Kirby Smart began coaching at the University of Georgia with a lot of lofty expectations. Fans wanted wins, and fast. However, nobody expected Georgia to have accomplished in 10 years under Smart what he has.
Two National Championships as well as a pair of SEC titles is not easy to come by. A lot of players and staff are to credit for Georgia getting to this level of excellence. Most would say the return of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in 2017 or the hiring of Smart in 2016. However, there is one guy that does not get as much credit as he deserves: Jake Fromm.
The legend of Jake Fromm in Athens
Before Fromm, there was a host of Dawgs Smart tried playing. Greyson Lambert was a player that had talent, but was not always reliable. For example, the quarterback set an NCAA record versus South Carolina in 2015, and the very next week went for 86 passing yards and completed under 50 percent of his passes against Alabama.
Fans thought the answer had been found with five-star freshman Jacob Eason in 2016. Though he had his ups and downs, there was hope to be had. However, things changed in the beginning of the 2017 season when Eason went down with a leg injury. All of a sudden a freshman from Warner Robbins (Fromm) named was put in versus Appalachian State. When fans had thought this would be another season of quarterback misery, Fromm stepped up more than anyone could have imagined.
When you have the greatest running back duo in college football history behind you, a quarterback's job is to be a game manager. Nobody did that better than Fromm in 2017. He stayed consistent and led Georgia all the way to a national title appearance. Though they came up one or two plays short in overtime, Georgia surpassed fans expectations by a mile.
For the next two years, Fromm continued to bring Georgia's standard at championship or bust. They appeared in the SEC Championship game every year Fromm was quarterback and won one (2017). Georgia also won the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl in Fromm's time as well.
Though they could never quite get over the hurdle of a National Championship with Fromm, the quarterback pushed the team above expectations. A higher standard had been set due to Fromm's play and mentality. Fromm ranks top five in every notable career passing statistic in Georgia history and left his mark for decades to come. Without Fromm's heroism in 2017, who knows where Georgia would be today.