Video: WWE's Sheamus Hypes Up Georgia Tech with NSFW Speech Before Syracuse Game
Sep 7, 2024
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: WWE Superstar Sheamus looks on prior to a game between the Syracuse Orange and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at JMA Wireless Dome on September 07, 2024 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
WWE Superstar Sheamus was on hand once again Saturday to hype up the 23rd-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team ahead of their road game against the Syracuse Orange.
Video of Sheamus' pregame speech was posted on X by WWE, and it showed The Celtic Warrior getting Georgia Tech pumped to go for a 3-0 start:
During Week 0 of the college football season, Georgia Tech faced Florida State in Sheamus' hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Sheamus was a guest picker on ESPN College GameDay, and he was the only one to pick a Yellow Jackets upset.
Georgia Tech went on to provide the first shocking result of the 2024 season, beating FSU 24-21.
The Yellow Jackets proved last week they weren't a flash in the pan, as they dominated Georgia State 35-12 at home, improving their record to 2-0 and making a move into the Associated Press Top 25.
Sheamus was present for last week's game as well, and he ran out with the team, further cementing his status as Georgia Tech's good luck charm:
Good fortune has been hard to come by for Georgia Tech in recent years, as the program has had just two winning seasons since 2017, both of which were 7-6 marks.
After going 5-7 in 2022, the Yellow Jackets went 7-6 last season in their first full season under head coach Brent Key. Despite that, there wasn't much belief among pundits entering the 2024 campaign that Georgia Tech would be a force to be reckoned with.
Sheamus was among the few who did believe in them, though, and he has become a symbol of the Yellow Jackets proving their doubters wrong.
Georgia Tech's undefeated run came to an end on Saturday, however, with a narrow 31-28 loss to Syracuse.
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Georgia Tech Trolls FSU with LeBron James, CFB 25, WWE Memes After Upset Win
Aug 24, 2024
Dublin , Ireland - 24 August 2024; Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key celebrates after the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic match between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Georgia Tech had some jokes after becoming the first victorious team of the college football season on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets, who upset No. 10 Florida State 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland, posted a famous LeBron James meme, an EA Sports College Football 25 troll and a shoutout to Sheamus, the WWE wrestler who picked Georgia Tech to win on College GameDay.
Georgia Tech's upset over Florida State on Saturday served as the perfect start to the college football season. The Yellow Jackets and Seminoles traded blows throughout the game before Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr drilled a 44-yard field goal to take the lead as time expired.
The win marked the Yellow Jackets' first top-10 win since 2015, which was also against Florida State in dramatic fashion.
The Seminoles came into the season on the heels of an undefeated regular season marred by a College Football Playoff snub. With a revamped roster highlighted by coveted quarterback transfer DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State was hoping to start its quest for a CFP bid on a high note, but it will instead need to play its best football the remainder of the year to keep its championship hopes alive.
Georgia Tech is now looking to make a run at the ACC Championship and perhaps even the College Football Playoff. The Yellow Jackets were seen as a promising team coming into the year, but declaring them a championship contender was a bit of a stretch.
After Saturday's win, that idea might not be too far-fetched.
Georgia Tech will return to the United States next week to face its in-city rival, Georgia State, and look to stay undefeated.
Georgia Tech LB Kyle Efford's Uniform Hyped by CFB Fans After Viral Photos, Video
Aug 24, 2024
Dublin , Ireland - 24 August 2024; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Kyle Efford celebrates after the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic match between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Georgia Tech linebacker Kyle Efford came to Dublin in style.
The redshirt sophomore rocked a neck roll for the Yellow Jackets season-opener against Florida State at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Efford's Yellow Jackets pulled off a 24-21 upset over the No. 10-ranked Seminoles .Fans took to social media to praise Efford's old-school look in the winning effort.
Efford registered 10 tackles in the upset victory, a mark that was tops among all Yellow Jacket defenders. He also led the team in tackles in 2023 despite only starting the second half of the season.
