Pain-free, Tech’s Orwin Smith setting bar high
Notes from interviews this week. Camp opens next Friday.
1. Orwin Smith said he will always feel lingering effects of his toe injury, but it matters little to him as his final season at Georgia Tech nears.
“I feel like I’m good to go, 100 percent,” said Smith, an A-back. “I don’t feel any pain. … [The injury] will always be there, but it’s definitely easier to do some quickness and planting things.”
Smith suffered the turf-toe injury early in last season’s loss to Virginia Tech. He played with diminished effectiveness for the remainder of the season. He had surgery in January and missed spring practice.
On top of a summer internship in the accounting department of a local beverage distributor, Smith has attacked summer workouts. On top of participating in team workouts, he has taken yoga and trained on his own, exercising with a resistance vest and also running and jumping in a pool.
“I’m the type of guy, I feel like I can’t get fast enough,” he said. “I want to be able to hold my speed for a longer period of time.”
Last season, he had 12 offensive plays of 20 yards or longer, including a school-record 95-yard touchdown run against Kansas.
“Starting last year, I put in a good amount of time of just individual workouts, and I feel like it paid off,” Smith said. “This whole summer, I’ve been trying to do that plus more.”
He offered a whopper of an individual goal — to lead the country in all-purpose yardage. A year ago, he finished 85th in the country at 106.1 per game. The leader averaged 198.0. At the least, he likely would need to be more involved on kick returns.
Said Smith, “It’s a nice goal I feel I can reach.”
2. Quarterback Synjyn Days hopes to win the starting job over Tevin Washington, but he also has worked at A-back, B-back and wide receiver in the team’s 7-on-7 passing scrimmages. He said he has been meeting with A-backs coach Lamar Owens to go over that position.
At ACC media days in Greensboro, N.C., this past week, coach Paul Johnson said that if Days “doesn’t beat out Tevin in the first two weeks of fall camp, I don’t want him standing over there in a baseball cap [as the backup].”
Johnson wants to get Days’ powerful running style on the field, at quarterback or elsewhere. Quarterback is Days’ preference, but he’s open to being moved around.
“To be able to switch positions and be able to make plays on the field is kind of the way I was raised,” he said.
3. While he’ll use a rotation at A-back, Johnson said in Greensboro that he hasn’t determined who will start opposite Smith at A-back and that it could be “one of two or three guys” and that “the guy that blocks the best will be the one that plays.”
That could be an opening for Robbie Godhigh, a former walk-on who had a strong spring practice and for whom blocking is a strength. Godhigh said a starting job is a goal.
“I take that as an opportunity for me to make a name for myself and become the starter,” he said. “Blocking will get you chances to run.”
Deon Hill, B.J. Bostic, Broderick Snoddy and Tony Zenon are other possibilities.
4. Cornerback Louis Young and safety Isaiah Johnson fell over themselves in praise of safety Fred Holton, who is in position to start after missing last season with a torn Achilles tendon.
“Fred’s like the backbone that we didn’t have last year,” Young said. “He’s going to bring that extra muscle that we need to really get the job done.”
Said Johnson, “He can cover as good as anybody. I just can’t wait to see what he can do.”
5. At the team’s strength-and-conditioning testing, cornerback Rod Sweeting recorded a 40-inch vertical leap, a five-inch improvement from last summer. Sweeting said he figured to reach 36 or 37 inches, but then jumped 38 inches on his first attempt and hit 40 on the next.
“The new strength-and-conditioning coach, he’s the best,” Sweeting said of John Sisk. “The whole team got better working out-wise.”
6. Tech players will report for preseason practice Thursday and participate in their first practice Friday. The Jackets will hold Fan Day at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday. Festivities will begin at 3 p.m. on Callaway Plaza. Autograph signing and photo opportunities will start at 4 p.m.
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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270 comments Add your comment
JM
July 30th, 2012
7:55 am
Hope Orwin stays injury free.
G
July 30th, 2012
9:34 am
Another year with tevin at qb = another 6 loss season and boring play.
