Football looks to unsung heroes
When you think of how Tech's football team has been so successful this season, you usually think about ACC Player of the Year Calvin Johnson, the Jackets' No. 20 nationally-ranked defense, or even the ACC's leading rusher, running back Tashard Choice.
However, the faces that you do not see or recognize have been major contributors to the Jackets' winning ways in 2006.
"We may not be in the headlines, but when you see a victory [in the paper] then you know you are doing a good job," said fullback Mike Cox.
Cox's role in the offense is to lead the way for Choice, who has five consecutive 100-yard rushing games and has reached that mark in seven of the last eight games, and protect quarterback Reggie Ball on passing plays. Sometimes he lines up at tight end and acts as another lineman. While neither of these roles is glamorous, he takes pride in what he does
"It feels good. Every time [Choice] has 100 yards, I try to take a little pride in that," Cox said.
Punter Durant Brooks has been integral to Tech's success this season as his punts have often changed the dynamics of a game. When a drive stalls at midfield, he can pin teams inside of their own 20 yard line to limit the opposing offenses' chances of scoring on those possessions.
Another statistic that has been key for Tech this year is that not one single punt has been blocked this season.
"It's sometimes two [steps], never more than two and a half steps before I punt the ball," Brooks said when asked how he has been able to keep opposing teams from blocking any punts this season. "That keeps the guys from getting to the ball from the edge. You still have two or three guys coming up the middle. Mike Mathews, Wayne Riles and George Cooper are my three personal protectors and they take a blow every time we punt the ball."
For the season, Brooks has averaged 45.2 yards per punt on 70 punts, and has pinned teams inside of their own 20 yard line 33 times. Twenty three of those punts have gone over 50 yards.
With all of those attempts, you would typically find a bad or mishandled snap or a missed blocking assignment leading to a block. However, that simply has not been the case this season.
"Nobody knows you until you do something bad. Talking about other unsung heroes, like my snapper, you won't know his name until he snaps a bad ball or does something like that. When he's doing his job, you won't know who he is," Brooks said.
Before the season started, head coach Chan Gailey noticed his new transfer punter and gave him the nickname "Garth" during spring practice.
"Gailey associated me with being from the country and also my last name is Brooks. Just one day, he shouted to me 'Garth' and that has been my name ever since."
Coach may have to call him a new name after the end of this season: Ray Guy Award winner, handed out at the end of the year for the nation's top punter, and Brooks is currently a finalist for the award.
Tomorrow, each of them will take the field with little to no attention from fans and other media alike. However, both Cox and Brooks will take pride in how well they have played if they see the headline in Sunday's paper reading: Georgia Tech -- 2006 ACC Champions.
