Snoddy ‘itching’ to test left leg

Mending A-back among players with challenges as Tech begins practice.

His leg mended and his mind clear, Georgia Tech A-back Broderick Snoddy is ready to go.

“I’ve been just itching to get back out on the field and see how it feels,” Snoddy said. “So once I get out there, I’m just going to give it 100 percent, take advantage of all my reps and see how far I’ve come.”

Snoddy will be out on Alexander Rose Bowl Field this morning as the defending Orange Bowl-champion Yellow Jackets open preseason practice. He was among the more than 100 Tech players who checked into the team hotel in Midtown on Friday afternoon. All were accounted for, including defensive tackle Jabari Hunt-Days, who has been attempting to regain his aca-

demic eligibility. Coach Paul Johnson is expected to address the matter today.

As the team, No. 17 in the preseason coaches poll, assembled Friday, Snoddy’s eagerness was shared. Over the course of the preseason practices in August, players will have opportunity to improve, compete and demonstrate their worthiness for playing time. Snoddy’s task will be to regain the form he attained before breaking the fibula and tibia in his left leg Nov. 15 in the Clemson game.

The lone returning A-back with significant playing experience, not to mention one who began to apply his speed and strength to impactful effect before the injury, Snoddy said he has been planting and cutting on the surgically repaired leg.

He described it as a mental hurdle, but said “after a while I just made up my mind that it was something that I needed to do.”

Others will engage in different challenges.

Shamire Devine, at the top of the depth chart at the right guard spot vacated by All-American Shaquille Mason, needs to continue to lose weight and improve his conditioning. In the spring, Devine’s goal for the summer was to arrive at camp at 335 pounds, a loss of 24 pounds from his weight in early April. After a summer in which he ran while his teammates lifted, and then lifted later by himself, Devine pronounced himself “closeish” to his goal.

“It is tough,” he said, “especially when you put in some real work grinding and everything and then you get on the scale and you’re like, ‘How did I gain two pounds?’”

He said he was in “all right shape” but not where he needed to be. He was hopeful that practicing in full pads in the Georgia heat will aid his efforts.

“It feels great, actually,” Devine said. “It’s kind of sad that the summer ended so soon, but it’s kind of good to get back in football. Glad to be here.”

B-back Marcus Allen will compete with fellow B-backs Patrick Skov, Marcus Marshall and Mikell Lands-Davis. Allen was moved to the position late in the spring after a foot injury to freshman Quaide Weimerskirch and then ascended to the top spot when C.J. Leggett tore his ACL. He’ll begin as the No. 1 B-back, but the competition figures to be fierce.

“It doesn’t take much to motivate you to want to be the starter,” said Allen, who had had difficulty finding playing time and switched positions twice before moving back to B-back. “It’s just a great opportunity. I look forward to the challenge.”