Tech’s first day report, more on McCoy
The Yellow Jackets' efforts to protect the ball began on the first day. JOHNNY CRAWFORD/jcrawford@ajc.com
Greetings-
I think most everything I learned Wednesday went into my notebook, starting with defensive lineman Denzel McCoy’s career apparently ending due to an undisclosed medical condition.
He had a chance to be a good one. He turned down offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Stanford, among many others, to play for Tech. It’s unfortunate, obviously, but I think he’ll be fine. We had a brief Twitter conversation in which he said as much, and from what I was told about McCoy, he has a great attitude and is a good kid. His best days are ahead of him.
“He came here to get a degree and he’s hopefully going to do that,” coach Paul Johnson said. “He’s got his whole life to live. He’s going to live a normal life, it’s just not in the cards for him right now to play college football.”
A couple things: Ultimately, it’s a good thing the condition that has sidelined him was discovered last summer before his Tech career began.
“No question,” Johnson said. “Our team doctors and training staff, they do a real thorough job and they detected it early, so he was never really put in any danger.”
McCoy will miss this season and “unless something drastically changes after a year or so, his football career is over.”
Second, Johnson said McCoy will remain on scholarship and work as an assistant to Liam Klein, the director of player personnel. The scholarship won’t count against the NCAA 85-player limit. That will put Tech three under the limit when his scholarship status changes. (The transfer of Ryan Ayers to Liberty and Albert Rocker’s decision to skip his final year of eligibility to take a job with Microsoft put the team two under.)
One may go to walk-on offensive tackle Tyler Kidney. Johnson said he’ll receive one at the end of the season if he wins the starting job. The other two may be held for 2012 recruits who want to enroll early.
A couple other notes:
- Players are staying at a nearby hotel. They checked in Tuesday. Johnson: “We’ve done that before. Last year, we didn’t do it because we had them all in the same housing here (on campus), but we couldn’t get them all in the same place, and I think it’s important in camp to have them all together.”
- The team started practice with punt and punt return, which is typical. “We work on it every single day,” Johnson said. “It’s big this fall. We’ve got to get much better in that area, no question.”
- Johnson on the incoming class. “Overall, there’s some big, lean, athletic-looking kids. Like I said when we signed them, we’re excited about them. It’ll be interesting to see if any of them can help us this year.”
- Another 3 p.m. practice Thursday and another Friday. The team will practice at 9:45 Saturday morning, followed by fan day at 4 p.m., and a kicking scrimmage Sunday. All practices are closed to the public.
- Photographer Johnny Crawford has an excellent photo gallery from practice, which you can see here.
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176 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:19 am
well, duhh, marco, Clemson, Maryland, UNC, NC State, and Duke have been in the ACC since it was founded in 1953. Of course, they have more championships than Tech.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:20 am
haha, I know we’re talking about football, but what about Tech’s 20+ win domination over the mutts in basketball?
collegeballfan
August 4th, 2011
10:23 am
To put the “championships” discussion into the realm of actual facts:
UGA – going back to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and their first championship in 1896 – UGA has 14 conference championships and 2 national championships (1942 & 1980).
GT – going back to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and their first championship in 1916 – GT has 16 conference (not including the 2009 ACC title they vacated) and 4 national championshiops (1917,1928,1952 & 1990).
See… cfbdatawarehouse.com
And since I wasn’t around in 1896 or in 1916 I do not get real excited about the historical records. However, I was around in 1942 when UGA won their first title – I was 6 months old. (Goo Daw! – that’s baby talk for Go Dawgs). But some do & so please enjoy the debate.
In fact I do not get real excited about last year. I am more into the upcoming season. If that makes me weird – so be it.
OldSchoolTechFanatic
August 4th, 2011
10:23 am
Good luck guys !!! I hope a few leaders step up this year and I think they will. YELLOW JACKETS !!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:24 am
As far as FSU having more ACC championships than Tech, they have more ACC championships than anybody in the ACC except Clemson and got a few NC’s during that time too. And the years VT won the ACC, they were on a par with any other team in the country, including the mutts.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:25 am
George is probably at work today, unlike me (retired) and the rest of you punks, who probably just got off the midnight shift at some fast food restaurant.
hahaha!!!
August 4th, 2011
10:27 am
Pretty sad when you have to resort to basketball since you cant win the football arugment, ehh winner?
