University of Georgia Athletics
Podlesny, Kicking Game Once Again Pivotal
November 26, 2022 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jack Podlesny came to Georgia as a walk-on with some hope of kicking for the Bulldogs, but he wasn't counting on it.
"I got here, and I was like, four years, in and out, get my degree, football's going to be on the resume — I won't have played a single snap but it is what it is," the standout fifth-year senior said this week.
Podlesny, from St. Simons Island, has played much more than a single snap. He's in his third season as the starting placekicker, and is one of the top kickers in the country. Along with being a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation's top kicker, he also was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded annually to the top scholar-athlete in college football.
He said this week that it took him a little while to feel like he belonged.
"Going into last year, I was like, I can make something of this," he said. "Whether it's make a career of it or just making an impact on other people's lives. Hopefully I've done just that."
Without question, he has.
In the top-ranked Bulldogs' 37-14 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Sanford Stadium, which clinched a second straight undefeated regular season, Podlesny's strong and accurate leg was needed. Before the Bulldogs blew the game open in the second half, Podlesny connected on field goals of 30, 50 and 36 yards to help Georgia take control.
Heading into the regular-season finale, Podlesny ranked seventh in the country overall and third among kickers with 10.1 points per game, having made 20 of 22 field-goal attempts and all 51 of his extra-point kicks. His field-goal percentage, 90.9%, was tied for 14th nationally.
Podlesny was asked earlier this week to give himself a grade for his performance this season — not something he'd normally ponder.
"If I had to think in such terms, I'd probably say a B-plus," he said. "I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied. Granted, it probably goes for any football player but especially a specialist, I don't think there ever is room for satisfaction, There's always room for improvement."
And it's thinking like that, combined with his obvious talent and work-ethic, that explains why Podlesny has been so good for Georgia.
In 2020, he had the tough task of replacing the beloved Rodrigo Blankenship. Podlesny was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award that season after making 13 of 16 field goals. highlighted by the game-winner from 53 yards in Georgia's 16-13 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati.
Last season, he hit 22 of 27 field-goal attempts, including a 49-yarder in the CFP National Championship Game. He's been even better in 2022, and the Bulldogs, despite their high-powered offense, have really needed him to be good at times. He hit all four attempts in the Bulldogs' come-from-behind win at Missouri. He made both attempts in the low-scoring win over then-No. 1 Tennessee. And last week at Kentucky, he went 3-for-3 in Georgia's 16-6 victory.
Entering Saturday, Podlesny's 1.82 field goals per game was tied for sixth nationally. That number will go up after going 3-for-3 against the Yellow Jackets.
Coach Kirby Smart said this week it was "a luxury to have him," adding that "he's been Mr. Consistency since he's been here."
While admittedly not the world's most diehard football fan, or even close to it, Podlesny has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Georgia. He already has his degree, he's kicking as well as he ever has, and this season has also brought a great new friend in freshman punter Brett Thorson, from Melbourne, Australia.
While listing the things he was thankful for ahead of Thanksgiving, Podlesny included "getting to meet Brett Thorson." The two have clicked right away, he said.
"I'm pretty thankful for that friendship that definitely will last a lifetime," he said. "It's not one that when I leave here I'm going to forget about."
It's Thorson's energy and personality that stands out, Podlesny said.
"Specifically to the special teams room, he's brought this different kind of energy, this charisma that he has about him," he said. "Not that the special teams room is boring at all, not by any means, but he brings a new excitement to it. He's a funny guy and definitely brings some new jokes, some new ways of thinking about things to the team."
Which brings us to one of the most famous and unusual Australian things, Vegemite. The polarizing spread, first created in Melbourne 100 years ago, is made from leftover beer brewers' yeast extract. Australians put it on toast, sandwiches and more. The British have their version, Marmite, which is more commonly found on U.S. supermarket shelves.
It would appear that if you're from Australia, there's a good chance you're going to love or at least tolerate Vegemite. If you're not, there's an excellent chance you're going to absolutely hate it. Has Thorson gotten Podlesny to try it yet?
