Georgia Tech’s Roddy Jones on 2008 run
Greetings-
A few notes, leading with the top of a fairly lengthy interview with A-back Roddy Jones about his touchdown run. Particularly for Georgia Tech fans with shorter memories, the run has become iconic. I’d think if you could boil coach Paul Johnson’s four years down to one play, that might be it.
Those who attend Tech games know that the game production crew plays highlights from across the decades before each game. The clip of Jones’ run shrugging off Reshad Jones‘ tackle and tightrope-walking down the sideline invariably draws the biggest cheer. Part of that – perhaps a lot of it – is that it was only three years ago. Some of the other plays, there aren’t many people in the stands that were alive to see them and understand their significance.
But, anyway, it’s part of a longer interview I did with Jones that will run Friday.
Q: What did the run feel like?
A: It was surreal. It all happened so fast. I wasn’t really sure if I’d stayed in bounds, I wasn’t sure if they were going to review it. My celebration was one of kind of figuring out what just happened. I remember getting in the end zone and turning around and waiting for a whistle or something. Then we got to the sideline, we were ready for a review and it never came. It was definitely an exciting game to win. The run, I just say I was at the right place at the right time. (Joshua) Nesbitt pitched me the ball and I just tried to make the best of it.
Q: When did you know it had a chance to break?
A: I guess when they lined up the way we designed it, I knew it was going to have a chance. But they actually played it fairly well. They just missed a couple tackles. Sometimes that happens. I guess when I broke the last tackle and started running, that’s when I knew I was going to have a chance to score.
Q: What’s it like to have made a play that’s so iconic in the rivalry?
A: It’s kind of crazy, especially to still be here and have it mean so much to people. I still have people come up to me and tell me where they were when they saw it. It’s a very cool feeling. It kind of shows what the rivalry means to people. It’s very humbling as well to have people say, ‘That’s my favorite run’ or other things like that. it’s very humbling.
Q: Have you gotten any sort of reaction from Georgia fans?
A: Not that much. Georgia fans tend not to even acknowledge that it happened. Mostly, it’s from Tech fans, which is good.
A couple other notes:
1. Tech will go back to its standard B-back rotation with David Sims and Preston Lyons. Quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon (a Georgia grad) said that coaches wanted to give Lyons a chance to heal up some bumps to get him back to 100 percent (or as close as you can get at this point of the season) last week.
“David and Preston have been our guys,” Bohannon said. “We’ve kind of gotten into a little bit of a rotation with those guys, and I would imagine that would be a little bit of our approach, but we’ll see how the week goes and how things develop.”
2. Tech is cautioning fans attempting to buy tickets through secondary markets. The athletic association can’t guarantee the validity of any ticket not purchased through the ticket office or an authorized Tech ticket representative.
Think twice if someone offers you a Post-It note that says “UGA-Tech 50-yard line ticket.”
Seriously, though, I know the Falcons have dealt with counterfeit tickets in recent years as the quality of counterfeit tickets has evidently improved greatly, so do be mindful if you’re going that route. The top asking price for a club-seat ticket is $439 on Stubhub, so there’s certainly incentive for a counterfeiter.
For whatever it’s worth, I know Stubhub has a ticket protection policy, and I imagine other ticket re-sellers have similar policies, though I’d certainly ask about it before buying. With Stubhub, if you get sold counterfeit tickets, your money will be refunded. Which isn’t exactly a guarantee, but at least offers some protection.
3. I’ll hopefully have more information about A-back Orwin Smith after practice, though I’m not counting on much. As you hopefully read, he is going to try to play on a turf-toe injury but didn’t sound 100 percent confident that he’ll be able to play the whole game. As I noted, I’ve been told, read and heard that turf toe can be terribly painful.
With his speed, Embry Peeples is a more than worthy replacement, but Tech would obviously like Smith’s playmaking ability.
4. I’m not sure I want to extend the discussion about Johnson’s remarks, but I find one thing curious about the superiority that some Tech fans (or at least alumni) proclaim towards Georgia fans that hopefully can generate some thoughtful debate. By publicly proclaiming it, I think they’re helping extend one of their most enduring problems – filling Bobby Dodd Stadium.
It should be made clear that Johnson’s comment was referring specifically to the fan who called in to bark, not to all Georgia fans. He had said earlier in the day that most of his interactions with Bulldogs fans are cordial. He said something regrettable and apologized. I think we can all degree that that caller probably needs a new hobby.
This isn’t about him, but rather what feels like a pervasive attitude among Tech fans, if this blog’s comments are any barometer. And even if they’re not very reflective, they’re still comments from unofficial representatives of the school available to anyone with an Internet connection.
I am fairly confident that Dan Radakovich would only be too happy to accept season-ticket orders from whatever Walmart or McDonald’s employee who wanted to place them. However, what blue-collar worker, even if he likes Tech’s offense or Johnson’s brashness, would want to be in a stadium knowing that there are Tech fans who look down on him because he didn’t go to Tech and doesn’t make six figures?
