2011 Team Is Hungry For Success

Senior Tyler Melton returns for his final season at Georgia Tech as the returning starter at wide receiver. Melton and his teammates have spent the summer preparing for the upcoming season with the goal of making amends for the disappointing 2010 season.

The team has a different attitude and approach then they did last season. “Last year we pretty much rode the coat tails of what we did in 2009.” The 6-7 record was a slap in the face to Tyler Melton and his teammates. “ Nobody likes to lose.”

The team has come in with a chip on their shoulders and they’ve experienced a mind change. “This is a new team and we can’t live off someone else.” Melton expects the team to fight every game. The change in mindset has been evident in the team’s daily activities. One area where that has been evident has been in the weight room. “We’ve seen guys like Fred Holton breaking records and we’ve seen the growth of everyone wanting to be better.” On a personal basis, Melton saw all his maximun lifts go up 20 to 30 pounds. The competition has spurred everyone to get better. “You can see that in everything we do.” The team is working with a new program called CLIMB under the direction of Derrick Moore. “We are evaluated in what we do during the week.” The team has their school work, workouts, being on time to meetings, etc evaluated. Points are assigned to the evaluations in the form of miles and the players are divided into teams. The teams are now at 22,000 miles. “Our goal is to get to 29,000 miles.” The team is close to reach their goal as the summer workouts near their competition. “We are definitely working hard.” The leadership on this years team is also taking on a new look. Stephen Sylvester has taken over as the leader on defense. “Stephen has been mentoring, encouraging, and coming down on guys when they needed it.” On the offensive side of the ball, Melton and quarterback Tevin Washington have been the leaders. “I let my actions speak for me rather than my words. Melton feels it’s important for the quarterback to be the leader. “Everyone likes to see Tevin becoming the leader.” The team is also looking for ways to grow beyond the obvious physical growth. Melton knows that you can’t get better physically without the right mental attitude. “The team has been doing the little things that the attitude controls. If you take care of the things that you need to take care of, then you’ll be taken care of.” Listening to Tyler, it’s apparent that he and his teammates are headed in the right direction in their goal to make amends for last season’s record. “Everyone is hungry, said Melton.