Lithonia DL Jimmie Kitchen takes the long road back home to Georgia Tech
To say that Jimmie Kitchen took an unconventional route to Georgia Tech would be an understatement. To say that he’s thrilled to officially be a member of the Yellow Jackets’ Class of 2011 would be, too.
Kitchen
Kitchen, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman from Lithonia, signed a national letter-of-intent with Tech on Wednesday. He did it exactly 55 weeks after signing a letter-of-intent with Tennessee State in February of 2010.
“Man, it feels great,” Kitchen said Thursday. “I knew I belonged at a big school in D-1. It’s just overwhelming right now to get my second chance.”
In between, Kitchen has been qualified, then not qualified, eligible, then not eligible.
Kitchen actually had already moved into the dorms at Tennessee State last summer and was working out with the team when word came that some of his classwork at Lithonia High School had been flagged by the NCAA Clearinghouse. He was told he’d have to take the classes over. So he packed up his bags and moved back to Atlanta.
Kitchen successfully completed those classes last month and then got official approval of his transcripts from the NCAA shortly after national signing day.
Georgia Tech, along with Ole Miss and several other schools, had gotten word about Kitchen’s imminent availability in January. With his academic hurdles cleared, the Yellow Jackets officially offered this week. Kitchen pounced on the opportunity.
“Actually Ole Miss was after me before Tech,” Kitchen said. “But I got qualified late in the process and everybody had already committed to them. They filled up, so it was too late. If I had gotten cleared earlier I probably would have signed with them. But, in the end, everything worked out for the best. Ain’t no place like home!”
There’s a reason Tech and others were willing to provide Kitchen a second chance. The kid can play, his high school coach says.
“He has a tremendous knack for the football,” Lithonia coach Marcus Jelks said. “He’s a great athlete for his size, very quick, very strong. He definitely helped us. He played center, defensive line, linebacker and special teams for us. He even ran the ball a few times. When Georgia Tech watched the film, they just kind of fell in love with him.”
Big-time college football had always seemed to be Kitchen’s destination. In fact, he had numerous major-college programs pursuing him in the fall of 2009 and was poised to commit to Auburn at that point. But the Tigers, Georgia Tech and the rest of his suitors dropped off after his first test scores were posted.
Tennessee State decided to take a chance on him and signed him in February of 2010. Kitchen continued to work on his college boards and he was able to achieve the NCAA’s eligibility standards that spring. He moved to Nashville that summer with every intention of continuing his football career with the Tigers. Then the NCAA Clearinghouse bomb exploded.
But Kitchen said he never lost hope. After a brief respite to regain his bearings, he resumed both his academic and athletic pursuits. He re-took the classes he needed online and joined the Lithonia football team four times a week for 6 a.m. workouts to stay in shape.
Of course, Kitchen has already heard the cynics who wonder how he’ll be able to handle Georgia Tech’s academic rigors after struggling so hard just meet eligibility requirements.
“I’ve just got to prove them wrong and show that I can do the work,” Kitchen said. “I know I can. I’m going to buckle down, man, no if, ands or buts about that. They already know what I can do on the field. I just have to prove it in the classroom.
“This whole thing has been a very humbling experience to go through, the whole process. But I got through it. Not too many people get to tell this story. So I plan on taking advantage of it.”
Kitchen becomes the 23rd signee in the Jackets’ 2011 class and the only defensive lineman.
“I’ve just got to come in and show them I know how to play and I know I can do that,” Kitchen said. “It’s just a matter of time. I’m not in a hurry. I’ve just got to show them what I can do, then I’ll get some PT.”
By Chip Towers, The College Recruiting Blog
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
125 comments Add your comment
Brainiac
February 26th, 2011
11:20 am
Chip Towers:
I don’t know your schedule or workload but how about throwing in a little news regarding prospective recruits of 2012, 2013 and others of interest(Some have been offered/Some have not) just to give us a little regular dose of football NEWS if it will fit your agenda, etc.
Ramblin Man
February 26th, 2011
11:36 am
woebegone,
I am not basing this solely of facebook. This information does not come from friends it comes from colleagues that would know. Maybe the kid grows up in college and changes when he gets away from certain influences I don’t know. Fact is if the kid behaves as I have heard and likes to appear to be a thug then that is what he is.
