Everything From Head Coach Brent Key In His Final Media Availability Ahead Of Matchup vs Georgia

Head coach Brent Key talked to the media one final time before they play Georgia on Friday. Here is everything he had to say.

Opening Statement…

“It's Georgia week this week and, you know, it's an exciting week here in the state of Georgia. Uh, super exciting for, all the fans, uh, of both schools, exciting for the players, the coaches, the staffs. I mean, everybody, it's a heightened, you know, sense of emotions that run through. Our job is to take emotions and channel them into the energy that we need to play a complete game. Before we get on that, it is award season right now, and you know somebody in here with us was named a finalist for the Georgia Sports Writer of the Year awards. A lot of people in the city of Atlanta have, but there's only one that happens to be with us right now. l like to congratulate all the nominees and all the finalists, but the one that's with us, Chad. Congratulations. Don't let it go to your head. All right. Yeah. Keep your ego in check. All right. Don't read the press clippings. First off, happy Thanksgiving to everybody. Actually, yesterday I thought it was Thanksgiving today for about six hours until I was told otherwise. But it's Thursday of game week. So happy early Thanksgiving to everyone. We will have a normal day tomorrow. It'll be a normal Friday day for us. We'll push it back a little bit, you know, give extra time on the short week for guys to get some rest. Coaches, staff, and players. We'll kick it around and get rolling, you know, just a little bit later than normal.”

“Our full attention, full focus is on, Friday on the game on Friday. Got a really good football team that we're going against. We have an opportunity to go out and play a complete game versus a good opponent and really show what our complete team is about, right? You know, a lot of respect for them, for Kirby, what he's done there. Um, you know, his philosophy on the game, you know, coaching staff, a lot of guys that, you know, whether worked with or, you know, competed against over the years with everyone on our staff. Same with the players. It should be a high-energy game. Uh, it should be a really fun environment. We're looking forward to going out and competing on Friday.”

On whether anything is clicking based on the adjustments that have been made….

“Yeah, we'll see that on Friday. I mean, you know, there's confidence. The game is when that shows up. That's when it shows. And you know, it's one thing to do it during the week. Takes another thing to go out and execute it on Saturdays. That's what we have to do. We got to put everything together and be able to execute on Saturdays."

On Aidan Birr being up for an award…

“Night and day. It really is. People talk about the sophomore slump. That's a real thing, especially when you have that much success as a freshman. As a freshman, was 20-21 and almost you know dang near automatic. Then you know, he had some really good kicks for us last year and then had some that I know he'd like to have back, and you know, really focused on himself this offseason. You talk about awards, and you know it's something that he's really earned. He's earned it with his work, you know, the work he's put in. We voted for permanent team captains, and I'll announce those to the team tomorrow. I mean, he was a really, really high vote getter in that, and that's just a credit to him and what he's done this entire offseason to lead him to be able to have the success he's had this season. He's missed a couple, and you know, it does not affect him you know later on in the game the next week. He's able to just stay the course, forget about the last one and play everything forward, and I've been really proud of him. Come a long way, and he's a heck of a kicker. He really is."

On team health vs Georgia…

“Pretty good. We got banged up some last week, and you know, just kind of look, everybody's hurting this time of year. Everybody's hurting. Everybody's got nicks. Everybody's got bumps. Everybody's got sprains and bruises and whatnot, right? But that's what makes this game great, right? This game on Friday, it's going to be about who's going to suck it up, who's going to play through the injury, who's going to play through pain, right? Who's going to put all those things aside and go out and lay it on the line, right? I'm not interested in hearing how bad people are hurting or banged up or whatnot. We're not going to put anybody out there that's going to endanger their health or well-being. All right? That's what the trainers are for. That's what the doctors are for. But everybody in the country is banged up right now and hurting. That's zero excuse for anything. I fully expect our guys to put all that aside and go out and play a physical contact football game.”

On EJ Lightsey…

“I've been really happy with EJ. He's been very consistent. You’re starting to see some glimpses of him improving. I've seen some flashes of that. The big thing with EJ is that he's got to go out there and, you know, he's a smart kid, and he thinks he thinks through things and just go out and play. Just go cut it loose. Go play. When he does that, he's a really good linebacker. He's big, he's strong, he's got range. You talk about people that have overcome adversity. He's somebody that's come through a lot of adversity. I've used him as a focal point a lot this week. When you hear his story and and and what he's gone through and and to be where he's at right now, you know, guys that have little nicks and bumps and bruises, it really makes them uh, you know, makes the ones that that don't want to play through pain and play through adversity really shows out when you got a guy like EJ and what he's been through and what he's done to be where he's at.”

