Justin Shaffer is back where his football career reached its apex.

Shaffer, as well as several other of his Bulldog teammates, are in Indianapolis this week for the NFL Scouting Combine. Shaffer met with reporters on Thursday and covered everything from his Georgia career to his NFL future.

Is it cool being back in Indy after the title?
Shaffer: "Yeah, it definitely did. When I came in, walked through the stadium, I was talking to Jamaree, I was like, ‘Dang, bro, I’m catching chills just looking.’ We were just here in January. So really just catching chills. It was definitely déjà vu."

How did Georgia prepare you for the combine?
Shaffer: "I feel like Georgia prepared me very well just because the practices, the offseason workouts, all that really contributed to this day."

Did coming back for your senior year help you more?
Shaffer: "Most definitely. It prepared me very well, just knowing that the transition, it’s going to be a hard transition but it’s not going to be as hard as I think it is just because Georgia prepared me the right way."

What teams have you spoken with?
Shaffer: "I’ve been talking to the Falcons, Cowboys, Raiders, the Cardinals, the list can go on and on. Those are just the ones I know off the bat."

Are you doing everything here? Or waiting for pro day?
Shaffer: "I’m probably going to wait and do my bench press at pro day just because of my body and just making sure I have the correct wrists. Everything else except bench."

If you could show NFL coaches one game – what game would it be?
Shaffer: "It would be the SEC championship. Even though we lost, just the performance I had, it was good."

Who is the best guy you ever faced?
Shaffer: "I would say Phil Mathis from Alabama. I did pretty good [against him.]"

What did you learn from facing Mathis?
Shaffer: "Just knowing if you go against a player one time, he’s going to come back the second game, he’s going to come back with a different mindset and a different way of attacking the game."

What's one thing you’ve been working on?
Shaffer: "I’d say my diet and just crafting my pass protection just because I know I get a little out of whack sometimes."

Did UGA help develop you after being 3-star recruit?
Shaffer: "I’d say Georgia played a big part in that. But just having that mindset just because I was a three-star, just knowing that I’ve got a chip on my shoulder, I’ve got to go out here and prove myself every time I get on the field. No matter if it’s practice or the game, just going out and attacking each and every day the right way."

What is a team getting in you if they select you?
Shaffer: "I’d say a dog, a mauler, someone who loves the game, someone who’s going to try and come in and do whatever it takes to get on the field day one. Just go out there and just try to follow the vets and just try to follow their footsteps."

What was your reaction to Matt Luke stepping down?
Shaffer: "As soon as I saw it on Twitter, I called Sedrick Van Pran. I’m trying to call the group chat like, why’s he leaving? What’s going on? But they were in practice at the time, so I didn’t ever get a chance to get back in contact with them."

Who is an NFL player you model your game after?
Shaffer: "I’d say I model my game after Quenton Nelson who plays for the Indianapolis Colts. Just his playing style and how he attacks the game. He attacks the game like me, very aggressive, and he’s a mauler."

How does it feel going from the lowest of lows (neck injury) to the highest of highs in UGA career?
Shaffer: "Just coming and hitting roadblocks, not letting that really stop you. We said that last year when all of us said unfinished business, that was one of the things that I wanted to do is win a national championship and graduate. So just accomplishing those goals and just looking back at how far I came, I can just really look back and just sit back and smile at myself because I made it this far."

What did Luke mean to you?
Shaffer: "Coach Luke meant a lot, just his coaching style, how he coached. He always coached with good energy. He was like me, really loved the game. He’s going to coach you hard no matter if you’re wrong or right. If you’re wrong, he’s going to yell at you, he’s going to get onto you. But it’s not to do it on purpose or get on your bad side. It’s to coach you and coach you the right way, and teach you like an adult."

What was a key point in season where you knew you could win a title?
Shaffer: "I’d say it started in the summer. We used to have little breakout groups. We had four traits we leaned on all year: connection, effort, toughness, and resiliency. So just leaning on those four traits, those four traits made our bond and our brotherhood in the locker room real tight. We made it where everybody comes in and just works. Nobody complained, nobody did nothing, nobody wanted to skip. It was just like everybody wanted to come in and get that extra work. It started back in the summer. The coaches didn’t even have to tell us to work. Everybody came in to do extra laps, doing extra weights. Things like that really just made our bond tight and it got us a national championship."