Georgia Tech football practice notes and quotes 4/4
Georgia Tech football continued preparing for the annual spring game with practice on Thursday just eight days away from the annual spring game on April 13th in Bobby Dodd Stadium. After practice the defensive line took the spotlight with the first media appearances by new defensive line coach Jess Simpson and edge/outside linebacker coach Kyle Pope as well as veteran defensive linemen Zeek Biggers, Kevin Harris, and Makius Scott taking questions.
Simpson who was the first hire on the defensive side of the ball Key made in the offseason even before hiring defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci explained his decision to join the Yellow Jackets' program.
"There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to come to Georgia Tech starting with this place. This is a special place. One is the opportunities that guys I have known my whole life and what Georgia Tech has done for them that came here and were able to get a degree. Certainly growing up just up the road from here, I was well aware of this institution. This degree, this football program and the tradition here is very special and goes way back," Simpson said. "Coach Key and his vision and the excitement he is creating being a Georgia Tech man, anytime a place has one of their own people seem more excited and more invested. You can feel the energy. The arrow is up and this place is doing football right."
Also, it was a personal thing for Simpson, a Georgia native to return home and be close to family after working at Duke or Miami in recent years around his stint with the Atlanta Falcons.
"What's really special on top of this is I was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia. I spent most of my coaching life here in the state of Georgia as a high school coach, I spent three years with the Falcons here in Atlanta as well. I've been down in Florida for a little bit and in North Carolina, but getting to come back home, I have four kids, and they are all within 20 minutes to an hour of here. I've got a new grandbaby in January up in Duluth and my mom is in Marietta now and being able to help her and take care of her, for me professional and personal reasons this is a no-brainer for me and my family," he said.