University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Smael Mondon, Jr.
October 10, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Smael Mondon, Jr. looks like one of those great athletes that's good at whatever sport he attempts. The Georgia linebacker was a good high school triple-jumper, covering around 46 feet, despite little training or coaching. But the 6-foot-3 and 225-pound Mondon admits that he doesn't have much game on the basketball court.
He's got plenty on the football field, however. Last fall, in his first season as a starter, Mondon led the team with 76 tackles despite missing two games. Through six games this season, the junior is again leading the squad with 26 stops (11 of them came in the win at Auburn, tying his career high).
During a recent Quick Chat, Mondon talked about his days doing track in high school, his funniest teammates, his favorite moment ever on a football field, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is your best moment ever on a football field?
Mondon: It wasn't a play I made, but the Ohio State game, when they missed that last kick. That's the play that immediately comes to mind.
Frierson: What were you doing in that moment?
Mondon: I was on the field goal (unit), I was on the rush, so I turned around and saw that they missed it. That's when I started running off the field.
Frierson: In that moment, given everything that was at stake, were you feeling relief, or was it just excitement that you'd won and you were moving on to another National Championship Game?
Mondon: Really, it was everything. It was relief, excitement, just a whole lot of emotions going through you.
Frierson: Who's the funniest guy on this year's team?
Mondon: There are a lot of funny dudes. I don't know about the funniest because everybody's got a different sense of humor, but the guy that makes me laugh the most — I can just look at him and laugh — man, that's tough. Ty (Tykee Smith) makes me laugh a lot, Christen Miller, Daijun (Edwards) is quiet but when he does talk, it's going to be funny. That's a tough question.
Frierson: We're sitting outside the new track and field locker room area as we do this. What did you do in track in high school?
Mondon: I did 4x1(00), but my main thing was the triple jump.
Frierson: Wow, that's hard. How long did it take you to get good at the triple?
Mondon: I barely even practiced the triple jump. I think my first triple jump that I ever did, I was just at a meet and bored, where I was like, I'll do it. I think I broke the school record on my first jump, or something like that. I was even No. 1 in the state for a minute, so it came pretty easy to me.
Frierson: Are you one of those guys that's good at everything?
Mondon: Nah, man. I wish I was good at basketball, but it's not for me [laughs]. Basketball's not for me.
Frierson: If you couldn't play football for Georgia, is there another sport you'd like to play?
Mondon: If I actually trained in the triple jump, I think I could be really good. I was out there jumping in the 46s (46 feet-plus) in high school, just straight muscle and no technique.
Frierson: Do you appreciate practice in a different way now compared to when you first got to Georgia?
Mondon: I realized last year that if you practice hard, that's how you're going to play in the game. You can't really turn it on on gameday. Practice is where you get better.
After my foot surgery, I really just started appreciating being able to be out there, for real. Sometimes at practice, it's tiring and you don't really feel like being out there, but after having it taken away from me and having to just stand there and watch, I'm like, any chance I get, I'll be happy to be out there.
Frierson: Did it mean something to you to lead the defense in tackles last season?
Mondon: Nah, not really. I don't keep up with stats too much.
Frierson: How do you know when you've had a good game?
Mondon: I usually judge it on, did I mess up on anything? Did I miss any plays? And the plays I made, did I do what I was supposed to do? I try to balance all of those out and see how I feel.
Frierson: The last time we did one of these, it was a day or two after your funky interception against LSU in the SEC Championship Game. You said then that you had watched video of the play a bunch of times. Have you seen it recently, or is it now a distant memory?
Mondon: It kind of faded, but sometimes when I get bored I'll look back at some of my plays from last year.
Frierson: Most of us don't get to be stars on a football field, or in any sport, so what is it like to sometimes be the best player on the field in a game?
Mondon: I don't know, I never even think too much of it. I don't really feel like a star. In high school, I didn't feel like a star, even though, looking back on it, you could say I was. But now, I definitely don't feel like a star. I feel like I'm just pretty regular out there.
(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.
