New York the next day to tape the David Letterman Show and Top Ten list, and went out for a celebratory dinner in Atlanta with friends.

Where? To Houston’s. Nothing fancy for the family man, who knows what he likes. Cink even brought along the Claret Jug (which he’d stored in the overhead luggage bin on the flight home), filled it with Guinness and, with his friends and family, had himself a Claret chug.

“The kids sipped Coke out of it,” Cink said.

It was a toast to his triumph and, in a way, to one hellacious golf summer for Georgia Tech. “I love barbecue, the Thrashers and links golf,” Cink wrote in a Twitter to some 600,000 people who regularly read his Tweets.

At a press conference in Atlanta before taking his family to Montana for a two-week vacation, Cink - who,

like Bobby Jones, is a member at East Lake and now a British Open champion, too -, said, “The connection with Bobby Jones is something I’ve always been very proud of…His name is on there [the Claret Jug] a couple of times. The connection with East Lake and Georgia Tech is pretty deep now.

“To connect to the past, carrying the mantle now that Bobby Jones once carried at East Lake and now that sort of belongs to me, it’s a real honor.”

There’s another connection of sorts with the great man, too. “After Stewart won,” Blackmon said, “I started thinking, ‘Man, this is kinda wild that all of this came out of the SAE house and that we were naïve enough to believe it could happen at Tech.”

When Blackmon took the Tech coaching job, he called his first team meeting in the basement of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house on campus. “Since most of the guys on the team were in SAE,” Blackmon said. “I told them, ‘We’re gonna work our tails off and we’re gonna win the ACC championship.’ They looked at me like I was crazy. That’s the ACC, with North Carolina, Wake

Forest, Clemson. And a year-and-ahalf later, we won the ACC.” Blackmon, of course, is thrilled with the continued success of his successor. “The great thing to see,” he said, “is that after leaving, Bruce has taken it [the program] and run with it, not only sustaining it but building it up.

“It’s grown hand-in-hand, and [with] the whole philosophy about what you see in Georgia Tech golf,” Blackmon said. “There’s a class there. They’re gentlemen. They’re not grouchy, not obnoxious. You see some schools, and some of their kids are obnoxious, grouchy. The Tech kids, they fit a mold that’s Georgia Tech.

“I guess it kind of goes back to the Bobby Jones era,” he said. “A real group of gentlemen who represent the school well and the game well.”

And back to one more connection to Blackmon’s basement beginnings on the Flats: Bobby Jones was an SAE brother, too. So, corn whiskey, boys, all around, and toast the summer of ’09. ■

paving the way

by James white “The success of former players as professional golfers was a huge factor in my decision to join the Georgia Tech program. I understood that the performance of our alumni only stood for trends in the program, and what I do while I’m here will determine my success, but the caliber of guys that have come from this program showed me that I will have the resources to get where I would like to be someday.

It definitely feels good to be a part of an institute and golf program recognized for excellence. I pull for all of them, because we are unified by the experiences we’ve had with the program, which is second to none. I have met Stewart Cink, played a little with Bryce Molder, and maintain a good friendship with Roberto Castro, so I am more up to date with their careers. I absolutely do draw inspiration from our alumni.

It may be a five-minute conversation on the 12th hole with Roberto about the upcoming season, meeting and hearing Stewart tell his story, or an afternoon practicing next to Bryce at the range; everyone is eager to stay in touch.

Bryce and I have played a round together, talked over lunch, and practiced at the range. I am constantly drawing off of what he said or did when we were together.

Stewart Cink appears to be a great family man with great values and encompasses the all around person I would like to be someday.

So anything I hear from him I try to take to heart. When I talked with Bryce about why he thought he was so successful in college, he mentioned the competition with fellow teammates. Roberto says the same thing. That is the biggest piece of advice I am going to try and bring to the program for the 2009-2010 season.” ■

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fb football

Opening the Playbook What a difference a year makes

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by Simit Shah Night and day.

That’s the difference in expectations that surround the Georgia Tech football program compared to this time last year.

Just twelve short months ago, the air was filled with skepticism as fans and players alike wondered whether Paul Johnson and his triple option offense would give the program a much-needed boost. There were plenty of doubters, but a year later, it’s hard to find them.

After a 9-4 campaign that featured impressive victories over Clemson, Miami, Florida and, most importantly, Georgia, there’s little to suggest that the Jackets won’t be better this year, at least on paper.

With 55 lettermen returning, including 17 starters, the team has the luxury of experience almost across the

board despite having just a handful of seniors on the roster.

On offense, there is a sense of familiarity that comes with a full season and two springs of repetition. While there was a struggle to transform from a prostyle to an option-oriented philosophy last season, the personnel in place this season is a better fit.

On defense, the Jackets will try to replace some big names up front, but the linebacking corps and secondary are stocked with playmakers.

While Wes Durham touched on the Jackets in his 20 Questions piece earlier in this issue, let’s look a little more in depth at this year’s squad: How will the offense change in Johnson’s second year?

There’s been plenty of talk around the league about how schools will go about stopping Johnson’s offense now

that they’ve seen it in action, but not much has been said about what adjustments Johnson will make.

It’s no secret that the Jackets ran only a handful of plays (with pretty good success) last season, but Johnson has hinted numerous times to opening up the playbook to incorporate enough passing to keep defenses guessing.

Last season, the Jackets attempted 165 passes in 13 games with 48 of those in two games (North Carolina and LSU). It’s anyone’s guess to how much they will throw this year, but junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt looked sharp throwing the ball in spring before going down with a shoulder injury.