"We've talked about it," Podlesny said. "My dad's had Vegemite before and he was like, it's an acquired taste. So I don't think I'll ever be trying that."
Like Podlesny, Thorson is having an excellent season with the Bulldogs. His first punt against Tech went for 51 yards, with no return. His second, a pooch, was downed at the Tech 2 late in the first half.
Thorson came into Saturday averaging 44.04 yards per attempt on 27 punts, which would be tied for 22nd nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the NCAA rankings. But the Bulldogs haven't had to punt a lot, just about 2.5 times per game.
One of Thorson's punts, the 75-yarder that swung to the right and went out of bounds at the 1-yard line against then-No. 1 Tennessee, was a game-changer. It pinned the Vols deep, flipped the field, and after a UT punt, Georgia took a 14-3 lead with a 37-yard touchdown on the next play.
"That was huge," coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs' win on Nov. 5. "I told him, I said, 'I don't know if you practiced that in Australia, making that ball curve to the sidelines like a boomerang.' It just kept going more and more sideways. What an incredible kick and momentum swing."
For Podlesny, what's next after this season hasn't yet been decided. He was recognized during Saturday's Senior Day pregame festivities, just as he was last season, and he still has one more year of eligibility if he wants to use it. Kicking in the NFL isn't his dream job — "I want to be the CEO of a public health company, like UNICEF or UNICEF USA," he said during a Quick Chat in September — so this season may be it for him as a kicker.
If it is, he's experienced a life's worth of great memories and special moments during his time as a Bulldog. With more to come. He had the tall task of following the super popular and successful Blankenship, and he's proved more than up to the task. And one day soon, a new Georgia kicker will emerge, tasked with following in the large footsteps that Podlesny is leaving behind.
Staff Writer
Jack Podlesny came to Georgia as a walk-on with some hope of kicking for the Bulldogs, but he wasn't counting on it.
"I got here, and I was like, four years, in and out, get my degree, football's going to be on the resume — I won't have played a single snap but it is what it is," the standout fifth-year senior said this week.
Podlesny, from St. Simons Island, has played much more than a single snap. He's in his third season as the starting placekicker, and is one of the top kickers in the country. Along with being a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation's top kicker, he also was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded annually to the top scholar-athlete in college football.
He said this week that it took him a little while to feel like he belonged.
"Going into last year, I was like, I can make something of this," he said. "Whether it's make a career of it or just making an impact on other people's lives. Hopefully I've done just that."
Without question, he has.
In the top-ranked Bulldogs' 37-14 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Sanford Stadium, which clinched a second straight undefeated regular season, Podlesny's strong and accurate leg was needed. Before the Bulldogs blew the game open in the second half, Podlesny connected on field goals of 30, 50 and 36 yards to help Georgia take control.
Heading into the regular-season finale, Podlesny ranked seventh in the country overall and third among kickers with 10.1 points per game, having made 20 of 22 field-goal attempts and all 51 of his extra-point kicks. His field-goal percentage, 90.9%, was tied for 14th nationally.
Podlesny was asked earlier this week to give himself a grade for his performance this season — not something he'd normally ponder.
"If I had to think in such terms, I'd probably say a B-plus," he said. "I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied. Granted, it probably goes for any football player but especially a specialist, I don't think there ever is room for satisfaction, There's always room for improvement."
And it's thinking like that, combined with his obvious talent and work-ethic, that explains why Podlesny has been so good for Georgia.
In 2020, he had the tough task of replacing the beloved Rodrigo Blankenship. Podlesny was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award that season after making 13 of 16 field goals. highlighted by the game-winner from 53 yards in Georgia's 16-13 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati.
Last season, he hit 22 of 27 field-goal attempts, including a 49-yarder in the CFP National Championship Game. He's been even better in 2022, and the Bulldogs, despite their high-powered offense, have really needed him to be good at times. He hit all four attempts in the Bulldogs' come-from-behind win at Missouri. He made both attempts in the low-scoring win over then-No. 1 Tennessee. And last week at Kentucky, he went 3-for-3 in Georgia's 16-6 victory.
