Quick Chat: Zion Logue
September 01, 2022 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
It's possible that you've had a better 2022 than Zion Logue, but not likely.
The big Georgia defensive lineman helped the Bulldogs win their long-sought-after national championship, playing in every game as part of the Bulldogs' super-stout defense. He was there in Atlanta at linebacker Travon Walker's viewing party when Walker, one of his closest friends, was selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft in April. And on July 4, Logue had the privilege of walking his mother down the aisle at her wedding.
That's a darn good year, and it's only Sept. 1.
Logue, from Lebanon, Tenn., is listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, though he appears taller and both stronger and leaner than those numbers indicate. During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Logue talked about those special moments of 2022, what it's like to play in front of 90,000 people, his favorite UGA professor, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: We're standing in the hallway outside of football's team meeting room, and around us are a bunch of things on the wall recognizing what you all achieved last season. Do you notice it and feel something every time you go by, or is part of the decor at this point?
Logue: There's a two-part answer to that. On one hand, it is part of the decor at this point, but it's like one of those things that you think about every day, like, we did that. And now we've got to go do it again. We've got to put in the work to give us a chance to go do it again.
Frierson: Have you gotten taller since we last talked?
Logue: I don't know. Every time I meet somebody, they ask me that. I might be a little bit taller, or maybe it's the (running) shoes, I don't know.
Frierson: Were you always the tallest kid in your class, or did you have a big growth spurt at some point?
Logue: I was always a tall, tall kid throughout elementary school and middle school. My big spurt was in eighth grade, when I went from 5-8 1/2 to like 6-2 1/2. And that was from the beginning of basketball season to the end of basketball season.
Frierson: Did you change positions during the season?
Logue: No, I played the 4 (power forward) and the 5 (center) the whole season, but we were buying new clothes throughout the school year. My mom was like, "We can't keep doing this." [Laughs]
That's one thing I never take for granted — that was a big time in my life because it really shaped me and showed me what I wanted to do, either basketball or football.
Frierson: Was it physically painful to grow that much in such a short period of time?
Logue: Yes. It really hit me toward the end of my high school career. Between AAU basketball, football, the different surfaces, you get wear and tear on your knees. When you're a kid you're not even thinking about it, you just want to go play and have fun, but now it's really sitting in with me because I'm a 21-year-old college student. It's just a part of it.
Frierson: What was it like watching the NFL Draft and seeing so many of your friends and former teammates get selected?
Logue: I was actually with Travon at his watch party, and it was just crazy to see one of my closest friends be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. As a kid, everybody dreams of being that No. 1-overall pick, and to see it actually come to fruition for him, it was probably one of the best days of my life.
Frierson: In the room at the moment, did you all know that he was going No. 1?
Logue: I didn't know, personally, but I feel like he definitely knew. Somebody in his circle definitely knew what was going on. I was a great night to be a part of.
Frierson: I would imagine being there was pretty inspiring for you?
Logue: Yeah, it definitely was. It was a really eye-opening moment because if you go back and think about it, we were at the Orange Bowl and he was like, "I don't even know if I'm going to come out early. I don't even know if I'm leaving; I want to come back." And I was like, "Take the last two games and ball your heart out, and see where the chips fall."
Now look where he's ended up. He's the No. 1 pick, he's making money for himself, making a living for himself, and making generational wealth.
Frierson: What was the best part of your summer?
Logue: Outside of working out with my guys, I didn't do a whole lot. But my mother's wedding, I can't not say that. She got married on July 4th and I was able to give her away. That was the best part of my summer.
Frierson: That's such a cool thing, congratulations.
Logue: Thank you. It was great seeing her so happy. That was probably the biggest smile I've ever seen on my mom's face. Just seeing that, it meant the world to me.
Frierson: It seems like you've had a number of really great moments this year.
Logue: I have. It was a big thing for my mom, she's been through a lot, and it was great to see her happy.
Frierson: What has been your favorite class at Georgia?
Logue: I've taken so many. I can't remember the specific class but I do remember the professor, Gretchen (Bordeau) Thomas (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Career and Information Studies). She's probably my favorite professor, just because she's so cool and she likes to have fun with the class.
Frierson: What is like to play in front of 90,000-something people? That's something that most of us, like 99% of the world, will never experience.
Logue: It's an amazing moment. I think the (ESPN) College GameDay games are the biggest: the Arkansas game, the Notre Dame game, those are the biggest, the big-time games. When it's so loud that you can't even look to the guy beside you on the bench or on the field, and you can't hear what he's saying, that's a different type of atmosphere. It's a different type of love that people have for the game and their team. You want to go out there and compete at a high level for them.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
It's possible that you've had a better 2022 than Zion Logue, but not likely.
