There are probably a lot of Georgia fans today surprised that both Channing Tindall and Ameer Speed are still part of the Bulldog football team.
Earlier this week, UGASports wrote about the veteran linebacker and cornerback, both of whom have a chance to make even bigger impacts this fall than they previously have.
Head coach Kirby Smart certainly appreciates their efforts.
During Thursday’s Zoom session with reporters, Smart spoke extensively about the pair, not only praising them for their effort, but also lauding their decisions to stick it out, putting them in the positions they currently hold.
“Yeah, I’m excited to see the work both of them do. They’re both extremely talented, but they’re blessed with great work ethic. And since they’ve gotten here, they’re total program guys,” Smart said. “They’ve been major factors on special teams. That’s been a really high-quality area here.”
Speed, for example, has proven to be one of the team’s more elite front-line performers on Georgia’s kickoff team.
Tindall, meanwhile, has been a starter on the Bulldogs’ punt team since he first arrived on campus three years ago.
“He’s been a dominant player on a lot of special teams,” Smart said. “He’s played on third downs a lot; he’s had sack production. So I have a lot of respect for those guys and the work they do.”
They also play positions where the Bulldogs have been blessed in talent during their tenure in Athens.
For Speed, it meant competing with the likes of DeAndre Baker, Eric Stokes, and Tyson Campbell, among others, for playing in what traditionally has been a deep Georgia secondary.
The same has been true for Tindall who, over the years, has competed with the likes of Monty Rice, Tae Crowder, and Nakobe Dean.
That’s not all both players have in common. They’ve stuck it out knowing their respective opportunities would come.
In an era when the NCAA transfer portal makes switching schools easier than ever before, Smart said Tindall and Speed should be applauded.
“As far as the transfer portal and staying here, that’s the way it should be,” Smart said. “I mean, you should want to play for your university; you should want to get your degree from your university. And when you get your degree, it certainly opens up doors to go other places. A Georgia degree is worth a lot more than maybe going somewhere else and maybe playing more.”
Speed and Tindall heard that message loud and clear.
“I love my teammates. I love the University of Georgia and everyone who is here,” Speed said. “That’s pretty much one of the reasons I’m still here today, so just realizing and understanding my situation and knowing that God’s timing is different for everybody has kept me really patient and humble throughout my experiences.”
So did Tindall, who also realized it was going to take him some time, considering he never really played inside linebacker before in high school.
Still, like Speed, he’s stuck it out with the Bulldogs.
“I’ve had my frustrations. But at the end of the day, I knew (Georgia) was the place for me, and I knew it was going to take me some time,” Tindall said. “I knew slowly but surely I was going to (understand the position)—and I’m getting it more now than ever.”
Smart wishes more players would take the same approach.
“I tell people all the time, if you’re not going to be a starter at Georgia, what makes you think you’re going to be a starter in the NFL? It doesn’t work that way. It’s too easy to say, 'Well, I couldn’t start at Georgia, so I’ll go start somewhere else,'” Smart said. “Well, how about get your degree, play for the university, play for your teammates, and try to win a championship. Which to me is special. Those guys aspire to going to the NFL, but there’s nowhere better to train for that than the University of Georgia. They’ve got a great workout place and a great staff. We’ve had a lot of guys who didn’t necessarily start every game that have gone on and played in the NFL.”