And yeah get the fumbler days in the game!! The wind causes him to fumble! Don’t groom ant of the young qb’s! So next year can be really good. Let’s keep the same ol same ol and get that 6 win season!!
tevin’s basically the same player he was in 2010. Real smart to keep doing the same failing thing over and over.
WnE
July 30th, 2012
9:58 am
re:
5150 UOAD
July 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
UGa didn’t have a tougher schedule the hast 4 years because RICHT had 2 to 3 times the TALENT of 80% of the teams he played.
_____________
Most BCS Level HCs have admitted publicly that RECRUITING is 75-80% of their job.
According to your idiotic theories, as long as CPJ is terrible Recruiter, even if it is self-inflicted, then in your eyes he will always get away with being held to a “lesser standard”.
Since the HCs main job description includes Recruiting, and the HC is accountable to Recruit well, then having more or less talent “is a wash” and therefore you have to look at how talented the opposition is.
In summary, Strength of Schedule is the ultimate & ONLY tie-breaker to use when comparing HCs that have the same exact W-L Record.
Under your FLAWED ideology, since CPJ is a terrible Recruiter he will always get a built-in “handicap” from you and will always be held to a lesser standard according to you since his OWN FLAWS as a HC (poor Recruiter, poor system) will always lead to him having “lesser recruits”.
Since CPJ is terrible at a major component of HIS JOB, the GT fanbase that thinks like you will always “go easy on him”.
This ideology sits at the heart of the delusional GT fans that support CPJ so vigorously.
macrotech
July 30th, 2012
10:56 am
WnE, I wonder how long a jar of peanut butter would keep you entertained? I hear dogs LOVE some peanut butter! Can I get you a milkbone?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
11:16 am
@ WnE……you have ignored this request several times already, but I am going to post it every time I see you on here……
PLEASE EXPLAIN the following post you made on a UGA blog —–
WnE
April 1st, 2012
9:38 am
Good to see Scott-Wesley step up at WR coming off of a RS yr., with Mitchell spending time at CB it will be good for him to use the Spring to develop more, he was a raw track guy last yr. now he needs to transition to being more of a FB player.
I didn’t see any stats for C. Conley or M. Bennett, were they shut out or injured?
Also Murray has to eliminate the INTS.!
Why should we believe you are a Tech fan, when you post complimentary things about UGA, whom you have said you don’t give a damn about, and have NEVER posted ONE SINGLE complimentary thing about Tech?
EXPLAIN PLEASE !!!!!
macrotech
July 30th, 2012
12:35 pm
Enquiring minds wanna know WnE…if it wags it’s tail like a dog, barks like a dog, eats it’s own feces like a dog…we KNOW it’s NOT a Yellow Jacket!
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
12:52 pm
@ macrotech —- AMEN, brother !!!
WnE
July 30th, 2012
3:05 pm
re:
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
12:52 pm
@ macrotech —- AMEN, brother !!!
_________
All the misdirection in the world won’t change these facts:
in years 3 & 4 with his recruits taking up more slots on the depth chart, GT went 14-12 vs. the 69th & 76th toughest schedules in CFB (very weak schedules).
during his tenure vs. the big-4 CPJ is 3-13 while Chan was 5-11 vs. the big-4 during his last 4 years, Chan was paid $800K to $1.0 mil for that performance while CPJ is scheduled to make $2.6 mil in an Athl. Dept. that is strapped for cash.
1-3 vs. Va. Tech
1-3 vs. Miami
1-3 vs. Muttville
0-4 vs. Bowl games
3-13 vs. the “Big-4″ while Chan was 5-11 vs. the same big-4 over his last 4 years.
The GTAA has paid more for crappier results vs. the meat of GT’s schedule while the ACC has taken a huge step BACKWARDS FB-wise.
Instead of questioning my connections to GT, maybe you should be questioning whether or not CPJ is doing his job & earning his paycheck!
GTVegas
July 30th, 2012
3:27 pm
Wheenie, whiney – From the length of your posts (never read them by the way), it sure looks like you are trying to compensate for something.
