Quick Chat: Javon Bullard
August 04, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Javon Bullard's sophomore season with the Georgia football team couldn't have ended much better. The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound defensive back not only helped the Bulldogs win their second straight College Football Playoff national championship, he made huge plays in both playoff games and was twice named Defensive MVP.
In the playoff semifinal against Ohio State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Bullard had three tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. It felt like one of those games where he was in on every key play. In the National Championship Game, Bullard picked off two passes as Georgia routed TCU. Bullard finished the season with 46 tackles in 14 games, with 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Is all of that a tough act to follow? For Bullard, from Milledgeville, Ga., it's all motivation and inspiration. And though he works his tail off in the offseason and in practice, Bullard never forgets that you can't get tired of winning or take it for granted.
During a Quick Chat on Thursday following the Bulldogs' first preseason practice, Bullard talked about his work in the offseason, the highlight of his summer, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: In December, we sat down for one of these and you mentioned how much you love cereal. Have any new cereals come into your life since we talked?
Bullard: I stick to the basics. I'm a little nervous to try other cereals. I don't like to eat things that don't match my taste buds. I try to stick to what I know tastes good.
Frierson: What did you work on this offseason?
Bullard: I wanted to bulk up a little bit more. Not too heavy, but I added a few pounds. I wanted to keep my speed and maintain my burst and acceleration.
I kind of wanted to get in better shape, just conditioning-wise, with the games that we play and the teams that we have to face.
Frierson: It's funny to hear a guy that looks like you do, in terms of the shape you're in, talk about getting in better shape. Most of us would look at you and go, what else could you possibly need?
Bullard: [Laughs] It's more cardio-wise. Top line (speed) running, I feel like a lot of people can do top line running. Not to knock on any top line runners. But when you exert energy at one point and then have to redirect your energy somewhere else, transitioning your mobility and moving back and forth, stopping and starting — that's the kind of shape I want to be in.
Frierson: Did you always embrace that kind of training and work that goes into being a really good player?
Bullard: I've always embraced it. I feel like you kind of have to. If you sit, mope and complain about it, that will eat you alive mentally. And once it attacks your brain, your body follows. You have to embrace it, you have to love it. I always say, I love it, man, it's a privilege to move like you move and have that mobility.
A lot of people aren't able to do that, so you've got to look at it from both sides and show an immense amount of gratitude for it.
Frierson: What was the best part of your summer?
Bullard: It's always seeing my family, spending that time with my family. It's always going to be that. My family is a rock for me. They keep me grounded and really give me that extra motivation that I need.
Frierson: When you go home, when do you know you're home? Is there something you see on the highway or a sight or smell when you walk in the front door?
Bullard: I'm originally from Eatonton, Ga., and we moved to Milledgeville, so as soon as I get to Eatonton, it's already a sense of home for me. I know I'm not too far from the house at that point. When I get to Milledgeville, I just know I'm home. I drive past Walmart, I drive past the mall, and when I see my mom — my mom's always excited to see me.
She always warms my heart when I see her and puts a smile on my face.
Frierson: Does she always have something special cooking for you? Or is it a bowl of cereal ready to go?
Bullard: [Laughs] Nah, I'm not gonna lie, she isn't fixing a bowl of cereal. Sometimes she cooks, sometimes we go out to eat, but no matter what, we're going to eat good. At the end of the day, we're going to eat good. We love to get up in the morning and go get breakfast together. That's our thing.
Frierson: What is it like going into this season when you all have accomplished so much the past two years?
Bullard: You got to keep it going. Nobody likes to lose — nobody. And you can't get tired of winning. ... We've got a lot of things to work on, and we're not where we need to be, but it's a long way to the first game so we have a lot of time to fix those things.
Like I said, you cannot get tired of winning. We want to win every game no matter who we play. As soon as we step on the field, that's our mindset. We want to win every day, also. We want to win every day at practice. We just want to win at life, to be honest. You can't get complacent, you can't get tired of winning.
