Georgia Tech star kicker Aidan Birr became the all-time leader in field goals made in program history after the game vs. Stanford. On Wednesday, he talked to the media and gave his thoughts on the upcoming game and the team this season.
Georgia Tech has been in a rut this season and has only won one of its first four games, which isn't what anybody expected. As a leader and specialist, Birr chimed in on what needs to happen to get things back in order.
"I think obviously we were a big down, you know, we didn't start the way we wanted, and last week, during the bye week, I talked about it a bit with Coach Key it was definitely the best couple days of the practice.
The energy was up everyone seemed happy and all that. So I think going into it and having fun.. We can't all be down.Nobody likes to lose, but you know, we have to go into every week and win each day. You can't win on Saturday if we come out on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and don't win those days. Having high energy and making sure we play as a team and not individuals, and that will be a way to get victories," said Birr.
Birr is the all-time leading kicker, which is not an easy feat. He has been consistent throughout his career and even passed the great Harrison Butker, who is on pace to be in the NFL Hall of Fame. Birr kept it simple on how he has had such success and plays at a high level and be up for a myriad of awards, including the prestigious Ray Guy Award.
"I do the same thing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and before matches; I rely on rhythm, routine, and process, like I kick three balls into the net before I got out there.. When the offense has passed a certain range, just kind of depending on how we are moving the ball I get up kick a few balls into the net, and I am swinging my leg a little bit waiting to get called out there. I think just leaning on God is a big thing for me knowing that everything is already planned out and he has planned everything out. Going out there and swinging away, and just being confident that the result is going to be there. Being confident in my teammates and myself and swinging away," said Birr.
Saturday will be a tough game for everyone and especially kickers and specialists. Those attempts could prove valuable especially if points are hard to come by. Birr is a weapon for the Yellow Jackets and could have a big impact on the game if the weather creates havoc and turnovers. A couple of kicks could determine the game. He talked about how he deals with inclement weather and keyed in on how he approaches wind gusts.
"I think it all depends on the wind. Obviously, if you have a wind against you have to hit very cleanly so that it rotates properly and get there. If the wind is at your back, the ball will sort of, you know, come down a little bit. If it is a crosswind, you are kind of picking a spot. If it is really windy you can aim outside the posts, you hit there and let the ball come in.
So, I think you have to be very careful pregam know where to aim if I am in that area of the field, go out and see what I am seeing pregame and in the TV timeouts, and going out there and checking the wind. If the wind is crosswind, I am going to aim here. If it doesn't draw into the uprights, then it is what it is. You have to live with that. Hitting it where you want to will be important this week.
While many will overlook Birr, he has had an excellent career thus far for Georgia Tech, and could have a big impact on Saturday for the Yellow Jackets in pulling off an upset.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/georgiatech as The Three Most Interesting Things Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr Said On Wednesday Ahead of Duke .