Of course, the Jackets have a big target in all-ACC wideout Demaryius Thomas, but the team will need a youngster to become another viable threat. Sophomore Tyler Melton exited

spring as the other starter, but true freshman Stephen Hill could see some action as the season progresses.

“We will be better this year on offense,” declared Johnson. “That may not result in more points or more wins, I don’t know, but I can tell you that right now we are a better offensive football team than we were at any time last season. We may not score a point the first three weeks of the season.

Jacksonville State, Clemson and Miami are good football teams, but I do think we will be better.”

Can the running game get better?

There are plenty of YouTube clips showcasing some of the big runs Tech backs ripped off against helpless defenses last season, making it easy to forget the patchwork offensive line that was in place for most of the year.

Morgan Burnett led the Jackets with seven interceptions in 2008, including two against ACC rival Clemson, and is one of the most highly-touted defensive backs in the nation.

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The Buzz

Reigning ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer will have plenty of help in the backfield in 2009.

The Jackets actually have more weapons in the backfield this fall as Louisville transfer Anthony Allen and redshirt freshman Richard Watson join reigning ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer, Roddy Jones, Embry Peeples and Marcus Wright as the team’s potential ball carriers.

The offensive line is still a work in progress, and center Dan Voss, tackle Nick Claytor and guard Cord Howard all missed time during spring practice due to injuries. The upside is that Jackets have a lot more bodies up front and may end up rotating eight to ten linemen during the season. The size and conditioning of the line is almost more ideal for Johnson’s system than a year ago.

How do the Jackets rebuild their defensive line?

Not many programs can seamlessly replace three linemen (Michael Johnson, Darryl Richard and Vance Walker) that are playing the NFL, so it will be an uphill battle. Derrick Morgan had a breakout season as a true sophomore with seven sacks and will be an excellent anchor, though he will be the focal point for most opponents’ blocking schemes.

“Derrick has to take a leadership role and expect that the protection focuses on him a lot of times,” noted defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. “That’ll be different than last year, but he’s worked extremely hard and is ready for that challenge.

He’s excited about this year.”

There’s plenty of competition at the other three spots with Jason Peters, Ben Anderson and Robert Hall emerging as frontrunners coming out of spring. All eyes will be on redshirt freshman T.J. Barnes, who is listed at 353 pounds and can be disruptive in the middle.

“In all honesty, I’ve seen inconsistency from him,” Wommack said. “He still needs to grow up in some areas, and that’s not a negative. That’s true of most of the young players on the team.

He’s got a bright, bright future here, but it takes some time. He’s got a ways to go, but we’re glad that he’s here.”

Last year, the strength up front was able to shield the youth and inexperience elsewhere in the defense, so the reverse may be true this season.

How good is Morgan Burnett?

The Jackets haven’t had a defensive back this highly-touted since Willie Clay and Ken Swilling almost two decades ago, and he certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath after recording seven interceptions and leading the team in tackles as a sophomore.

“Morgan has to realize that he only has to play his position,” said Wommack. “He is in a featured position for us. He’s going to make plays, and those plays will come. Where you get in trouble is when you try to do too much. When you do that, the scheme breaks down. He just has to be patient and play within the framework of the defense to have another good season.”

“I can tell you that right now, we are a better offensive football team than we were at any time last season.”

– Head coach Paul Johnson What will be done to improve special teams?

In an area that was a clear weakness in 2008, special teams will get a makeover in 2009, though it remains to be seen how extreme. Scott Blair, who handled both punting and kicking duties last year, will face competition from three other kickers on the roster.

Long snapper Bret White graduated and must be replaced.

As far as returning kicks, a number of players got a chance to tryout during spring, and it remains to be seen who will emerge from the group. This is a competition that could extend into the first week of the season.

Are there any newcomers wthat will make an impact?

Johnson has been adamant about his desire to redshirt the entire freshman class, but the depth of the program won’t allow it at this stage. The incoming class numbers 21, so expect to see as many as a third to see action.

Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke enrolled in January, giving him a

Fans can expect to see up to 10 different players on the offensive line this season, including veteran lineman Nick Claytor (75).

12

The Buzz

chance to see playing time, and 335-pound defensive tackle J.C. Lanier could be part of the equation in the middle.

Among those that redshirted last season, only four show up on the postspring depth chart, but all 22 are likely to see action at some point.

Defensive back Jerrard Tarrant is also back on the team and could be a factor in both the secondary and kick returns.

How tough is the schedule?

Eight of the Jackets’ 12 opponents appeared in bowl games last season, and five (Miami, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Georgia) show up in various preseason polls.

Tough competition aside, the calendar will be a challenge. They play Clemson and Miami in back-to-back Thursday night games, and four of their five games in October are on the road.

The Jackets don’t get a bye week until week 12 of the season, giving them an extra week to prepare for Georgia. ■

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VB volleyball

Ready to Mash A Q&A with Mary Ashley Tippins

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The 2009 season brings several firsts for the Georgia Tech volleyball team, which is in its first season under head coach Tonya Johnson. The LSU alum and former associate head coach at Texas is in her first year leading a program, and will look to junior setter Mary Ashley Tippins as her court general. Tippins, whose full name is Mary Ashley Olga Tippins (Mary Ashley is her first name), sat down with Buzz editor Cheryl Watts to discuss the upcoming season. Here’s what Mash, as she’s called by her teammates, had to say.

TIPPINS: The biggest adjustment is the speed of the game and the fact that there is so much more that goes into being prepared for a match. For instance, in high school and club you never get scouting reports on teams.

