Jarrett Jack remembers arriving at Georgia Tech and seeing the names of legendary players that came before him.
Now, he is one of them.
Jack was one of eight athletes inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame as the Class of 2016 Friday night.
Jack will play his 12th NBA season after leaving Georgia Tech, now a member of the Hawks after signing as a free agent this summer.
“It was great,” Jack told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Saturday. “Seeing your old teammates, guys who have their jersey’s in the rafters, just seeing a room filled with your contemporaries is always humbling, especially when you are the person they are there to honor. …
“When you first step foot on campus, that’s what you see. You see these names that have memories and that have been celebrated. It’s basically the reason why you want to be a part of this great tradition. For me to be mentioned in the same breath, I was in awe.”
Jack said his acceptance speech was well-received, a good sign since he spoke from his heart and without anything pre-written.
Jack was joined by Calvin Johnson, Lynn Houston Moore, Brendon Mahoney, Eric Patterson, Michael Sorrow, Nicholas Thompson and Jaime Wong.
Jack continues to rehabilitate torn ligaments in his right knee suffered in January while playing for the Nets. The Hawks are bringing him a long slowly during training camp. He has yet to participate in any drills but hopes to soon. Jack is unlikely to be ready by the start of the season.
“We are actively progressing,” Jack said of his rehabilitation. “I can tell you me knee feels 100 times better this month than it did last month. Coach and (the staff) are on me about rushing to get back. They tell me to take my time. They’d rather have me for the longer stretch of the season than just this early part. I’m going to take it day by day. Patience isn’t something I was blessed with so I’m going to do my best until the time is right to step back on the court.”
Jack said he hopes to begin spot shooting and some non-contact practice work next week.
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