Archive for April, 2012

Greetings-

Some post-draft tidbits for you about Stephen Hill. The Jets PR people were good enough to send me a transcript from a news conference with GM Mike Tannenbaum, college scouting VP Joey Clinkscales and senior personnel executive Terry Bradway. Some interesting stuff on Mr. Hill.

1. Tannenbaum said the team studied Demaryius Thomas’ adjustment to the NFL to get an idea of how Hill might transition from the Tech offense to the NFL, and spent a lot of time getting to know Hill. In addition to the pro day at Tech, the Jets worked him out at their facility and also in Atlanta, which lasted about an hour and a half.

Tannenbaum: “We really feel he can run all the routes we’ll ask in our offense. Again, he was a very good blocker in a run-oriented offense. He has very good football acumen and we feel the transition can happen really quickly.”

2. Clinkscales’ assessment of Hill: “He is a tall kid who can run. He is flexible, can sink his hips, he can drop his weight and get …

Continue reading Jets gush about Stephen Hill »

The third and final day of the NFL draft transpired without any Georgia Tech selections, leaving wide receiver Stephen Hill the only Yellow Jackets draftee for this year. Hill was picked in the second round by the New York Jets on Friday.

It was the second year in a row that Tech produced one draft pick. In 2011, the Baltimore Ravens took B-back Anthony Allen in the seventh round.

It may be the case that no Tech players will be signed as undrafted free agents, as well. Just before 9 p.m., defensive end Jason Peters, defensive tackle Logan Walls and A-back Roddy Jones had not been contacted by any NFL teams about signing as undrafted free agents. The agent for A-back Embry Peeples said he had not have a deal, either. Three other hopefuls, linebacker Steven Sylvester, wide receiver Tyler Melton and safety Rashaad Reid, could not be reached.

SI.com draft expert Tony Pauline said prior to the draft that Jones, Peters and Sylvester were the three likeliest Tech players to get …

Continue reading Hill sole Tech player chosen in draft »

He was initially told he didn’t have the potential to be drafted in the first three rounds, then was projected to go somewhere late in the first round. Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill ended up being selected somewhere in between – with the 11th pick of the second round Friday night, to the New York Jets.

Hill bounded out of the green room after the selection, announced by Jets legend Wesley Walker at Radio City Music hall, accepting a green Jets cap before greeting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Hill goes to a team that let its second-leading wide receiver, Plaxico Burress, become a free agent. After tight end Dustin Keller (65 catches) and wide receiver Santonio Holmes (51 catches), the wide receiver with the most catches returning is Jeremy Kerley with 29 catches.

Continue reading Hill goes to Jets »

Greetings-

Who gets off the draft board first – Stephen Hill or Cordy Glenn?

I’ll be on the blog shortly. Thanks for stopping by.

Continue reading Round 2 live blog »

A quick trip around Georgia Tech athletics in the form of facts and news.

1. Baseball pitcher Alex Cruz has won five of Tech’s last eight games. The sophomore reliever has a 1.27 ERA (third best in the ACC) and, in league plays, has a 0.86 ERA (first) and opponent batting average of .137 (also first).

2. Sophomore shortstop Mott Hyde is hitting .406 in Tech’s last nine games, including a 3-for-4 performance against Georgia in the Yellow Jackets’ 4-3 win over the Bulldogs at Turner Field.

3. According to the website boydsworld.com, Tech’s RPI is 30, a jump of 11 spots after beating Georgia. They have three games at home this weekend against Clemson, which is No. 37.

“You start picking off teams that are either ranked or ahead of you (in RPI), you start moving up the depth chart, as they say,” coach Danny Hall said.

4. Football season-ticket sales moved past 20,000 recently. The total at the March 30 renewal deadline was 19,000.

5. Golfer James White was named the winner of the …

Continue reading Georgia Tech odds and ends »

In an entirely different venue, Michael Peterson is feeling the same butterflies that he did prior to playing a big game for Georgia Tech.

“It’s definitely the same,” said the former Yellow Jackets cornerback Thursday night. “It actually may be a little bit more nerve-wracking because it’s just me and there’s no team.”

Peterson’s solo act has nothing to do with football or sports. Saturday night at a gallery in the Castleberry Hill district directly southwest of downtown Atlanta, Peterson will have his first individual showing of his artwork.

“I’m nervous because no one’s seen the new work, because it’s my first show,” he said. “It’s been a fun ride.”

My colleague Doug Roberson wrote a story about Peterson’s painting a few years back, as did my good friend and former AJC staffer Michelle Hiskey for the NCAA’s website. Back then, he stuck to portraiture. He has evolved as a painter to a style that he calls “a little less literal and a little more abstract. Not necessarily in …

Continue reading Former Jacket holds gallery showing »

Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill slipped out of the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night. Many draft projections pegged Hill, who left Tech after his junior season, to go to San Francisco at the No. 30 spot. The 49ers did take a wide receiver, but it was Illinois’ A.J. Jenkins, projected as an early second-round choice. Overall, four wide receivers were taken in the first round – Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon to Jacksonville at No. 5, Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd to St. Louis Arizona at No. 13, Baylor’s Kendall Wright to Tennessee at No. 20 and Jenkins.

Hill, invited to New York for the draft, will likely go early in the second round, which begins at 7 p.m. Friday. The first 10 picks of the second round – St. Louis, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Denver, Cleveland, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Carolina, Buffalo and Miami. Hill visited with the Ravens prior to the draft. (He also reportedly visited with the New York Jets, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Minnesota.) With …

Continue reading Tech’s Hill slips out of first round »

Greetings-

I have to run out and may be out for a minute, but if you want to talk NFL draft, here’s your space.

My two-player mock: 1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck. 2. Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III.

Continue reading Live draft blog: Waiting for Stephen Hill »

Georgia Tech offensive tackle Tyler Kidney has been disciplined by coach Paul Johnson for his involvement in a fraternity house fight April 13.

Kidney will be required to perform 25 hours of community service and complete extra conditioning work to remain in good standing with the team. He wrote a letter of apology to other students involved in the incident of his own accord, Johnson said in a statement.

“I am extremely disappointed in Tyler Kidney’s actions on the night of April 13 and have spoken to him about the consequences of his poor decision-making,” Johnson said in the statement. “This is an unfortunate incident and is not reflective of Tyler’s attitude and actions during the time he has been in our program.”

According to an incident report from campus police, Kidney entered the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house and ripped a “T” from a wall of the house. After being told to leave the house, Kidney shoved a fraternity member into a wall. When another student intervened, …

Continue reading Kidney disciplined after campus fracas »

An interesting week for former Georgia Tech A-back Roddy Jones. Wednesday night, he was at the Fox Theatre as a finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup. Thursday morning, he’ll be a guest host on 790 the Zone’s Barnhart & Durham show. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, he plans to be in WREK’s broadcast booth for the Georgia Tech baseball team’s games at Russ Chandler Stadium. He’s also got his MBA classes. And then he’s hoping to get a phone call from one of 32 NFL teams telling him they want his services.

“I’m excited about what this weekend’s going to hold for me,” Jones said prior to Wednesday’s awards ceremony.

To answer the first question, Jones did not win the award, created to honor a sports professional and a student-athlete for their character, leadership on and off the field and contribution to sport and society. The winner was Aleca Hughes, a former Yale ice hockey player who started a foundation to honor a teammate who had died from leukemia.

“This is probably at …

Continue reading Busy week for Roddy Jones »