Injuries have kept Tykee Smith from making quite the impact he had hoped when he transferred from West Virginia prior to last year.

So, finding himself in the starting lineup at star for last week’s game at Missouri qualified as a big deal.

"It meant a lot to me, being able to go out there and help the team in the best way possible,” Smith said after practice Tuesday. “It meant a lot to me to be able to get out there after all of the injuries I've been through."

Last year, a preseason foot injury kept Smith out of Georgia’s first five games before an ACL injury in practice after last season’s game at Auburn cost him the rest of the year.

“It’s something you’ve just got to push through,” Smith said. “I was off for a long time; getting the confidence back was the biggest thing.”

Saturday, the opportunity he was waiting for finally came.

With Javon Bullard back in Athens serving a one-game suspension, Smith made his first career start for the Bulldogs, finishing with three tackles while taking most of the reps at star.

Head coach Kirby Smart confirmed that Bullard will be back this weekend, but expect Smith to continue seeing plenty of reps.

"He's done everything we've asked. He has an unfortunate injury that happens. There are guys walking all over the NFL with the same injury he had. I still think there are guys who are better the next year after that injury, and he's in the first year recovering from it,” Smart said. “He's done a really good job with that. He's very bright, and he's very conscientious. Those two things will get you far when you're intelligent. He asks really smart questions. He takes the initiative to watch a lot of tape. He's done everything we've asked, and he's a great kid."

Smith is also a young man with other responsibilities.

The Philadelphia native has a young daughter—eight month Zyla Smith—who is being cared for back home by family members. Although it pains Smith to be so far away from her, one of the reasons he transferred to Georgia was to put himself in a position to give her the best care possible in the future.

"My family means everything to me. It has definitely been hard. I go by the phrase, 'Sacrifice now to live how you want to live in the future,' so I have to sacrifice it now in order for me to take care of (his daughter) in the future."

At West Virginia, Smith played what was termed the “spear,” a multi-purpose position which calls for the person playing it be all over the field.

At Georgia, the star position is more contained.

“It’s totally different,” Smith said. “At West Virginia, I’d stay in the middle of the field. Here, I may be more in the passing lanes and lined up more toward the boundary.”

One thing that is similar, however, is the mentality it takes to play. With Bullard now back, the Bulldogs feel the star position is in good hands.

“We definitely push each other to be better,” Smith said. “When one goes down, it’s the next man up. We’re always there for each other, cheering each other on.”