On giving the ball to EJ in a game potentially…

“Maybe we will. Big old strong dude.”

On the response of Haynes King this week….

“It's like playing golf. I mean, you might shoot a 65. I asked him this week. I said, "What's the best you've ever shot?" And he said, "In the low 80s." And I said, "It's a lot better than I would ever imagine shooting." But, uh, you know, best he's ever shot.
You go play the same course, you might not shoot that again. All right. You know, the precision, the skill, those things, they come and go. I mean, if that was the case, every hitter in baseball, every pitcher in baseball, every golfer, you know, there'd be, you know, quarterbacks with perfect ratings, right? But that precision, that skill, I mean, that it doesn't travel the same every week. You know, I compared it to a golfer to him. Um, but then again, I mean, when you're on a heater, I mean, look at what back in with Tiger Woods or I don't watch enough now to even know who the guys are, but you know, we play really well, next week, not as well. Then come back next week they and they play well. There are going to be those swings when it comes to the skill set.
He's been able to put all that behind him, and I have full confidence he'll be able to go out and continue to play the way he's been playing.”

On if there is a way to manufacture a home-field advantage at a neutral field….

“I could care less. Doesn't matter to me. I mean, the field is the same size anywhere you go play.”

On Jamal Haynes breakout coming…

“He's been saving it. Yeah, we've been keeping it bottled in. Look, we've got good running backs. We've been able to be productive in that, for the most part, this season. Um, you know, he's had some ups and down games where he tried to overthink things and press too much and tried to make plays and make things happen instead of letting them come to him and being himself, and I think he's been as good a place as he's been, you know, leading up into this game.”

On if he will keep an eye on ACC games on Saturday…

“I mean, yeah, I care. I care about who's in the stands, too. I mean, but does it matter to me? Am I talking to the team about it? No. Like I I said to start this thing out, our full focus is on the game on Friday and controlling what we can control, right? And putting time and energy into things we can affect the outcome.”

On the offensive line and the progress of the group..

“I think we've played solid football. We've got guys that we've rolled in there working to get experience. You know, there are a couple more guys that are could be in that same boat too and continue to develop, that have really bright futures. I'm as pleased with the younger guys on the offensive line that have come in and are developing and going to be really good players for us next year, just as pleased with them. So really, as a whole, but they know they've got a challenge in front of them. I think there's not one of them in that room that would tell you that they played the way they want to and they're capable of last weekend. This is a program where everything goes through them, right? And you know, it is driven by the success they have up front and their ability to line up and play the way they're supposed to play.”

On rivalries…

“A rivalry is important to the people involved, right? If you look anywhere outside of the state of Georgia, they're probably going to say theirs is. You look anywhere outside of the state of Alabama, you look anywhere outside of, you know, that in the Midwest area up there. Rivalries are great because of what's involved in it, because of the people that are involved, because of the, you know, the next-door neighbors, the people that grew up together, the people who grew up playing against each other. I mean, you have two head coaches that are both played in this game, that both played against each other. You can't make anything more than that. It means a lot to a lot of people. Means a lot to a lot of people who aren't here and aren't going to be at the game that aren't around anymore. There are 133 years of football and played at these places. I mean, so a lot of history is involved when you talk about two schools that have been as close as they are; that's what makes it a rivalry. But I've said numerous times, I mean, there's competitive rivalries, and there's rivalries. I mean, that’s up to both teams to make them competitive rivalries. Um, look, I grew up in the state of Alabama. Um, but everything I have is here in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia, here at Georgia Tech. All right. This is the most important thing to me. There's a reason why they call it clean old-fashioned hate. There's a reason for that, right? To be able to go out and play the way we have to play, the way I know we'll go out and play. Then, after the game, be able to show the respect that each program has for each other or each group of players has for each other.
To me, that's what makes it special.”

On the game last year and staring at the stadium when he was leaving the game….

“Every day.”

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