The victory disrupts the Seminoles' season but also has Georgia Tech looking like a team that could make some noise in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets went 7-6 in 2023 and won the Gasparilla Bowl. That was the program's first time reaching bowl eligibility since 2018.
No. 10 FSU, DJ Uiagalelei Trolled by CFB Fans for Upset Loss to GT in 2024 Opener
Aug 24, 2024
Dublin, Ireland - August 24: DJ Uiagalelei of Florida State Seminoles throws the ball during the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic match between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The 2024 College Football season has already seen its first major upset.
No. 10 Florida State fell to unranked Georgia Tech 24-21 after a last-second field goal from the Yellow Jackets cemented a win in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland on Saturday.
Florida State finished undefeated in the regular season in 2023 and brought in veteran quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei from the transfer portal. So far, that experiment is not paying off.
Florida State entered the game with a chip on its shoulder after the controversial end to the 2023 season. However, the Seminoles did themselves no favors by losing this game.
Yellow Jackets quarterback was named the Player of the Game for his efforts. He went 11-of-15 for 146 yards in the air and also added 15 carries for 54 yards on the ground.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King vs. No. 10 Florida State:
The Yellow Jackets earned 190 rushing yards and look like a team on the rise. Florida State's loss is a set back, but it's not as drastic as it would have been a year ago.
The 2024 season will feature 12 teams making the playoff, with five automatic qualifiers for conference champions. While Florida State starts the season with a conference loss, there is a path that still exists for the team.
The Seminoles now just have less room for error.
Video: Nick Saban Tabs Georgia Tech as ACC 'Sleeper' Ahead of CFB Opener vs. FSU
Aug 24, 2024
PASADENA, CA - DECEMBER 30: Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide during media day at the Rose Bowl on December 30, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Nick Saban is still getting accustomed to his new gig as a college football analyst for ESPN, but he dropped what might count as a bold take on Saturday's episode of College Gameday.
The former Alabama head coach tabbed Georgia Tech as a "sleeper" in ACC this season.
It's not exactly like a Stephen A. Smith-style proclamation to say a team could be feisty, but Saban is still getting his media legs underneath him.
Saban did lay out a rational argument for why the Yellow Jackets could be a surprise team. He cited their offense being a top-three unit in the conference last season before explaining that new defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci and incoming transfers could lead to improved results on that side of the ball.
Georgia Tech finished 7-6 last season with a defense that ranked 97th out of 133 FBS teams in points allowed per game (29.5). Santucci joined head coach Brent Key's staff after spending last season at Duke as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
The Blue Devils ranked 17th in points allowed per game last season (19.0). They held opponents to fewer than 20 points in seven of 13 games, including Clemson in a 28-7 season-opening victory.
Competition in the ACC figures to be even more difficult this year with California, SMU and Stanford joining the conference. Georgia Tech finished fourth in the ACC last year with a 5-3 record in conference play.
Georgia Tech's 7-6 record in 2023 marked the program's first winning season since 2018 (7-6). The program hasn't won at least 10 games in a season since going 11-2 in 2014 and lost to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game.
The Yellow Jackets have an opportunity to make Saban look smart on Saturday. They are taking on Florida Stateβranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 pollβat Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
NFL Legend Calvin Johnson Says WWE's Roman Reigns Was 'Badass' on GT Football Team
Dec 25, 2023
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 02: College Football: Georgia Tech Calvin Johnson (21) in action, rushing vs Notre Dame, Atlanta, GA 9/2/2006 (Photo by Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X76544 TK1 R7)
NFL legend Calvin Johnson is looking back fondly on his time as a teammate of WWE Superstar Roman Reigns.
Johnson played with Reigns, whose real name is Leati Joseph AnoaΚ»i, while they were on the Georgia Tech football team. Reigns played on the defensive line and Johnson praised his toughness and leadership abilities.
