State of Georgia Alumni in the Super Bowl - AJC

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The football pipeline otherwise known as the state of Georgia extends to the Super Bowl.
Five New Orleans Saints and four Indianapolis Colts played high school or college football -- or both -- in Georgia. And for the most part, they're impact players.
The Saints' Jon Stinchcomb (Parkview High, UGA) started every game at right tackle and made the Pro Bowl as a reserve. Defensive end Charles Grant (Miller County High, UGA) started every regular-season game, posting 5.5 sacks, before a triceps injury ended his season. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (Georgia Tech) had five sacks and a forced fumble while playing in every game.
Safety Chris Reis (Roswell High, Georgia Tech) and cornerback Leigh Torrence (Marist High) made 17 and 10 tackles respectively, mainly on special teams. Torrence went on injured reserve in November with a shoulder injury.
For the Colts, center Jeff Saturday (Shamrock High, now a DeKalb County middle school) started every game and made the Pro Bowl as a backup. Defensive end Robert Mathis (McNair High) was voted a Pro Bowl starter after getting 9.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
Linebacker Philip Wheeler (Shaw High, Georgia Tech) made 61 tackles in the regular season, plus three in the AFC Championship Game. Corner Tim Jennings (UGA) made 57 tackles and two interceptions.
With the Pro Bowl coming up Sunday, a week before the Super Bowl, Mathis, Saturday and Stinchcomb will be honored but won't play.
Georgia's strong representation at Super Bowl XLIV comes as no surprise. A 2008 study by USA Today found that Georgia high schools sent the fourth-most players to the NFL, behind only California, Texas and Florida

B.J. Bostic making Tech fans out of mid-Georgians

AJC by Chip Towers

Ask Georgia Tech commitment Barry “B.J.” Bostic to describe the small town of Louisville (pronounced Lewis-vill) from which he hails and you can feel the smile come through the telephone.

“Not too many big places around here,” Bostic said of Jefferson County’s seat, population 2,700. “There aren’t many towns that don’t have a Wal-Mart. Well, we don’t. We have a couple of grocery stores, a couple of dollar stores, that’s it. Lots of trees and woods.”

They also have their football. Thanks in part to Bostic, an AJC Super 11 selection, Louisville has a powerhouse of a program in the Jefferson County Warriors. The four-time Region 3 champions are 11-0 and ranked No. 4 in Class AA this season.

Bostic has had more than a little to do with that. Playing primarily quarterback but also running back and wide receiver, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound athlete has amassed 2,544 total yards and 32 touchdowns, including 1,054 yards rushing and 983 passing. His scores have come on 12 runs, 15 passes, four receptions and one kickoff return.

And Tech wants him to play defense?

“Yeah, but a lot of people say once Paul Johnson sees me move around and sees what I can do with a ball in my hands they’ll eventually find a spot for me somewhere on offense,” Bostic says playfully. “Coach Johnson always jokes around with the defensive coaches about how he’s going to move me to quarterback.”

Perhaps Bostic could eventually become a two-way player. But the immediate plans are to make him a cornerback. He comes to The Flats as one quarter of star-studded, ready-made secondary the Jackets have committed, joining four-star cornerback Ryan Ayers of South Forsyth and safeties Fred Holton of Thomasville and Isaiah Johnson of Sandy Creek.

In fact, Bostic and Holton will face off tonight in Louisville in a Class AA second-round playoff game between Jefferson County and Thomasville.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Bostic, who has become friends with Holton since the two committed to Tech this summer. “He’ll definitely be on defense. He plays all over the field for them, quarterback, running back, cornerback. Sometimes he plays D-line; sometimes he plays safety. He’s all over the field for them. Watch number 15.”

Bostic comes to Tech via a newly-constructed pipeline into Jefferson County. He follows to Atlanta his second cousin Chris Crenshaw, now a freshman defensive end for the Yellow Jackets.

“When he committed to Tech (in July of 2008), that’s when I started hitting the camp circuit,” Bostic said. “The day I went to a Georgia camp he went to the Tech camp the same day. He got an offer from them and he committed on the spot. That’s when he started telling me about Georgia Tech. They came to a Swainsboro game my junior year to see Chris and that’s when I first got to meet Coach [Giff] Smith. He told me right there I was a kid they were going to offer. Later on, as we progressed through the season, they came forth with the offer. They were the first team to offer me and they have kept their promise.”

So has Bostic, though he said it has been at times difficult. Several schools have continued to recruit him hard. Playing offense is the lure that they’re dangling.

Kentucky is telling Bostic he’s perfect for their Wildcat formation. Dan Mullen of Mississippi State says he can be their version of Percy Harvin. West Virginia says he’ll make a perfect slot receiver along the lines of Jock Sanders.

“I’m solid on Tech but sometimes I do think about that,” he said. “You know, basically I’ve played offense my whole high school career. . . . I do think about that but I’m committed to Tech right now.”

Early enrollment should help. Bostic will graduate from high school next month.

“I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of me but that’s why I’m coming in early in January, so I can get accustomed to the defense and learn the defensive philosophy,” he said.

Jefferson County, located between Interstates 20 and 16 southwest of Atlanta, has always been known as Bulldog Country. In fact, Bostic said he grew up of playing between the hedges.

“My room was all Bulldogs,” Bostic said. “Now I’ve got my room changed out. It’s all Yellow Jackets now. Got me a new Tech bed spread. So everything in here is Georgia Tech now.”