Entering Saturday, Podlesny's 1.82 field goals per game was tied for sixth nationally. That number will go up after going 3-for-3 against the Yellow Jackets.
Coach Kirby Smart said this week it was "a luxury to have him," adding that "he's been Mr. Consistency since he's been here."
While admittedly not the world's most diehard football fan, or even close to it, Podlesny has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Georgia. He already has his degree, he's kicking as well as he ever has, and this season has also brought a great new friend in freshman punter Brett Thorson, from Melbourne, Australia.
While listing the things he was thankful for ahead of Thanksgiving, Podlesny included "getting to meet Brett Thorson." The two have clicked right away, he said.
"I'm pretty thankful for that friendship that definitely will last a lifetime," he said. "It's not one that when I leave here I'm going to forget about."
It's Thorson's energy and personality that stands out, Podlesny said.
"Specifically to the special teams room, he's brought this different kind of energy, this charisma that he has about him," he said. "Not that the special teams room is boring at all, not by any means, but he brings a new excitement to it. He's a funny guy and definitely brings some new jokes, some new ways of thinking about things to the team."
Which brings us to one of the most famous and unusual Australian things, Vegemite. The polarizing spread, first created in Melbourne 100 years ago, is made from leftover beer brewers' yeast extract. Australians put it on toast, sandwiches and more. The British have their version, Marmite, which is more commonly found on U.S. supermarket shelves.
It would appear that if you're from Australia, there's a good chance you're going to love or at least tolerate Vegemite. If you're not, there's an excellent chance you're going to absolutely hate it. Has Thorson gotten Podlesny to try it yet?
"We've talked about it," Podlesny said. "My dad's had Vegemite before and he was like, it's an acquired taste. So I don't think I'll ever be trying that."
Like Podlesny, Thorson is having an excellent season with the Bulldogs. His first punt against Tech went for 51 yards, with no return. His second, a pooch, was downed at the Tech 2 late in the first half.
Thorson came into Saturday averaging 44.04 yards per attempt on 27 punts, which would be tied for 22nd nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the NCAA rankings. But the Bulldogs haven't had to punt a lot, just about 2.5 times per game.
One of Thorson's punts, the 75-yarder that swung to the right and went out of bounds at the 1-yard line against then-No. 1 Tennessee, was a game-changer. It pinned the Vols deep, flipped the field, and after a UT punt, Georgia took a 14-3 lead with a 37-yard touchdown on the next play.
"That was huge," coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs' win on Nov. 5. "I told him, I said, 'I don't know if you practiced that in Australia, making that ball curve to the sidelines like a boomerang.' It just kept going more and more sideways. What an incredible kick and momentum swing."
For Podlesny, what's next after this season hasn't yet been decided. He was recognized during Saturday's Senior Day pregame festivities, just as he was last season, and he still has one more year of eligibility if he wants to use it. Kicking in the NFL isn't his dream job — "I want to be the CEO of a public health company, like UNICEF or UNICEF USA," he said during a Quick Chat in September — so this season may be it for him as a kicker.
If it is, he's experienced a life's worth of great memories and special moments during his time as a Bulldog. With more to come. He had the tall task of following the super popular and successful Blankenship, and he's proved more than up to the task. And one day soon, a new Georgia kicker will emerge, tasked with following in the large footsteps that Podlesny is leaving behind.
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.
Players Mentioned
PK
/ Football
P
/ FootballGeorgia Football - Coach Kirby Smart Sugar Bowl Postgame Press Conference
Friday, January 02
Georgia Football - Sugar Bowl TV Highlights
Friday, January 02
Georgia Football - Sugar Bowl Trailer vs Ole Miss
Wednesday, December 31
Georgia Football: Pre-Sugar Bowl - Coaches Press Conference
Wednesday, December 31