Georgia Tech Buzz Magazine - Winter 09

h o m e c o u r t a d va n ta g e

men’s basketball

Robert Brooks has carried his passion on the basketball court to Iraq and now Afghanistan, where he serves his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps

Zelnak Center Opens Six months after breaking ground, Georgia Tech’s state-of-the-art basketball facility officially opens

griffin gets tough Sedric Griffin has molded himself into a different player under head coach Paul Johnson

WINTER 2009

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Winter

winter 2009 • Volume 3, Number 2 EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cheryl Watts

David Johnson, Sam Morgan and Barry Williams

WRITERS

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Simit Shah Jack Wilkinson Adam Van Brimmer

Summit Athletic Media

2009

www.summitathletics.com

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In This Issue 4

Griffin Gets Tough

6

FULL METTLE JACKET

Sedric Griffin has molded himself into a different player under head coach Paul Johnson.

Robert Brooks has carried his passion on the basketball court to Iraq and now Afghanistan, where he serves his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps.

10

Zelnak Center Opens

14

Home Court Advantage

Six months after breaking ground, Georgia Tech’s state-ofthe-art basketball facility officially opens.

Tech’s volleyball team won their first 11 matches at home this season, thanks in part to the electric atmosphere generated fans.

GT_Buzz_HPH_v1_June09.qxd:Layout 1 by 3/25/09 2:27 PM Page 1

17

NBA On Hold Gani Lawal has business to finish on the Flats before moving on to test his abilities at the next level.

23

Swilling Answers Hall’s Call

28

Member for Life

31

Former All-American Pat Swilling, leader of Tech’s famed “Black Watch” defense in the mid-1980s, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Meet the program’s first Life Member, Drew Hearn

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fb football

Griffin Gets Tough

Sedric Griffin has molded himself into a different player under head coach Paul Johnson

D

by Adam Van Brimmer

Do a cursory study of Sedric Griffin’s background, and one word would seem to personify Georgia Tech’s star linebacker: Toughness.

• Griffin comes from a singleparent household.

• He underwent brain surgery at age 13.

• He overcame his size – 5-foot11, 220 pounds coming out of high school – to play linebacker at the major college level.

Griffin couldn’t fool Paul Johnson, though. The coach recognized soon after Griffin arrived at Georgia Tech following the 2007 season that his tough-guy image was a façade.

Griffin would drop out of conditioning drills. He’d call for a substitute after only a few snaps in scrimmages.

“He had a tendency to not finish anything,” Johnson said. “He had a hard time pushing himself past a certain level.”

And when Griffin didn’t respond to football’s most tried-and-true motivational technique – a drop down the depth chart to start preseason camp – Johnson got nasty.

“He got on me. Hard,” Griffin said. “He pushed and pushed and pushed because he saw something in me that I didn’t even see myself.”

Johnson made 2008 preseason camp into boot camp for Griffin.

The coach channeled his inner drill sergeant.

“I challenged him to either finish or quit,” Johnson said. “He didn’t quit.”

Johnson broke Griffin down. And Griffin built himself back up into a different player.

When injuries sidelined the players in front of him in the 2008 season opener, Griffin escaped the doghouse for good. He started the next game and has been a star since.

“Physical toughness is one thing,” Griffin said. “But you have to have the mental toughness, too.”

Griffin grew up in a nurturing environment where he was the center of attention. Sedric was Sharon Griffin’s only child, and while she was single mom, she had plenty of family around to help “love on you,” Sedric said.

“I don’t have any brothers or sisters but I have lots of aunts and uncles and we are as close as families get,” Griffin said. “There was a lot of love.”

The family helped Griffin through his medical scare. He developed a severe sinus infection at age 12, and doctors discovered pus had collected inside his cranium - a condition known as empyema. A surgeon performed a craniotomy - the removal of part of the skull - to drain the pus in 2001. Griffin recovered quickly and resumed a normal life, although he must take medication to prevent seizures.

Griffin’s hometown of Blair, S.C., is a nurturing place, too. Blair is a small community with one four-way stop. The kids hang out at the town’s

one convenience store. None of Blair’s few streets would be considered hard. Finding trouble is a challenge, and most local teenage boys channel their aggression into high school athletics. Fairfield Central High’s football team completed two undefeated regular seasons in Griffin’s career.

“I was dragging my knee around the field, but I wasn’t going to miss [the bowl game].”

– Sedric Griffin, on playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl after being forced to miss the game at Georgia.

Even now, four years after moving to the big city, Griffin remains low key. He spends his free time on the weekends with his wife Ashlyn – they were wed in summer of 2008 – and not cutting loose like many of his Georgia Tech classmates.

Griffin describes himself as subdued, at least until he puts on shoulder pads.

Toughening up

Griffin is a study in the nature-vs.nurture debate.

Toughness is a part of Griffin’s nature. Football’s violent collisions have long been his favorite part of the game. He likes contact so much that Georgia Tech’s recruiting him as a linebacker – and not as a safety like several other schools – played a significant role in his playing football on The Flats. Yet being a big hitter doesn’t make a player tough.

4

The Buzz

the mental part of it, he was a really good player.”

Griffin’s philosophy prior to Johnson’s arrival was sound: “Try and get (the blocker or ballcarrier) before he gets me.” Yet he lacked consistency.

He admits he had a tendency to get down on himself or let fatigue and aches and pains affect his play. At

Standing just 5-11, Griffin makes big plays on the field, including this jarring hit against Jacksonville State earlier this season

The tough get going

Johnson’s seen players like Griffin before.

At the Naval Academy, where being undersized and from a strong family almost seem like prerequisites. And at Georgia Southern, where nearly every recruit is undersized, underappreciated and underestimated. Johnson got the most out of his players at GSU and Navy, so he knew Griffin’s potential.

“I try to never give up on anyone until I’ve seen them play,” Johnson said. “I saw Sedric was a good player. Once he pushed through

Griffin’s size, if a blocker gets his hands on him, Griffin is effectively out of the play. For Griffin to make plays, he has to be focused and driven on every snap.