Btw, UGA is much closer to Yech in head-to-head wins in hoops than you cheats are in football. Haha! Ouch!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:29 am
collegeballfan, thanks for clearing it up. I was incorrect earlier in my count; I said 18 to 16, when it is actually 16 (or 17 if the appeal is successful) to 14, Regarding your claim for the 1942 NC, why is that disputed by most people (and not just by Tech fans)? Some sites list it, but most don’t? Not challenging you on that, but would like to know the truth, if there is one.
Kachal
August 4th, 2011
10:30 am
It is pathetic tech fans still try and leach onto Michigan St’s and Colorado’s titles. But I guess if my school was as sorry as tech’s I would live in the past too and try and steal other team’s hardware.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:31 am
Only because of Phewitt, haha, and he’s gone now. Hell, the mutts didn’t even win an SEC basketball championship till the 80’s, and Tech has won more ACC championships than the mutts have won SEC championships.
priorities
August 4th, 2011
10:31 am
Who gives a $#’+ what delusional dog dropping fans think? Any fans who call part of the stadium a “dawg pound?” Don’t they know that’s where dogs are euthanized? Now that makes a lot of sense! And playing “Leroy Brown” by the band? The lyrics say “…meaner than a a junkyard dog..” What should we expect from mentally deficient troglodytic morons.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:33 am
Kachal, you might have an argument on the Mich State case, but you have no basis for arguing in favor of Colorado at all. It was (inappropriately, because of the 5th down TD against Missouri) a SHARED championship, and it was not the first shared championship in NCAA history. You going to try to take away Bama’s, LSU’s, Michigan’s (and others) shared championships too? Yeah, tell that to them.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:35 am
kachal, it’s pretty bad when the only truly legitimate THUGa championship was won in a struggle against a Notre Dame team who had had to come from behind just to TIE Tech that year. Yeah, that was really an impressive win for the mutts, wasn’t it?
Kachal
August 4th, 2011
10:39 am
Negative. Tech played a chumps schedule as usual that year. Tying a horrible UNC team that didnt even make a bowl late in the year. Colorado played 4 conference champions. Tech played zero. Tech beat Colorado’s leftovers in their bowl game that was without their starting QB. It is really not debateable.
hahaha!!!
August 4th, 2011
10:41 am
You know what type of season yech fans are really expecting if they are already talking about basketball!!! Hahahaha!!!!
Connor
August 4th, 2011
10:44 am
Has a day ever gone by on here where someone did not beat the ever living dog s*#t out of Super with facts? Looks like another beatdown of the troll.
Keep pounding him with reality kackal.
juvenal
August 4th, 2011
10:46 am
so, kachal, sec does not have 6 straight nc’s because lsu did not get the ap? maybe WWIII will last 30 years, & we can play 4-F’s again(course y’all don’t count those)
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:48 am
Kachal and Connor (probably the same punk), you didn’t vote for the NC in 1990, and I didn’t vote for the NC in 1990. The UPI voted Tech NC, and the AP voted Colorado NC. Whether you agree with them or not, THOSE ARE FACTS !!!! And I don’t care whom Colorado played, they were GIVEN a victory over Missouri, because they were GIVEN 5 downs to score the winning TD. THAT IS A FACT TOO !!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:50 am
juvenal, if they could find an excuse, they wouldn’t count a single loss they have ever had. They ALWAYS come up with some kind of lame excuse why they really didn’t lose a game.
zac
August 4th, 2011
10:54 am
Hey super, something tells me you do not have a problem with claiming 2 victories over UGA in the late 90’s when both were given to Tech by the refs due to horrible calls?
Surely you remember the fumble that never was and the funble that was never called….
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:55 am
Connor, according to Kachal’s logic, if the SEC wins the NC in 2011, they won’t have 6 consecutive NC’s because LSU had to share one. That apparently doesn’t count in his book.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
10:56 am
zac, see you just proved my point. Blame it on something; it doesn’t matter what.
