Sports: Knee, arm, head: QB Godsey has it together

Knee, arm, head: QB Godsey has it together

George Godsey had doubters last season and has them again, along with a fixed-up knee. But Georgia Tech's offense still starts with him.

By BRIAN LANDMAN

George Godsey had doubters last season and has them again, along with a fixed-up knee. But Georgia Tech's offense still starts with him.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. -- Georgia Tech senior quarterback George Godsey is no stranger to skepticism. Last summer, he heard endless questions about his untested right arm.

Now the gossip centers on his surgically repaired left knee.

With him, it's always something.

Something not to fret over.

"Everybody plays the devil's advocate," the Jesuit High graduate said with a grin during Sunday's ACC football kickoff media session. "You've got to find an Achilles' heel somewhere. No one's perfect. All you can do is do your best and minimize your mistakes."

In that regard, there's no doubt about Godsey.

Last season, his first as a starter, taking over for Heisman Trophy runner-up and current Buc Joe Hamilton, Godsey completed 222 of 349 passes for 2,906 yards and 23 touchdowns. Statistically, no one except Hamilton in 1999 had been as proficient in Tech's 108-year history.

Godsey threw six interceptions to finish sixth nationally in passing efficiency, second in the ACC behind Florida State's Heisman winner, Chris Weinke.

"I see George as a coach on the field," Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary said. "He's a very smart guy who makes great decisions and utilizes the talents that he has to the fullest. If you talk about getting the most out of your potential, he does that."

He also showed a knack for the dramatic. Godsey completed 67 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns in the fourth quarter, sparking comeback wins against Clemson, North Carolina and Central Florida.

He even nearly orchestrated a stunning win against Florida State, completing 13 straight passes in the fourth quarter before a controversial call ended his streak and the Yellow Jackets' hopes.

But Godsey's return is one reason why some believe the Yellow Jackets, 9-3 last season, can reverse their fortune against FSU and dethrone the perennial king of the ACC. The Seminoles have won at least a piece of the ACC title all nine years since they joined the league.

"On paper, Tech looks like the best team in the conference," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said.

There's even talk that Godsey could be a Heisman contender.

He can be just as successful without offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen, who is now coach at Maryland. The Yellow Jackets lost to LSU, 28-14, in the Peach Bowl sans Friedgen. But four lost fumbles and two interceptions had a lot to do with that.

He also needs the anterior cruciate ligament he tore in the waning moments of that game to hold up. This month, a FSU fan chat room had a rumor that Godsey had reinjured the knee. He even got calls, which he good-naturedly shrugged off.

"I've seen things on TV that a certain person had won the presidency and ... ," Godsey quipped.

For the record, he said the knee is fine. He started running in mid-June, about a month earlier than expected.

But then four hours of rehabilitation, six days a week, can accelerate one's recovery.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Godsey said he was fortunate he didn't tear any meniscus, so he could continue to throw and lift weights to add upper body strength.

"He really handled the rehab well," said roommate and starting center David Schmidgall, a former standout at Countryside High.

"I'm anxious to see how I take the first hit on my knee," Godsey said. "I've got a different knee. Is that going to affect my mind? Probably not."

Again, most folks agree it won't.

Godsey, 22, who earned his degree in industrial and systems engineering last May and is working toward a master's, is that mature, that confident.

"With all the comments (before last season), someone could easily have been discouraged, but he wasn't," Schmidgall said.

"He's just a level-headed kid," O'Leary added.

He demonstrated that trait most against FSU last season. After a slow start, he was pulled in favor of Jermaine Crenshaw during the third quarter, but didn't sulk.

"He never got down. He was always trying to help Jermaine and was the consummate team player that you don't see a lot of today, especially with quarterbacks," Friedgen said. "That's the thing that separates George. This year, he's going to benefit from the experience and the success he had last year and, I'm sure, he's only going to get better."