That was all new to me and even overwhelming at some point. But now I’m

more used to it, and rely on it even. It helps you to see the game better so that your preparation is more thorough.

TB: Looking back, is there one particular match that stands out that really made you think that you could be a good college volleyball player?

TIPPINS: It would have to be the match against Michigan my freshman year. I was kind of thrown into the starting role because (2008 senior and starting setter) Allie Niekamp was sick. Michigan was one of See Mash page 16

The Buzz: Halfway through your college career, what have been the high points?

Mary Ashley Tippins: It would certainly have to be beating Georgia the past two years - that was great. And then there was that Clemson match in Clemson a year ago – it was a great match, and it was a lot of fun winning them at Jervey Gym (on Clemson’s campus) It was a big match to start conference play, since they’d won the ACC the year prior and we were close behind them.

They were one of the teams that we’d really targeted, and it got our season off to a great start.

TB: You’ve been prepared for this year’s role as you’ve progressed through your career. As a freshman, you had the chance to see action in a few matches, and last season you started a few and played in several more. How have those experiences prepared you for your role as the primary setter in 2009?

TIPPINS: I’m finally ready to take up a bigger leadership position this year. Having a few games underneath my belt, I feel better prepared. I’m more experienced than I was coming out of high school and I feel like I can help the rest of the team in the same way - I know how the college game and college atmosphere work now, and I’m ready and excited about this opportunity.

TB: What is the biggest challenge that high schoolers face when they finally step on a college volleyball court?

Mary Ashley Tippins already ranks among the top-10 in school history for assists, having just played in 40 matches through the first two years of her college career.

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The Buzz

Dream from page 14 the best teams in the nation, and we were playing them on their home court, which was very intimidating.

Michigan also had a freshman setter, and she was someone that I competed against quite a bit during club, so it was important for me to get that win. In the end we didn’t win, but coming so close and for it to be such a good match really got me excited about what was to come.

TB: While you gain the starting role, you also lose quite a bit of the offensive threats that you had a year ago with the departure of senior outside hitter Talisa Kellogg and senior middle Callie Miller. Is there someone on this team that you think can really surprise fans and opposing teams?

TB: Since 2009 is the first season with this coaching staff, can you explain what Tonya, Craig, and Ed are like?

TIPPINS: (Head coach Tonya) Johnson takes things in, that’s the best way to describe her so far. She sits back and observes what’s going on, and then talks to us during the timeouts. (Assistant coach Craig) Bere is my setting coach. He’s the one that is always vocal and always speaking to me. The one thing is that he’s never yelling – he’s always

saying positive things and trying to get me going. I was able to develop a very good relationship with him early on since he was my setting coach. He’s very father-like, and that has made it easy to work with him. (Assistant coach Ed) Tolentino is similar to Craig – he’s always talking. He can be a bit more passive during the matches than Craig is, and like Tonya, he likes to sit back and see the whole picture. I think of him as a little goofy, which is great since I am too. He’s a big help when you’re frustrated or just feeling bad, because he helps you work through it

TB: What is a typical day like for you during the season?

TIPPINS: It’s a little different this year, since we’re practicing in the morning some days. I guess I can give you a glance at Tuesday and Wednesday – Tuesday we wake up and grab breakfast before heading to the gym for practice. Our practices generally run about two hours, and then we head off to class. I only have a couple of classes on Tuesdays, and I scheduled it so that I could finish around lunch time. After that, I get tutoring and study the rest of the afternoon. It’s pretty much the same schedule on Thursdays, which I like.

It sounds as though Wednesdays will begin with weights before class, and then I have a little break before we start practice at 3 p.m. After that I get dinner, try to squeeze in some tutoring before studying and then head to bed, since it’ll be an early practice the following day.

TIPPINS: They will contribute a ton this season. We have six freshmen, including Mo (Monique Mead), who enrolled in January. She is going to be huge this year. She’s already the strongest person on our team and is a huge offensive threat and a great on-court leader. We also have other very good newcomers that will help with our ball control, service, and passing, all of which are important to the success of a team.

Every single person will have a role on this year’s team, and I think that any of the six freshmen have a chance to earn a starting role in 2009.

TB: In addition to new faces on the team, you’ve got an entirely new coaching staff in 2009. Is there a new atmosphere with this squad, and can we expect to see the same, quick, offense that has been the bread and butter of this team in the past?

The Buzz

TIPPINS: I can be very intense on the court because I don’t like to lose, but I’m also not the one who can’t smile or crack a joke. It’s just not me. I realize that I have to keep it light-hearted on the court, especially when we’re down, because this team responds better to something funny when we need to turn things around or relax a little bit.

TIPPINS: Everything – the best way to describe it is “In your face.”

Our pep band makes the gym so much louder, and our fans are so great. We always have a packed student section that is cheering for us while heckling the other team. And they are right on top of the court as well. Anywhere else we play, the court seems so distant from the fans…but not ours.

TB: There are quite a few positions up for grabs this season and a pretty big freshman class. Could we see some of them playing immediately?

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TB: While you are a little more goofy off the court, as you describe it, how would you describe your oncourt demeanor?

TB: Speaking of on-court, and specifically on Tech’s court – what sets O’Keefe Gym apart from others?

TIPPINS: Without a doubt, I think everyone will notice what a huge improvement Asia (Stawicka) has made.

Last fall we weren’t very diverse in what we were running for her offensively, but this spring we worked quite a bit on mixing up her shots and the plays for her. She’s gotten so much better and will create a challenge for other teams to block because of the diversity in her game now.

