INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Interviews continued Friday at the NFL Combine with a number of former Georgia players, including linebacker Channing Tindall.

Tindall met with the media, recapping his Georgia career, detailing the Bulldogs’ national championship, and anticipating what he’ll bring to an NFL team.

Channing, what does it mean to return to the same site where your team, Georgia, won a national championship?

Tindall: “It’s still a surreal feeling for me, honestly. Just stepping in that stadium, it’s bringing back so many flashbacks. The biggest thing I remember is Kelee getting that ball (Kelee Ringo’s game-clinching interception return for a touchdown vs. Alabama in the national title game) and me trying to block for him. I really don’t know how to explain it. It’s a surreal feeling.”

What was going through your mind during that Ringo pick-six?

Tindall: “As soon as I saw [Ringo intercept] the ball, I was [thinking], ‘block-block-block-block, who can I block?’ When he got near the goal line, I was kind of antsy because you can never be too close with Alabama. So, when he got that touchdown, I was like (sighs), I think I can breathe for a little bit.”

How does it feel that you are here with a staggering 13 other members of that national championship team, all of you with NFL dreams?

Tindall: “It’s just an example of all the hard work we put in. It all started at the beginning of that year (2021) and we just set that standard. So, seeing how all the hard work has paid off and being at this point right now—I mean, we’re still not there yet—and the progress that has come, it’s an amazing feeling.”

When did it actually hit you that you won a national title?

Tindall: “Honestly, it just hit me when I got here, when I saw the field again. As soon as we were done with the game, I pretty much went straight into training and I haven’t had time to think about it. But, just looking at the field now, it’s like, wow, we really did it.”

What are you hoping to accomplish here in front of the NFL teams?

Tindall: “Just to prove I’m a very versatile player, and can do it all. I feel like I can rush on the edge, stop the run, and [pass] coverage. I just want to show that I can do it all, just like I show on tape.”

What affect did Will Muschamp have on you and the defense as a whole?

Tindall: “When I was first getting recruited, he was the head coach at South Carolina. So, when he came back to Georgia, I was a little surprised. He came up to me and was like, ‘Funny seeing you here.’ I was like, ‘Nah, funny seeing you here. So, working with him, especially in a special teams role… A big thing he always said was ‘D-V-R, deny vertical return,’ just the lessons I learned from him. Having him and Coach Smart, it’s like two gurus in the room. You can’t ask for anything better.”

Are there any Georgia linebackers who have gone into the league that you stay in touch with?

Tindall: “Roquan [Smith], Monty [Rice], Natrez [Patrick], you can name any of them. I still talk to all of those guys to this day. It’s like literally a brotherhood. [Also] Tae Crowder…”

What have they told you about coming into the NFL?

Tindall: “They said to not take anything for granted. From this point on, it’s like you got to bring your ‘A’ game every single day. Coming into this combine, don’t take anything for granted. Put in your best effort. And it doesn’t stop here. You cannot relax at any point.”

Is Devonte Wyatt one of the more colorful personalities in the locker room?

Tindall: “Him and JD (Jordan Davis) are best friends. That tells you a lot by itself. [Wyatt] is very goofy, a goofy personality. He always gets me smiling and going. He’s a wonderful teammate.”

How was it to play linebacker behind defensive linemen like Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt?

Tindall: “That was a dream-team defensive line, especially with JD. That was a linebacker’s dream, taking on two guys by himself! I can’t ask for anything better at linebacker! Oh, my gosh, he let me free on so many plays. Wherever I go [in the NFL], I’m going to do my part, but I want the d-line to be like it was at Georgia.”

If you could show NFL coaches only one game of yours at Georgia, which one would it be?

Tindall: “I’d probably show them the Tennessee game, just solely off of my production.” (In Georgia’s 41-17 win over Tennessee last season, Tindall totaled eight tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry. For his effort, Tindall was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week.)

Are there one or two inside linebackers at Georgia who you think will really step up this upcoming season?

Tindall: “Trezman [Marshall] has been stepping up. Jamon [Dumas-Johnson], he has been showing flashes, even last year. And Smael [Mondon] is a very fast, quick guy. Even [Xavian] Sorey, he’s learning now. But they put him at scout-team running back one time, and just seeing him move, I was like, ‘Wow.’ It’s literally up for grabs for anybody [at inside linebacker].”

The crazy-pursuit angles you demonstrated at Georgia, did you arrive like that or was that more so a work in progress?

Tindall: “It was kind of natural. But one thing I used to do a lot when I was younger was over pursue the ball. So, Coach [Glenn] Schumann taught me to just stay in that hip pocket. He was like, ‘You’re fast enough. Why are you trying to overrun these plays?’ So, I’m just reading that hip, and locking into that hip. Wherever that hip goes, I’m going.”

What will Coach Schumann bring to the team as co-defensive coordinator?

Tindall: “Analytics, his brain. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. As a co-defensive coordinator, he’ll have so many creative ideas, different blitzes, telling us to use our hands. He’s the complete coach.”

What kind of numbers do you want to put up here—40, bench, etc.?

Tindall: “I want to put up a low 4.5, 4.4. I’m not doing bench here. But, when I do it at my pro day, I want to hit 15.”

What was it like playing for Dan Lanning?

Tindall: “I had both Coach Lanning and Coach Schumann. Coach Schumann was the analytics guy, and he got me hyped. But Coach Lanning was like the hype guy. He’s the one who is going to get you ready before the game, talk crazy, push you around to get you juiced up before the game.”

In what area did you grow the most as a linebacker?

Tindall: “Communication. Coming in [to Georgia], I went from having my hand in the dirt to now I have to make signal calls to other defensive players. D-linemen are getting onto me saying, ‘What’s the call?’ Safeties, ‘What’s the call?’ DBs, ‘What’s the call?’ And, if something is messed up, it’s [my] fault. I got tired of getting blamed. So, the biggest adjustment was actually being vocal.”

What was the give-and-take between you and Nakobe Dean on the field against Alabama? You had a big play in the championship game after he tried to give you a pointer.

Tindall: “I was supposed to be the hole player. In that game, the hole player was supposed to play a QB spy, as well. But, if it was a crosser, we were supposed to play a crosser too. So, I was being indecisive. And Nakobe saw me being indecisive with my call, so he held me accountable for my mistake. [What did Nakobe say?] He had some kind words. That’s all I got to say (laughing). You don’t take anything to heart. He knows my ‘why,’ and I know his ‘why.’ We just got to keep pushing forward. At the end of the day, our goal was to beat ‘Bama—and that’s what we did.”

What was the key to finally beat Alabama?

Tindall: “We believed in us more, and we kept it simple. We were running simple plays this time. So, it was just us against y’all, and my guys are better than your guys. We’re not even trying to do any trickery-dickery-type things. It’s just me versus you. That was the difference.”

At Georgia, what made you guys such a special unit?

Tindall: “We’re connected. We had these things called skull sessions at the beginning of the year. During the skull sessions, the coaches would leave, and it’d be the players talking to each other. We had to figure out each other’s why: what we do what we do, our background, our family, and why we play football. So, I could tell you about each and every one of my teammates…and they could tell you about me. That chemistry was there. We were fighting for each other’s why, not just to win.”

Who are some of the guys on offense you think will emerge now that Zamir White, James Cook, and George Pickens have moved on to the NFL?

Tindall: “Kenny McIntosh will definitely stand out. He’s going to be hell. We have Darnell Washington, Brock Bowers, of course, tight-end game.”

What would say it takes to play for Kirby Smart?

Tindall: “Relentless effort. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, do it at 100 percent. He’s not going to take anything less.”