"He was just always like a badass," Johnson said, per TMZ Sports. "He didn't say much, but when he did say something, you listened."
Reigns played 25 games during his collegiate career for the Yellow Jackets, recording 65 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, and also had an offseason stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was out of professional football by 2008.
He signed a contract with WWE in 2010 and has gone on to become the company's biggest star as a six-time world champion.
Reigns has also been complimentary of Johnson in the past, telling TMZ Sports in 2021 that Johnson's talent was always evident, even as a true freshman.
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Keion White NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Georgia Tech Edge
Feb 16, 2023
Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White (6) follows a play during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 285
HAND: 10 1/8"
ARM: 34"
WINGSPAN: 79 3/4"
40-YARD DASH: 4.79
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: 34"
BROAD: 9'9"
POSITIVES
β Impressive combination of size, strength and athleticism.
β Gets off the ball well, is quick to react to the snap and accelerates off the line of scrimmage well.
β Good bull-rusher who can collapse the pocket against offensive tackles when his hands are right and he keeps his feet moving through contact. He also works to get on an edge when bull-rushing.
β Also has a nice one-arm stab move that can push offensive linemen off balance.
β Can win with a push-pull move, is strong enough to pull linemen's shoulders down and has the hip fluidity to clear his lower half.
β Solid bend as a pass-rusher, especially for his size.
β Good pass-rush motor to get coverage sacks.
β Against the run, he has some pop to his hands to help gain control of the block when he does get his hands up quickly.
β He can set the edge versus tackles and does a good job of keeping his hips square to the line of scrimmage.
β When slanting or penetrating, he has good pad level and a strong rip move to get penetration.
β Showed the ability to get off blocks in a variety of ways, whether that's being a violent shedder or working the blocker's hands to escape.
NEGATIVES
β Has a habit of playing with his hands down by his waist and can be slow to get them up. This limits his ability to win with finesse moves as a pass-rusher.
β Balance can be an issue, as he'll get caught with his nose over his toes against the run or when bull-rushing.
β Is late to recognize and get under pullers as the spill player in run fits.
β Takes on blocks with high pad level when he isn't slanting.
β Doesn't have a sturdy base to hold ground against blocks coming from the side, such as down blocks or double-teams.
β Has a habit of working inside blocks and leaving his gap open.
2022 STATISTICS
β 12 GM, 54 TOT, 14 TFL, 7.5 SK, 1 PBU
NOTES
β Old Dominion transfer
β A 2-star recruit in the 2017 class, No. 3,141 overall, No. 141 TE, per 247Sports composite rankings
β No. 20 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes; clocked running 21 MPH, 32-inch vertical jump and 38 bench press reps at 225 pounds
β Injuries: 2021 (ankle, missed 8 games)
β 25 career starts
β 2022 Honors: Third-Team All-ACC
β 2019 Honors: Second-Team All-Conference USA, 10th in FBS with 19 TFL
OVERALL
Keion White is a late riser in this year's class for a handful of reasons. Coming out of high school, he was recruited as a tight end and played at a Group of Five school, Old Dominion. He switched to the defensive line heading into his redshirt sophomore season and dominated but sat out the following year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
White eventually made his way to Georgia Tech, but an ankle injury constrained him to four games and a limited snap count during his first season with the Yellow Jackets. So, he had little to no buzz heading into the most recent campaign. However, that quickly changed.
The Garner, North Carolina, native showed off an impressive combination of strength and athleticism this past season that has NFL scouts and general managers drooling. He can win at the point of attack and moves so well that Georgia Tech trusted him to carry running backs on downfield routes in coverage at 285 pounds. Granted, he's not athletic enough to do that at the next level.
The biggest issue with White is he's definitely a "raw" prospect who has plenty of positive traits, but his technique is still a work in progress. That being said, with his profile, he can play up and down the defensive line, lining up as far inside as a 3-technique and as wide as a 5- or 7-technique, allowing him to fit into either even or odd fronts.
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