Kachal
August 4th, 2011
10:57 am
Of course you do not care about their schedule. Because they played a champions schedule while tech played its typical JV schedule.
zac
August 4th, 2011
10:58 am
Connor
the answer to your question is 2. The same number as UGA.
zac
August 4th, 2011
11:00 am
Does someone need to explain to superdumbaass about the BCS or should we just allow him to keep embarrassing himself with his own stupidity?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
11:06 am
Kachal, you really shouldn’t talk about difficulty of schedules. THUGa almost NEVER plays a tough schedule. You wimp out with UK and Vandy every year, and only play LSU or Bama a couple of times each every 4 years, The rest of the time you are playing those powerhouses (HA) Ole Miss and Miss State. You pretty much split with Auburn and UT, and lately you never beat the Gators. With SC finally performing well, your success against them has come to an end. And of course, let’s not forget those OOC teams you regularly play. Since DRad came in, Tech’s OOC schedule has regrettably not been very good either, but in the past we did play the likes of Notre Dame, Arizona, BYU, Pittsburgh, and others. During those years, the mutts were playing (and still play) the likes of Tenn Tech, Louisiana Lafayette or Monroe or whoever they are, Ga Southern, and the list goes on and on.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
11:07 am
what point are you trying to make about the BCS, zac? Neither Tech nor THUGa have won a BCS championship. So what’s your point?
Brooks Brother
August 4th, 2011
11:18 am
I cannot decide which is more sad. Tech fans fake online girlfriends or their twisted, confused, delusional over confidence every August….
guys why bother arguing
August 4th, 2011
11:28 am
with uga fans and players on this blog. there is a blog called “Republicans Are Idiots And Arguing With Them Is A Waste Of Time!” this could easily fit the dawgs as well. hell probably even more so.
that their fans and students would urinate on their own library carpet says it all. that is a statement fact about the whole program and school. nothing left to be said that could detract from the dawgs and their pissy program any further.
Common sense
August 4th, 2011
11:40 am
In the past 5 years, notable OOC gMes for each team are as follows:
GT – Notre Dame, Army, Miss. St, Vandy and Kansas.
UGA – Colorado, Ok. State, Troy, C. Michigan & Arizona St.
No contest which program is at least trying to beef up their OOC, and that team already plays in the most difficult conference in the nation.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
11:50 am
Common Sense, in those 5 years, Tech is 5-1 against the OOC foes, and Georgia is 3-2. Not sure much can be made of that. However, had your opening game not been changed to Boise State, your OOC this year would be pathetic, because I don’t think you play any OOC FBS opponents other than Tech. Tech’s is admittedly not much better, but Kansas is an FBS school.
Michael
August 4th, 2011
12:29 pm
Super –
First for the record, you have to be the dumbest blog troll I have ever seen. If I were a Tech fan I would petition the AJC to ban you for life. That being said, since you are a known liar I did a little research myself, Tech was 5-2 facing the above teams, a very pitiful schedule at that. During the same 5 years, Tech has only been able to beat UGA once by 3 measly points. For decades Tech has been a strength of schedule killer for UGA, while UGA has done nothing but prop up Tech’s otherwise shamelessly weak schedule each and every year.
UGA not only plays in the most dominant conference, but is the only state school that strives to face even better competition out of conference. This is really only out of necessity since facing the laughing stock cheats you pull for every Thanksgiving weekend only hurts their schedule.
A. Bishop
August 4th, 2011
12:33 pm
Supersize
Grow up man. Anybody that reads anything you write pictures you as an old man sitting in your trailer wifeless and fat with nothing better to do than get on a football blog and ramble on about a college that you never went to. Run back to your useless life.
A. Bishop
August 4th, 2011
12:35 pm
Guys Why Bother Arguing
Clearly you have never been to Sanford Stadium because there is no part of it that is called the dawg pound. You must have been standing outside the gate wishing you had the money to buy a ticket to get in.
JM
August 4th, 2011
12:39 pm
good to hear practices have started. I hate this news on McCoy, he will be missed. I am glad to see GT is keeping its promise to him and keeping him on scholarship. Good Luck to him.
Teddy Roosevelt
August 4th, 2011
12:43 pm
Wait, ayers is transferring?
Michael
August 4th, 2011
12:47 pm
Exactly Bishop. I actually picture a fat, bald, hairy-back guy that is probably around 270 and 5′7 in his mid-50’s that lives in his mother’s basement. Doesn’t even have his GED, gets an occasional job bagging groceries once every 5 years but ends up getting fired after a few weeks for creeping out the teenage cashiers. It is as evident as the day is long that this clown has absolutely zero life whatsoever. It would be sad if he wasn’t a typical Tech POS, so I actually get much joy in his misery.
hahahaha!!!!