TIPPINS: First things first, we’re still going to bring a lot of excitement to the court. We’ll still be running the fast offense, but you’ll see that this team is excited about the season in general. It’s a fresh, new beginning, and we’re looking forward to August 28 against the Bulldogs.

and move on. It’s actually a great mixture of personalities, with lots of positive energy coming from the bench.

TB: Besides practices, is there another way that you prepare for practice?

The season and home opener is August 28 against Georgia

TIPPINS: We watch video as a team, and then we’ve also been known to get individual DVDs that we can watch on our own time. We note what certain players are doing on other teams, and we try to understand them as a player and what

trends we’ll see when we play them.

The team also simulates a little in practice, so that we can see it on the court before we play them. I personally work with my setting coach a lot outside of practice. We watch video to see what I did in practice and what I can improve on. One of the things that we note is the different plays that I’m running as well as certain rotations. It’s a little bit more work since I’m the one running all of the plays, and therefore I need to know more than everyone else out there for us to be successful.

resulted in a kill. It’s like “I just helped you do that.” That feeling is just amazing. The downside is that, if we lose a match, all the blame is on you – or at least, that’s the way that I think. Being a setter is much like being the quarterback of the football team.

Everyone is looking at you in between points, since you are the one that tells them what you want them to do and what is being run.

TB: Tell me about running an offense in volleyball.

TIPPINS: You have to know your hitters as well as who the blockers are on the other side. After that, you need to be able to organize and communicate what you are going to run on offense, as well as what defense the other team in running. Basically, the goal is to run the best play

TB: Why did you decide on setting?

TIPPINS: It wasn’t so much a decision as it was that I was told I would be a setter since I was too short. I was originally a hitter, but in the eighth grade I was told that the only way I could make the varsity squad would be to move to setter. I converted, and now I’m so thankful that I did. I was devastated at first, but I don’t think I’d be here now if I was still a hitter. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn’t be playing volleyball.

TB: What are the best and worst parts of setting?

TIPPINS: I can’t explain the feeling that I get when I know that I just gave a really good set that

Jordan McCullers and Mary Ashley Tippins share a laugh during a recent photo shoot for the upcoming season.

www.ramblinwreck.com

17

that gives you a chance to give your hitters a one-on-one opportunity against an opposing blocker.

TB: Last year you had the chance to be around (former volunteer assistant coach) Kele Eveland, the best setter in college volleyball earlier this decade. Was there anything she shared that really stood out?

TIPPINS: She shared several things with me, all of which were helpful. She would come up to me on the sidelines during matches and talk about what was going on. She would tell me what play she would run in the present situation and then ask me what I thought. The other thing that I learned was that she really was a baller when she played.

She’d sometimes pitch in at practice, and the thing I noticed when she scrimmaged was that she went after everything. She was always talking and always hitting the floor – that really motivated me to do the same.

And lastly, despite her tenacity on the court, she was always so optimistic. I never once saw Kele get down on herself.

TB: Did you do anything different this summer to prepare for the upcoming season?

TIPPINS: I didn’t do anything that stands out more than any other summer. I took a few classes, worked out and coached a club team over the summer. Our team placed second at nationals, which was pretty exciting.

Before all of that though, I took a trip to the beach with Jordan (McCullers). We spent most days just playing pick-up volleyball down there, rather than wading in the ocean. After that we had the chance to play a few tournaments, and even won one of them!

TB: When you’re away from the gym, how do you like to spend your time?

TIPPINS: I love just hanging out with my family or friends. I’m lucky to attend school just 20 minutes away from home, so every chance I get I like to get back there. I also love to shop, which is a big problem of mine, since I spend all of my money on clothes. I really need to stop that.

TB: You mentioned clothes, and you seem to have quite an interest in them. Have you thought about something along those lines after graduation?

TIPPINS: I want to go to fashion school once I graduate from Georgia Tech. I know I need to get a better knowledge of the industry and everything on the fashion side before

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The Buzz

I could even enter that realm, but I do at least know that’s the direction I’m headed. The plus for me is that I am gaining the business side as a management major, so I’d be ahead of most other people in the industry in that sense.

TB: You mentioned you played a few tournaments with Jordan McCullers over the summer, is that probably the teammate that knows you best?

TIPPINS: She’s my best friend. I don’t get to see her nearly as much as last year, since she moved off campus for our junior season, but it’s still more than most friends are able to hang out.

TB: Did you know her before you arrived at Tech?

TIPPINS: Jordan and I have been playing volleyball together since our sophomore year of high school.

We played club volleyball with A5 together before she enrolled early at Tech, but then I followed six months later and we’ve been inseparable ever since!

TB: You’ve obviously been playing volleyball for a while – what’s the first thing you can remember about the sport.

TIPPINS: I first began playing at a volleyball camp in the sixth grade.

During the camp I went up and swung at a ball on an attack at the net, and the coach said that I was the first person that had ever tried that at the school. I figured that maybe I should give it a shot, and I’ve been playing ever since.

TB: Is there anything significant about your number?

TIPPINS: Number 25 is my lucky number. My birthday is May 25th, so it’s lucky in that sense, and then it was also my number when I played softball.

TB: Finally, did playing in front of your family have anything to do with your decision to come here?

TIPPINS: My dad is obsessed with watching his kids play sports.