81Dog
February 26th, 2011
12:21 pm
@Ramblin Man- I wish I could say I understood what the heck you were talking about, but you seem very agitated. Next time, try the decaf. You nerds constantly complain you cant recruit the same “talented athletes/substandard academic prospects” everyone else does, but you do. You just cant sign most of them because they want to study something besides engineering, or they think your program is a joke, or both. It doesnt make them bad kids, or the schools where they DO go bad schools. You know if UGA had signed this kid, you’d be all over us, like most hypocrites from GTU; just like your sour grapes “Crowell is a thug” rant now. Someone “told you” he’s a thug. Right. If I was you, I’d be worried about how badly UGA fans will outnumber you at the Joke in November, just like we do every other year.
@Mike- wow, good luck with your anger problem, dude. Ask your coaching staff if they’d like to any of the kids we signed. You offered several of them, but ZERO of the offers were accepted. By your logic (sic….see? I can do it too), they’d all just flunk out after a year. Guess you nerds dodged a bullet. Good work. It’s not my fault you nerds have a limited curriculum. I dont know if anyone tipped you to this secret, but not everyone wants to be an engineer. Or to work at the Waffle House, where many a GTU grad ends up. That’s a you problem, not a me problem.
@GT Fan- I hope you’re good at your day job, because your odds of making it as a detective are pretty slim. I’m not sure how you define “immaturity,” but here in a little place I like to call “the real world,” that would include stuff like calling someone else a thug with no actual factual basis, or calling someone a dumbass (as opposed to being able to refute anything that person says), or just having a grand time playing Inspector Clouseau on the internet and calling people silly names because you disagree with a point they make.
face it, nerds. You point fingers and fume at us for signing kids you’d love to sign, many of whom you offer, all of whom are no worse students than many of the student athletes YOU’ve signed (cough, Joe Hamilton, cough), and then you turn around and sign one and act like it’s a Gandhi-like gesture of humanitarianism towards the kid when the facts are your defense sucks, your recruiting class sucks, he’s big, fast, talented and is somewhat desperate because has no other real options.
He may be a great kid. As I have said repeatedly, good luck to him in the classroom, and zero luck to him and the rest of you when you play UGA. Let the nerd caterwauling and hissy fits continue!
dawgfan
February 26th, 2011
3:35 pm
81Dog, the Techies have already swept this one under the rug. They quickly go silent when confronted with their myths, lies, and double standards. They are like a cult. There is simply no reasoning with these people. Its always been like talking to a brick wall. They believe what they want to believe.
Ramblin Man
February 26th, 2011
4:06 pm
81dog,
I am sorry you can’t understand simple statements. I don’t get why you find it so hard to understand what I was saying? Most GT fans have stated that they worry if this kid will cut it but wish him the best and hope he does. I have never argued that I would not be happy to have some of UGAs recruits and others I am happy will never attend GT. I have never said that some UGA recruits would not be accepted to GT but most would not, in fact UGA has to lower thier own standards since UGA routinely has over a 90% special admit rate for football. As far as me calling Crowell a thug look at the kid, he talks like a thug, likes to look like a thug, and goes to great links to appear hard and considered a thug so if that makes me the bad guy so be it. I have been surrounded by puppy fans more than once in my life and for the most part I have never had issues with most as they are just college fans. I will say I have seen UGA fans try and start crap in the past but they are usually young idiots and have little spine outside of a crowd, but the same can be said of most young college fans. I usually sit in section 109 if you would like to say hello. I aso thank you for spending your hard earned money buying tickets for the game since GT does struggle to sell tickets.
dawgfan,
I am not sure why you think we fans have swept this under the rug. I think you are just upset because we are not making excuses for this kid like you would and hoped we would and thus it took your fun away.
Ramblin Man
February 26th, 2011
4:21 pm
81dog,
Not sure why you brought up Joe Hamilton either. He did fine when he was a student/athlete and came back and finished his degree, which several college players fail to do after moving on to the NFL. Yes he made a stupid decision as an adult and has/is paying for that mistake. I believe you and I are failing to get our points across to each other. I call Crowell a thug because that is obviously how he wants to be percieved I have not lumped other UGA players future or past in that group. I do not consider all the arrests last year equates those kids to being thugs just young and stupid.
