Brent Key, Haynes King and the relationship that has Georgia Tech in the spotlight after Clemson upset

ATLANTA – There is a duality to Georgia Tech coach Brent Key. A former offensive lineman, the man has an intimidating presence. He wears a gray shortsleeve sweatshirt whether its 90 degrees or not, turns his baseball cap backwards when the clock strikes zero and talks about toughness like it is equally as important as food and water to survive.

Yet there he was, standing in front of a room full of media following Georgia Tech’s 24-21 win over No. 12 Clemson on Saturday, and he barely talked above a whisper. Tears were not far away when he reflected on the day’s events. He put his head down briefly during his opening statement, gathered himself and then quietly said, “I’m so happy now.”

He had plenty to be happy about. His Yellow Jackets are 3-0, with no ranked opponents until Black Friday, when Georgia comes to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Key was 6-1 against ranked ACC opponents entering Saturday’s matchup with the Tigers, with the lone loss coming to Clemson. That defeat has now been avenged, thanks in large part to another emotional touchpoint for him – quarterback Haynes King.

MORE: Who is Brent Key? Get to know GT's head man

I didn’t get a chance to ask Key in the press conference if the words ‘man-crush’ would accurately describe their relationship, but I’m going to throw it out there and say yes. King is a battering ram of a QB who ran for 103 tough yards on 25 carries, and completed 20 of 28 passes for 211 yards. King has that offensive lineman mentality to his game, and he scraped and clawed and battled for every last yard during Georgia Tech’s winning drive.

Clemson tied things 21-21 with 3:26 to play on a two-yard touchdown from Adam Randall, and the ideal scenario was for Georgia Tech to eat up the clock and kick a field goal on the last play of the game.

And that’s exactly what King did. Nine plays into the heart of the Clemson defense moved the ball only 38 yards, with King running on five of them and throwing on two.

When asked what it was like to watch King empty the tank like that after taking four quarters of punishment, Key said, “It feels like an extension of me. I feel like I’m playing quarterback on the field.”

Key said he spent time with King’s father Friday night, and Jimbo Haynes, a legendary high school football coach in Texas, told Key it was the same way in high school.

“That’s his character,” Key said. “That’s his DNA. When people play the game like that, there’s bigger reasons. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a tougher guy in my life.”

With 24 seconds to play, Tech was on the Clemson 39 with no timeouts. Key knew they had time to run the ball up the middle to gain a few more yards and still get the field-goal team in place. He told The Sporting News 14 seconds is the minimum, and 17 seconds is comfortable. He knew 24 was going to be plenty.

MORE: After second loss, is Dabo Swinney's seat warming?

King ran it up the middle for two yards, the field goal unit quickly got into place, and Aidan Birr calmly drilled a 55-yarder as the clock hit 0:00. Out came the Georgia Tech students, dressed for a White Out, and they surrounded Key and King when they were interviewed by ESPN’s Kris Budden in the aftermath. Key put his arm around King, and King leaned into his coach’s shoulder, two tough men sharing an almost tender moment amidst the chaos. When the interview was over, Key gave him a bear hug, then pointed at King to encourage the students to salute him even more.

“It means a lot just knowing that he trusts me that much to put the ball in my hands,” King said. “And it’s not just a one-man show.”

Georgia Tech is not a one-man show, but it starts with two men who have a unique connection: the humble, tough-as-nails quarterback and the brawny former offensive lineman who has forced his alma mater into the national spotlight in his third season.

And yet, there’s a layer underneath the bravado. After the press conference, Key found King sitting alone on his cell, waiting to meet with the media. Key grabbed the phone and yelled, “Go Jackets,” to whoever was on the line. It was fun, it was heartfelt, it was giddy. Both men were happy on this day. And it appears there are going to be more on the way.