“It took Coach Johnson kicking me in the pants to get to that level,” Griffin said.

Griffin made nine tackles in that first start under Johnson - a victory over Boston College. He finished the 2008 season as Georgia Tech’s fourth leading tackler and the player coaches considered the “most consistent linebacker.”

As for his toughness, he lists missing the streak-snapping win against Georgia last November as the lowlight of his career. A knee injury suffered the week before sidelined him for the rivalry game, and he aggravated the injury while jumping up and down cheering during the Georgia game.

He found the experience disheartening enough that he played through the pain in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

“I was dragging my knee around the field,” Griffin said. “But I wasn’t going to miss it.”

He earned his teammates respect along the way and is among the defensive leaders this fall. His 10 solo tackles in the win against Florida State earlier this fall were the most by a Yellow Jacket in two years.

Griffin’s gone from target to role model in Johnson’s eyes. Griffin is “light years ahead” from where he was a year ago, Johnson said.

“I guess,” Griffin said. “I’m a real tough guy now.” ■

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full mettle jacket

Robert Brooks has carried his passion on the basketball court to Iraq and now Afghanistan, where he serves his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps

T

by Simit Shah

There are a lot of ways to describe Robert Brooks, but simply put, the former Georgia Tech basketball forward defies all convention.

“Without a doubt, he’s always been a unique young man,” noted Paul Hewitt, who signed Brooks as part of his first recruiting class in 2000. “A great teammate with unbelievable enthusiasm, but he’s a guy who was always going to take a different path.”

That path led the Michigan native from the Final Four in San Antonio to Marine Corps basic training nine months later, surprising just about everyone in the process.

Brooks came to Tech from Saginaw as a 6-8, 210 pound big man with a reputation as a scrappy player.

A staunch defender, he became a mainstay in Hewitt’s frontcourt for four seasons. He briefly started as a sophomore, but was primarily a guy on the bench that would provide a boost with his energy.

“We first met in the summer before our freshman season,” recalled teammate Marvin Lewis. “I saw a tall guy with big shoes. He was real slender, and I didn’t know anything about him. I did see a lot of energy.

That was his thing - whether it was on the court or going to class. He was just full of energy, and that’s what I gravitated to.”

During his career at Tech, Brooks never lit up the stat sheet, finishing with modest scoring and rebounding averages, but his contributions often transcended the box score.

“He did what needed to be done,” noted Lewis. “He was a team guy.

Guys like Robert and Tony McHenry might play as little as three, four or five minutes in a game, but their presence was felt. Robert was always cheering everyone on just the same way he’d want everyone to cheer for him. Once he was in the game, no job was too small. Whatever coaches or teammates asked him to do, he did it.”

“You need guys like Robert to be successful,” Hewitt added. “He was truly a team guy willing to do the little things, the type of things that get overlooked in the course of a game but end up being the difference between winning and losing.”

Brooks started 12 games as a sophomore and averaged over 16 minutes a game that year. He ap-

6

The Buzz

The view of Brooks’ camp from the top of the Alcatraz bunker in Iraq

Brooks spent much of his time in Iraq at the “Alcatraz” bunker, his Battalion Supply shop.

Brooks in front of Lake Habbaniyah, a shallow, natural lake in al-Anbar, Iraq.

Brooks was a key member of Tech’s Final Four run in 2004

peared in 50 games over his final two seasons.

Off the court, Brooks shattered the stereotypes applied to most athletes, dabbling in art and poetry.

During his time at Georgia Tech, he carried a notebook to record his thoughts and sketches, and he often performed at campus open-mic poetry readings.

“Outside of basketball, he’s just as intense and very philosophical,” said Lewis. “He wants to find out the answers about everything. He asks questions. He’s a poet, so he does a lot of writing. He’s an artist too.

Really, his intensity and passion was not only limited to the court, but in his drawings and his writing.”

In addition to his artistic pursuits, Brooks always had a passion and interest in all things military. A number of his family members had served, and Brooks often contemplated following in their footsteps.

When the events of September 11 transpired, Brooks was just starting his sophomore year at Tech.

His brother, Dujuan Yarger, was in the Army and faced a potential deployment to Afghanistan. Had he shipped out, Brooks was prepared to leave school and enlist in the Marines. When that didn’t come to fruition, he decided to continue his playing career.

“I put that on the backburner, but it was always on my mind,” he said.

“It was part of an evaluation: What are you going to give back during your life? When you die, what’s going to be your story? What would have done to make a difference in the world? That’s when I started to think seriously about the Marine Corps.”

After the spring Final Four run in 2004, Brooks earned his management degree in December and enlisted in the Marine Corps. His diploma qualified him for Officer Candidate School, but Brooks was eager to work his way up the ranks instead.

While joining the Marine Corps was something he had mentioned from time to time, most of his teammates and coaches were surprised that he was following through with his plan.

“The coaches, they were trying to figure out why I made that decision,” Brooks remembered. “They could understand it with my personality, but everyone was asking why. That was the biggest question.

“No one had a problem with, but I don’t think many people understood it,” he continued. “With everything you have and a chance to continue to play basketball making all kinds of money or go get a job with a Georgia Tech degree, there were a lot of questions. I think people wondered why I did that, especially going in as www.ramblinwreck.com

7

Brooks prepares to sight-in his weapon with Master Sergeant Fletcher on the rifle range in Iraq.

enlisted rather than officer’s school, which I could have done.”

“Total shock, especially for me as his best friend,” said Lewis, recalling his reaction. “For us, it was mostly that he enlisted rather than go as an officer. Plus, the timing - it’s wartime. He had some opportunities to do some other things locally, so it was a shock that he made that decision.”