81Dog
February 26th, 2011
4:24 pm
@Ramblin Man- I’m fascinated by your ability to judge a kid like Crowell, who I would bet a kidney you have never seen or spoken to in person, is a thug. Did he get caught by the feds helping to set up the distribution of 100 pounds of marijuana. Oh wait. That was someone else.
He’s a black kid with dreads and a southern accent from the south side of Columbus. Funny, that sounds exactly like the way you could describe a kid who played football at Tech named Phillip Wheeler. Did you consider Wheeler a thug? Oh no, he went to GTU, he must be a great kid. Pardon me for doubting your omniscience on this issue. How about Anthony Allen? He’s a black kid with dreads and a southern accent. Of course not, he’s a GTU kid. Wow. I see the pattern here. GTU kid? He’s a gutty underdog and a story of redemption. UGA kid? Thug. Thanks for the blinding flash of insight.
Not everyone who plays football for a school other than yours is a thug. Of course, if it makes you feel better about your mediocre program, which UGA has beaten like a rented mule since Lyndon B Johnson was known as Vice President, then by all means keep it up, and the rest of us will keep laughing at you for being the small minded hypocrite you show yourself to be.
Reddawg80
February 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
81dog is short hosed slob.
81Dog
February 26th, 2011
4:36 pm
@Ramblin Man- if you dont understand why I brought up Joe Hamilton, read the NCAA’s decision from a few years ago putting GTU on probation for years of academic fraud. If you need help with the big words, I’m here for you, buddy. I understand your points just fine, I just dont think they make much sense. I regret that I can’t make mine clearly enough for you to understand, but you may be one of those English is my second language nerds, so I apologize for any confusion.
I appreciate your generous invitation to come visit you in Section 109, where I am sure we would have a blast watching UGA thump the home team for the 10th time in the last 11 tries (imagine if Al Ford knew the rules of football. It could be that GTU hasnt held serve since 1989 if he did). Sadly, when I go to the Joke, I usually am sitting in the club seats in 106. While it doesn’t keep all the riff raff out (I saw one sloppy drunk, mouthy, 35-ish Tech girl try to pick a fight with a 65 year old UGA grad, then dog cuss him as her more mature friends literally drug her away before someone had to call a cop), I guess you nerds have your reasons for the restricted area. Maybe when you start rolling with the big dogs, you can afford an upgrade and we can share a whiskey clear!
81Dog
February 26th, 2011
4:58 pm
@Reddawg80- I am totally picturing you delivering that line in a guttural Russian accent. Let me guess: you’re either a button man for the Dolgoruki mafia, or your name is Boris, you are a wee little fellow of stocky build with a thin moustache, a partiality to black in your wardrobe, you have a girlfriend named Natasha, and your life (such as it is) is consumed not with UGA, but the pursuit of Moose and Squirrel. While your terse observation might be taken in a hurtful way, I prefer to think of it as a result of years of misinformation resulting from the years you spent under the heel of the Party behind the Iron Curtain.
PS: be careful not to bite Natasha on the neck next time you are in the throes of passion, as it may cause her to break wind and fly out a window. Dosvadanya!
dawgfan
February 26th, 2011
7:05 pm
Ramblin Man, I’m sure you’re saving your excuses for him when he loses to Georgia or is otherwise mediocre on the football field. All of the sudden he’ll be a “scholar athlete” that only plays football in his free time when he’s not studying calculus or quantum physics. THAT is when you will make excuses for him, just like always. Its just the same sour grapes sore loser BS out of you clowns every year. This past season was particularly pathetic. You crybabies acted like you were D-III Harvard after we beat you for the 9th time in 10 years. Nevermind the fact that you were a preseason top 15 team in the nation and had been running your fat mouths about how you were “on the rise” for the better part of two years. You Techies simply have no integrity. You say one thing one moment and then another thing the next. Whatever is convenient. You are a total joke. Its nothing personal, just hilarious.
Thanks.
Big Time Back
February 26th, 2011
7:07 pm
Stud RB from Gainesville GA – Imani Cross – picks Tennessee
and Coach Dooley. Also had very early offers from
UCLA, Ga Tech, and South Carolina (among others).
