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Everything From Georgia Tech DB Clayton Powell-Lee After Yellow Jackets 3rd Spring Practice
Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee (5) celebrates after a fumble recovery against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech’s veteran leader safety Clayton Powell-Lee had a post-spring practice press conference and stopped by to chat about the team and what he has been seeing through the first few days. He talked about the new defensive coordinator Blake Gideon and leading some of the young talented guys on the roster.

1. On having a new defensive coordinator… 

“What's that been like for two years in a row? I mean, when your old D.C.s have opportunities to, you know, elevate themselves, you know, you got to be happy for them. Like Santucci leaving for the NFL, that's where I want to go, so I can't totally be mad at him. I just know I want to call him and be like, hey, let me get that call next year, you know? But, I mean, I'm super proud. I am super happy for him. He's taught me a lot. But to me it’s like you can't stay still, you just gotta keep on going with it. Even though we got BG, nothing's gonna stop. We gotta keep on going, spring ball, we are learning every single day. We are practicing every single day trying to get at it.” 

2. On Coach Blake Gideon coming from Texas and the defense having a lot of takeaways. 

“Yeah, him coming from Texas and having a secondary background really is what made me interested in him. Him being an OG safety back, when he was playing at Texas, it was like, okay, so he's going to put everybody in position to make plays and to do their jobs. He can also give me a couple of gems about what I can do better as a safety because I play safety and I have to command the back end and command the linebacker sometimes. So it's really nice to have a coach that has played the position and has coached it for a very long time and has had great players.” 

3. On what coach Blake Gideon is like and chatting with him off the field….  

“He's a real attention to detail, I would say. Like talking to him outside of just football and just trying to understand his scheme of mind and calling games because this is first time being a defensive coordinator. So I'll just pick out his brain sometimes. Like, hey, when this happens, what would you call here? What would you call there? And like I said, just talking to him outside of this, like with the gems that he gives me and the things I can learn from him, it's been a really good connection. I hope I can just keep on building with it because hey, he's here.”

4. On his approach this year and coaching up some of the young guys…. 

“It's funny that you say that, because I was talking to Tae Harris, one of the freshmen that came in. Have fun with this, time goes by super fast. I can just remember four years ago, three years ago now that I was in 29 running with the fours. I'm trying to help out the younger guys because, you know, coming in you do not necessarily start at the bottom but it's like you're trying to make a name for yourself. You get so caught up in trying to make a name for yourself that you don't try to have fun with it. Because this is a time where you get to make friends, teammates, you get to live, like you're on your own. Like have fun with this time of your life because it will go by fast.  Next year I'll be gone. So I am just trying to give as many gems as I can because you don't get this time back. "

5. On the transfer portal additions and the defense gelling together… 

“It's a lot of competition. We have me, Omar, Rodney Shelly, Syeed Gibbs, Ahmari Harvey, and Zach Tobe.  We have a lot of guys coming back, which is awesome. You love it when a secondary has played a lot of snaps together coming back and then bringing on Christian Pritchett, Jayden Barr, Tay Harris bringing on those guys. It's like you got a motor around them. Try to just really take them on as your little brother. Make sure that they're doing the right things off the field, on the field, making sure that they're in the right position to make the plays. Because, say you're not on the field, you're trusting in him to do what he's got to do on and off the field and trusting him to make those plays that he was recruited to come here to do. So it's like just making sure that even though we're the older guys, just taking care of them because we're a family around here, no guy gets left behind.” 

6. On what it has been like not seeing LaMiles Brooks (former Georgia Tech player)

"No, it's funny because he was there today. He's going to do great things. I can't be anything but proud of him really. He has done so much for me in my career and knowing that he's elevated himself just makes me more proud of him. I know that he did the right thing, like on and off the field. And knowing that I can be that same way to any younger guys coming under me, it's like it's a dream come true. Honestly, like there's nothing sour about it, just nothing but sweetness with it."

Additional Links

Everything From Georgia Tech DC Blake Gideon After Yellow Jackets 3rd Spring Practice

Georgia Tech Baseball Gets Another Big Outing From Mason Patel And Opens ACC Play With 4-3 Win Over Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner Details What the Next Step Is For the Yellow Jackets Offense in 2025


This article first appeared on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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