On moving players to new positions
Good morning, all-
Hope you are well.
I’ll answer a question that Patrick asked, as it was something that I had actually asked Paul Johnson about earlier in spring practice, about how coaches decide to move players. (By the way, if you have any other questions you’d like answered, keep them coming.) More or less, Patrick, you were on the right track. It’s a variety of reasons.
Some players move on their own. Correy Earls, for instance, requested to switch from wide receiver to defensive back, a position where he excelled in high school. Generally, it sounds like most of the moves, though, are made at Johnson’s request.
Before spring practice started, Johnson thought the team would have a shortage on the defensive line, so he decided on moving Jason Hill from the offensive line and Osahon Tongo and Albert Rocker from linebacker. He said factors such as body type, athletic ability and their chances for playing time at their old position vs. the new one go into the moves. (Things don’t always work out the way you want. As Johnson has noted, the offensive line, because of injuries to Nick Claytor, Dan Voss, Clyde Yandell and now Cord Howard has gotten pretty thin. I want to say they’re down to 11 healthy bodies now. As I wrote in today’s story, only two linemen who started the last four games of the season – tackle Austin Barrick and guard Joe Gilbert – are still healthy.)
Defensive line coach Giff Smith said he chose Jason Peters to move from defensive end to tackle because he thought Peters had a frame that could allow him to put on more weight and also because he had played some tackle in high school.
Said Johnson, “If you’ve got two or three players that you feel like are really good at one position and you might be void a little bit at another position, it only makes sense to train them to play (at the new one).”
Sean Bedford, a walk-on center who is working with the first team, was a scout-team defensive tackle up until fall practice last year.
Said Bedford, “[Johnson] grabbed me one day in warm-ups, just pulled me by the shoulder pads, said, ‘Hey, come get some snaps and it’s been center ever since then.”
It’s working out pretty well so far. I think Bedford will have a shot at keeping the job, even when Voss comes back from his shoulder surgery in the fall. Larry wrote about Claytor and Voss earlier in the spring, and Johnson said that a player won’t lose a job because of an injury. But, when that player comes back, if he’s rusty and it’s clear that the replacement has surpassed him, the replacement will keep the position.
It’s no fault of their own, but Claytor and Voss are missing a lot of snaps and practice time in the spring, and because cohesion is such a part of good line play, it will likely have an impact in the fall.
What do you think?
Check out Johnny Crawford’s photo gallery from Wednesday’s practice.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
65 comments Add your comment
hem o'roid
April 10th, 2009
5:16 pm
Thank God and greyhound ole chan is gone! Give ‘em hell M. Youda man!!
ShutUpMutt
April 11th, 2009
12:35 am
Guys, guys,
Isn’t it obvious that M and Yellowblood are nothing more than GA fans mocking tech fans?
UGA 2008 Preseason national Champions
April 11th, 2009
3:32 am
45-42 HELL to the YEAH
Hey SugarHillDawg
April 11th, 2009
9:25 am
Seems like you got kinda quiet huh? Mommy not letting you use her computer tonight?
GOTECH2
April 11th, 2009
9:32 am
The players say that CPJ notices all the mistakes corrects and moves on. His confrontation and correction of Barrick after the unsuccessful move for the 1st down at Georgia is classic.
GTMan
April 11th, 2009
10:09 am
As for the loss to LSU, I do think that a lot of it was the players listening to how great they were, especially since they had just beaten the pre-season #1 team (LOL)!
However, I do recall CPJ saying the bowl game was a reward for the players (and it is), and I got the feeling ahead of time that our team was going to treat it as a reward, not as a must win game. If I got that feeling, wouldn’t the players possibly figured this game was in the bag and there was no real need to come out and be ready to play?
The one aspect of the game that bothered me, was that LSU seemed to whip us on both sides of the line. From that, I would hope over the winter, spring, and summer, the O line and D line would put more time in the weight room and really push themselves and each other.
A great O line can make a mediocre QB and RB look really good. Conversely, a great D line can make a really good QB and RB look really bad and take pressure off the LB’s and CB’s.
Anyone remember Perdoni (late 60’s) who could bench over 500 lbs? Hard to stop someone that strong.
THWG and TGAG
ugablows
April 11th, 2009
10:32 am
thwM
Don
April 11th, 2009
1:52 pm
GTMan – Thanks for your perspective on the LSU game. I think I’m starting to feel a bit better after reading the response from you and Ken about my concern over the teams attitude after big wins – or not being “up” for lesser opponents. You both have valid points – something I guess I’ve been neglecting to think about. LSU also whipped us in every area of special teams play including the onsides kickoff to start the second half. The whole game was totally demoralizing – particularily after all the “atta-boys” for a great year and fantastic performances by both players and coaches. I do remember “Rock”. Hell-of-a player – defensive tackle 1970 consensus all-American.
Not Disappointed
April 11th, 2009
4:53 pm
Did anyone see the ga spring game? “I know we have work today at the FLATS, but the dawgs have work too.” Go Jackets!
Oldbush
April 11th, 2009
6:55 pm
Doesn’t it feel good to have a optomistic feeling
about Tech and the up coming football season.
We’ve have a proven coach and we’ve had a good
recruiting season. We whooped the dawgs
and the horizon looks bright. The ACC championship
looks promising. Finally we are moving in the right
direction. Let’s keep our support strong and stay
behind Coach J. Let’s forget all the bashing about
what went on in the past. Stay positive!
nerdhater
April 12th, 2009
7:37 pm
GT fans you guys won fair and square my hat is off to you. You guys only problem is that the slightest succes goes to your head. The UGA team you played last year was rype for the picking and you guys came to play ball. If you think that same UGA team will show up this year you’re f@#$% crazy, they have circled that game and beleive me they will be ready.
ShutUpMutt
April 12th, 2009
8:05 pm
Nerdhater,
If anyone is letting success go to their head it’s you and the rest of the butt-sniffing fan base at UGA. Every single year you talk about how your current QB is “the best ever” and your current RB is “the best ever” and your recruiting is “the best ever” but you can’t translate ANY of that to a NC.
If you think the same GT team will show up next year, YOU are crazy. They will be faster, smarter and more motivated than the Richt era has ever seen. Get used to the taste of your foot. We’ll do it again in 2009!
THWG!
nerdhater
April 13th, 2009
5:54 am
Hey nerd you still have to have recruits you have lost your best defensive players and no one to replace them, and our great recruiting classes have led to CMR having a 7-1 record against you geeks. We can claim our players are the best because we have first round picks in the draft you have none M.Johnson has dropped because he has no edge. You had the # 49 recruiting class that won’t cut it. P.S. DON’T EVER PISS A DAWG OFF.
wth
April 15th, 2009
9:15 am
nerdhater, you can’t argue with a GIOT fan, if they had any sense to begin with, would they support the nerd herd? I totally don’t get how a 3pt win translates to WE OWN YOU, WE’RE GONNA WIN FROM NOW ON, and THE NERDS ARE BACK. Were the nerds ever there in the first place?
Go gators
April 15th, 2009
9:34 am
Or what nerdhater, what happens when I piss a dawg off, oh yeah 16 out of 19 years now…LOL WTH you classless baffoon didn’t I teach you some respect the last time we spoke, the respect the military obviously couldn’t teach you.