Kirby Smart was like a proud father as he ambled about Georgia’s indoor athletic facility, site of the Bulldogs’ annual Pro Day Event.

With the exception of former offensive lineman Kendall Baker, each of the 15 players on hand for this year’s event were players he signed and recruited upon first arriving in Athens in December of 2015.

“It was great. I got to talk to those guys as a group, and I think every guy working out, we recruited, with the exception of maybe Kendall Baker, who was out working out after some injuries he’s had,” Smart said. “But that group was special to me, because they’ve all come at different times, but they’re leading together. They’re all ours. Proud of them. They’ve worked really hard for today, and also to be closer to graduating. Some have graduated.”

One of those was Trey Hill. The former Houston County standout missed the final two games of the season after undergoing surgery on both knees. Last December, he received his undergraduate degree from UGA.

“That was a big deal to me, to get my degree,” Hill said. “My mom wanted me to get my degree in three, so I had my head down and just stayed working each and every day in the classroom. I did it for them.”

Other Bulldogs from last year’s squad taking part in Pro Day included Richard LeCounte, Ben Cleveland, Monty Rice, Eric Stokes, DJ Daniel, Mark Webb, Tyson Campbell, Tre’ McKitty, and Azeez Ojulari. Former defensive end Malik Herring also was in attendance, although he did not take part in drills, as he's recovering from the ACL he tore during the Senior Bowl. Herring said he hopes to be recovered by September.

Baker, along with David Marshall and Tyler Simmons, were other former Bulldogs who took part.

“Each one is special to our staff. They’ve been great for Georgia. I told them. I told them, 'Look, I don’t know when your career is going to end. For some of you, it’s just beginning today,'” Smart said. “The most important thing I want them to know is they’re not just football players. They’re great people, they’re great leaders, and we want to help them so they can be successful the rest of their lives without football.”

Smart was asked by a reporter from another part of the country what Eric Stokes would bring to an NFL team.

“Speed, speed, and more speed is the first thing he can bring. But he's a high-character young man who's done so much for our program,” Smart said. “People talk about the value on the field, the speed he has, and the plays he’s made. But for all the things he’s good at, he’s a lot better than anything else. He goes to the Boys and Girls Club; he reads to young kids in Athens, and he’s a big brother to a sister who I know means a lot to him.”

The former three-star did nothing to hurt his chances as a potential first-day pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Unofficial numbers had Stokes post a 38.5 in the vertical, a leap of 10-8 in the broad jump, with even more impressive times in the 40-yard dash of 4.25 and 4.29.

“People are now finally able to see my speed, for sure,” Stokes said. “It’s finally acknowledged; now they can see I’m really that fast. It’s amazing.”

Smart said that Stokes is more than just a fast runner.

“He's a hard-nosed, get-better player. He had a long way to go, but by his redshirt freshman year, he came on and had to come into the game. I think it was against Auburn, and he played really well. Played good against Missouri at times and just grew,” Smart said. “He kept getting better, so I'm proud of what Stokes was able to do. He was always fast. That wasn't the question mark, but what he did is, he improved in a lot of areas where he wasn't great, and became a much better player."

Seeing Richard LeCounte back and healthy was another highlight Wednesday for the Bulldogs’ head coach.

“It was great to see him get back out there and have fun. What you love about Richard so much is his personality,” Smart said. “I had several NFL guys come over to me and say they were able to see his personality come out, not only in the workout, but in the interviews he was able to do in front of everybody.

Probably the biggest compliment I got all day was a couple of guys, GMs, came over and said this group did a tremendous job of walking up in front of us. And Richard was one of those guys. He was one of those guys who got to get up, answer questions in front of 70 or 80 of your peers, and that’s pretty intimidating. I thought they did a good job.”

On the field, LeCounte raised some eyebrows with 40 times of just 4.76 and 4.82, although the former Liberty County star did not feel concerned.

“It is what it is. I feel my play tape shows what type of player I am, how I use my speed on the field, and things like that,” LeCounte said. “I’m not really too worried about that 40.”

Junior linebacker Azeez Ojulari apparently made a big impression to the representatives of 32 teams in attendance Tuesday.

Ojulari repped 225 pounds on the bench press 26 times, posted a broad jump of 10-6, and ran the 40-yard dash in times of 4.66 and 4.62.

“I believe it was really good, and it helped me,” Ojulari said. “I think today I was able to come out and show them.”

According to Smart, of all the players at Pro Day, the SEC sack leader for 2020 was the player he was asked about the most.

“As far as Azeez, every team I talked to today, that's probably the first question I get. What do you think Azeez is? Is he an SAM? Is he a DPR (designated pass rusher)? What can he do outside of rushing the passer? Is he going to be able to play in space?” Smart said. “There's a lot of questions there they want to know, because they're talking about investing a lot of money in those high draft picks. So, they want to get a lot of information on those guys.”