DJJohnson
February 26th, 2011
10:32 pm
Congrads and Good luck jimbo. I enjoyed playing next to your at lhs and hope to play next to you once again. (with gold letters across my chest)
FSU ACC
February 26th, 2011
11:13 pm
Poor guy. He couldn’t get into the barn but he can get into tech? now y’all suck at football, basketball and will take players too dumb to get into an sec school?
I see why there are so few rivals on here bashing you losers, it’s so easy there is not much fun in it.
Ramblin Man
February 27th, 2011
1:10 pm
81dog,
So you assume it was Hamilton even though he was not named. I will grant you he probably was one of the players but it still just shows what most of us say in that GT is hard and most of these kids will struggle. Again I have never said they can’t get in it is the staying there that is hard. Did Wheeler or Allen attempt to portray themselves as a thug like Crowell? I could easily sit in the club seats but perfer the lower sections as the people in the club seats tend to know little to nothing about football and are just there. I can’t comment on one druken idiot but believe me that goes both ways. Just last year I watched a very proud UGA fan punch a girl at the USC game after spitting on her. He then got the beating of his life while the rest of his friends watched. I assume his friends thought he deserved it to as they did nothing to help him.
Dawgfan,
Thanks for the laugh. Did you forget that UGA was rated pretty well that season too? I will save you the time on the we play in the SEC crap you usually post when UGAs record is brought up.
Fark Badley
February 27th, 2011
5:56 pm
Wow, Rambling Man follows UGA to Columbia South Carolina……not too obsessed are you? Doesn’t seem that long ago when a Tech player got into trouble for punching a girl.
Messing with Dawgs
February 27th, 2011
7:41 pm
Ramblin Man please leave 81dog alone the guy obviously does not realize that you are baiting him and he is going to have a stroke soon.
J. Kitchen welcome aboard I hope you have a great impact both in the classroom and on the field. Good luck to you young man.
Randall "Pink" Floyd
February 27th, 2011
8:04 pm
I still don’t understand why he’s going to Teck. Doesn’t Ole Miss always have an “opening?”
81Dog
February 27th, 2011
8:09 pm
@Messing with Dawgs- if what Ramblin Man is doing looks like victory to you, no wonder you nerds think your silly little program is better than ours. Memo to you pencil necks: this is not like golf. The low score does not win. Thanks for playing!
Rodney Dangerfield
February 27th, 2011
10:52 pm
I don’t think Crowell is a thug. He is a wanna be thug from Columbus. He wants to appear hard and thuggish, but deep down I don’t see him holding the glock sideways and firing shots. Some teenagers think it’s cool to be a thug and pop culture has glamorized thuggery. Most people grow out of this phase, the losers don’t.
As for Kitchen, I don’t see the thuggery in his past. If not taking or passing an english course than wow. I would expect to read how he shoplifted, was wanted for battery, or got it on with a girl in his classroom from the reaction by some UGA fans. Oh wait, that is UGA players.
Plus English is not taken all that seriously at Tech. There are no English majors there.
Rodney Dangerfield
February 27th, 2011
10:54 pm
” I would expect to read how he shoplifted, was wanted for battery, or got it on with a girl in his classroom from the reaction by some UGA fans.”
Of course this things are a right of passage for young men according to most comments that I have read from UGA fans.
Fire Hewitt
February 28th, 2011
10:15 am
Welcome young man …now kick A@@!
81Dog
February 28th, 2011
3:43 pm
@Rodney Dangerfield- congrats on being able to read Crowell’s mind. You nerds must all be psychic.
It cracks me up that all of you think you’re so smart, yet about 3/4 of you don’t seem to be able to write a simple, declarative sentence correctly. Your concluding sentence reveals a lot about the nerd academic mindset:
Plus English is not taken all that seriously at Tech. There are no English majors there.
Let me fix it for you, somewhat:
Plus (sic) English is not taken all that seriously at Tech. There are no English as a primary language speakers there.
There! Much better! Gong si fa cai! Nǐ shūdāizi shì dīnéng ér! Zàijiàn!
Tech Guy
February 28th, 2011
5:35 pm
Chan Gailey’s recruits, as a team, had the highest SAT scores of any Division 1 school in the country according to an AJC report. I guess that accomplishment is out the window.
Jorge O'Leary
March 1st, 2011
12:25 am
Give the kid a break maybe he learned a lesson. And academic wise, you guys know what the average dawg football player this recruiting class got on the S.A.T.? Hot wing sauce…