The big Georgia defensive lineman helped the Bulldogs win their long-sought-after national championship, playing in every game as part of the Bulldogs' super-stout defense. He was there in Atlanta at linebacker Travon Walker's viewing party when Walker, one of his closest friends, was selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft in April. And on July 4, Logue had the privilege of walking his mother down the aisle at her wedding.
That's a darn good year, and it's only Sept. 1.
Logue, from Lebanon, Tenn., is listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, though he appears taller and both stronger and leaner than those numbers indicate. During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Logue talked about those special moments of 2022, what it's like to play in front of 90,000 people, his favorite UGA professor, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: We're standing in the hallway outside of football's team meeting room, and around us are a bunch of things on the wall recognizing what you all achieved last season. Do you notice it and feel something every time you go by, or is part of the decor at this point?
Logue: There's a two-part answer to that. On one hand, it is part of the decor at this point, but it's like one of those things that you think about every day, like, we did that. And now we've got to go do it again. We've got to put in the work to give us a chance to go do it again.
Frierson: Have you gotten taller since we last talked?
Logue: I don't know. Every time I meet somebody, they ask me that. I might be a little bit taller, or maybe it's the (running) shoes, I don't know.
Frierson: Were you always the tallest kid in your class, or did you have a big growth spurt at some point?
Logue: I was always a tall, tall kid throughout elementary school and middle school. My big spurt was in eighth grade, when I went from 5-8 1/2 to like 6-2 1/2. And that was from the beginning of basketball season to the end of basketball season.
Frierson: Did you change positions during the season?
Logue: No, I played the 4 (power forward) and the 5 (center) the whole season, but we were buying new clothes throughout the school year. My mom was like, "We can't keep doing this." [Laughs]
That's one thing I never take for granted — that was a big time in my life because it really shaped me and showed me what I wanted to do, either basketball or football.
Frierson: Was it physically painful to grow that much in such a short period of time?
Logue: Yes. It really hit me toward the end of my high school career. Between AAU basketball, football, the different surfaces, you get wear and tear on your knees. When you're a kid you're not even thinking about it, you just want to go play and have fun, but now it's really sitting in with me because I'm a 21-year-old college student. It's just a part of it.
Frierson: What was it like watching the NFL Draft and seeing so many of your friends and former teammates get selected?
Logue: I was actually with Travon at his watch party, and it was just crazy to see one of my closest friends be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. As a kid, everybody dreams of being that No. 1-overall pick, and to see it actually come to fruition for him, it was probably one of the best days of my life.
Frierson: In the room at the moment, did you all know that he was going No. 1?
Logue: I didn't know, personally, but I feel like he definitely knew. Somebody in his circle definitely knew what was going on. I was a great night to be a part of.
Frierson: I would imagine being there was pretty inspiring for you?
Logue: Yeah, it definitely was. It was a really eye-opening moment because if you go back and think about it, we were at the Orange Bowl and he was like, "I don't even know if I'm going to come out early. I don't even know if I'm leaving; I want to come back." And I was like, "Take the last two games and ball your heart out, and see where the chips fall."
Now look where he's ended up. He's the No. 1 pick, he's making money for himself, making a living for himself, and making generational wealth.
Frierson: What was the best part of your summer?
Logue: Outside of working out with my guys, I didn't do a whole lot. But my mother's wedding, I can't not say that. She got married on July 4th and I was able to give her away. That was the best part of my summer.
Frierson: That's such a cool thing, congratulations.
Logue: Thank you. It was great seeing her so happy. That was probably the biggest smile I've ever seen on my mom's face. Just seeing that, it meant the world to me.
Frierson: It seems like you've had a number of really great moments this year.
Logue: I have. It was a big thing for my mom, she's been through a lot, and it was great to see her happy.
Frierson: What has been your favorite class at Georgia?
Logue: I've taken so many. I can't remember the specific class but I do remember the professor, Gretchen (Bordeau) Thomas (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Career and Information Studies). She's probably my favorite professor, just because she's so cool and she likes to have fun with the class.
Frierson: What is like to play in front of 90,000-something people? That's something that most of us, like 99% of the world, will never experience.
Logue: It's an amazing moment. I think the (ESPN) College GameDay games are the biggest: the Arkansas game, the Notre Dame game, those are the biggest, the big-time games. When it's so loud that you can't even look to the guy beside you on the bench or on the field, and you can't hear what he's saying, that's a different type of atmosphere. It's a different type of love that people have for the game and their team. You want to go out there and compete at a high level for them.
(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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