MOBILE, Ala. – Former Georgia safety Christopher Smith has not had much time to reflect on his college career since the Bulldogs trounced TCU 65-7 in the national championship.
Shortly after arriving back home in Atlanta, Smith was off to Fort Lauderdale to begin training with XPE Sports for the NFL Combine and Georgia’s upcoming Pro Day.
But reflect he has.
Smith finished his Georgia career as one of the most respected players on the team. Along with his ability on the field as one of Georgia’s steadiest defensive backs in recent memory, there was a reason Kirby Smart delegated so many media duties to Smith: he epitomized what it meant to be a Bulldog.
“I always reflect, especially with my parents. We always talk about how long of a journey it was, all the hard work it took but how it paid off,” Smith said. “To do what we were able to do two years in a row, it makes everything that you go through worth it. At the end of the day, I’m forever thankful for it.”
During a one-on-one interview Wednesday with UGASports, Smith said he was always humbled to play for his home-state school.
Ditto, he said, for the opportunity to represent Georgia, along with teammates Kenny McIntosh, Warren McClendon, and Jack Podlesny.
“It’s special because it shows all the hard work we put in to get here,” Smith said. “Having Kenny, Warren, and Pod here; he was knocking them down (Tuesday). It’s nice to see the guys put in the work.”
Now that he’s in Mobile in front of representatives from the 32 teams in the NFL, Smith is anxious to show what Georgia coaches already know – that he’s one of the better safeties in this year’s draft class.
“I just want to show that I’m ready for the NFL. I just want to come out and compete with some of the best players in the nation, and build connections that I’ll have for a lifetime,” Smith said. “I’ve met a lot of good coaches, a lot of great players, and great men overall. That’s really my main goal.”
He feels the fact that he played at Georgia has already opened some doors.
“It definitely helps. I come from the best program in the nation,” Smiths said. “When you come from an environment like this it can only help to prepare you for your next endeavors, whether it’s life or football.”
Versatility is one of his strengths.
During his Georgia career, Smith actually started out at cornerback, before moving over to safety. He even dabbled at star.
NFL scouts and coaches have apparently taken notice. Smith worked out at corner during Wednesday’s practice session.
“They’re looking at me everywhere. NFL teams are really intrigued by my versatility, and that’s something I pride myself in, that part of my game,” Smith said. “As I said, UGA helped me out with that a lot, just helping me out at different spots, allowing me to make plays a lot of positions on defense.”
Smith has proved he’s got plenty of smarts, too.
It was Smith whose alertness enabled him to catch LSU napping in the SEC Championship when he picked up a blocked field to return it for a touchdown.
While the play was not that of a big deal for Smith, the play has apparently been a talking point with Smith from teams.
“I’ve already gotten a few questions about that, same answer as always, it was just knowing what to do in that situation and taking advantage of the opportunity,” Smith said. “Like I was telling somebody earlier, that was one of the easier plays I made in my career.”