You can say, No, we’re not talking about every Walmart employee. It’s just a putdown of the quality of a Georgia education and its fans in general. It’s just a joke. And not every Tech fan feels that way.
I get that. Regardless, the line of logic is Georgia fan = Walmart employee = inferior to Tech people. I understand it’s a joke, but it’s probably not very funny to people who work at Walmart and people who for whatever reason didn’t go to college.
Further, the “I bet you didn’t even go to Georgia” insult basically is a message, intended or not, to every fan who roots Tech but didn’t go to school there, “You can come visit our country club and we’ll take your money, but you’ll never be a member.”
I imagine none of this is new, and you can call me an oversensitive baby. I probably am. But if you’re wondering why Tech can’t fill up Bobby Dodd or grow its fan base, I think you have to consider it as one reason, however small.
It goes both ways. Some Georgia fans’ use of “nerd” as a pejorative is equally confounding and material for another blog.
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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219 comments Add your comment
19
November 23rd, 2011
10:00 pm
northbeach Scott, if you are trying to convince the branded “dawg” fans you are wasting your time.
I understand your points though. Go Jackets!!!
Old Blind Dawg
November 23rd, 2011
10:15 pm
Never mind…………………
UGA radio is hilariously horrible
November 23rd, 2011
10:45 pm
Growing up in Georgia, I watched both GT and UGA football. I wanted both teams to win. When it came time to decide where to go to college, I applied and was accepted at GT. I had no idea what a world class university it was/is – guidance counselors in most Georgia public schools were just happy that kids were going to any college in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
I had always understood the rivalry to be just good ol’ ribbing, nothing too serious. But as time went on, it seemed that many UGA folk REALLY hated GT. The GT folk when I was in school wanted to beat UGA in football and other sports BAD, but the HATE hate? It was not there, deep in the bones like it was/is in the UGA folk.
I wondered why? And I found out: The perceived arrogance/snobbiness of GT students/alums. So here is where the real HATE comes from – When you compare the SCHOOLS, no matter what metric is used to compare the schools (which is comparing apples to oranges because of the differences in the degree types), GT ALWAYS HAS COME OUT ON TOP. It’s more of an inferiority complex on the UGA side than true arrogance on the GT side.
So for those of you who blog that you don’t know where the bitterness comes from, now you know. And for anyone who takes a bunch of anonymous blowhards on this blog making personal attacks on other bloggers too literally – REALLY? Do you expect it be any different than virtually any other internet blog? UGA has been kicking GT around in football for quite awhile, and so they should get to crow about it, and they do. I have a lot of friends that went to UGA and many are gracious (and even closet GT fans in some sports) and some are obnoxious about it. You will see some obnoxious GT fans on this blog. But trust me , the average UGA fan HATES GT and GT fans MUCH more than the average GT fan hates UGA and UGA fans.
The proof? GT folks could play the trump card, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE any time, but they rarely do. UGA has won 61 football games out 105 or so, Tech holds a slight advantage in Basketball wins. UGA. UGA has a fine athletic program, one of the best in the country. But when it comes to the SCHOOLS, UGA has never, NEVER bested GT in academic performance, no matter what the metric you use for comparison, and won’t for the foreseeable future.
UGA has some good academic programs, the VET school is a top 10 school, the Journalism school is well known. GT has been a top 5 engineering school year-in, year-out for DECADES.
And finally, to all you UGA folks out there, my condolences to you for the passing of Larry Munson. He truly was a legend and everyone who listened to him knew it, way before he stepped away from the mike. I heard a number of his great calls when they originally aired (Herschel’s debut at UT “my God a freshman”, “Lindsey Scott! Lindsey Scott!”, “sugar falling from the sky” at Auburn, “Hob-nailed Boot”) and how fortunate you were to have him. He told the story on WSB years ago of how he played piano as an 18 year old last second fill-in for the Dorsey Band featuring Frank Sinatra in 1945 – storytelling at its finest! I met Munson at the SEC basketball tournament 23-24 years ago or so, and he was everything you would expect – grumpy and colorful. I particularly remember him on the radio of a UGA/Auburn football game in Athens YEARS ago – UGA was losing big. He said after a 3rd down pass fell incomplete in the 4th quarter: “we had a guy in the flat at the 32 and we missed him, we JUST FLAT missed him…… Of course we haven’t hit anything ALLLL DAY!”…….Hilarious.
Scott Howard/Eric Zeier? Sorry – you are now paying the price now for having Munson/Loran Smith for all those years.
OH yeah, I forgot: What’s the good word? To HE LL with UGA – it is the week of the GT/UGA game after all…
Supersize that order, mutt
November 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
19, I said “in short” at the end of my post, so what I said after “in short” WAS short. LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
November 23rd, 2011
11:00 pm
northbeach Scott, it may surprise you as much as it did me, but the ajc reported several weeks ago that this year’s freshman class at UGA has a higher percentage of out of state/ and international students than this year’s freshman class at Tech
cannot make this up
November 24th, 2011
9:08 am
in this economy, hard to find a job at Walmart Seguira, try it yourself..there are those who have been there for 15 years making 30 to 35 dollars an hour, raises do not stop. Those blue collar people make out like bandits.
cornflake
November 24th, 2011
9:21 am
Arrogance and condescension are the hallmarks of incompetence.