The two oldest obviously don’t play any more, and my sister hung up her tennis skirt so I’m really the only one that he can watch. It’s a huge deal that I’m close to home, and it’s so easy for them to come and watch me. ■

diving in

by Jordan McCullers I tried out for my first serious junior volleyball team when I was 15 and learned at the end of tryouts that I’d made the top team for the 16U age division. The day after I heard the news, I attended a meet-and-greet with the coaches and teammates – that’s where I met Mash. First impression: Why is this girl so dressed up???

Little did I know the overdressed setter would become the best friend I’d ever have.

At first, I thought she was just being nice to me so that I would give her good passes. You see, I’m a libero and she’s a setter – she depends on me to pass well so she doesn’t have as much work to do to set a good ball. I guess I was wrong, since she’s still being nice to me. Surely the act would have tired by now, right?

By the time we were 17, Mash had already committed to Georgia Tech, while I was still looking for the right fit. I didn’t see myself playing for the Jackets at first, and instead looked around at several places.

When I began narrowing down my options was about the time that Mash started pestering me about Tech. When I say pester, I mean she was downright annoying. I finally agreed to give it a shot, taking a visit to campus.

After that, I was sold. The day I committed, I told Mash that I was going a different route and she’d have to go to Tech without me. The girl hit the deck and started to cry. I could do nothing but laugh, but then I gave in and told her that I’d committed. She was so mad that I tricked her, but eventually came around since she knew that it would mean we would get to play four more years of volleyball together.

Instead of competing with our club team the last summer of high school, I chose to graduate early and get a jump-start at Tech. It was tough missing that last year of juniors, but I had the chance to play with the Jackets in Europe. Not a bad switch, right?

It was a bit tough being the lone freshman for that semester, so I was super-excited when Mash finally got on campus in the fall.

She was none-too-thrilled that I missed that last summer, but when I gave her the campus 411 we were cool.

Things were a little different our first year at Tech. Neither of us were starters – a role that we were used to – and it was very hard to figure out where we fit and our roles with the team.

That’s where being friends before Tech meant the most. Having someone to pick you up when you’re down and help you stay on track was a huge asset.

Fast forward two years, and here we are…excited about our third year at Tech. We have a new staff and new freshmen and are working hard in the preseason to prepare ourselves for the first match – a showdown against the Georgia Bulldogs. This will be a unique opportunity for me and Mash, since we are both finally in position to earn the starting roles that we’ve been working for the last two years. August 28th can’t come soon enough. ■

fb

Center Dan Voss started every game for the Yellow Jackets in 2008 and looks to return from offseason shoulder surgery to keep his consecutive games streak in tact

football

Centers of Attention Sean Bedford and Dan Voss will see plenty of playing time in 2009

a

by Adam Van Brimmer Ask Sean Bedford about Dan Voss – or Voss about Bedford – and you’re sure to hear about Voss’s 21st birthday.

Don’t worry, moms and dads, it’s not what you think. This anecdote is rated PG, and would be G if not for a violent climax.

The Yellow Jackets practiced on the afternoon of April 7th, 2008. Bedford was a defensive tackle at the time, before head coach Paul Johnson moved him to the offensive line. Voss was the center.

The plot thickened as one of Bedford’s defensive teammates intercepted a pass during an intrasquad scrimmage.

Bedford and his fellow defensive linemen went from pass rushers to blockers, and Bedford blindsided the birthday boy.

“I hit him with a crack-back block, and he didn’t take too kindly to it,” Bedford said. “We had a few scuffles that afternoon.”

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The Buzz

Little did they know they would be fighting for a job a year later.

Voss is the returning starter, albeit with a surgically repaired shoulder.

Bedford is the upstart who stepped into the starting lineup in the spring while Voss nursed his injured wing.

Voss’s shoulder will be suspect until it holds up in game action, and Bedford is a former walk-on who hasn’t played a down of offense since his freshman year of high school.

That makes the duo Georgia Tech’s centers of attention going into the 2009 season.

Shoring up strong shoulders Voss long suffered from “loose” shoulders.

His left collarbone began partially slipping in and out of the joint – sublaxing in medical speak – during his high

school football career at Philadelphia’s St. Joseph’s Prep.

“It would hurt for about 30 seconds, then slip back in,” Voss said. “I wouldn’t even have to come out for a play.”

But the loose shoulder finally cost him some snaps last season. He suffered a dislocation early in the Mississippi State game and missed a few series while the team doctors “popped it back in.”

The incident convinced Voss to have the shoulder surgically repaired in the offseason, and not just to better his chances of playing a full senior season this fall.

“Without surgery, I was guaranteed to have more problems sometime in my life,” Voss said. “And I don’t want to be a 45-year-old man who can’t lift his arms above his head.”

Voss also feared continued pain in the shoulder would result in him playing

this season cautiously, worried that the shoulder might pop out with the next big collision.

A healthy and fearless Voss is good for Georgia Tech’s offensive line.

He’s started 21 straight games dating back to the middle of the 2007 season and was part of offensive lines that helped Tashard Choice and Jonathan Dwyer lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing.

Voss is also the line leader/mascot.

His bushy, unkempt beard is a point of pride, and his disorganized lifestyle makes the civil engineering major the object of teammates’ goodnatured abuse.

“I’m not a slob, I just have some slovenly tendencies,” Voss said.

“The beard fools a lot of people.”

Voss hopes his new and improved shoulder won’t trick him this fall.

“Would I like to start? I’d love to start. But we’re all probably going to see plenty of snaps anyway.”

– center, sean Bedford Finding a home in an unfamiliar place Bedford was a man without a position a year ago.

