Now that yet another SEC Media Days is officially in the books, it’s time to sit back and take a look at my five takeaways for this year’s Georgia Bulldogs.
"Do More" is an apropos slogan
College football teams love their slogans. The late, great Erk Russell would have been a rich man if he had purchased the copyright to GATA. In my opinion, there’s never been a greater one than that.
We’ve seen others, but too often they seem contrived, just something to throw on a T-shirt without much meaning.
But "Do More"? This one’s growing on me.
It’s simple, no flash, no dazzle--just two little words that to me, sum up the difference for Georgia over the past two seasons. If the Bulldogs had done just a little bit more . . . Well, you get the idea.
To a man, Jake Fromm, J.R. Reed and Andrew Thomas spoke about this extensively, starting with what they as individuals need to do in order for the team to take that next step.
Kirby Smart and his staff can preach this all they want, but unless it’s the players--especially the leaders--pushing and believing in this mantra, it’s ultimately just words with no meaning.
I don’t think that’s the case.
Receiving corps might be better than we think
Why do I say this?
When Smart was asked about that on Tuesday, he gave a little look, smiled, and told reporters to keep writing that, noting the group “liked” hearing what they can’t do.
Naturally, Fromm had a lot of nice words to say. That was to be expected. But when Reed, who is not known to pull any punches, says the group is impressing him, we pay a little more attention.
When asked who has been the most impressive, Reed mentioned Demetris Robertson.
Does that mean the former five-star is going to be a lights-out contributor? We can’t say that, but it seems safe to assume Robertson has at least put himself in position to make the kind of impact that most (including yours truly) incorrectly predicted for him last year.
Losing Jeremiah Holloman certainly hurts, but Robertson, Tyler Simmons, Lawrence Cager, Kearis Jackson, George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock, Matthew Landers, Tommy Bush, and the others shouldn’t be overlooked.
Andrew Thomas is respected throughout the league
Thomas’ accolades speak for themselves, but during SEC Media Days, he didn’t have to.
Quizzing opposing defensive linemen who made the trip, Thomas’ name was the first out of their mouth when asked to rate the league’s top tackles.
Hearing rival players dole out plaudits to Thomas solidifies what we already know: The Bulldog junior is a special talent.
Turns out he’s quite the comedian as well.
As someone who is typically very reserved in his comments to the media, Thomas displayed his comedic side when asked to comment on teammate Ben Cleveland.
“My best Ben Cleveland story is he has a knife that he carries around that he does everything with. He picks his teeth, toenails, cuts stuff, goes hunting--it’s the same knife.”
Zamir White is being counted on as a contributor
Smart has been very careful not to say too much about the redshirt freshman when it comes to expectations, but it certainly sounds like he’s being counted on to play a key role.
Every time he’s been asked, Smart talks about how White is “on schedule” with his rehab and doing “everything he can” to get back on the field.
You’ve probably seen different pictures of White on the various social media platforms. It’s obvious he’s in tremendous shape.
Although he’s still not cleared for contact, that too, seems only a matter of time.
Predicting his production would be nothing more than a guess, but from what we hear, White’s done everything humanly possible to give himself the best chance for success. Betting against him would seem a fool’s folly.
Herschel Walker is not afraid to speak his mind
Herschel Walker always makes for great copy, because he’s not afraid to say what he thinks. How refreshing.
That was certainly the case Tuesday night.
Hopefully, you read our Q&A. But if you didn’t, three things really jumped out during an interview with him.
The first was tongue in cheek.
While lauding Georgia’s decision to honor Vince Dooley by naming the field at Sanford Stadium in his honor, Walker commented that he hoped the university wouldn’t wait before he’s dead and gone to do something for him.
Although he later admitted to be joking, it is curious that the University hasn’t done something tangible to honor his legacy, especially when other programs have long since honored heroes who played in the same general era.
Second, while Walker clearly loves UGA and this football team, he wishes the Bulldogs would “step on a few throats” when they get an opponent down.
“Being up 21 is better than being up 14,” said Walker, who compared it to his days as an MMA fighter when he entered the cage knowing there was no alternative but to keep his opponent down.
Thirdly, Walker was also quite clear on where he thought the annual game with Florida should continue to be played, saying “Absolutely” when asked if the game should remain in Jacksonville.
