ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 22, 2024

Haynes King

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Haynes.

Q. You talked a little bit on ACC Network about the comfortability, you being a leader of this offense. What do you feel like your game has progressed the most this off-season?

HAYNES KING: Probably being a leader. First year it was my first year at Georgia Tech. You're still learning your teammates, who they are, what motivates them, stuff like that.

With this being the second year, that comfortability, you get more confidence, you become closer, more like a family, tight-knit, because you've been around each other longer.

I'd say my leadership has definitely improved, being vocal, not just leading by example.

Q. You have a ton of solid guys around you that are returning. How excited are you for the season with your guys again? What are you hoping to see from yourself for repeated success?

HAYNES KING: I'm excited. We've been talking about this since the bowl game in December. I've been ready for a long time, ready to get back at it. Tired of just doing workouts, lifting, running. I'm ready to put the pads on and get right to it.

Building off that, building off last season is a big step. Now our expectation and standard has risen. It's not going to be the same. People always say you either get better or you're getting worse, you can't stay the same.

Q. You're one of four quarterbacks in the ACC since 2000 to have at least 2800 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns. If you have a similar or better season next season, do you feel like your name should be in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in ACC history in the past 24 years.

BRENT KEY: Yes. He won't say it about himself.

HAYNES KING: He knew that I was not going to say that. I definitely wasn't going to say that. That shows you what kind of people, players I have around me.

As coach already said, yes.

Q. Consistency was something you really were working to develop last year in terms of turnovers, things like that. How have you been working to develop that this off-season?

HAYNES KING: Each and every day you make a routine, make a standard what's going to happen, not letting up on that. The more routine you have each and every day, the more consistent your life gets, even outside of football.

Now each and every day, even in football, outside of football, stuff keeping getting better and better because you have a routine. Everything's not just scatterbrained all over the place. If everybody has the same routine each and every week throughout practice, everything else is going to handle itself and be more consistent.

Q. Last year Georgia Tech, you guys had your best season since 2018. Coming into this season, some would say Georgia Tech is a sleeper to win the ACC title. Would you take that as a form of disrespect or a form that we're supposed to be there anyway?

HAYNES KING: I'd probably say both. To me that's still disrespect, especially with what we had last year, what we have coming back.

But then the same deal, it's supposed to be like that. We're supposed to be contending for that ACC championship each and every year with the people we have in the building, coaches, players, team, the culture that we've built.

Q. You earned a bachelor's degree at A&M in business with a sports management minor. What do you want to be when you grow up?

HAYNES KING: After I get done playing, as long as I can, I may end up being a coach.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about the returning production from a high-powered offense that averaged over 31 points a game. How does the continuity coming into the season help you come out of the gates swinging in a challenge first game of the season?

HAYNES KING: It's a big, important step. If you don't have any continuity, if you don't have a strong culture, a good locker room, when things happen, when adversity happens, your team is going to struggle.

But I'd say we're in a good spot, good culture, good locker room. I'd say going into that first game we're coming guns ablazing.

Q. You mentioned looking at becoming a coach one day. What have you picked up from your father? As a Texan, what do you think about SMU joining the league?

HAYNES KING: SMU joining the league, I feel like that's a good opportunity. I can't say too much. We don't play them this year. They're not on the schedule.

What I've learned from my dad is, one, how you carry yourself, two, how you respect and how you treat people, it goes a long way. It doesn't matter what their job is. If you treat them with respect and with dignity, everything else will take care of itself. That will take it a long way, take those connections, those life lessons a long way.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.