BIOGRAPHY
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2021 (Senior): Saw action in all 12 games and made nine starts at safety … Appeared in 52 games in five collegiate seasons, including 50-straight to close his career … Tallied 41 career starts, all at safety … Ranked fifth on the team and second among defensive backs with 65 tackles in 2021 … After recording just three tackles over the first two games of the season, exploded for a team- and career-high 13 stops in narrow 14-8 defeat at No. 6 Clemson (Sept. 18) … Broke up passes in win at Duke (Oct. 9) and narrow defeats against Virginia Tech (Oct. 30) and Miami (Nov. 6) … Led Georgia Tech with nine tackles at No. 6 Notre Dame (Nov. 20) and six against No. 1 Georgia (Nov. 27).
2020 (Senior – “Covid Year” – year of eligibility retained): Overcame offseason injuries to appear in all 10 games, making nine starts at strong safety … Finished fifth on the team with 39 tackles, including two for loss … Had an interception and six passes defended … Recorded at least three tackles in 9-of-10 games … Broke up a pass to go along with three tackles in season-opening win at Florida State (Sept. 12) … Had a season-high six tackles at Boston College (Oct. 24) … Recorded five tackles against UCF (Sept. 19), Duke (Nov. 28) and Pitt (Dec. 10) … Turned in perhaps his best all-around performance of the season against Duke, with a season-high two pass breakups and an interception that he returned 43 yards to set up a Georgia Tech touchdown in the Jackets’ 56-33 victory.
2019 (Junior): Appeared in 11 games, starting 10 at strong safety … Led all defensive backs on the team and finished third overall with 62 tackles (48) solo on the year … Joined Charlie Thomas and David Curry in becoming the first Georgia Tech trio since 2012 to have more than 60 tackles apiece … Finished with seven tackles in five games – South Florida (Sept. 7), North Carolina (Oct. 5), at Duke (Oct. 12), at Miami (Fla.) (Oct. 19), and at Virginia (Nov. 9) … Made a season-high seven solo stops against South Florida (Sept. 7) … Set a career high with 2.0 tackles for loss against South Florida (Sept. 7) … Forced his second career fumble against The Citadel (Sept. 14) … Made the game-winning solo stop in overtime at Miami (Fla.) (Oct. 19), tackling a wideout just shy of converting on fourth down to seal the victory … Hauled in his third career interception against Pitt (Nov. 2) … Finished with five pass breakups on the season … Set a career high with two pass breakups against Virginia Tech (Nov. 16).
2018 (Sophomore): Started all 13 games at strong safety … Ranked fourth on the team with 55 tackles … Tied for team lead with two interceptions and seven passes defended … Had at least one tackle in 12-of-13 games and multiple stops in 10-of-13 contests … Tied for third on the team with five special-teams tackles (all on kickoff coverage) … Intercepted a pass on the opening series at USF (Sept. 8) but was ejected from the game due to a targeting penalty one defensive series later, a turning point in the Yellow Jackets’ 49-38 defeat … Came back the next week to record five tackles, including one for loss, at Pitt (Sept. 15) … Made eight stops (second-highest total of the season) against eventual national champion Clemson (Sept. 22) … Had six tackles in limited action in rout over Bowling Green (Sept. 29) … Made key interception that led to Georgia Tech’s go-ahead touchdown in fourth quarter of 35-28 victory at North Carolina (Nov. 3) … Notched six tackles and forced a fumble in win over Miami (Nov. 10) … Had a career-high 10 tackles in overtime win over Virginia (Nov. 17).
2017 (True Freshman): Made his collegiate debut in Georgia Tech’s fifth game of the season at Miami (Oct. 14) and played in five of the final six games of the season … Saw action primarily on special teams, with both of his tackles (Nov. 4 at Virginia, Nov. 18 at Duke) coming in punt coverage.
High School: Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports … Named first-team all-state as a senior by RecruitGeorgia.com … Also an all-region, all-district and all-area honoree … Versatile athlete played defensive back, wide receiver and returned kicks during his prep career … Had the longest kickoff return in school history as a senior … Four-year letterwinner and three-year captain … Coached by Eric McNair … Also played basketball for two seasons and was two-year captain of track and field team, participating in long jump and high jump … Honor roll student.
Personal: Graduated from Georgia Tech with B.S. in literature, media and communication in December 2021 … Is one of nine siblings … Mother, Demetria Fiffie, played basketball at Central Methodist University (1992-96) … Mother went on to become a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, serving five international tours of duty, including three deployments to Irag and one to Afghanistan … Uncle, Thurlos Pearson, played football at Missouri … Tariq began playing football when he was five.
