University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Getting Back To Work
December 18, 2017 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
The last time the media had a chance to speak to Lorenzo Carter, the Georgia senior linebacker was sitting in the Bulldogs' locker room at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, smiling even bigger than normal. And Carter's a big, big man (6-foot-6, 242 pounds) with a big, big smile.
Seated next to him in front of his locker that day in Atlanta, on Dec. 2, about 30 minutes after the Bulldogs wrapped up their commanding 28-7 win over Auburn in the SEC Championship Game, was a white cardboard sign that read "SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 2017" about 3 feet across.
"I'm a Bulldog, man, they can't take this away from us, ever," he said of Georgia's first SEC title since 2005. "It's permanent."
Carter made it clear that the sign was returning with him to Athens.
"Oh yeah, you're not taking this away from me, it's mine," he said. "It's going to the crib (laughs)."
The day after beating the Tigers to win the SEC and improve to 12-1, it was made official what everybody figured: the Bulldogs were among the four teams selected for the College Football Playoff. That was early that Sunday afternoon, and for the most part the players have been at the crib or out of sight since.
"I love it," Carter said Monday. "I'm a chill person, so I'm usually in the house or in class or up here, so there's not too much going on around here."
The Monday and Tuesday after the Bulldogs learned they were the No. 3 seed in the Playoff and headed to the Rose Bowl to face No. 2 Oklahoma on New Year's Day, the players were attending their final classes of fall semester. Then came a reading day, followed by exams.
While coaches were out recruiting for the past two weeks, though coach Kirby Smart was in Atlanta for a Playoff coaches news conference on Dec. 7, the players themselves hadn't really been seen or heard from publicly — they held their annual team gala the day after the title game — since they were together in the winning locker room in Atlanta.
The notable exception to that is star linebacker Roquan Smith, who had multiple college football awards ceremonies to attend. The junior received the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker during the team gala, and then spent the next few days at various functions, wearing suits or tuxedos rather than a helmet and shoulder pads.
It wasn't until last Friday that practice resumed. The Bulldogs were back at it Monday, their fourth practice in preparation for the Sooners — though they're mostly working on themselves these days — and they were back in front of the media for the first time in 16 days, by far the longest stretch since practice began in August.
It's odd in a way, the near-total disappearing act right as the final chapter of the season is beginning, with everything heightened a hundred times over by all there is to play for. There's a reason a few dozen reporters and photographers were on hand and lining up four people deep around the Bulldogs made available Monday.
For the Bulldogs, senior running back Sony Michel said, the break after the exciting win in Atlanta was a good thing.
"Most definitely, because coming off a big win such as the SEC championship, we want some time for it to die down so we don't have any carryover from that game," he said. "It's a clean slate; we've got to focus on Oklahoma and focus on that next game and move forward."
It's the Rose Bowl up next, it's the College Football Playoff, it's the place you're aiming for when you start the season. The players know all that, but again and again Monday they said they have to put all that aside and approach their work over the next two weeks like they would any other game.
"We had a chance to enjoy what we did, probably the day after the SEC Championship Game, but after 24 hours it's time to go back to work," Carter said. "We can't enjoy what we've done too much, because we aren't done."
UGAAA Staff Writer
The last time the media had a chance to speak to Lorenzo Carter, the Georgia senior linebacker was sitting in the Bulldogs' locker room at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, smiling even bigger than normal. And Carter's a big, big man (6-foot-6, 242 pounds) with a big, big smile.
Seated next to him in front of his locker that day in Atlanta, on Dec. 2, about 30 minutes after the Bulldogs wrapped up their commanding 28-7 win over Auburn in the SEC Championship Game, was a white cardboard sign that read "SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 2017" about 3 feet across.
"I'm a Bulldog, man, they can't take this away from us, ever," he said of Georgia's first SEC title since 2005. "It's permanent."
Carter made it clear that the sign was returning with him to Athens.
"Oh yeah, you're not taking this away from me, it's mine," he said. "It's going to the crib (laughs)."
The day after beating the Tigers to win the SEC and improve to 12-1, it was made official what everybody figured: the Bulldogs were among the four teams selected for the College Football Playoff. That was early that Sunday afternoon, and for the most part the players have been at the crib or out of sight since.
"I love it," Carter said Monday. "I'm a chill person, so I'm usually in the house or in class or up here, so there's not too much going on around here."
The Monday and Tuesday after the Bulldogs learned they were the No. 3 seed in the Playoff and headed to the Rose Bowl to face No. 2 Oklahoma on New Year's Day, the players were attending their final classes of fall semester. Then came a reading day, followed by exams.
While coaches were out recruiting for the past two weeks, though coach Kirby Smart was in Atlanta for a Playoff coaches news conference on Dec. 7, the players themselves hadn't really been seen or heard from publicly — they held their annual team gala the day after the title game — since they were together in the winning locker room in Atlanta.
The notable exception to that is star linebacker Roquan Smith, who had multiple college football awards ceremonies to attend. The junior received the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker during the team gala, and then spent the next few days at various functions, wearing suits or tuxedos rather than a helmet and shoulder pads.
It wasn't until last Friday that practice resumed. The Bulldogs were back at it Monday, their fourth practice in preparation for the Sooners — though they're mostly working on themselves these days — and they were back in front of the media for the first time in 16 days, by far the longest stretch since practice began in August.
It's odd in a way, the near-total disappearing act right as the final chapter of the season is beginning, with everything heightened a hundred times over by all there is to play for. There's a reason a few dozen reporters and photographers were on hand and lining up four people deep around the Bulldogs made available Monday.
For the Bulldogs, senior running back Sony Michel said, the break after the exciting win in Atlanta was a good thing.
"Most definitely, because coming off a big win such as the SEC championship, we want some time for it to die down so we don't have any carryover from that game," he said. "It's a clean slate; we've got to focus on Oklahoma and focus on that next game and move forward."
It's the Rose Bowl up next, it's the College Football Playoff, it's the place you're aiming for when you start the season. The players know all that, but again and again Monday they said they have to put all that aside and approach their work over the next two weeks like they would any other game.
"We had a chance to enjoy what we did, probably the day after the SEC Championship Game, but after 24 hours it's time to go back to work," Carter said. "We can't enjoy what we've done too much, because we aren't done."
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.
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