“I was concerned for him,” admitted Hewitt. “I wanted to make sure it was something he really wanted to do as a career path. Once we talked, it was clear he had a passion to serve his country. Robert has always worked best in team environments, so this has been about being a part of another team. This time it’s more significant and important than just winning a basketball game.”

So in late December of 2004, Brooks started 13 weeks of basic training at Parris Island in South Carolina. His reputation preceded him, as there was skepticism about whether a Division I basketball player was really serious about joining the military.

Brooks with academic advisor Troy Peace (left) and Marvin Lewis following his wedding in 2007.

Brooks made his name as a scrappy, energetic defender on Paul Hewitt’s first four teams

“I guess they were expecting a Riddick Bowe-type situation, but that was never me,” said Brooks, referring to the former heavyweight boxing champion who lasted just 11 days at Parris Island before quitting.

“I was humble, and that’s what has helped me with relationships.”

In March of 2007, Brooks was commissioned as a second lieutenant and has since been based out of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Brooks just completed his first tour in Iraq, returning in September after eight and half months in the Middle East. As his battalion’s supply officer, he’s responsible for the gear and part of the group that’s the first one in and the last out.

“Our biggest mission was to get all of the Marine Corps’ gear out of Iraq, sending it back to the States or, more importantly, to Afghanistan, where our guys really need it,” he explained.

Having heard plenty of accounts of the situation in Iraq before his deployment, Brooks found the conditions on the ground not quite what he anticipated.

“It was different,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of expectations, but I had talked to a lot of people. I knew that it had calmed down quite a bit. I’m not some sort of war buff

that wants to get shot at or anything.

Some people say that, but they are crazy. Getting shot at is no joke.

“The area we were in wasn’t too bad,” he added. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of stuff going on, especially with prisoner release. Some of that old activity has picked back up. For the most part, we didn’t get hit with too many things at the base we were on.”

When his tour ended, he returned home for a short time before shipping out to Afghanistan in November.

“It’s ugly over there,” he assessed before leaving. “It’s a different fight over there. People might not realize we’ve been in Afghanistan longer than we’ve been in Iraq, but our main focus has been in Iraq. Now with the activity picking back up in Afghanistan, it’s a serious situation.”

Life in the military has been an adjustment, but Brooks feels the lessons he learned on the basketball court have helped him as a Marine.

“I think the mentality helps me stand out,” he said. “I’m pretty peaceful. It’s about self-control, knowing what you’re capable of. I’ve always been willing to go further than anyone else. People thought I was crazy when I was playing.”

The overseas deployments are

tough on his wife and two young sons.

“It may sound dark to outsiders, but to some degree you have to detach yourself,” he noted. “If you are constantly focusing on everyone and everything back home, it will eventually begin to affect your work and performance while in country.

“I had pictures of the family, but I didn’t look at them too often,” he continued. “Again, it is simply a coping mechanism I utilized in order to remain focused. I love my boys more than the world, so to look at their pictures constantly, or hear them over the phone asking, ‘Daddy, you done working yet?’ Or, in baby talk, ‘You coming to my house to pick me up?’ It gets to you; it can really make you sad, and despite how tough we seem, everyone is still human.”

While his decision left many scratching their heads four years ago, there’s no doubt that it was the right thing for Brooks.

“Last year before he left (for Iraq), I went up to North Carolina and saw him on base,” Lewis said. “I could see the impression he leaves on everyone around him. He is the star amongst his group. He talks to other Marines’ kids and connects with them too. Seeing him in that environment, it all makes sense.” ■

www.ramblinwreck.com

9

bk basketball

Zelnak Center Opens

Six months after breaking ground, Georgia Tech’s state-of-the-art basketball facility officially opens.

E

by Simit Shah

Even calculus might not help you figure out this math problem: take two college basketball teams with hectic schedules, including 30 home games between them, and figure out how they can share a single court.

The Georgia Tech men’s and women’s basketball programs have been trying to balance that equation for years, but it’s finally solved with the unveiling of the Zelnak Center this fall.

The facility, connected to the southeast side of Alexander Memorial Coliseum, gives Georgia Tech basketball a 20,000 square foot state-of-the-art gem that includes a practice court, weight room and theater.

Discussed for some time, the project was finally green-lit thanks to an $8.5 million gift from Steve and Judy Zelnak. Ground broke last April, and just six short months later, the facility was ready for the start of fall practice in mid-October.

“We feel that a facility of this nature was absolutely essential as we continue towards our goal of maintaining two nationally competitive basketball programs at Georgia Tech,” said athletics director Dan Radakovich. “Through the generosity of Steve and Judy Zelnak and the creativity and hard work of our design and construction teams, we have now opened a practice, training and teaching facility that will en-

hance the experience of our studentathletes and give our coaches the flexibility to schedule workouts at optimal times. This will serve as an integral component of our Henry F. McCamish, Jr. Basketball Complex for years to come.”

Scheduling conflicts have been a

“I thought we already had some of the best facilities in the ACC, and now we have one of the best in the country.”

The entry-way to the newly-opened Zelnak Center displays Georgia Tech’s rich basketball history

10

The Buzz

daily fact of life for both programs.

Whenever the Coliseum floor was in use for a practice or game by one team, the other was relegated to either early morning hours or subpar accommodations.

Practices in the adjacent Freshman Gym or nearby O’Keefe Gym

– MaChelle Joseph, Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball Head Coach

The basketball teams now have their own workout facility, which is located just off the Zelnak Center basketball court. weren’t ideal, and the coaching staff was often forced to run less efficient sessions.

“The guys are so big that they’ve outgrown that Freshman Gym, and there were times that, during a breakaway situation, they would be slamming into a wall,” explained Paul Hewitt. “When graduation comes around (each December), our building is then taken over. Now we can practice on-campus instead of going to Georgia State or somewhere else.”

The new practice court features eight baskets and has ample room for side sessions, as well as easy access to the training and weight rooms.

“The number of baskets makes a huge difference,” noted women’s head coach MaChelle Joseph. “Having eight means you can set up different stations, which is so much more conducive to teaching. You have much more space for shoot-

ing drills, and really you can get a lot more done in a short amount of time.

