INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – On Wednesday, former Georgia placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship spoke with the media at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

Below is a transcript of what he had to say.

How has this experience [at the combine] been so far?

Blankenship: “It’s been a good week. It’s been nice to see some of the Georgia guys again. I get to reconnect with them and see how they’re doing with their training and everything. So, yeah, it’s been a great couple of days, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.”

How has the [combine] process been thus far?

Blankenship: “It’s been a little hectic, a little crazy. We’ve had some interview sessions the last couple of nights—8:00 to 11:00 was blocked off to go have interviews—and it’s just kind of a free-for-all when you go in. Whatever coaches are interested in you, they kind of just come pluck you off and take you to their table. You talk to them for however long they want you for. So it’s definitely been a little crazy, but it’s been a really good experience so far.”

What do [the teams] want to know about you?

Blankenship: “I think, the most important thing for any specialist is just your mental game, and your mental toughness. So it’s been a recurring theme, asking me how I handle adversity, how I handle tough times. I’m just trying to prove I’m going to be resilient and I’m going to be able to sustain myself when things aren’t going so right. It’s easy to perform when you’re doing well, but everybody wants to know how you’re going to bounce back and respond when things aren’t going your way.

How do you think you’ve done that (being resilient) coming out of Sprayberry [High School] to the University of Georgia?

Blankenship: “Playing for the University of Georgia has been such a great experience. It’s provided me and a lot of my teammates here opportunities to go out and play in high-pressured environments, high-pressured situations, just playing in games which have an impact on the national landscape each and every year. So I think that’s been great for preparing us to go out and just do what we do in the toughest situations.”

What was your most high-pressured kick while at Georgia?

Blankenship: “Probably in the National Championship Game a couple of years back against Alabama (51-yard field goal in overtime). I’d probably say that was the most high-pressured situation I’ve been in."

Which kick [at UGA] would be the one you show off to NFL general managers?

Blankenship: “I think back to a 49-yarder I made against Mississippi State in 2017. As far as anyone else is concerned, it was just a 49-yarder. But I think that was probably the best ball—the best field goal—I’ve hit in my career. It will never show up on any stat sheets or anything. Everybody is going to look at the 55-yarder from the Rose Bowl, or the 51-yarder in the National Championship, or my 53-yarder against Vandy in 2018, because they’re a little bit longer. But in terms of how pure or how clean I hit the ball, it was the 49-yarder I made against Mississippi State in 2017 that I hit above the ‘Allstate hands.’ It's probably the best ball I’ve ever hit.”

If there was a kick you could attempt again, which one would it be?

Blankenship: “There’s an obvious answer: the South Carolina game this year (Blankenship’s missed field goal in overtime, giving USC the victory).”

What’s the difference in kicking in college compared to kicking an NFL ball?

Blankenship: “I don’t think there's a whole lot of difference. Thinking specifically about the balls we kicked field goals and punted with, the [Nike] Vapor Ones have extra stitching on the panels of the ball, and having a lot of extra stitching on the ball prevents the ball from being able to compress and expand as much as a ball that doesn’t have it. The NFL balls, from that point of view, are actually a little bit more favorable to kickers and punters, because they’re going to fly a little bit better coming off your foot. That’s one major difference I look at.”

Who’s going to be Georgia’s kicker this coming year [2020 season]?

Blankenship: “I cannot say. I know there’s going to be some great competition. Jared Zirkel is coming in from Texas. He’s obviously got a great leg. I think he made a 59-yarder in his junior year, so he’s obviously got tremendous leg strength. But I also know that Brooks Buce, who has been there for a couple of years, is a really talented guy, and he’s going to give it his best shot. I think that maybe even [Jake] Camarda might be trying to kick field goals. So, there’s going to be a lot of healthy competition, and it’s going to breed the best guy for the job for this coming season.”

Can a player actually kick field goals effectively and do all the punting, as well?

Blankenship: “Yeah, I definitely think there’s an opportunity there [for UGA’s punter to also be its placekicker]. We’re just going to have to wait and see. But I do know that whoever is the best guy for the [placekicking] job is going to be the one who goes out to execute.”

Did you ever punt?

Blankenship: “I did in high school, yeah, and I did until after my redshirt season at Georgia. Going into 2016 is when I stopped. I’m not punting here [at the combine], but I’ll most likely punt at [UGA’s] Pro Day, just because I know that [NFL] teams would be interested in it. Just in case of a pinch of an emergency, I’ll be able to punt.”

What are your thoughts on tackling on special teams at the NFL level?

Blankenship: “I’m hoping that when the situation occurs, that it’s as infrequently as possible (laughing). I know it’s unavoidable at some point and, during my career, I’m going to be put in a situation where I’m going to try to make a tackle. I’m sure that when I get to where I’m going (his NFL team), they’re going to be adamant that I do some tackling drills to make sure that I have proper technique, and that I’ll be as well as equipped as I can be.”