Milton, Smith, and Bullard Talk Prep for SEC Championship

PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEOS

T. Smith

J. Bulard

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia senior running back Kendall Milton, senior defensive back Tykee Smith, and junior defensive back Javon Bullard met with the media on Tuesday evening after practice and offered the following comments.

#2 Kendall Milton | RB | Sr.
On what a win on Saturday would make significant about winning the SEC Championship…
"I feel like it would be super big just for the fact that – Coach Smart pointed it out that we've never been able to beat Alabama in Atlanta. That doesn't just go for the players. That goes for the coaches as well, so I feel like we have a huge opportunity here, and just judging off of today's practice I feel like we've taken that opportunity to heart. This was probably one of the most physical, chippiest practices that we've had all year, but it just shows how hungry we are and how much we want it."

On how much confidence he has heading into the SEC Championship game…
"I have the utmost confidence at this point, but I feel like it's a whole lot of different factors that go into it. The first thing, I feel like the O-line and kind of the whole team, I feel like that plays a big role because at the end of the day you want to be trusted. You want to be able to know that your brothers believe in you. So before every game, before practice, before today's team run, our line, they'll be like, 'Hey, K-Mil, run that ball like you know how to do.' They'll just keep fueling me and keep letting me know stuff. And also at the same time, between Coach [Dell] McGee, Coach [Kirby] Smart, and Coach [Mike] Bobo, when your coach is constantly putting you in a position to have the ball and make plays, it lets you know that they have the trust in you. I'll let Coach Bobo and Coach Smart know after the games, 'Thank you for believing in me. Just thank you for letting me have the opportunity,' because at the end of the day I feel like, speaking for the whole team, everybody just wants the opportunity to be able to be on the field. So I feel like those were probably the two biggest things that led to me being able to have the confidence and be able to trust my game."

On the opportunity to check off the box of winning an SEC Championship against Alabama…
"To be honest, I feel like it just motivates us that much more, and, like I said, it's not even just a player thing. It's also the coaching staff. Even before we got there, it was a thing that wasn't accomplished, and I feel like the players – every single time we've been able to put a new milestone in front of us, I feel like we've taken it on very seriously. We've taken it very personal, and to see the hunger and just see how dedicated everybody on the team is to this task – not even just the seniors or just the starters or just the people that are playing. But it's all the way top to bottom, even from the walk-ons, the freshmen that haven't seen the field this year. It's a whole buy-in from the whole program, so everybody knows the task at hand. Everybody knows this isn't something easy that's going to happen. I feel like winning the SEC Championship is just as hard, if not harder, than winning the National Championship, so I feel like we know the task at hand and it's just up to us to complete it."

#23 Tykee Smith | DB | Sr.
On his relationship with Fran Brown and how he helped him develop…
"I first met coach Fran my ninth-grade year when he was at Temple, so he recruited me that year before he left to go to Baylor. Once I got here and Fran got a job here we kind of reconnected and we've been close ever since then. I think he really helped me with the mental part of football for me because I was coming off an ACL injury that spring when he got here, so he just helped me get through that process. He made sure that I was out there giving it my all every day."

On what makes Malaki Starks special and his Thorpe Award Finalist…
"He just has a lot of versatility; I think the coaches do a really good job of getting him in different situations that he can be successful in. I'm really happy for him, and hopefully he can go out there this weekend and be able bring it home."

On how the team gameplans for a guy of Jalen Milroe's stature…
"We're just going to try and do what we do best, a lot of plaster. When we get a chance to tackle him we just have to make sure go in strong because he's not a small guy by any means. We just have to come in with the right mindset."

#22 Javon Bullard | DB | Jr.
On the keys to playing against Jalen Milroe as a defensive back…
"When you have a guy who is that creative with his legs, who is that talented with his arm, and can extend plays it's hard playing a guy like him. Especially as a defensive back the only thing you can do is cover your guy, hope that the rush gets there, and hope that our gameplan works to perfection. The guy is going to make plays, that's inevitable, he's a tremendous athlete who's going to extend plays, but we just have to do our best to slow that down throughout the game."

On what Syracuse is getting in a guy like Fran Brown…
"They're getting a tremendous coach, but more importantly tremendous person. He's a great coach but I think what makes him special is the relationships he has with his players outside of football. We connect on a personal level; he's been there with me giving spiritual advice. When I'm missing home or my family he's always there. He's a close friend outside of football who I can count on, if my car breaks down, I know I can call Coach Fran. The person he is to the core is what you're getting, that's what Syracuse is getting. We're just so proud of him."

On trying to check that box of beating Alabama in Atlanta…
"We want to beat them. We want to win the SEC. We're facing Bama, so we want to beat Bama, that's the gist of it. I haven't beat them, we haven't beat them, it's going to make for a great matchup. I can't wait to play but like I said we want to beat them."

University of Georgia Athletics

Milton, Smith, and Bullard Talk Prep for SEC Championship

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