“Plus, we used to have to walk across campus before or after practice to lift weights (in the Wardlaw Center),” she added. “Now we get off the practice floor and go right into the weight room. It’s a tremendous advantage for our players.”

“We’ve got our own spot now,” said junior forward Gani Lawal with a big smile. “I call it our little nook.

We finally have a place we can call our own, and it’s really nice.

If I want to get in here and get some shots up, I can just use my Buzz Card to do so. With the freshman gym, someone had to have a key to get in, so just that alone is a big change for the better.

The knowledge that a facility would make such a tangible difference is what attracted Zelnak, a 1969 Georgia Tech graduate, and his

family to this project.

“I’m a guy that played a lot of basketball in my time,” he said. “I used to scrimmage a lot with the varsity guys. I wasn’t a Division I caliber player, but I was pretty good and enjoyed it a lot. I’ve always loved basketball.”

That love kept him close to the Georgia Tech program, and a few years ago Gary Lanier of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund mentioned the need for a practice facility. A short time later, Zelnak and his son Brent had lunch with Hewitt.

“Paul is a pretty compelling salesman,” Zelnak laughed. “He laid out the issues, and that really resonated with me. My wife and I were really looking to do more at Georgia Tech.

This was a place where the need was great, and it was something we started to take a look at doing. We decided to take the lead on that.”

“I think it has more to do with

Mr. Zelnak’s generosity than my salesmanship,” countered Hewitt.

“There had been discussions, but it’s something that’s been out there since 2003. It took Mr. Zelnak to make it happen. We knew we needed it. Coming off the Final Four, I thought we’d get it going. He really stepped up, was behind it early and made a big commitment to getting it done.”

Zelnak was in town a few weeks ago for homecoming and toured the facility. He came away impressed at the final product.

“It’s not something I thought about, and all of sudden it’s there,” said Zelnak after seeing his name adorn the new building. “I figure it was the closest I was going to get to playing in the Coliseum.”

There are still some finishing touches to be applied, but both teams have already raved about their new accommodations. The lobby www.ramblinwreck.com

11

The new practice court now features eight shooting stations in addition to a full-size court for the men’s and women’s basketball teams to utilize whenever they need. includes a Hall of Fame area honoring Georgia Tech basketball greats, including biographies of all former Tech athletes in NBA, and chronicling the school’s hoops achievements. There are also several video screens and trophy cases to showcase the school’s rich legacy.

12

The Buzz

“We’ve been able to recruit good players, but not only is this facility functional, they’ve done a great job in designing it,” Hewitt said. “It’s a really nice recruiting piece. You get a sense of the history of Georgia Tech basketball.”

Both coaches agreed that the

Zelnak Center isn’t a facility that brings them up to par with other top collegiate programs, but rather surpasses them.

“I’ve had several recruits on campus, and all of them have said how unbelievable it is,” stated Joseph. “I thought we already had some of best

facilities in the ACC, and now we have one of the best facilities in the country.” ■

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vB volleyball

Home Court Advantage Tech’s volleyball team won their first 11 matches at home this season, thanks in part to the electric atmosphere generated by fans.

A

by Adam Van Brimmer

Annie Czarnecki formed a vivid picture in her mind of what the atmosphere would be like for her Georgia Tech volleyball debut.

She’d heard the stories about O’Keefe Gymnasium. About how well the student body supports the program. About how the pep band plays. About how the 2,000-seat place gets so loud that betweengame strategy sessions must be held outside in the hallways.

Toss in the fact that the Yellow Jackets were to open the 2009 season against rival Georgia – guaranteeing a standing-room-only crowd – and it’s easy to imagine what Czarnecki was anticipating.

Think Cameron Indoor Stadium in February. Think the Georgia Dome on a Monday night during the Michael Vick era. Think the Roman Colosseum in Caesar’s days.

“Until I walked in there that night, I really had no idea,” said Czarnecki, one of six freshmen on this year’s team. “It exceeded everything I expected, which I didn’t think was possible.”

O’Keefe has become one of the most unique venues in college athletics. The building is close to 60 years old and was designed as a high school gym. Georgia Tech owned the facility for more than 30 years before even thinking about making it the home of a varsity program – prior to 1995, it was utilized by the school’s club sports programs.

Attend a weekend volleyball match there, however, and it’s obvious today’s most innovative sports venue architects would struggle to figure out how to create a better

game-day atmosphere.

O’Keefe is big enough to host tournaments and rivalry games -- like those against Georgia – and small enough that even a crowd numbering in the low hundreds can create a home-court advantage.

Not that Georgia Tech draws poorly often. The average crowd this season is within an SUV-load’s worth of 1,000 fans; a year ago the Yellow Jackets ranked 18th nationally in attendance.

The Yellow Jackets feed off the crowd’s energy. They won their first 11 home matches this season, seven of those in straight sets.

Georgia Tech has won more than 75 percent of its home games since moving into O’Keefe in 1995. The program went 56-4 in the building over a four-year stretch earlier this decade.

“I remember visiting when I was playing at LSU,” said Yellow Jacket head coach Tonya Johnson. “And I remember thinking there’s no way I’d ever schedule a game in there as a head coach.”

Coming home to O’Keefe

The Yellow Jackets called Heisman Gymnasium home when Shelton Collier took over the volleyball program in 1991.

Erected 1938, the building housed the basketball teams as well, prior to the 1956 opening of Alexander Memorial Coliseum. By Collier’s arrival, “the facility was very much run down,” he said.

So much so that the institute planned to demolish the gym to al-

The Yellow Jackets opened the 2009 campaign with a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs

14

The Buzz

low for the construction of the north end zone seats at neighboring Bobby Dodd Stadium. The volleyball program would move into the Coliseum as well.

Collier quickly realized the logistical problems volleyball’s relocation would present.

