University of Georgia Athletics
Jackson and Washington Preview Auburn
October 05, 2022 | Football
ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia senior receiver Kearis Jackson and junior tight end Darnell Washington met with media after practice Wednesday evening and offered the following comments regarding the preparation for Auburn.
#0 Darnell Washington | Junior | TE
On hurdling defenders…
"Honesty, I don't know what goes through my head when I jump up in the air. I look down and think, 'yea… It doesn't look too good from this point.' I don't know, it just happens."
On the support staff that helps with the mental side of the game and its importance…
"Drew (Brannon). He does a great job talking to us, talking to us about real-life stuff, personal stuff or anything that is on our minds. He just kind of helps us clear our minds. We try to keep ball with ball and personal with personal stuff. I feel like that is very important. When you go on the field, you want to play the best. If you're thinking about other stuff, that might get in the way of you playing your game. So, it is very important."
On the mentality in the locker room preparing for Auburn…
"We know the history about it (the deep south's oldest rivalry). Coach Smart shows us a clip a day of the rivalry, about this game. We approach it just as any other game, just how we approached it last year or the first game of the season."
#10 Kearis Jackson | Senior | WR
On the benefit that Arian Smith brings to the receiving core…
"He can get past the defense, it's hard to coach what he brings to the table, he's a one-two type of guy where he can just get it and go, so it's really hard for opponents to guard that. I'm just excited for him to be back."
On what he offers to the offense…
"I'm a bigger guy, I think I'm one of the heaviest guys in the receiving room. Being a physical receiver, dependable, accountable, just going out there ready to make a play. I feel like my teammates can depend on me in different situations, I just love being out there and whenever my opportunity comes, I try to make the most of it."
On what the conversation in the huddle was like on the last drive against Missouri…
"We were with each other, it's like a brotherhood, we knew that going into the game what type of environment we were about to get into, we knew it was going to be loud since it was a night game. We knew all this going into it, most people were surprised that it was a close game but in that locker room, I was excited that we were the underdogs for a moment in that game. It allowed us to find out a lot about ourselves as a team and we were down 10 or 13 points which is hard to come back from on the road. Most teams would've probably folded but one thing about us, we showed resiliency and with that brotherhood we have, we were able to overcome that adversity."
