Quick Chat: Ameer Speed
March 25, 2021 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Ameer Speed is surely one of the most versatile student-athletes on the Georgia football team. The senior, a 6-foot-3 defensive back from Jacksonville, Fla., also played soccer when he was young, competed on the swim team in middle school, played some basketball, ran some track, and he spent many, many hours at his neighborhood skate park.
Of course, when your last name is Speed, you'd better not be the slowest kid in your class. That was never a problem.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Speed talked about growing up a Florida fan, skateboarding, his love of fashion, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: When you have a last name like Speed, is there pressure to be the fastest kid in your class?
Speed: [Laughs] Honestly, that's the first question that everybody asks me: "Hey, are you fast?" Growing up, I've always had to be fast.
Frierson: Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were young or was it mostly just football?
Speed: When I was young, I swam, I did soccer, I started in basketball but once I began playing football I stopped playing basketball. I ran some track, as well.
I was on the swim team in middle school — always loved the water. I did the freestyle and the breaststroke. Very tiring.
Frierson: Growing up in Jacksonville, was the Georgia-Florida a huge deal, or was it something that was happening over at the stadium that you didn't pay that much attention to?
Speed: It's always been a huge thing, and then I was a big Florida fan. Florida this, Florida that, everything Florida, so growing up I would argue with people against Georgia. Now, to be here, it's turned the table and it's awesome. I'm very glad to be here.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Speed: I love clothes and fashion, so that's what I'm into. I rarely wear my UGA stuff (in day-to-day life) because I like to wear my own clothes. I like to have on different colors and this and that. I want to have my own brand one day, as well.
Frierson: What's something you've bought yourself in the last year that you're really into?
Speed: I have some Dunks, some off-white Nike Dunks that I'm very proud to have. I did recently purchase these Bape shoes and I was very glad to get those, too.
Frierson: I have to ask: what are Bape shoes?
Speed: Bape, the brand's called Bathing Ape. They're shoes that are similar to (Nike) Air Forces but they're called Bape Stas. They have their own little logos on them and they look just like Air Forces.
Frierson: Do you have a closet full of stuff or are you constantly shuffling things in and out?
Speed: I'm big on thrifting and vintage shopping. I really don't sell much of my clothes so I have a lot of clothes, a lot of shirts and stuff. My closet is all color-coordinated.
Frierson: Are you that organized with everything in life? Is the rest of your place as organized as your closet?
Speed: I always keep my room organized. When I wake up, the first thing I do is make my bed, pick up anything on the floor and make sure that everything's nice, or at least presentable.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Speed: I'd say fried chicken — I love fried chicken. My mom used to call me "Chicken George" growing up because of how much fried chicken I ate. I always wanted to eat it and when I did eat it I ate too much [laughs].
Frierson: When you go home now, is that waiting for you when you get there?
Speed: It's usually waiting for me, and when it's not I'll ask her and she'll go, "Oh, of course." She always makes different foods and she cooks really well, so even if I don't get it I know I'm going to have something that's very good.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Speed: I'm learning from my mother. I'm good, though; I don't know as many recipes as her but when I get in there I can cook something up.
Frierson: Say you're inviting two of your teammates over for dinner, and you want to show off a little bit, what are you making for them?
Speed: I'd say I'd ask my mom for her mac and cheese recipe — her mac and cheese is beyond, the best mac and cheese I've ever had — and I'd probably try to make some friend chicken, too, just because I know how to do that. And then some kind of vegetable, maybe green beans or broccoli.
Frierson: What's something you were really into when you were younger that you not that into now?
Speed: I was a big skater when I was younger, I was a big skateboarder. At 9 o'clock every morning my friends would knock on the door because the skate park was right across the street. I used to be avidly at the skate park on a regular basis.
Frierson: I'm guessing not a lot of your teammates here were big into skating. Have you found many guys that you can talk that skating lingo with?
Speed: I've found a couple. When I first got here I had my Penny board with me so I would ride it around campus sometimes. I'm 6-3 riding a Penny board and people were like, "What are you doing?" It was kind of weird, but then I broke it and lost it so it was kind of over.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Speed: If not Dubai then I'd go somewhere very tropical like Bora Bora. And I'd take all of my close friends, my little group of friends that are on the team. There's about six of us and we're all really tight, so we'd all go out there and have a good time with each other.
Frierson: As someone that grew up near the water do you always think of the beach first when it comes to a trip?
Speed: Yes, sir, I do. Like I said, I love the water. I was about 10 or 15 minutes from the beach growing up so we would go to the beach very often. I also had a pool in my neighborhood so I've always wanted to be around water.
Frierson: You said that you skated so did you surf, as well?
Speed: That's one thing I never really picked up. I wish I would have. I feel like I tried one time and didn't really get the chance to hone in and lock in and learn it. That is one thing I want to do.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Speed: It's so hard because we have a really funny team. That's why I love being around our guys — every day you're going to laugh. In the locker room, the training room, on the field, you're going to laugh. You can't really be mad in this building because someone's going to make you laugh.
