Saturday’s on-field dust-up between linebackers D’Andre Walker and Brenton Cox received a lot of attention from media following Georgia’s 49-7 win over Middle Tennessee.
Midway through the second quarter, Walker and Cox were seen "throwing hands" before teammates stepped between them.
So what was that all about?
“We had a bust on defense that we didn’t close as we should have, and they gashed us for a pretty good run,” defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said. “They did it two to three times, and the same individual wasn't closing. We had to address that as a team. We did—we came back and fixed it. That’s what you do.”
Ledbetter said all parties involved have moved on.
“It’s football. It’s not always going to be relaxed and calm, there’s a lot of stuff going on out there. Guys do get heated and frustrated with each other, but you just talk,” Ledbetter said. “You just keep moving on. It’s always the next play. We go in the locker room, we hug on each other, we love on each other and tell each other, ‘Bro, I love you, but I’m telling you this, you need to do it this way, and if I need to help you, just let me know.’”
According to Ledbetter, it’s not unusual for older players like Walker or himself to correct younger teammates if something needs to be said.
“You want to see everybody succeed and play to the best of their ability,” Ledbetter said. “We have people on our team who notice guys can play better. They have more potential to do things, and we’re not going to let them waste their potential. We’re going to get on them, but it’s love, we want everyone to be successful, to thrive and reach their peak.”
Bulldog safety J.R. Reed agreed.
“It’s tough love,” Reed said. “Older guys are going to get on younger guys. That’s what is going to happen in years of football. Its tough love and it makes your team better.”
Apparently in more ways than one.
Kirby Smart cited a time when he was the defensive coordinator at Alabama, when Crimson Tide teammates chewed out linebacker Reuben Foster for a mistake that led to Nick Chubb ripping off an 80-yard touchdown run four years ago in Athens.
Reed was asked if the fact that older players are willing to speak up could be seen as a good sign.
“We’re a family here. It was nothing to be mad about, today or tomorrow,” Reed said. “It’s just what happens when you’re out there, you want to push everyone to be your best.”
Ledbetter said it’s all about knowing what buttons need to be pushed.
“Sometimes it’s tough love, sometime it’s intimate,” he said. “You’ve got to get on people different types of ways, but it’s never to penalize people, or to feel they’re not part of the family. We have a standard for our family that everyone has to play to.”