With three teams sharing one playing floor, just scheduling practice was a challenge. And the cav-

from just beyond the playing surface to a low ceiling.

Collier recalls his first thought in looking at O’Keefe as a potential home.

“This could be awesome,” he said. “The dimensions allow for crowd interaction and for it to be really noisy,” he said. “You could captured the spirit of a match in that kind of gym.”

“I remember visiting when I was playing at LSU and thinking there’s no way I’d ever schedule a game in there as a head coach.”

– Tonya Johnson, on how much the team feeds off the crowd’s energy. ernous domed building lacked any semblance of intimacy.

“The seating was so far away from the court it didn’t provide an ideal atmosphere for volleyball,” said Collier, now the head volleyball coach at North Carolina’s Wingate University. “The administration had given us the option to explore playing in O’Keefe, so we looked into it.”

Collier found an unattractive building badly in need of cleaning, painting and a new floor.

The weightlifting club had been O’Keefe’s main tenant and the floor reflected the years of abuse barbells can inflict.

But what O’Keefe lacked in beauty it made up for in charm. The gym is what baby boomers would call a “band box,” with bleachers rising up

Georgia Tech scrubbed, painted and repaired in time for the volleyball team to play the 1995 season in O’Keefe. The Yellow Jackets were coming off an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and their first trip to the NCAAs the year before and repeated those feats in their first season in their new home.

Fans enjoyed the atmosphere, and the crowds started to swell. The 1996 team went back to the NCAAs, and the Jackets remained competitive throughout Collier’s coaching tenure, making the tournament again in 2000 and in Collier’s final year, 2001.

Collier’s successor, Bond Shymansky, built on Collier’s success, taking Georgia Tech to the national tournament in his first three years.

O’Keefe got a new floor in 2003 and underwent a $1 million renovation in 2006. The improvements included new locker rooms, coaches’ and players’ lounges, a training room and a study area.

“When we first accessed the facility, it was a question of ‘How do we get it functional?’” Collier said.

“Since then they’ve taken it to the next level.”

The combination of an electric atmosphere and modern amenities benefits Georgia Tech in recruiting.

Many of Georgia Tech’s conference and regional rivals play in facilities like the Coliseum that are ill-suited for volleyball.

“We bring recruits in here and they are blown away by the environment and the atmosphere and the energy,” Tech’s current coach, Johnson, said. “They end up leaving feeling like this is the type of atmosphere they want to play in.”

Drawing fans in

Georgia Tech homes games have become events as much as matches.

Students flood the gym in search of camaraderie and an outlet from the stress of tests and term papers.

Locals looking for inexpensive entertainment – tickets are $4 – stroll cross the connector from Midtown.

Out-of-town alumni visiting for football or basketball games turn out to see what the fuss is about.

The crowd mix gives matches a high school pep rally feel akin to big basketball or football games. All the O’Keefe atmosphere lacks in comparison to games next door at the Coliseum and/or down the street at Bobby Dodd are camped-out students and tailgaters.

“We get all kinds at our games,” Johnson said. “The band plays, the students are into it; it’s just a really enjoyable experience for fans.”

The highly competitive play attracts volleyball enthusiasts as well.

Georgia Tech is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference teams in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Only the league champion is guaranteed a bid, but ACC teams have received at-large berths in recent years, including two last year. Two of the other four ACC contenders visit O’Keefe in November.

A tournament berth would be Georgia Tech’s first since 2004.

The program made the postseason eight times in an 11-season stretch between 1994 and 2004.

“That’s the goal, and if we continue to play hard and protect our homecourt, we should get there,” Czarnecki said. “I can only imagine what the place would be like for an NCAA Tournament game.”

Don’t bother, Annie, your imagination would probably fall short anyway. ■

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NBA On Hold

Gani Lawal has business to finish on the Flats before moving on to test his abilities at the next level

V

by Simit Shah

Variations of the phrase have been repeated quite a few times over the years at Georgia Tech - “I’m going to test the waters, but I’m going to keep the door open to return.”

However, that door has always closed.

When it comes to Georgia Tech basketball players leaving early for the NBA Draft, it’s been a one-way street. Eight times it’s happened, mostly prefaced by the aforementioned statement. This time was different.

When Gani Lawal decided to test the draft waters after finishing his sophomore season last spring, most of the Tech faithful assumed the 6-9, 234-pound forward was headed

“We have the entire recipe.

If we are not successful, it’s our fault. But I’m not letting that happen. Not on my watch.”

– Gani Lawal, on Tech’s upcoming season. down the same road paved by Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson, Chris Bosh and Thaddeus Young, among others.

However, after a grueling period of workouts and interviews, the Norcross native decided that Georgia Tech was the best place to play basketball this winter.

“To be completely honest, I wasn’t leaning, I was 50-50,” he explained. “I really didn’t know what would happen and had an open mind going into the process.”

The Process. Lawal referenced it about dozen times in a span of a few minutes as he described a three-week span during which he participated in the NBA’s rookie combine in Chicago and then hit the road to be poked, prodded and interrogated by just about every team in the league.

See NBA page 19 www.ramblinwreck.com

17

NBA from page 17 The whirlwind tour included stops in Minneapolis, New Orleans, Detroit, Oakland, New Jersey and Sacramento. Sometimes the workouts were for a single team, other times nearly every team was represented.

Lawal had the opportunity to speak to various coaches and general managers around the league and got a feel for where he stacked up against other draft prospects. The verdict was that he’d be picked late in the first round or early in the second round, essentially a far cry from the early to mid-first round range that would make forgoing his collegiate eligibility compelling.

“It was a fun experience, but ultimately I came back because I felt that I needed to keep working,” explained Lawal, sitting outside Tech’s locker room after an October practice. “After going through the process, I’m confident in my abilities, and think I will be a pro someday.

“What we had coming back was motivating too,” he added. “We have a good class coming in with veterans coming back. Throw myself in the mix, and I think we have a chance to do something really special this season.”

