ATLANTA- Georgia Tech football hit the field for the fifth practice in six days on Wednesday in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Head coach Geoff Collins went light on his players with just shorts and helmets as Thursday will mark the first day in full pads. After a brisk 90-minute session running backs coach Tashard Choice and backs, Jamious Griffin, and Dontae Smith spoke to the media about fall camp. Choice also spoke about spending Sunday in Canton, Ohio watching his close friend and former college teammate Calvin Johnson get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Calvin was a very unique player when he was here because he was more talented than anybody on the football team,” Choice said. “When I was at university, Oklahoma, and I saw Adrian Peterson, how good he was, how hard he worked and then you see Calvin, and you see how good he is and how hard he worked. They weren't ever overmatched due to their God-given ability. He worked his tail off and he never wanted any recognition. He hardly ever complained, he did things the right way. He chose the harder way a lot of times and he didn't do everything that everybody else did. He challenged me and I challenged him, and I was so proud of him for the simple fact when he told his teammates to stand up (at the Hall of Fame) it just shows you what type of person he is. It showed gratitude for one of the best wide receivers to ever played the game. He acknowledged his teammates, the people that he loved, and went to war with him on the football field.
Choice thanked coach Collins for letting him take a break in the middle of camp to be with Johnson on his big day.
“So I was truly appreciative of coach Collins, but man is it's unbelievable. If you haven’t been you should go. It is something different man,” Choice said of his experience.
With that experience in mind, we asked Choice if he notices any similarities between Johnson and running back Jahmyr Gibbs who is starting to garner national attention for his elite on the field performance.
“They're very similar for the simple thing, they just work. Calvin didn’t want any attention. He didn't talk. I did all the talking, Calvin was just the quiet assassin. Jahmyr is very similar, but he's so very competitive,” Choice said. “They both work very hard. They don't want any recognition and they stay so humble. Jahmyr’s grandmama calls him the humble beast and I think that's what both of them are. It is truly remarkable because I think they learned that from their parents and their coaches that never let them celebrate themselves. I think that's truly remarkable for a football player that is so talented.
Choice said that Gibbs was like that in high school as well.
“I think he's been that way since I've been in high school,” Choice said of Gibbs’ humble nature. “But for me, I make sure I let him know that the expectations and standards for him are way higher. He understands that he has to work harder. He has to do more, so we can win. If he does that then the recognition and all that will handle itself.”
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