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Following a standout performance against Boston College, Georgia Tech true freshman safety Chris Hewitt Jr. addressed reporters, reflecting on his development, his readiness when called upon, and the team's mindset ahead of its matchup with Pittsburgh.
Hewitt, who arrived on campus in the summer and thus missed spring practices, credited his rapid growth to cornerbacks coach Vinnie Sunseri. "Coach Vinnie is a really great coach," Hewitt said. "He was really able to just install because we got a lot of things in our playbook to learn especially as a young guy. He really just did a good job in having one-on-one time with me and just installing all the defenses and everything and just giving me that attention that I needed. So it's really just all because of coach Vinnie."
When asked about being prepared for his opportunity, Hewitt pointed to the team's "next guy up" philosophy. "My coach said when he called my number, I got to be ready and I was ready to go," he explained. "And it wasn't the outcome that the team wanted, but I just wanted to go out there and give my best effort and that's really all."
Despite Georgia Tech's 2-5 start, Hewitt expressed unwavering confidence in the coaching staff. "I really just have all my faith in my coaches," he said. "I have all my faith in Coach Key and my defensive coordinator and they're working just as hard as we are to fix all the issues that we have on defense and I have trust in them and I believe in them that we're going to fix it."
Communication has been a focal point for the Yellow Jackets' young secondary, and Hewitt highlighted the emphasis placed on it in practice. "We just try to make a really big emphasis on it in practice. We're just trying to always overcommunicate especially now that we got like young guys out there and such," he said. "So it's really important that we get that communication across and coach Vinnie has made a big emphasis on us trying to communicate across the whole defense."
Turning his attention to Pittsburgh, Hewitt acknowledged the Panthers' talent while noting that a quarterback injury has altered some of what he's seen on film. "Pitt is a great football team, and they did have an injury at quarterback. So, that did change around some of the things that I seen on film, but still it doesn't really change anything," he stated. "It's not I wouldn't say that it's more on them. It's more on us to really just get the team together first. They got twitchy guys and it's just important that we are able to get to the football, all 11 guys."
Key Analysis
Hewitt's emergence provides a bright spot for a Georgia Tech defense that has struggled with consistency and experience. His reliance on Coach Vinnie's tutelage underscores the impact of personalized coaching on young players. As the Yellow Jackets navigate a challenging season, Hewitt's faith in the staff and commitment to communication could be foundational for future success.