Physical prowess and athleticism certainly go a long way on the football field. It’s what someone does to make others better that makes one complete.
Being a good leader is not something that’s given. It’s not a title that head coach Kirby Smart can simply bequeath; it must be earned.
Today, UGASports takes a look at some of the best leaders on the Georgia football team, players whose role goes beyond simply what they can do on the field.
First on the list is an obvious choice: redshirt junior center Sedrick Van Pran.
Van Pran could easily have taken his two national championship rings, said thank you very much, and gone to the NFL. Not Van Pran.
When asked why he came back, his answer was simple. “My love for the G,” Van Pran told reporters this spring, no doubt endearing him to coaches, teammates, and fans.
Further, endearing Van Pran to everyone inside the football facility is his ability to communicate, to show what it’s like to work, and to be that type of player and person who helps everyone play to their potential.
Van Pran delivers all that as well as any member of the entire Bulldog team.
Why is Van Pran such a good leader?
Running back Kendall Milton spoke to that very question and why it was so important to get Van Pran back.
“It means the world to this team. Me and Sedrick actually lived across the hall from each other. During that time, we would have little talks. I knew what he wanted; he knew what I wanted. He wanted the opportunity to leave one last mark and go out with a bang,” Milton said. “It’s awesome, too, because he’s one of those players who makes my job easier when he’s down there giving the points, for the pass protection and for the run-blocking. He makes my job easier because he makes it clear for the offense. He just makes everything go smoothly and makes everybody’s job a lot easier.”
To hear Smart explain it, his star center's leadership abilities are simply an extension of the player and person he already is.
“First of all, he came in as a quality person, a human being, a football player. Education was important to him. I mean, I can remember since the first time I saw him in his high school, he talked about how important art was to him, and he wanted to be really good at it. He wanted to get in his major, so he came in with a leadership mentality and he’s only grown in that,” Smart said. “So, I think we have made him a better person and a better man, and he’s grown up a lot. But he came in with a lot of those qualities, and that’s a credit to his family and his background, the people that helped raise him in New Orleans.”
Since Van Pran’s been at Georgia, Smart said he’s noticed something else.
“I’ve not been around someone that is so comfortable being uncomfortable. Because he really is not afraid to demand excellence, to hold people accountable for other things that we want in our organization. He embodies that. And to have him come back is like a blessing in disguise in terms of leadership.”
Who benefits the most?
We’ll start with the obvious.
As the center, Van Pran is already the person responsible for making the calls for the offensive line and setting the protection. He's counted on and leaned on by every member of the offensive line.
But as Smart indicated above, his sphere of influence goes way beyond that. He’s respected throughout the entire team, both on the offensive and defensive side.
Van Pran will also be a comforting factor for quarterback Carson Beck, or whoever ends up under center for the Bulldogs.
He’s already offered some advice.
“Just be themselves. I think that’s the biggest thing, honestly,” Van Pran said. “The guys have all been around; I’ve taken reps with all of them at some point. So really, it’s just making sure they go out there with the confidence they’re going to need.”