Deemed too short to play end, the Yellow Jacket defensive coaches moved him to tackle to start 2008 spring practice. But he was underweight to play there, and during a preseason practice drill last August, Johnson called Bedford over for a talk.

“Have you played offensive line before?” Johnson asked.

“Yes, on my high school freshman team,” Bedford answered.

“Good enough,” Johnson said.

With that, Johnson grabbed Bedford by the shoulder pads and directed him toward the offensive linemen.

Bedford was a quick study as Voss’s understudy – understandable from an aerospace engineering major who wants to add a second major in public policy.

Bedford’s biggest recruiting suitors in high school coached football in the Ivy League. He sheepishly admits a conversation with a Harvard admissions counselor that ended with Bedford

telling her “Harvard no longer fits my academic needs.”

Johnson’s option offense fits Bedford’s athletic needs. He’s 270 pounds, so he lacks the girth to block in a traditional offensive scheme. But his agility and quickness translate well to the get-downhill and block-low style of option football.

“You don’t need to be a behemoth,” Bedford said, “and you’re constantly moving forward.”

Bedford plowed ahead in the spring.

He took most of the snaps with the first team while Voss rehabbed his shoulder. His approach was simply to improve and develop chemistry with the rest of the first-team offense, but he couldn’t help but try and prove himself to the coaches.

“As a competitor, you want to take every opportunity to steal the spotlight,” Bedford said. “Would I like to start? I’d love to start. But we’re all probably going to see plenty of snaps anyway.”And no more crackback blocks. ■

A man without a position a year ago, Sean Bedford has fit in nicely on the offensive line this season.

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21

WB women’s basketball

Building a Dream

Danielle Donehew has gone from nailing threes at AMC to the front office of the Atlanta Dream.

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By Simit Shah The last time most Georgia Tech fans saw Danielle Donehew, she was hoisting three-pointers at a record pace for the Lady Jackets. In time, she hopes to be hoisting a WNBA championship trophy.

Rather than pursuing a career on the court or sidelines, the former Tech standout is a member of the Atlanta Dream’s front office, serving as the team’s executive vice president. It’s a role that fits the industrial engineering graduate perfectly.

Donehew began playing basketball in fifth grade and immediately fell in love with the sport. She went on to star at Sequoyah High School in suburban Atlanta, and she badgered thenGeorgia Tech head coach Agnus Berenato into giving her a scholarship.

“I can’t say enough about her,” said Berenato, now head coach at Pittsburgh.

“She worked hard on and off the court for me, and she was absolutely brilliant.”

At Georgia Tech, Donehew emerged as one of the best sharpshooters in

school history and still holds the record for most three-pointers in a game (8 against North Carolina and Samford) and a single season (86). Her 241 career three-pointers broke the school record.

Meanwhile, she earned numerous accolades off the court, including being voted Miss Georgia Tech in 1999. She finished her playing career in 2000 and spent the following season as a student assistant while finishing her degree.

“As I was getting ready to graduate, I had a heart-to-heart with my mom about my future, and she asked me two questions,” she recalled. “The first was, ‘What is your passion?’ Of course, I said it was basketball. The second question was, ‘Who do you want to work for?’ My natural inclination was to choose Pat Summit, because I had respected her in this profession for so long.”

She already knew Summit through high school teammate LaShonda Stephens, who played for Tennessee.

Donehew had worked at several Tennes-

see summer camps while at Tech, so she gave the legendary coach a call.

“I asked if she would consider me for a grad assistant role,” she remembered.

“She didn’t have any spots at the time, but said she’d keep me in mind. Low and behold, a few weeks later she called back and offered me a spot.”

The graduate assistant stint was slated for two years, and Donehew figured she’d earn her master’s degree and depart with a good recommendation. However, she made enough of an impression that Summit offered a full-time position as the director of basketball operations after Donehew’s first year. “[Coach Summit is] very good at analyzing a person’s strength and encouraging them to find an avenue where they shine,” Donehew explained. “She’s the one that nudged me into the operational side of things. In the beginning I wanted to coach, but she was right. I didn’t want her to be right, but she was - I loved operations. I loved figuring out how everything worked within the ath-

letic department. It was fun to see things come together successfully.”

Over time, her role and responsibilities grew, and after six years, she was promoted to assistant athletics director for basketball operations, which gave her insight into the sponsorship and fundraising aspect of the program.

“Pat once told me that Danielle was the only person that could tell her no,” said Berenato. “That’s a high compliment, and it shows the kind of confidence Danielle has in her decisionmaking.”

“I didn’t know she said that, but I appreciate it,” said Donehew. “That’s the kind of relationship I wanted to build with Pat. I know that, as a leader, you never want to surround yourself with ‘yes’ people, because you’re doomed to fail. You need to surround yourself with people that will be honest and candid, because you want people that respect you enough to tell you the truth. That’s what I tried to be for Pat.”

Danielle Donehew organizes the Dream operations and budget, general manager Marynell Meadors (right) serves as Atlanta’s head coach, and Chamique Holdsclaw, in her ninth season in the WNBA after a record-breaking career at Tennessee, is the team’s top player.

22

The Buzz

As she was entering her sixth season with the Volunteers, Donehew was approached by a former sorority sister at Georgia Tech, Lara Hodgson, who asked if she’d be interested in joining a committee to assess the feasibility of a WNBA franchise in Atlanta. With Tennessee’s blessing, she helped lay the groundwork for the league expanding to the southeast.

Once the franchise was awarded in the fall of 2007, team president Bill Bolen reached out to Donehew with an offer to run the business side of things.