Freddy Blassie
November 24th, 2011
9:53 am
Ken,
Stay away from the AJC water cooler: it will make you an oversensitive baby.
The Tech fans who did not graduate from Tech, any college, or even high school respect the Georgia Tech degree and I will guarantee that there are many GT parents who fit into this category.
Ken, Georgia Tech graduates do not have a superiority complex. We ARE superior.
Bobby Dodd started a company that employs retarded, or exceptional, people and I have many friends who did not attend, graduate from or flunk out of Georgia Tech who are Tech fans. They don’t give a rat’s hiney about this stuff about which you’ve concerned yourself. (Even GT grads know a preposition is a bad word to end a sentence with).
Happy Thanksgiving, Pencil-necks.
Paul in NH
November 24th, 2011
10:58 am
Realist
November 23rd, 2011
7:04 pm
In the century long battles between Tech and UGA, there is only one game where a team totally quit…51-7 in 2002…Tech folks can never erase that day.
—–
Unfortunately I agree with that. I was at the UGA-GT game Herschell’s SO year – a 44-7 blow out. #34 weighed more than GT’s DL and was unstoppable but GT never quit. There were also a couple of blowouts under the worst HC in GT’s history but the team never quit.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 24th, 2011
11:15 am
Paul, in spite of the 2002 debacle and the beating by Herschell, Tech still has the two largest victory margins in the series
InsectInside
November 24th, 2011
4:42 pm
It’s not about what others think of you or where you work or how many games you win, it’s about pride in yourself, honor and civility.
Jacket
November 25th, 2011
7:22 am
Georgia fan have a lot of room to talk when they scream obsenties and shoot birds at Tech fan when they come to Athens. It is possible that their actions have caused some of the feelings you have blasted Tech about. Maybe it is time for both sides to grow up and conduct themselves as adults instead of the adolesent they act like on game day!
GT-UT
November 25th, 2011
10:30 am
Jacket, I agree.
I also do not support poor behavior from Tech fans.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
November 25th, 2011
10:47 am
As a member of a completely dysfunctional family, I HAVE to be civil toward UGA fans. I graduated from Tech, but my wife is a huge Bama fan, my daughter graduated from Georgia, and my son loves UNC. You’ve probably seen the license plates that show “A House Divided” … well I’ve never seen one as schizophrenic as MY family!
William Casey
November 25th, 2011
11:23 am
I have been an avid GT fan since 1960, predating my admission to the school in 1967. GT is a different type of school. As an institution, it prides itself on making graduation difficult. I remember sitting in orientation and hearing the famous line: “look to your left, look to your right, one of you won’t be here next year.” Cold. I was that “one.” I learned, in spite of a respectable (for GT) 2.7 GPA, that I would never be anything beyond a mediocre engineer. I’m thankful that GT made it difficult. I had aptitude but no passion for engineering. Moved on and had a successful and fulfilling career in another field. I have remained an avid GT fan and my son is even more so.
I have come to respect anyone who works hard at anything. The Wal-Mart crack was uncalled for as was CPJ’s other comment. However, what kind of person calls a football show and barks like a dog? Clearly, someone devoid of anything useful to say. It’s the equivalent of a f*rt joke. I understand CPJ’s gut reaction. I have many fine friends who are UGA fans. We remain friends regardless of the outcome of games. We do not draw our feelings of self-worth from the outcome of football games. Can “woof-woof” say the same? Ignorance is annoying. And, that is not arrogance.
GT 07
November 25th, 2011
10:10 pm
Didn’t go to Tech but I have never felt like I didn’t belong in Bobby Dodd stadium.
Gr8 2B aFuzzyB
November 25th, 2011
11:14 pm
Slow night on the blogs. I’m sure that’ll change after tomorrow’s game. I think it will be an exciting and close game…and probably a pretty quick game too. That is, I expect UGA to pound it and try to keep the ball away from Tech. That would especially hold true if the Dawgs get a lead early. Still I think eventually the defensive lids will come off and points will go up on both sides. Probably into the thirties. The winner will have to play an A game and earn it. Both teams are capable the way I see it.
Joe
November 26th, 2011
12:52 am
LOL! You think the majority of Tech fans make 6 figures? I guarantee you 95% don’t make 6 figures.
GATECHFORLIFE
November 26th, 2011
11:54 am
I grew up in a house where you were expected to Love Tech. My dad went there during the “glory days” in the early fifties. Academically I never had a prayer of attending The Institute, but that has not lessened my love for GA TECH Athletics. I am as rabbid a fan as any, but I see people who went there and they act like you are some kind of lesser fan because you did not graduate from Tech. In a word Snobbish. I think it is a microcosim of what is wrong with this country as a whole. I guess, to them, I do not smell like a duck.