March 18, 2015
THE FLATS – The 2014 Orange Bowl champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets return to the practice fields March 23 for the start of spring football practice.
The Yellow Jackets will have 15 practice sessions over a four-week span, culminating in the annual Spring Game which will be played at 7 p.m. on April 17 and broadcast on ESPN3. All practices are closed to the public except for the Spring Game.
Georgia Tech returns six starters on offense, eight on defense and both specialists from its 2014 team that finished 11-3 and won the ACC Coastal Division. Tech’s offense is led by redshirt junior QB Justin Thomas, who rushed for 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago. He is protected by four returning starting offensive linemen – Trey Braun, Bryan Chamberlain, Errin Joe, and Freddie Burden. In 2014, Georgia Tech rushed for a school-record and NCAA-leading 342.1 yards per game. The Jackets also return WR Michael Summers, who caught seven passes for 45 yards in 2014.
On the defensive side, Freshman All-American DE KeShun Freeman and All-ACC DT Adam Gotsis return to anchor Ted Roof’s defense. Freeman and Gotsis combined for 90 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2014. Tech’s leading tackler P.J. Davis (119 tackles) and Tyler Marcordes return at linebacker, while all four starting defensive backs return for the Jackets – D.J. White, Demond Smith, Jamal Golden, and Chris Milton. White, Golden, and Milton all returned interceptions for touchdown in 2014.
Both of Tech’s specialists return for 2015. Placekicker Harrison Butker, who ranks fifth in Georgia Tech history with 181 points scored by a kicker, connected on 61.1 percent of his field goal tries in 2014 (11-of-18) and made 65 of 66 PAT attempts. Punter Ryan Rodwell averaged 40.2 yards on 32 punts, including 13 inside the 20-yard line.
Paul Johnson’s squad welcomes five new faces to the roster for spring practice. Early enrollees Will Bryan (OL), Kyle Cerge-Henderson (DL), Harland Howell (WR), and Quaide Weimerskirch (B-Back) plus Georgia transfer J.J. Green (A-Back) will all participate in spring drills. Green can practice with the Jackets, but he must sit out the 2015 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.
For the media, post-practice interviews will be available on Mondays (Coach Johnson, offensive coaches, and offensive players), Wednesdays (Coach Johnson, defensive coaches, and defensive players), and following Saturday practice sessions.
2015 Georgia Tech football season tickets are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets in person at the Georgia Tech Ticket Office (M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), by phone at 888-TECH-TIX, or online at togetherweswarm.com. Season tickets for Tech’s seven-game home schedule start at just $245 – a value of $35 per game. Great lower-level seats are available from $350. There is no per-game ticket or Tech Fund price increase in 2015. The only difference is the addition of a seventh home game (Georgia).
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