Now, back to topic. Given all of the optimism currently being shown by all involved, I just hope that the players/coaches remain focused on the only thing that matters, the next game, week by week. As for preseason optimism, can anyone truly point to many preseason fan bases that are not optimistic, on the whole, with respect to their upcoming season?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
4:41 pm
@ WnE……once again, you ignore my request to explain your post on Chip Towers’ blog on April 1. Until you give a legitimate and acceptable explanation for how you can praise our rival and NEVER say one good thing about the team you CLAIM to support, then as far as everybody on these blogs is concerned, you are a UGA TROLL !!!!
WnE
July 30th, 2012
5:08 pm
re:
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
4:41 pm
@ WnE……once again, you ignore my request to explain your post on Chip Towers’ blog on April 1. Until you give a legitimate and acceptable explanation for how you can praise our rival and NEVER say one good thing about the team you CLAIM to support, then as far as everybody on these blogs is concerned, you are a UGA TROLL !!!!
__________
I get sick & d@mned tired of re-hashing the same darn thing to different folks.
I don’t hate Muttville when GT isn’t playing them.
In fact, I have gone on record on many occasions on other Message Boards before I was banned and have said that the best thing for GT’s FB program is to beat an 11-0 Muttville Team.
I used the analogy of F$U vs. Miami in the 80s & 90s when both Teams were elite and BOTH TEAMS were elevated in the eyes of Recruits because the Rivalry helped to make both teams more high profile in the eyes of recruits.
Back during those days the top Recruits in Florida all thought the same thing:
Do I go to FSU or do I go to Miami?
A rising tide lifts ALL BOATS, so the better UGA is when we beat them, then the better it is for GT FB, beating weak UGA teams does very little for GT in the eyes of Elite Recruits.
After our 2008 victory, there was no significant bump in Recruiting because the UGA Team we beat was perceived to have under-achieved that year.
It will be better for BOTH PROGRAMS for the GT vs. UGA rivalry to take on a FSU vs. Miami (80s & 90s ) feel than to continue in its current state with one or both teams having off years.
With one or both teams having off years many of the top Recruits in the State are looking elsewhere to play their CFB and it is hurting GT recruiting-wise more than it is UGA.
If our rivalry takes on more of a FSU vs. Miami feel from the 80s & 90s then the Recruits in this State are more likely to choose GT or UGA and with scholly limits at 25 each Feb. this will boost GT’s recruiting since they all can’t go to UGA.
With the rivalry in its current state many of the Top Recruits in GA. look at USCe, Auburn, LSU, Florida etc rather than looking at GT and UGA first & foremost.
I’m thinking big picture while you guys are so filled with hate towards UGA that you can’t think straight.
My dream scenario is that both GT & Muttville enter the game with 11-0 records and all the top Recruits in Ga. are pondering do I go to GT or UGA rather than thinking about USCe, Bama, Auburn, LSU, Tenn, Florida, etc.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
5:14 pm
Sorry, WnE…..that does NOT explain how you can go on the rival blog and PRAISE their players’ efforts and never say one damn good thing about anybody or anything at Tech.
BLT
July 30th, 2012
5:46 pm
WnE, your post from April was all “glowing” in it’s apraisal of UGA. You never (and I mean never) have one decent thing to say about Georgia Tech. Tech hires a ST coach and you say he blows. Tech gets some decent recruits and they are “tweeners”. Tech fans defend the program from the dog attacks and you side with the dogs. No one has to be brilliant to figure out you hate Tech. Now run along little doggie.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
5:52 pm
Thanks for confirming my opinion, BLT
GT Lee
July 30th, 2012
6:11 pm
“I get sick & d@mned tired of re-hashing the same darn thing to different folks.”
yet you incessantly post crap like this:
1-3 vs. Va. Tech
1-3 vs. Miami
1-3 vs. Muttville
0-4 vs. Bowl games
GT Lee
July 30th, 2012
6:12 pm
must not get too sick and tired of that, huh DWAG?