You've got to always be eager to learn and eager to win, and eager to keep moving forward.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Javon Bullard's sophomore season with the Georgia football team couldn't have ended much better. The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound defensive back not only helped the Bulldogs win their second straight College Football Playoff national championship, he made huge plays in both playoff games and was twice named Defensive MVP.
In the playoff semifinal against Ohio State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Bullard had three tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. It felt like one of those games where he was in on every key play. In the National Championship Game, Bullard picked off two passes as Georgia routed TCU. Bullard finished the season with 46 tackles in 14 games, with 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Is all of that a tough act to follow? For Bullard, from Milledgeville, Ga., it's all motivation and inspiration. And though he works his tail off in the offseason and in practice, Bullard never forgets that you can't get tired of winning or take it for granted.
During a Quick Chat on Thursday following the Bulldogs' first preseason practice, Bullard talked about his work in the offseason, the highlight of his summer, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: In December, we sat down for one of these and you mentioned how much you love cereal. Have any new cereals come into your life since we talked?
Bullard: I stick to the basics. I'm a little nervous to try other cereals. I don't like to eat things that don't match my taste buds. I try to stick to what I know tastes good.
Frierson: What did you work on this offseason?
Bullard: I wanted to bulk up a little bit more. Not too heavy, but I added a few pounds. I wanted to keep my speed and maintain my burst and acceleration.
I kind of wanted to get in better shape, just conditioning-wise, with the games that we play and the teams that we have to face.
Frierson: It's funny to hear a guy that looks like you do, in terms of the shape you're in, talk about getting in better shape. Most of us would look at you and go, what else could you possibly need?
Bullard: [Laughs] It's more cardio-wise. Top line (speed) running, I feel like a lot of people can do top line running. Not to knock on any top line runners. But when you exert energy at one point and then have to redirect your energy somewhere else, transitioning your mobility and moving back and forth, stopping and starting — that's the kind of shape I want to be in.
Frierson: Did you always embrace that kind of training and work that goes into being a really good player?
Bullard: I've always embraced it. I feel like you kind of have to. If you sit, mope and complain about it, that will eat you alive mentally. And once it attacks your brain, your body follows. You have to embrace it, you have to love it. I always say, I love it, man, it's a privilege to move like you move and have that mobility.
A lot of people aren't able to do that, so you've got to look at it from both sides and show an immense amount of gratitude for it.
Frierson: What was the best part of your summer?
Bullard: It's always seeing my family, spending that time with my family. It's always going to be that. My family is a rock for me. They keep me grounded and really give me that extra motivation that I need.
Frierson: When you go home, when do you know you're home? Is there something you see on the highway or a sight or smell when you walk in the front door?
Bullard: I'm originally from Eatonton, Ga., and we moved to Milledgeville, so as soon as I get to Eatonton, it's already a sense of home for me. I know I'm not too far from the house at that point. When I get to Milledgeville, I just know I'm home. I drive past Walmart, I drive past the mall, and when I see my mom — my mom's always excited to see me.
She always warms my heart when I see her and puts a smile on my face.
Frierson: Does she always have something special cooking for you? Or is it a bowl of cereal ready to go?
Bullard: [Laughs] Nah, I'm not gonna lie, she isn't fixing a bowl of cereal. Sometimes she cooks, sometimes we go out to eat, but no matter what, we're going to eat good. At the end of the day, we're going to eat good. We love to get up in the morning and go get breakfast together. That's our thing.
Frierson: What is it like going into this season when you all have accomplished so much the past two years?
Bullard: You got to keep it going. Nobody likes to lose — nobody. And you can't get tired of winning. ... We've got a lot of things to work on, and we're not where we need to be, but it's a long way to the first game so we have a lot of time to fix those things.
Like I said, you cannot get tired of winning. We want to win every game no matter who we play. As soon as we step on the field, that's our mindset. We want to win every day, also. We want to win every day at practice. We just want to win at life, to be honest. You can't get complacent, you can't get tired of winning.
You've got to always be eager to learn and eager to win, and eager to keep moving forward.
(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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