The Georgia Bulldogs' 2002 summer conditioning program

produced impressive results, improving nearly half of the weight lifting and

vertical jump records in UGA annals. All told, 27 of 56 marks were bettered

this summer.

"We've had about every scholarship player here all summer," said Dave

Van Halanger, Georgia's Director of Strength and Conditioning. "Obviously, I

like to see the guys get stronger, but the thing I really love is how these

guys are coming together as a team and as a family. Most of them have been

here every day since May 15. They're ready for a little rest before

two-a-days, but this is as exciting a summer as I've ever spent around a

group of guys. The student-athletes Coach Richt is bringing into the Bulldog

family and the atmosphere he's creating is amazing."

Players are included among 14 different position groups (eight on

offense, five on defense and one on special teams) and are tested in three

different lifts (bench press, back squat and power clean), as well as the

vertical jump.

Among the most impressive performances during the testing were

quarterback D.J. Shockley and offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who bettered

the previous standard for their position in all four measurements. Tight end

Ben Watson broke three records, while offensive guard Kevin Breedlove and

receiver Michael Johnson broke two records each.

Another highlight of the summer was linebacker Boss Bailey's performance

in the vertical jump. The previous UGA record of 42 inches was shared by

both Bailey and his older brother Champ. During morning workouts on Monday,

receiver Reggie Brown bested that mark with a leap of 43 1/2 inches. That

afternoon, Boss reclaimed the record with a 46-inch jump, the best

performance Van Halanger has witnessed in nearly two decades as a strength

and conditioning coach.

Overall, Watson led the team in combined weight total for the three

lifts with 1,485 pounds. He supplied the highest overall lift in the power

clean (380) and bench press (535). Defensive lineman Gerald Anderson

recorded the best mark in the squat at 660 pounds.

In additional testing, Brown posted the highest power index (6.59) and

most sit-ups (90 reps), while cornerback Kenny Bailey led the team with most

reps in both dips (73) and jump rope (112).

Overall, 34 Bulldogs posted power indexes greater than 5.0, which is

calculated by dividing the combined weight of the three lifts by the

player's body weight. All told, 24 players posted squats of more than 500

pounds, including two over 600 pounds; 24 bench pressed more than 400

pounds, including four over 500 pounds; and 27 power cleaned more than 300

pounds. A total of 57 Dogs had vertical leaps of 30 inches or higher,

including six at 40 inches or higher.