Georgia Football: Practice Report – Monday

Photo by Sonny Kennedy, http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/

The fifth-ranked Georgia football team practiced in full pads for the first time as the Bulldogs’ preseason camp continued on Monday.

Monday’s session marked the fifth practice for the Bulldogs, and Coach Mark Richt was happy with what he saw.

“I thought the guys got after it really good,” Richt said. “It was a very physical, very intense practice. I was pleased with the physicality and the energy of the day. … The guys are competing and trying to get better. The first day of pads, if you’re a football player, that gets a guy’s blood up. The coaches, too. It was a good day for that.”

Richt noted that the offense and the defense battled in 3-on-3 and team run competitions and the score was tied afterward. The offense then won the single-play tiebreaker, he said.

“It was a very heated, intense competition, which was great,” Richt said. “It’s a great drill because it teaches the players to face the issue.”

Richt said he was impressed in the 3-on-3 drills when tailback J.J. Green “hit it up in there pretty good, got on top of the pile, rolled over, landed on his feet and scored a touchdown. It was an impressive run.”

The Bulldogs will continue their workouts with two practices on Tuesday. Georgia is slated to have its first scrimmage on Wednesday.

ESPN’s College Football Live bus stopped in Athens on Monday, and the crew of Chris Fowler, David Pollack and Kirk Herbstreit did a broadcast from the Nalley Multi-Purpose Room in the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall adjacent to the Bulldogs’ practice fields.

Also on Monday it was announced that linebackers James DeLoach and Davin Bellamy will undergo surgery to repair left thumb injuries. A full recovery is expected and each player should be available for the first game of the season. Said Richt, “It’s hand-to-hand combat in there and digits can get pushed back and get damaged. We’ll clean them up and club them up to protect them and they’ll be participating again relatively soon.”

Injury Report:

James DeLoach, a sophomore outside linebacker from Millen and Davin Bellamy, a freshman outside linebacker from Chamblee will both undergo surgery Monday at St. Mary¹s Hospital in Athens to repair injuries to their left thumbs. DeLoach sustained a sprained ulnar collateral ligament and Bellamy a thumb fracture. Both injuries occurred in practice on Sunday. A full recovery is anticipated and both players should be able to play in the first game of the season on August 31st versus Clemson.

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http://www.sonnykennedyphotography.com/