GT Lee
July 30th, 2012
6:14 pm
Gollum, how bout you re-hash WHY YOU STALKED VAD LEE ON TWITTER
WnE
July 30th, 2012
6:23 pm
re:
GT Lee
July 30th, 2012
6:11 pm
“I get sick & d@mned tired of re-hashing the same darn thing to different folks.”
yet you incessantly post crap like this:
1-3 vs. Va. Tech
1-3 vs. Miami
1-3 vs. Muttville
0-4 vs. Bowl games
____________
Are those stats accurate?
Enough said!
CPJ “earned” those stats no reason to hide them!
WnE
July 30th, 2012
6:23 pm
re:
GT Lee
July 30th, 2012
6:11 pm
“I get sick & d@mned tired of re-hashing the same darn thing to different folks.”
yet you incessantly post crap like this:
1-3 vs. Va. Tech
1-3 vs. Miami
1-3 vs. Muttville
0-4 vs. Bowl games
____________
Are those stats accurate?
Enough said!
CPJ “earned” those stats no reason to hide them!
Ramblin Man
July 30th, 2012
7:16 pm
I know I am just a simple minded GT fan but WnE says on page one he does not care about the dawgs then he defends a love post he wrote about the dawgs on page 4. Now I skipped almost all the posts so maybe I missed something.
I will freely admit I am concerned for the 2012 season with concerns on the D-line and lack of experience at WR, but I would not bash the coach, players, and recruits every chance I get.
Ramblin Man
July 30th, 2012
7:22 pm
WnE what was Gailey’s record against those teams? What is CPJ’s record against the other teams GT plays? Same old broken record my friend. Offer solutions what available HC do you want to see at GT?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
7:34 pm
@ WnE…..since you can not provide a legitimate reason why you posted effusive complements about the mutts on Chip Towers’ April 1 blog, and yet try to tell us that you don’t give a damn about the dwags, then it should be obvious even to the simplest of minds that you are nothing but a dwag troll. Your opinions (I repeat, OPINIONS) are worthless, and I will no longer read or respond to anything that you post. I urge all other TRUE Tech fans to do the same. You are a non-entity in my mind from now on. NEXT !!!!
BLT
July 30th, 2012
7:52 pm
“Offer solutions what available HC do you want to see at GT?”
Oh NO! Don’t go there! He wanted Rick Neiheisal (sp?) first, then it was Baylor’s coach. Who knows what he’ll come up with next. He hates CPJ with a passion (almost like it’s a religion) and the TO.
We should probably take Supersizes’ advice and ignore him. Many others give the same advice. It’ll be hard but we should try.
Ramblin Man
July 30th, 2012
8:00 pm
BLT most have missed that, which makes sense because I rarely read what he posts anymore.
Anybody want to lay odds on Groh getting Kallon on the field for obvious pass plays to try and get a better pass rush? I hear Days is looking promising in this area as well.
BLT
July 30th, 2012
8:31 pm
I hope Kallon is not RS and gets playing time. His HS film is great. One of the best is him dragging the opposing RB backwards. I laughed out loud it was so funny. Days will get the chance to bring the hammer!
Can’t wait for football season! Go Jackets!
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
8:33 pm
@ BLT……it will definitely be difficult to totally ignore WnE, but I am going to try my hardest to do so. Hold me to it, and if you decide to do the same, I will hold you to it also. He is really not worth our time, even for sarcastic retorts to what he posts.
BLT
July 30th, 2012
8:54 pm
Will try my best Super…
Supersize that order, mutt
July 30th, 2012
9:05 pm
@ BLT…….if you see me make some kind of post to him, call me on it. Remind me of what I said
GTVegas
July 30th, 2012
11:07 pm
Who is “him”?
I’m joking, the guy has some really serious issues, delusional and and self-denying at best. I never read his post, but I do notice how long they are. I hope he keeps it up because it makes them that much easier to identify and ignore.
Jack G
July 30th, 2012
11:33 pm
I still dont like Paul Ball—–Our only hope is that DRAD leaves and takes CPJ with him
Supersize that order, mutt
July 31st, 2012
12:00 am
@ Jack G…..why don’t you just leave instead
GTfan2012
July 31st, 2012
1:03 am
No sense in ignoring WnE, but instead we should actually provide information that puts his drivel in context. Remember, WnE provides only information that supports his anti-CPJ positions. I’ll now post CPJ’s record against some other teams.