“It was really tough, because it was right when our 2007-08 season started,” Donehew stated. “It was in November, so I had to tell them that I couldn’t walk away from Coach Summit in the middle of a season,” she said. “They said they would wait, so I continued to help during that season.”

Donehew juggled the roles the rest of the season, which ended in another national title for the Lady Vols.

“We won the championship on a Tuesday, and by that Sunday I had closed the books and handed everything off,” Donehew said. “I was in Atlanta that Monday. It was a quick turnaround, and I really didn’t sleep much that year.

It was hard to leave Tennessee and Pat. She was an incredible mentor for me, but a huge part of the decision was my family. I grew up in Atlanta, and in the

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Nearly 10 years after beginning her career at Tech, Donehew returned to Atlanta as the Dream’s executive vice president for operations and finance. back of my mind I knew I wanted to come back here when the right door opened.”

That door has led to the number of challenges that face a new franchise, but Donehew feels that her Georgia Tech education prepared her well for leading the Dream.

“What attracted to me the job was the fact that it was an opportunity to build something,” she said. “When I was at Tennessee, I was so fortunate to be around one of the most established and prominent programs in the history

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of women’s basketball. There, I got a chance to see what the finished product looks like. I wanted to see if we could build something special here. Naturally, as an engineer you want to see if you can do it too.”

Her move back to Atlanta has also given Donehew a chance to reconnect

with her alma mater, and she’s developed close relationships with current head coach MaChelle Joseph, senior woman administrator Theresa Wenzel and women’s basketball assistant LaChina Robinson.

“I was excited to be back in town and get involved with Georgia Tech again,” Donehew said. “I’m a big believer in their athletic program.It was such a wonderful experience for me, and I will always want to give back and praise them

whenever I can. They are first class in everything they do. They’ve done a great job with the basketball program over the last few years, and I really applaud their effort.” ■

Given the Chance to Dream

By Deja Foster

Danielle Donehew was the most prolific three-point shooter in Tech history and still holds the school records for treys in a game and season while ranking second in the career annals with 241 threes from 1997-2000.

24

The Buzz

When I think of Danielle Donehew, the first thing that comes to mind is that her success off the court gives all student-athletes, and especially those that play basketball, hope. What I mean by that is that we don’t only have to bounce and shoot a basketball to be deemed successful after we graduate from Georgia Tech - we can take what we have learned on the court and in the classroom and it can translate into an exciting career like Danielle’s position with the Atlanta Dream.

I love the game of basketball and when my days of playing are over, I want to continue to teach the game as a college coach.

Seeing what Danielle has accomplished since suiting up at Georgia Tech has personally touched me

because it motivates me to pursue my dreams. I know that if I want to coach, I will be able to coach.

Just this past season, Danielle showed up at one of our games and came in the locker room to speak to our team. She discussed various topics with us and delivered a powerful and inspirational speech to us. It made us proud that she once wore the same uniform we had that day.

I am grateful that my teammates and I have someone like Danielle to look up to and be a role model. She has become someone we can turn to for advice on how to succeed outside of the just playing the game of basketball.

She is the epitome of the saying ‘hard work really does pay off in the end.’ ■

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The Buzz

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Returning to His Roots

It took some time, but Joel Langsfeld finally returned to where he began his college career.

m

By Simit Shah

Most of the people featured in this space often espouse their lifelong devotion to Georgia Tech and usually relate their early memories of cheering for the white and gold. That’s not quite the case with Joel Langsfeld. Though he’s an ardent supporter these days, the 1980 industrial management graduate took some time to come around.

“To be honest, when I got out of school I didn’t like Georgia Tech,” he said. “It was hard work and a grind, and it wasn’t exactly the fondest of memories.

Because of that, I kept my distance for a long time.

“With the passage of time and maturity, I realized what a great education it was and how well it prepared me for practicing law and real estate development.

Georgia Tech really taught me about discipline and the value of hard work.”

Those early seeds were planted by his father, who was an Atlanta-based FBI agent. Langsfeld was the fifth of six children and attended Briarcliff High School in Dekalb County. When it came time to pick a college in 1976, he needed to stay in-state for financial reasons and decided to follow his older brother Mark, who was a junior majoring in biology at Georgia Tech and is now a vascular surgeon in New Mexico.

“To be honest, I went to Tech for really no other reason,” Langsfeld said. “I didn’t know a whole lot about the school.”

Out of necessity, Langsfeld took a full-time job at a law firm near campus to help with tuition costs while tackling the school’s well-known academic rigors.

“Because of my father, I always had an interest in law,” he explained. “I knew while I was at Tech that I eventually wanted to go to law school, so I took pretty much any course related to law, plus an internship in the state legislature.”

His time for extracurricular activities was somewhat limited, but he was active on the intramural scene - playing, officiating and even working in the office when his schedule allowed. He is very proud of winning two intramural school championships in soccer with his brother as a teammate.

Despite his demanding schedule, Langsfeld carried a full course load and found time to squeeze in a class or two over the summer, allowing him to graduate a quarter early with highest honors in 1980.

Upon graduation, Langsfeld had been accepted to law school, but he decided to defer for a while and get his feet wet in the working world. He got a several job offers and decided to accept a position with accounting giant Arthur Andersen in their management consulting division.

“I didn’t quite fully understand what I was getting in to,” Langsfeld readily admitted. “I thought they were paying me to carry a briefcase, go to a client’s office and tell them what to do. After I was hired, I realized the job was actually computer programming in those archaic languages like FORTRAN and IBM Assembler. That was probably my weakest subject at Tech.

