Georgia football is notorious for having physical and challenging practices. While it’s become something Dawg fans have come to expect, it isn’t what happens across the board in college football.
Smart’s philosophy shouldn’t be simple or easy. Whether a player is a freshman or a fifth-year senior — expectations remain the same. These guys chose to play college football at the University of Georgia, where the standards are high.
The staff surrounding Smart is his best yet since taking the job in Dec. 2015. Now that he has a staff around him that understands what he wants, and it’s drawing attention. Smart knows Fall Camp can be exhausting, but only the mentally tough survive. If a freshman can handle that toughness, he will get used during the season. The same concept goes for the older players.
However, Smart cannot do all of that himself — having a great staff is what sets Georgia apart from other programs.
Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart knows what it takes to have an elite staff.
After the second scrimmage, Smart addressed how overwhelming practice can be at Georgia, especially for the freshmen. Some of those youngsters have hit a wall with how physically and mentally taxing these practices can be.
"“Sometimes those guys hit a bump, hit a wall, and we have to do a good job as coaches to encourage them. Some of those guys have run through the wall and will help us immediately,” Smart said in a press conference. “Others are seeing the writing on the wall and go, ‘It ain’t my turn yet. I have got to continue to develop and get better.’ That is what separates great staffs and coaches from average. You have got to bring those kids along because they are the future of your roster.”"
The bar that Georgia sets for these young guys is huge, especially for them coming out of high school. It doesn’t matter because they signed up to play for Georgia.
The expectation is there — you either get on the bull and ride for eight seconds or get bucked off. If you get thrown, you get up and keep pushing, or there are other options. However, getting the kids through that tough patch is where having an elite staff is extremely beneficial.
These coaches know how to encourage and help these younger players develop into the men they are destined to be. How Smart explained this topic was interesting because it’s true — some staffs cannot get this out of their players, but others can.
Georgia has done a great job recruiting players that can push through these moments of adversity, which comes from the coaching staff’s guidance. The Dawgs have a great staff, and it shows every day.