Jordan van den Berg details why Georgia Tech was the right fit
The new Jacket talks why he chose to commit to Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech added to a position of need earlier this week, as the Yellow Jackets picked up a commitment from former Penn State defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg.
During his three seasons at Penn State, van den Berg recorded 26 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 28 games.
Van den Berg was a late add to Penn State ahead of the 2021 season. He had been a first-team All-American at Iowa Western Community College, and he visited Penn State in June 2021, impressed with his athleticism and earned a scholarship offer. He committed, and suddenly, the Johannesburg, South Africa, native who went to high school in Georgia was on his way to Penn State.
The Crowded Booth caught up with the newest Jacket, who is relieved to have found a familiar home.
“Man, I’m so happy that it is done. I really knew as soon as the coaches reached out to me that this was there I wanted to be,” Van den Berg told The Crowded Booth. “It’s an opportunity to get back to and play in front of friends and family; that really means a lot to me. I’m just ready to get to work.”
While he met with the whole staff, it was a conversation with new defensive line coach Jess Simpson and head coach Brent Key that really allowed for him to see the potential in the program.
“There’s momentum here and you can feel it when you talk to those guys. It’s a chance to rewrite history here at Georgia Tech,” Van den Berg said in an interview. “With Coach Simpson, he’s just professional. He runs that room like it’s the NFL and you can see his resume of the guys that he has helped get to the league. Then with Coach Key, there’s just a ton of passion. He’s a process oriented guy and he really wants to win here.”
Knowing that there was a need for interior line help made the deicison jsut that much easier for the Lilburn, Georgia product. Van den Burg talked a little bit about he feels he can help immediately in this new-look Georgia Tech defense.
“I think I fit in perfectly and there’s an opportunity for me to come in an help right away,” Van den Burg said. “I’ll enroll this summer and still have two years left to play, so for me it’s all about just getting in and doing the right thing.”
Van den Burg mentioned that he has two years of eligibility remaining and plans to enroll into Georgia Tech’s MBA program.