“So after less than a full month at Arthur Andersen, I had to go in and tell them that this wasn’t for me,” he laughed. “They were very understanding. I decided at that point I didn’t really need to defer law school.”

Langsfeld enrolled in law at the University of Georgia (where three of his siblings also went as undergraduates) and was somewhat surprised by what he found.

28

The Buzz

Jack Thompson played a key role in Joel Langsfeld’s return to the Flats, and Tech Athletics have reaped the benefits of such a loyal supporter.

“I was very well prepared academically for Georgia’s law school,” Langsfeld noted. “You wouldn’t think that since I had a technical degree, but I found myself very prepared. You’d think that the folks with the political science and English degrees would be better prepared, but it was the opposite. The Tech people did exceedingly well in law school.”

Langsfeld graduated with honors in 1983 and embarked on what he figured to be a long career in law.

He joined a law firm in Atlanta focusing on corporate and securities work, and then branched out to start his own firm with three partners in 1986.

For the next 10 years, Langsfeld built a successful law practice specializing primarily in commercial real estate transactions. His work put him into contact with a prominent developer, Bruce Rakay of Sarasota, Florida, who persuaded Langsfeld to consider a career change.

“Bruce was himself a ‘recovering lawyer,’” Langsfeld recalled. “He subsequently hired me to help represent his company. Being a lawyer, he figured that I hated what I did, so he asked if I’d be interested in partnering with him in retail development.”

After a year of both working in his law practice and starting several retail development projects, Langsfeld took the plunge and started Grace Enterprises, named after his daughter, currently a senior at The Lovett School in Atlanta.

“Business just took off,” he said. “We were working 16 hours a day, seven days a week. From 1996 to 2000, we developed about 130 free-standing drug stores in about 12 states.”

As his company grew, one of his hires was former Georgia Tech defensive back Bubba Hoats, most

famous for his school record three-interception game in a 6-0 victory over Georgia in 1969.

“Bubba was our site acquisition man, and he helped with the majority of our deals,” Langsfeld said. “I still hadn’t warmed up to Tech at that point, but Bubba introduced me to (associate director of athletics) Jack Thompson. That was the start for me to get involved with being active with Georgia Tech again.”

In recent years, Langsfeld has become a Life Member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund, and his family is a fixture at football and basketball games. In fact, he and his wife, Andrea, had their first date at a Georgia Tech-Virginia (her alma mater) basketball game at the Thrillerdome. He often uses his extra tickets to recruit new Georgia Tech fans, including his daughter Grace’s high school friends.

Thompson introduced Langsfeld to Georgia Tech’s director of player development Eric Ciano, who has given the 50-year-old plenty of guidance on getting back into shape.

“Eric does a great job for Georgia Tech, and he’s really helped me get back into a routine as well,” Langsfeld said. In fact, one of Langsfeld’s gifts to Tech has been directed towards improvements in the weight room.

So while it took some time, Langsfeld now bleeds white and gold.

“I have heard athletics described as being the front porch of the university, and it’s a great way to present the school on a national stage,” he said. “It creates loyalty, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve become involved. I think it’s a vital part of Georgia Tech.

Without athletics, Tech is a different school.” ■

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NCAA Compliance Corner

By Paul Parker

Georgia Tech Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Services

Overview of the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Process The recruiting process is in full gear for high school senior prospective studentathletes and just beginning for high school juniors. For those parents who have a teenager with the potential to participate at Division I or II, below is a quick overview of the NCAA initial-eligibility process.

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?

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The NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse) is a branch of the NCAA that determines a student’s initial eligibility for athletics participation in his or her first year of college enrollment. Students who want to participate in college sports during their first year of enrollment in college must register with the Eligibility Center. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Eligibility Center staff follows NCAA legislation in analyzing and processing a student’s high school academic records, ACT or SAT scores, and key information about amateurism participation, to determine the student’s initial eligibility.

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There is only one fee to register with the Eligibility Center, which covers both the academic and amateurism certification: $60 for domestic prospects and $85 for international students.

When should a prospective student-athlete register?

Register with the Eligibility Center at the end of the junior year in high school and be sure to update the athletics participation section regularly. There is no deadline; however, prospective student-athletes must be registered before they may receive an official visit at a Division I or II institution and sign a National Letter of Intent.

How does a prospective student-athlete register?

To register with the Eligibility Center, simply go to www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. Click on prospective student-athlete, and then click on either the Domestic or International Student Release Form. Complete ALL of the questions and submit your answers.

Eligibility Center Quick Facts: • Phone: 1-877-622-2321 • SAT Web site: www.collegeboard.com • ACT Web site: www.act.org • Eligibility Web site: wwwncaaclearinghouse.net

What does a prospective studentathlete need to do before he/she can make an official visit?

• R egister with the Eligibility Center by completing the online Student Release form.

• Pay the registration fee.

• Make sure the prospective student- athlete has taken the ACT, SAT or PSAT test.

•

Make sure all test scores and high school transcripts are sent directly to the Eligibility Centerand the college the prospect is interested in visiting immediately after the student’s junior year of high school.

Core Courses 16 core courses will be required for NCAA Division I prospective student-athletes to be certified.

16 Core Courses: • years of English.

• years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher).

• years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school).

• year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science.

• years of social science.

• years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy.)

Test Scores All SAT and ACT scores must be reported directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center by the testing agency.

Test scores that appear on transcripts will no longer be used. When registering for the SAT or ACT, use the Eligibility Center code of 9999 to make sure the score is reported to the Eligibility Center.

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