Hewitt admits that he wasn’t expecting this outcome, especially given previous history, but he thinks that Lawal’s exploration of his draft

www.ramblinwreck.com

19

status will actually help him this season.

“I was a little surprised,” the coach admitted. “Knowing Gani and how he’s curious a kid and how levelheaded he is, I knew he was going to make a sound decision. Gani was going to make a sensible decision.

It wasn’t going to be based on what anyone else thought. It was going to be his decision and his decision alone.

“That said, there’s no question he’s grown up through all this,” Hewitt continued. “There were some meetings that were very humbling for him. He told me a funny story about George Karl. He said that when he got done talking, he almost wanted to apologize for being there to work out. It was definitely a humbling experience for him, and that will contribute to his growth.”

After withdrawing his name from the draft, Lawal set his sights on the upcoming season. After taking some time to recover, he started to focus on the feedback from the NBA personnel.

“I need to work on some things, like my ball-handling,” he said. “I need more polish and awareness in the post. Obviously, you always want to get bigger and stronger. [And I] definitely need to improve my free throw shooting.”

While he showed steady improvement in most aspects of his game as

20

The Buzz

a sophomore, he continued to struggle from the charity stripe. He connected on just 56 percent of his 177 attempts, and opponents were all too eager to send him to the line in tight games. He believes his struggles were mostly mental, resulting from too much advice.

“Oh my god, everyone has someone that they know,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s really my fault. I listened to too many people last year. I can respect other people’s opinion, but if it’s outside this coaching staff, then I just need to tune it out and keep it simple. I shot better towards the end of the season.

I was 78 percent over the last 10 games. I just got back down the basics and got in a rhythm shooting it.”

On a personal level, Lawal took a big leap as a sophomore. He nearly doubled both his points and rebounding totals over his freshman year, and he led the ACC with 15 double-doubles. He earned thirdteam all-ACC honors following the season, but there was little to celebrate on a team level, as the Jackets won only twice during the ACC regular season.

He has his sights set on leading the nation in rebounding after averaging 10 a game last season, and he feels that elusive team success is within reach if he does that.

“I want to make it to the NCAA Tournament, and then we can think

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For an appointment call 404-778-7777. about the Final Four,” he said. “I don’t want to jinx us, but I think we have a lot of good pieces on this team. We want to compete in that upper echelon in the ACC, and we want to be playing for that title in Greensboro.

“I wasn’t thinking this when I initially put my name in, but when I decided to come back, I knew we had to turn this thing around. We were 12-19, 2-14 last year. We’ve got to change this and make some noise.”

Helping him make some noise is a stellar freshmen class, plus the return of senior guard D’Andre Bell.

Hewitt’s roster is the deepest it’s been in year, and Lawal is part of a front line that could feature up to a

six-man rotation, something unfathomable in recent years.

“The freshmen class is going to help us tremendously,” Lawal stated.

“Obviously, everyone knows about Derrick Favors. He’s a tremendous talent, and he’s going to help us.

(Guard Mfon) Udofia has impressed folks so far, and the other guys have some pretty good skills.

“You look around, and we have young guys, old guys, length, quickness, athleticism. We have the entire recipe. If we’re not successful, it’s our fault. But I’m not letting that happen. Not on my watch.” ■

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FB FOOTBALL

Swilling Answer Hall’s Call

Former All-American Pat Swilling, leader of Tech’s famed “Black Watch” defense in the mid-1980s, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

P

by Adam Van Brimmer

Pat Swilling stopped by the Georgia Tech football offices a few days after the 1985 All-American Bowl “Hey coach,” Swilling said as he peeked into Bill Curry’s office.

“I just wanted to stop by and say thanks.”

“Thanks for what, Pat?” Curry replied. “You deserve the thanks, not me.”

“Thanks for convincing me to come to Georgia Tech,” Swilling said.

Swilling and Curry, player and coach, still chuckle at the memory.

Without Swilling, Georgia Tech may be playing football at the Division I-AA level – or not at all – today.

Without Georgia Tech, Swilling may not be a successful real estate developer today.

“I guess it was fate,” Curry said.

Perhaps no player in Georgia Tech

history left a greater legacy than Swilling. Not Joe Guyon. Not George Morris. Not Eddie Lee Ivery, Keith Brooking, Joe Hamilton or Calvin Johnson. Not even Pat’s cousin, Ken Swilling, who led the program to the improbable 1990 national championship season.

would have tried, and maybe we would have done it collectively, but fortunately we didn’t have to.”

Sales job

Curry returned to The Flats in 1980 to find a football program he hardly recognized from his days

just another great player in a great program, or do you want to be the player that establishes a great program?

“He’d already made up his mind to go somewhere else, I believe,” Curry said. “But his father intervened.”

Pat Swilling will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the National Football Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner on December 8, 2009, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. He will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2010.

Swilling chose to attend Georgia Tech over football powerhouses Clemson and Georgia in the mid-1980s and went on to enjoy a long, successful NFL career.

Pat Swilling resurrected Georgia Tech football, and then enjoyed a remarkably successful NFL career that gave the Yellow Jackets credibility with a new generation of recruits. By attending Georgia Tech and snubbing Georgia – at a time when he would have been joining the famed Junkyard Dawg defense – Swilling ensured that football would remain part of the fabric of the Institute, as it has been since John Heisman brought the forward pass to The Flats at the turn of the 20th century.

“Without Pat Swilling, it would have been much, much harder for Georgia Tech football to survive,” Curry said. “We didn’t have anybody else who could do what Pat did. We

playing for the Yellow Jackets under Bobby Dodd.

The school had left the Southeastern Conference almost two decades earlier, the football program couldn’t have scored in a singles bar, and the Institute’s president, Joseph Pettit, had openly talked about de-emphasizing the sport. The program’s future looked more bush league than big league, even with a legendary coach like Dodd and several prominent alumni lobbying in football’s favor.