4-1 vs. Clemson
3-1 vs. UNC
2-0 vs. FSU
Doesn’t look so bad anymore does it? Cherry picking is so easy, isn’t it, WnE?
dry dirt road
July 31st, 2012
7:08 am
I don’t think the kicking game is the way the get Orwin his yards, or any running back their yards. The kicking game is not really any showcase of running. All the other players have to block all the defenders rushing in, and it just isn’t all that expected to work for a kick receving team. The probability coefficient of large yardage gains from kick receiving at Tech and all NCAA schools is probably lower than that of pass receiving for yardage gains.
dry dirt road
July 31st, 2012
7:10 am
When Bo Jackson got his yards, he got them from running plays and not kick receiving.
dry dirt road
July 31st, 2012
7:14 am
correction: “I don’t think the kicking game is the way for Orwin to get his yards”
dry dirt road
July 31st, 2012
7:27 am
Any Ga Tech football player who might like to transfer to the coolness of Blacksburg where they can take their coed dates/fiancees/wives out to cool, scenic, leaf change wooded Appalachian national park picnics and find the most remote place in park for 100% privacy has to expect that Va Tech accepts in state students first and primarily, so the probability coefficient of transferring from the heat of outdoor Rose Bowl field practice to Blacksburg is about .01. Just try running wind sprints after such practices with CPJ blowing the whistle to start sprinting at goal line down to other goal line…about 10-20 times. You’ll get in shape for Va Tech game.
dawgfan
July 31st, 2012
9:41 am
Tech fans do not take criticism very well. They love to portray UGA fans as delusional and overly zealous about their football team, but dare question Paul Johnson’s credentials and you will quickly be dismissed as a “hater” with no facts to back up your argument. The facts are plentiful and obvious: He is having a hard time beating the better teams on Tech’s schedule ever year. That is a perfectly reasonable observation, but Tech fans simply do not want to hear it. Meanwhile, if a UGA fan says something like “I think our O-line will be improved this year” the insecure ears of the typical Tech fan hear “UGA will win the next 10 national titles and demolish every thing in its path.” They have mental problems. I’m convinced of it.
This is very much a true story. Tech fans are a gas man.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 31st, 2012
10:19 am
@ dwagfan……do you really think anybody on here gives a rip what you THINK. Move along, little boy
macrotech
July 31st, 2012
10:35 am
dawgfan…it’s not that we don’t appreciate criticism. We’re just not interested to hear it from outside opinions. I laugh at you pointing out CPJ is having a problem beating ‘the better’ teams….seems like this is a shared problem by your own coach. IF a Tech fan goes on a blog about CMR, you’d be quick to attack that outside opinion. uga fans are ALWAYS optimistic at the beginning of the season to the point that they buy into the ‘we’re going to win it all THIS season’…y’all are FAMOUS for this. It’s the same every year…it’s as if someone fake tossed the National Championship ball and you all take off in pursuit….ONLY to find that it was never thrown in the first place! My favorite part of all this is when you all get that same look that a confused dog gets when it’s realized that nothing was ever tossed. We’re Tech fans….we will always stand up for our team. JUST like you’ll stand up for yours….YOU being on a blog about a Tech player, which you never make mention of in your visit, is the ‘gas’, man. Thanks for stopping by…could someone open the window? dawgfan, you need to reconsider your diet….another nc just crawled up your pooper and died!
dawgfan
July 31st, 2012
10:48 am
“We’re just not interested to hear it from outside opinions.”
That’s exactly my point Captain Clueless.
“I laugh at you pointing out CPJ is having a problem beating ‘the better’ teams….seems like this is a shared problem by your own coach.”
I fully and wholeheartedly agree. You must have missed the part where Richt was a couple of losses away from getting fired not that far back. You must have also missed the part where he did not get an automatic raise this year. You must have been living in a cave when almost every UGa fan on the face of the earth was calling for his firing after are 0-2 start last year. We are fully aware of the deficiencies in our coaching staff and our program. We don’t hide from it, nor do we dismiss the opinions of “outsiders” who point it out to us. Simply put, we don’t suffer from the same “head up the azz syndrome” that Tech fans seem to battle.