I'd say J.D. (Jordan Davis) is definitely up there. I'm trying to think of others because we have so many fun people that have me laughing pretty hard. I'd give it to J.D. right now.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Ameer Speed is surely one of the most versatile student-athletes on the Georgia football team. The senior, a 6-foot-3 defensive back from Jacksonville, Fla., also played soccer when he was young, competed on the swim team in middle school, played some basketball, ran some track, and he spent many, many hours at his neighborhood skate park.
Of course, when your last name is Speed, you'd better not be the slowest kid in your class. That was never a problem.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Speed talked about growing up a Florida fan, skateboarding, his love of fashion, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: When you have a last name like Speed, is there pressure to be the fastest kid in your class?
Speed: [Laughs] Honestly, that's the first question that everybody asks me: "Hey, are you fast?" Growing up, I've always had to be fast.
Frierson: Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were young or was it mostly just football?
Speed: When I was young, I swam, I did soccer, I started in basketball but once I began playing football I stopped playing basketball. I ran some track, as well.
I was on the swim team in middle school — always loved the water. I did the freestyle and the breaststroke. Very tiring.
Frierson: Growing up in Jacksonville, was the Georgia-Florida a huge deal, or was it something that was happening over at the stadium that you didn't pay that much attention to?
Speed: It's always been a huge thing, and then I was a big Florida fan. Florida this, Florida that, everything Florida, so growing up I would argue with people against Georgia. Now, to be here, it's turned the table and it's awesome. I'm very glad to be here.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Speed: I love clothes and fashion, so that's what I'm into. I rarely wear my UGA stuff (in day-to-day life) because I like to wear my own clothes. I like to have on different colors and this and that. I want to have my own brand one day, as well.
Frierson: What's something you've bought yourself in the last year that you're really into?
Speed: I have some Dunks, some off-white Nike Dunks that I'm very proud to have. I did recently purchase these Bape shoes and I was very glad to get those, too.
Frierson: I have to ask: what are Bape shoes?
Speed: Bape, the brand's called Bathing Ape. They're shoes that are similar to (Nike) Air Forces but they're called Bape Stas. They have their own little logos on them and they look just like Air Forces.
Frierson: Do you have a closet full of stuff or are you constantly shuffling things in and out?
Speed: I'm big on thrifting and vintage shopping. I really don't sell much of my clothes so I have a lot of clothes, a lot of shirts and stuff. My closet is all color-coordinated.
Frierson: Are you that organized with everything in life? Is the rest of your place as organized as your closet?
Speed: I always keep my room organized. When I wake up, the first thing I do is make my bed, pick up anything on the floor and make sure that everything's nice, or at least presentable.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Speed: I'd say fried chicken — I love fried chicken. My mom used to call me "Chicken George" growing up because of how much fried chicken I ate. I always wanted to eat it and when I did eat it I ate too much [laughs].
Frierson: When you go home now, is that waiting for you when you get there?
Speed: It's usually waiting for me, and when it's not I'll ask her and she'll go, "Oh, of course." She always makes different foods and she cooks really well, so even if I don't get it I know I'm going to have something that's very good.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Speed: I'm learning from my mother. I'm good, though; I don't know as many recipes as her but when I get in there I can cook something up.
Frierson: Say you're inviting two of your teammates over for dinner, and you want to show off a little bit, what are you making for them?
Speed: I'd say I'd ask my mom for her mac and cheese recipe — her mac and cheese is beyond, the best mac and cheese I've ever had — and I'd probably try to make some friend chicken, too, just because I know how to do that. And then some kind of vegetable, maybe green beans or broccoli.
Frierson: What's something you were really into when you were younger that you not that into now?
Speed: I was a big skater when I was younger, I was a big skateboarder. At 9 o'clock every morning my friends would knock on the door because the skate park was right across the street. I used to be avidly at the skate park on a regular basis.
Frierson: I'm guessing not a lot of your teammates here were big into skating. Have you found many guys that you can talk that skating lingo with?
Speed: I've found a couple. When I first got here I had my Penny board with me so I would ride it around campus sometimes. I'm 6-3 riding a Penny board and people were like, "What are you doing?" It was kind of weird, but then I broke it and lost it so it was kind of over.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Speed: If not Dubai then I'd go somewhere very tropical like Bora Bora. And I'd take all of my close friends, my little group of friends that are on the team. There's about six of us and we're all really tight, so we'd all go out there and have a good time with each other.
Frierson: As someone that grew up near the water do you always think of the beach first when it comes to a trip?
Speed: Yes, sir, I do. Like I said, I love the water. I was about 10 or 15 minutes from the beach growing up so we would go to the beach very often. I also had a pool in my neighborhood so I've always wanted to be around water.
Frierson: You said that you skated so did you surf, as well?
Speed: That's one thing I never really picked up. I wish I would have. I feel like I tried one time and didn't really get the chance to hone in and lock in and learn it. That is one thing I want to do.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Speed: It's so hard because we have a really funny team. That's why I love being around our guys — every day you're going to laugh. In the locker room, the training room, on the field, you're going to laugh. You can't really be mad in this building because someone's going to make you laugh.
I'd say J.D. (Jordan Davis) is definitely up there. I'm trying to think of others because we have so many fun people that have me laughing pretty hard. I'd give it to J.D. right now.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director 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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