The Jackets went 1-9-1 in Curry’s first season, the same season the rival Bulldogs went undefeated and won a national title. Tech won just one game again the next season while Georgia, led by Herschel Walker, contended for another championship.

Another area college football powerhouse, Clemson, won the title that year.

It was under such less-than-ideal circumstances that Curry set out to recruit Swilling. The 16-year-old wunderkind hailed from Toccoa, located in the backyard of both Georgia and Clemson.

Curry’s recruiting pitch to Swilling was simple: Do you want to be

The senior Swilling believed his son would be better off at a school where football players weren’t campus celebrities. And where players were as challenged academically as they were athletically.

“I’m not going to tell you you’re going to get Pat Swilling,” his father told Curry, “but you will get a chance.”

Swilling eventually took a chance on Curry and Georgia Tech. And he never regretted it, even when a 6-5 season his freshman year was followed by a 3-8 disappointment in 1983, the Yellow Jackets first as an ACC member.

“The whole experience – the academics, the poor records – it was all great for me,” Swilling said. “I learned to persevere through tough times.”

The good times rolled Swilling’s last two years. Curry hired Don Lindsey away from Arkansas in 1984 and installed him as defensive coordinator. Lindsey brought a hard-nosed attitude to the defensive unit. And with talented players like Swilling, Ted Roof playing linebacker, Lindsey unleashed a punishing blitz scheme that would later earn the defense the “Black Watch” label. www.ramblinwreck.com

23

Georgia Tech finished 6-4-1 that season and snapped a six-game losing streak to the hated Bulldogs.

The program’s true rebirth, however, came one game and 10 months later. The Yellow Jackets opened the 1985 season with a 28-18 victory that will forever be remembered for Swilling’s then-record seven sacks.

Georgia Tech went on to win nine games that season, the program’s most since Dodd’s final season, 1966. The Yellow Jackets went to the All-American Bowl, its first in seven years, and finished 18th in the coaches’ poll. Swilling finished the season with 15 sacks and was named a first-team All-American.

And he also paid Curry a visit to say thank you.

“That tells you all you need to know about Pat Swilling,” Curry said. “Coaches aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Pat Swilling is one of my favorites.”

A lasting legacy

Georgia Tech football would recapture its glory in the years that followed. Curry left for Alabama following the 1986 season. Bobby Ross succeeded him and won the national title in his fourth season. Swilling’s brother, Darrell, was on that team along with his cousin, Ken. Swilling set an NFL record the following year with 17 sacks as a member of the

New Orleans Saints famous “Dome Patrol” defense.

“It was a good couple of years for me,” Swilling said. “I felt a part of Georgia Tech’s success on Saturdays, and a part of the Saints on Sunday.”

Swilling’s NFL career spanned 12 years, seven of those in New Orleans.

He finished his Georgia Tech degree in the offseason, graduating in 1991.

He returned to the Crescent City following his 1998 retirement and did a two-year stint in the Louisiana state legislature before starting his own real estate development firm.

His football involvement nowadays is limited to his son, Pat Jr.’s, high school career. He’s being heavily recruited by several major college programs as a safety. He’s said to favor LSU, at least by the online recruiting services, but his father is doing for him what his grandfather did for his dad: Encouraging him to consider Georgia Tech.

Pat Jr. attended the Virginia Tech game in October. Georgia Tech honored his father for his pending Hall of Fame induction at halftime.

“He was there with me and he loved it,” Swilling said. “They won the game, the students tore down the goal posts – it was all the things that make the college experience great. It’s what makes Georgia Tech great.”

At least since the day Pat Swilling bought what Bill Curry was selling. ■

Pat Swilling will become the 17th representative in the College Football Hall of Fame

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The Buzz

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Meet Tech’s First Life Member Drew Hearn bleeds Gold and White

I

By Simit Shah It was the fall of 1953, and Drew Hearn had only been on campus a month or two when he was summoned from his Towers dorm room for a phone call supposedly from the legendary Bobby Dodd.

The Charlotte native was quite certain that it was a joke, so he answered with a healthy dose of skepticism.

“Who the heck is this?” Hearn asked.

“Drew, this is Bobby Dodd,” was the answer on the end.

“Sure you are,” replied Hearn, still doubtful.

“Drew, I really am Bobby Dodd,” the caller claimed. “How about coming up to my office and talking to me?”

It turns out that Dodd was recruiting a football player, Dickie Mattison, who had attended Charlotte’s Central High School with Hearn. Dodd thought Hearn could help him land the prized fullback, and he was right.

In the 56 years since, Hearn has answered whenever Georgia Tech has called, as his support of Georgia Tech’s athletic and academic initiatives has been critical on numerous levels.

“Georgia Tech is the best thing that ever happened to me other than my family,” Hearn declared. “I owe Georgia Tech so much for the role it’s played in my life, so I never hesitate to help.”

Growing up in Charlotte, Hearn didn’t even have Georgia Tech on his radar as he started thinking about colleges.

“I was all set to go to Notre Dame, but I got a job at GE during the summer,” he recalled. “I got to talking to the head of the operation, and when I told him I was going to Notre Dame to study electrical engineering, he said, ‘Why are you going to Notre Dame for engineering?’ He said that I had to go to MIT, Georgia Tech or Cal Tech.”

That conversation refocused his sights on Georgia Tech, and he made the short trip south to enroll in 1953.

Like many before and after him, Hearn found the academic rigors lived up to their lofty reputation.

“It was hard,” he said. “It was very difficult. I tell my kids all the time that it was a real challenge, and I wasn’t real sure I’d make it.”

Hearn met that challenge while also serving as the president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He also started a streak of attending football games that has seen him miss only two home games since his freshman year.

Upon graduating in 1957, Hearn entered GE’s engineering training program, having worked summers at the company throughout school. The program required three month rotations, so Hearn came in contact with

28

The Buzz

Drew Hearn frequently hosts coaches and other alums on his 53-foot yacht, The Ramblin’ Wreck. various recent graduates from around the country. That’s when the strength of the Georgia Tech education became evident.