“uga fans are ALWAYS optimistic at the beginning of the season to the point that they buy into the ‘we’re going to win it all THIS season’…”
That is a lie. This is a myth that Tech fans have created. I am aware of no UGA fan that thinks we are going to win it all this year, and I know many UGA fans. This is just a lie that Tech fans have pulled out of their azz. Go to the UGA blogs. You will hear plenty of talk about our problems on the O-line, Murray’s turnover problems and our lack of a big time running back. Tech fans have voices in their heads. You need to seek help.
If you want to see blind delusion, go check the comments on the Virginia Tech breakdown blog. Your garbage football program is 2-6 vs. Virginia Tech since they joined the ACC, but to hear the typical Tech fan tell it they are your peer and this is a hotly contested rivalry. They own you like a rented mule.
macrotech
July 31st, 2012
11:01 am
bark, bark, bark, etc…..I just spent time telling you that we don’t care about outside opinions….WHY are you still barking? Can we get you a milkbone?! As your “Captain”….I command you to sit
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2012
11:12 am
Time for DABO to be a JERK……
Dabo pull all the Offers for R..PIMP..N and his Grayson Hoes.
CUT your losses and walk away. be a Good Christian and explain that You don’t think RN has Christian Values he espouses and needs to go look elsewhere.
Jack G
July 31st, 2012
11:16 am
Supersize
I have been rooting for Tech for over 80 years , I see no reason to leave now.
It seems as if you and other johnny come lately techies dont want anyone to dissagree with your love affair with CPH. If in fact you went to Tech, use a little of what they taught you and analyis the football progam instead of blindly following the myth that CPJ spouts.
My loyalty to Tech is well known. However, just like my kids, Ilove them dearly, But i dont have to like everything they do.
GT Lee
July 31st, 2012
11:18 am
put a muzzle on dwagfan when he finishes that MilkBone…….
GT Lee
July 31st, 2012
11:20 am
hey dwagfan, CMR have a bowel movement lately? Have you reported its contents to Chip Towers and Bill King?
dwagfan = CMR’s Official Poo Inspector
Thanks
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2012
11:31 am
JACK G. How OLD are YOU? 80 years cheering for TECH? Minus 6 to 8 years as a Child that doesn’t know how football really works you have to be almost 90! They let you the NET at the Nursing Home? you type well and have a good mind still. I am impressed.
If you get out to the games stop by the BUS and come meet up with a bunch of us before the game.
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2012
11:32 am
Guys the Czech Girls beach Volleyball Players……WOW
http://bustedcoverage.com/2012/07/30/31-best-photos-of-marketa-slukova-czech-beach-volleyball-olympian/slukova-beach-volleyball-intro/#3
Jack G
July 31st, 2012
11:56 am
5150
I am 88 years old and go back to the days of Coach Alexander.
No nursing home yet but who knows what the future holds.
Thanks for the invite to meet at the BUS, but must decline. While I am not in a nursing home, I do have a few problems, and walking is one of them.
JG
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2012
12:42 pm
Jack G….sorry you can’t make it. Would love to have you and hear some stories. What part of TOWN do you live in? We might have somebody that would be glad to get you to a game and i have a wheelchair you can use. Just a thought.
GTfan 2012
July 31st, 2012
1:01 pm
Jack G,
What is it about this “Paul Ball” that you don’t like? “Paul Ball” is all about finding ways to maximize your talent for the best possible outcome. If you are indeed 88 years old as you claim, then you will understand that GT has long had a hard time attracting the elite level talent that others in the Southeast can (its why we left the SEC after all) You will also understand that the history of football is in the running game and not this pass wacky thing that passes as football today. Remember only three things can happen when you throw a forward pass, and two of them are bad.
Seriously though, I am a big fan of running the ball and stopping the run, and I believe that if you can do those two things, you will win a lot of footballl games. Just look at the best conference in football right now, the SEC. What do all the top teams in the SEC do well? Run the ball and stop the run. Do you think it is coincidence those are the best teams in CFB?