Georgia football has some of the most tenacious players and coaching in all college athletics. While the Dawgs should be excited about winning the 2021 national title, instead, they rather focus on this year and contending again.
Before anyone says something, that mindset is the way to go because if you live in the past, someone will catch you slipping and upset the team. The sooner Georgia can forget about the 2021 national title, the better because when they refocus and fight for another one, that is all that matters.
Georgia can still be proud of themselves, but there is a new identity circling this 2022 squad, and head coach Kirby Smart couldn’t stop warning their opponents.
The Dawgs don’t feel entitled or complacent. Instead, there is a burning desire for more success.
Georgia football has one identity for the 2022 season, which will be a key to future success.
Smart said that this team’s identity is hungry. No, not like they haven’t eaten enough, but like there is a desire inside them to want to win, prove themselves and continue building a legacy in Athens.
Georgia is a historic program and has seen its fair share of success since the turn of the century. However, since Smart took over the program, the standards shifted from 10-win seasons to contending in the playoffs yearly.
Staying hungry keeps that tenacious spirit alive and well — it prevents complacency and ultimately strengthens the program.
"“There’s a hunger among this group. A lot of guys want to prove that they can replace the other guy. They don’t want to be the other guy. They want to be the next guy,” Smart said at SEC Media Days. “You look across the board, we had some high-profile players on defense and offense when you count the backs and receivers that we have to replace those guys. The hunger comes from the opportunity the talented players behind them have.”"
Complacency isn’t a word in the Dawgs’ vocabulary — that word is forbidden on campus. Smart said it isn’t a problem with his team because they want more than the success that happened last year. When players and the coaches wake up and ask what they can do to make the program better, it means these guys understand to be considered great, the work never stops.
Georgia recruits hungry players that want to keep success in Athens. Smart mentioned that his players do this already, which should excite the fans. After losing so many guys to the NFL in April, seeing kids want to step up and fill those roles means the program is in good hands.
If this team stays hungry as the season progresses, the Dawgs could be in for another memorable season.