“I had been exposed to a lot more than they had,” he observed. “I’m sure these other guys were smarter than me, but Georgia Tech certainly gave me an edge. People don’t realize that when you ‘get out’ of this school, you’ve got this confidence--if I can do that, I can do anything. That’s the way a lot of us feel about Georgia Tech.”

After a few years at GE, Hearn was ready to branch out on his own, so he started CompU-trol, which manufactured mainframe computer systems to operate in the textile industry. The company, based in Charlotte, was immensely successful, and he sold it in the early 1980’s.

Hearn then relocated to Hilton Head, South Carolina, but retirement didn’t really agree with him.

“It took about a year to get the house built, and it was paradise,” he said. “I woke up one morning, and thought, ‘Now what?’ I couldn’t handle it, so I started doing some consulting work in the construction business. I couldn’t stand the idea of having nothing to do.”

He also continued his deep involvement with Georgia Tech. Homer Rice became athletic director in 1980, and he turned to Hearn to help the school reverse the dire direction of the athletics program.

In 1981, Hearn funded the Andrew Hearn, Sr. Academic Center and has shepherded its growth over the years.

It currently includes over 5,000 square feet of space that supports Georgia Tech student-athletes’ academic pursuits.

“As far we know, it was the first one in the country,” explained Hearn. “A lot of other schools came to see it, and they built their own versions. I know we’ve helped a lot of Tech students, but I like to think we helped a lot of students at other schools.

“I take great pride in the fact that our athletes don’t have Mickey Mouse majors,” he continued. “I don’t want that. People can complain about taking calculus or physics. So what? You can learn it. I gave them the Hearn Center to back that up. Georgia Tech has always been associated with strong academics, and I don’t want that to ever change.”

Hearn also became the AlexanderTharpe Fund’s first Life Member and has been helpful in fundraising efforts over the years. Additionally, he has arranged for an annual week-long retreat for 32 years in Hilton Head for the football staff and their families.

The trip includes a dinner cruise on his 53-foot yacht, “The Ramblin’ Wreck,” which attracts plenty of attention whether it’s docked or motoring up and down the east coast.

Georgia Tech has also become a family affair for Hearn. Three of his five

children – Cynthia, Cheryl and Andy – followed in their father’s footsteps and also attended Georgia Tech. Andy was an offensive lineman under Bill Curry in the mid-80’s and later served as a graduate assistant.

“Watching him run out on field behind the Ramblin’ Wreck brought tears to my eyes,” Hearn admitted. “I was so proud. To say that I was a mediocre athlete was a stretch, so to have a son that turned out like he did at 6-4 and 278 pounds is amazing. I was only 5-10 and 160-something pounds, so it was something else to see Andy out there playing for Georgia Tech.”

Two of his grandchildren are currently at Georgia Tech. Stephanie Robbins (daughter of Cindy and former Tech baseball player Rick Robbins) was a four-year letterwinner on the volleyball team, and she is currently the president of the Ramblin’ Reck Club.

Her brother Brian is a sophomore swimmer for the Jackets.

Watching them don the white and gold has only deepened his commitment to Georgia Tech, and he’s always willing to answer the call.

“Anything I can do to help, I’ll do it,” said Hearn. “Always have. This school has been a great part of my life.” ■

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NCAA Compliance Corner

By Paul Parker

Georgia Tech Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Services

As you are cheering on the Yellow Jackets on the courts, fields and pool, you may also be following the recruitment process of a loved one and/or the Yellow Jackets’ teams.

To help you understand the recruiting terminology that the coaches, prospective student-athletes and their parents must follow, I will provide you below the definition of the most common recruiting rules.

Recruiting Definitions Contact - A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with the prospective student-athlete (PSA) and/ or his/her parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with the PSA or his/her parents at the high school or any location where the PSA is competing or practicing.

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Contact Period - During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with a PSA and/or his/her parents on or off the college’s campus. The coach may also watch the PSA play or visit his/her high school. The PSA and his/her parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone the PSA during this period.

Dead Period – During this time, a college coach may not have any in-person contact with any PSA or their parents at any time during the dead period. The coach may write and telephone the PSA or his/her parents during this time.

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Evaluation - An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate a PSA’s academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting the PSA’s high school or watching the PSA practice or compete.

Evaluation Period – During this time, a college coach may watch the PSA play or visit his/her high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with the PSA or his/her parents off the college’s campus.

A PSA and his/her parents may visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone the PSA or his/her parents during this time.

Official Visit - Any visit to a college campus by the PSA and his/her parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following expenses: • The PSA’s transportation to and from the college; • Room and meals (three per day) while PSA is visiting the college; and

Before a college may invite a PSA on an official visit, the PSA will have to provide the college with a copy of his/her high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Prospective Student-Athlete - A PSA becomes a “prospective student-athlete” when: • He/she starts ninth-grade classes; or • B efore the PSA’s ninth-grade year, a college gives the PSA, his/her relatives or the PSA’s friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.

Quiet Period – During this time, a college coach may not have any in-person contact with the PSA or his/her parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch the PSA play or visit the PSA’s high school during this period. A PSA and his/ her parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone the PSA or his/her parents during this time.

Unofficial Visit - Any visit by a PSA and his/her parents to a college campus paid for by the PSA or his/her parents. The only expense the PSA may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. The PSA may make as many unofficial visits as he/ she likes and may take those visits at any time. The only time you may not take an unofficial visit is during a dead period.

Verbal Commitment - This phrase is used to describe a college-bound studentathlete’s commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound studentathlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both collegebound student-athletes and coaches, this “commitment” is NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.

National Letter of Intent (NLI) The NLI is a voluntary program administered by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

By signing an NLI, the PSA agrees to attend the institution for one academic year.

In exchange, that institution must provide athletics financial aid for one academic year.

• Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.

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