Bostic’s aim is to convert the masses.

“Down here there was nothing but Bulldog fans,” he said. A lot of people still question me now. ‘Why not Georgia? Why Georgia Tech?’ But I’m starting to turn them around. We have a lot of people at my school that are Georgia Tech fans now. A lot of people are starting to jump on the bandwagon. That’s a good thing.”

Bostic and a couple more ACC championships should help.

Duke's Defense Impressive ajc.com

While Duke has built its reputation this season on the arm of Thaddeus Lewis, who already has surpassed 2,500 total yards, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said the Blue Devils' defense has been quietly impressive. During the past three games, Duke (5-4, 3-2) has allowed an average of 17 points per game. For the season, the Blue Devils are allowing an average of 23.6 points per game. Georgia Tech averages 34.7 ppg. The Devils run a 4-3 formation, and are led by defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase and defensive end Ayana Okpokowuruk, who have 22 sacks in their careers.

"They're throwing the ball for a lot of yards, but the bottom line is against North Carolina they only had 125 total yards of offense, and that game was tied at six late in the third quarter," Johnson said. "They've been better on offense, but I think on defense is where they're much improved."

Just as Johnson has said his team hasn't put together its best game, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said he's still waiting as well. In its 19-6 loss to the Tar Heels, the defense gave up 311 yards, but was on the field for 79 plays.

"Our team is a team that, at the stage were in right now, we have to play well in all three stages," Cutcliffe said. "In a game, all of them complement each other. That's how we were able to put together a win streak."

Between Dogs and Jackets, only one is dressed for success

GREAT ARTICLE FROM THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION by Jeff Shultz

Georgia Tech showed up to play a football game Saturday night, wearing just its normal white road uniforms and gold helmets. Success, it seems, is dictated less by a program’s costumes than it is the athletes and the direction they’re moving in. Go figure.

We’ve seen for weeks how Tech and Georgia are moving in opposite directions. It hit home more than ever Saturday. The Jackets were not great at Vanderbilt. They actually found themselves trailing in the second half, 31-28, to an inferior team that had been averaging 8.7 points in its six losses. But Tech’s offense couldn’t be stopped. In the end, it pulled away. It’s what good teams do.

Georgia, meanwhile, hung with Florida for nearly a half, then self-destructed. It’s what bad teams do.

The differences between Tech and Georgia don’t stop there.


Mark Richt is losing the local battle to Georgia Tech but he lost the SEC battle to Florida and Urban Meyer a long time ago. (Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com)

One team is 8-1 and may go to a BCS bowl. The other team is 4-4 and needs two wins just to qualify for Shreveport.

The Jackets have the confidence to come back in games, even when they’re not at their best. The Bulldogs lack confidence and resolve. Why? Because they’re soft, either mentally or physically, or possibly both.

The Jackets, to their advantage, are a reflection of their coach. The Bulldogs, to a disadvantage right now, are a reflection of theirs.

When Paul Johnson sees something he doesn’t like in a Georgia Tech game or a practice, he tells you, sometimes in short, stinging verbal jabs. (Saturday: “I’m disappointed in the way we started. We missed some tackles and that just killed us. They hit a ton of big plays.”) We assume Mark Richt sees many things he doesn’t like. But it sure would be nice to hear and see him breathe a little fire once in a while. Peel paint. Make everybody believe you’re as angry as they are.

Johnson has not been to an ACC championship game yet, but nobody doubts him. Richt has won two SEC championships, but doubters are increasing in large numbers.

Johnson has a defensive coordinator (Dave Wommack) that every Georgia Tech fan would like to drop from a roof top. But there’s a belief that the head coach will mandate improvement or make a change, friendship and loyalty notwithstanding. Richt has a defensive coordinator (Willie Martinez) that every Georgia fan would like to drop from a roof top. But there’s a concern that Richt will do nothing because he has done nothing before.

Georgia Tech has a quarterback, Josh Nesbitt, who is beginning to master his team’s option offense and has developed into a nice passing threat (two touchdown passes against Vanderbilt). Logic says he will be even better as a senior. Georgia doesn’t really have a quarterback. Richt’s plan was to use Joe Cox as a bridge to Aaron Murray and/or Zach Mettenberger next season. Cox might’ve been OK if he wasn’t surrounded by chaos. But he’s not going to make a bad team better. And now why should we assume either freshman will be ready next season?

Georgia has a wide receiver, A.J. Green, who has “NFL star” stamped on his forehead. He is 23rd in the nation in receiving yards (732) with 44 catches, six for touchdowns. Georgia Tech has a wide receiver, Demaryius Thomas, who for some reason nobody is talking about. Playing one more game, but in a run-dominated offense, he is ahead of Green and eighth in the nation in receiving yards (823) with 34 catches and five touchdowns.

Johnson calls every play in the Tech offense. The Jackets rank 17th in yardage and 12th in scoring in the nation. Mike Bobo calls most plays for Georgia, with Richt monitoring. The Dogs rank 97th in yardage and 73rd in scoring.

Tech is redefining the pecking order in the ACC, this year beating Florida State and Virginia Tech, last year beating Florida State and Miami and nearly winning in Blacksburg. Georgia has fallen to a distant fourth (maybe) in the SEC, behind Florida, Alabama and LSU.

In two seasons, Johnson has built a program. He is winning games. In the same two seasons, Richt has manufactured black jerseys, black pants and black helmets, while his program is in decline. He is losing games. Not difficult to tell which school is making the fashion statement.