August 4th, 2011
12:54 pm
For a team that ranks behind the mighty Duke, UNC, Maryland and N.C. State in ACC conference titles and rarely, if ever, beats their masters from Athens, to seriously get on here and talk trash is beyond just being insane!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
1:03 pm
Michael, you are partially correct as it turns out. First, I counted wrong….DUHHH. But also I didn’t consider multiple meetings over that period,either for Tech or for the mutts. We played Notre Dame twice, losing in Atlanta and winning in South Bend. The only other team in that list who beat Tech was Kansas. So instead of being 5-1, we were 4-2. Since I believe THUGa played OK State and Colorado each twice, winning two and losing two, the mutts were 5-2. But the mutts have always had a pathetic OOC schedule until the past couple of years. You don’t know what you’re talking about if you claim that the mutts STRIVE to face better OOC competition. That’s a joke. I guess they really have had to strive hard to schedule Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State, Louisiana Lafayette (2010), Idaho State (2010), Tennessee Tech (2009), Ga Southern (2008), Central Michigan (2008), Western Carolina (2007), Troy (2007), Western KY (2006), and UAB (2006). Aside from Boise State (which was a late replacement, I might remind you), your OOC schedule this year sucks. Of course, that’s par for the course for the majority of SEC schools, all of whom almost never play anybody of any consequence OOC. That is my one complaint about DRAD; he comes from the SEC and apparently brought that philosophy with him. So I guess Tech’s OOC schedule will be as bad as THUGa’s from now on.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
1:07 pm
haha, you’re showing your ignorance again. How could Tech possibly have as many ACC titles as any of the schools you listed, when those schools have been in the ACC for 58 years, and Tech for only 33 years.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
1:11 pm
Michael, you’re a fine one to talk. Which one of us is on our opponent’s blog? Which one of us is so obsessed with our opponent that we spend all morning posting on that blog? You certainly won’t see my name on any of the THUGa blogs, and I don’t log in under false or multiple names like the majority of you punks do. I have no need to defend my current life situation. Suffice it to say, I have both a BS and an MS degree from Tech. I worked in industry for 30+ years and am comfortably retired, living off the results of my labors and unfortunately shelling out tax money to support the likes of ignorant punks like you guys.
Lyle
August 4th, 2011
1:14 pm
Hey, lay off of Supersize that order, mutt!!!! He makes sure my newspaper is laying square in my driveway each and every morning!! That might be more because his mother drives him around while he delivers, but still, Supersize is cool!!!
James T. Kirk
August 4th, 2011
1:18 pm
I too have degrees from the finest institute in the country. I have four different engineering degrees from Tech, former President of my fraternity, make a seven finger salary, have my choice of the hottest Tech girls each and every year and I have a black belt in karate.
Ignore these mutts super, they are jealous of studs like you and I. We are the winners, they are the losers. We are living the dream while they are wrapping the paper around our burgers at McDonalds.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
1:25 pm
I actually consider it a badge of honor to be so reviled by you ignorant children. It’s obvious that I piss you guys off far more than you piss me off.
JacketAlum93-PantherAlum98
August 4th, 2011
1:32 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start and thankfully the Falcons kicked the Panthers to the curb on Thursday night so I’ll be at both games!!! Bill Curry is AWESOME!!
GO Jackets!
ScurvyKnave
August 4th, 2011
1:57 pm
kachal, you’re an idiot – GT beat the number 1 team in the nation that year (UVA) head to head. and as usual, you’re wrong about Colorado…btw, we kicked your sorry asses that year…you saying your team sucked?
Ken Sugiura
August 4th, 2011
1:59 pm
Teddy R. – Ayers decided to transfer a few weeks ago. Personal reasons; he is very close with someone on the staff at Liberty.
Stinger 2
August 4th, 2011
2:05 pm
Ken: Why do you allow such trash as the last three post by Supersize?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 4th, 2011
2:07 pm
Stinger 2, I agree that one of my posts was out of line, but what was wrong with the other 2?
ToccoaDawg
August 4th, 2011
2:08 pm
As a dawg fan let me just say, I’m sorry to hear about McCoy. But at the same time let me say GT showed some class by allowing the young man to keep his scholarship. That shows class on Coach Johnsons part.