University of Georgia Athletics
Another Quick Chat With ... Greg Pyke
September 15, 2016 | Football
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
About 13 months ago, Georgia offensive lineman Greg Pyke sat down in an office in the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall and discussed the Baltimore native's love of lacrosse, how he wound up in Athens and more. It was a good chat, so why not do it again?
Following Wednesday's practice Pyke was back in that same office, this time answering completely different questions. But like the first time, the redshirt senior -- All-SEC the past two seasons -- gave thoughtful, interesting answers.
To read our original Q&A, click here: http://gado.gs/6c1. Here's some of what he had to say the second time around:
Frierson: Who's somebody on the team, or on another Georgia team, that you really admire?
Pyke: I've been here for a while, five years, so there have been a lot of guys. I would say one of the guys that I admire the most is Nick Chubb. I mean the guy comes into work every single day and he just grinds.
When he first got here I remember he was a very quiet guy and he wouldn't say much, he'd just let his play do the talking for him, which is all he needed to do. I think he's really opened up and he's a funny guy that likes to joke around, but when it's time for business and to strap it up, he's all business.
Having that injury last year and coming back like he did, it's awesome to have him out there again and to be blocking for No. 27.
Frierson: What's the hardest thing to do in sports?
Pyke: Probably one of the hardest things to do, and I've noticed this being a senior and in my last year, is come into practice every day to try to get better. I think that's one thing, with school and your personal life and everything that's going on, you come up here to the Butts and put all of that aside. It's time to get to work for the next opponent that we have and try to motivate other guys to come along with you.
I think that's probably one of the hardest things, to try to get that right mindset, to be like, OK, I've got all this homework to do, all this other stuff to do, but I'll put all that aside and I'm up here for practice and I've got to get better and do my job.
Frierson: I actually thought of something similar. Earlier today I interviewed one of the cross country runners (Bryan Kamau, whose Q&A will go up Friday) and he said Wednesday was a light day -- and he ran 11 miles that morning.
Pyke: We see those guys and girls all the time just running around campus, especially during the summer. You see them and you're just like, man, I don't know how they do that, because that's one of the hardest things to do, just run around out here. At least in our sport we run around and hit people, while they just run and run.
Frierson: I thought about you big guys last Saturday, which was so hot and humid. You're listed at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds in the media guide, but what do you think you weigh after the Nicholls game?
Pyke: I don't know, but during camp, on a hot day, you lose 10-12 pounds in water weight and just weight in general. You gain it all back after a good meal and just hydrating again, but during camp and those really hot games you can fluctuate a lot in your weight.
Frierson: What's something from your childhood that you really miss?
Pyke: When I was really young -- I have really vivid memories of this, probably from when I was five or six -- we had this big hill at our house and I had one of those little jeeps with the battery in back, and I used to drive that thing around.
I would scare my mom because I would go to the top of the hill in our driveway and I would floor it down. I would kind of drift and spin out at the bottom, and my mom used to tell me that it always looked like I was about to flip, but I was loving it. I do remember doing stupid stuff like that when I was younger.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do? Or what's something creative you wish you could do?
Pyke: I think it would be cool to be a musician, but I can play maybe a couple of notes on the guitar. I think it would be pretty cool to play the guitar, but I'm the worst. I think I learned in middle school a little bit for a concert or something, but it was just like a couple of notes. I would like to be able to play the guitar well and play some songs.
Frierson: Who on the team makes you laugh the hardest?
Pyke: I would say Chuks Amaechi, he's probably one of the funnier dudes on the team. Chuks is hilarious and (Trenton Thompson) is a funny guy, too. Trent's on my row so I'm always talking to him, but Chuks, when I just see him around, not even around football, he's just a funny guy to hang around.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
