Todd Grantham: ‘I understand who UGA fans want to beat’
Todd Grantham briefs the media, admits meeting Jessica Simpson. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Athens – Let’s stipulate that one or two folks on this planet care deeply about how the Dallas Cowboys fare on given autumn Sundays. But even at the highest level of pro football, there’s a difference in passion between that found in the college game, and this was reflected on, of all places, AJC.com.
A guy (blush) asked readers to submit questions for Todd Grantham. Within 12 hours came more than 350 suggestions. Yes, some were impertinent, but the majority were detailed and incisive, and that says all you need to know about the interest/scrutiny Georgia’s new defensive coordinator will encounter.
And Grantham, to his credit, welcomes it. (At least he did Friday, though it must be noted his first in-person media briefing came well before a Grantham-coached Georgia defense has lost a game.) “That’s the reason I wanted to take this job,” he said. “I understand the passion. I understand who Georgia fans want to beat and where they want to be. And I feel like we can achieve that.”
Grantham has spent the past decade working in the NFL. Not to go all Charlie Weis on you, but it’s clear Georgia’s new DC believes his new team will have a schematic advantage because of his background. Here, responding to a question submitted by Luke, was Grantham’s response about the ongoing quest of pro teams to exploit matchups, as opposed simply to playing a basic defense every down:
“The last 11 years I’ve been dealing with matchups, and that’s what you have to do in the NFL. You don’t get guys running free to the quarterback very often; the best you can hope for is getting a one-on-one. We’re going to find ways to make [opponents] in pass protection make blocks, whether it’s a back kept in or an offensive lineman.”
The 3-4 defense remains a relative novelty in collegiate circles, and that’s one reason Grantham considers it well suited to defuse exotic offenses. (See: Florida’s spread or Paul Johnson’s option. This question was offered by Chem.) “I don’t think there’s any question [the 3-4] can be better,” Grantham said. “We don’t have to declare our pass rusher until we see the formation. We can adjust.
“With the 4-3, you know the four guys who stick their hands in the dirt are going to rush. One of the things about the 3-4 is that you know one of those four [linebackers] is going to be coming 95 percent of the time. You just don’t know which one.”
Grantham has already gone recruiting — he passed his NCAA-mandated test, Steve Spurrier should know — but said Georgia isn’t suddenly in the market for every Grady Jackson lookalike of tender years. (This question was submitted by doodoo bailey and Suwaneedawg.)
“There are two types of 3-4,” Grantham said. “There’s the New England type, where you’ve got a big massive guy up front. We’re going to be a 1-gap team. In Dallas we had Jay Ratliff [a stripling at 303 pounds] make the Pro Bowl. We’ll have a standard [for nose tackles] as we go forward, but we also have to have position flexibility.”
Todd Grantham, you should know, is an impressive guy. He says much of what you’d expect — “We want to be physical and aggressive and relentless … We want the other team, when they get done playing you, not to want to play you again” — but says it in a way that makes you believe he can deliver. He made it known he expects UGA fans to deliver, too.
“I’ve heard [Georgia fans] bark when [a defender] makes a play,” he said, smiling. “Is that true? That’s my question to them.”
One thing more: The guy who asked readers to submit questions posed one of his own, this on a matter of global importance. While with the Cowboys, did Grantham meet Jessica Simpson?
“I did,” he said. Then, kidding, he pointed to reporters’ tape recorders on the table. “Turn those off.” Then this: “I can tell this little story. I was sitting in my office one Tuesday watching film [here he mimicked a guy reared back in a chair with a remote in his hand], and Tony [Romo, Simpson's former flame] walked by. He said, ‘Hi, Todd.’ Then someone else said, ‘Hi, Todd.’
“I’m like this. [Mimicking craning his neck around a corner.] It was Jess. Nice girl. Nice girl.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
432 comments Add your comment
PHIL
January 22nd, 2010
7:10 pm
Why is it that all the UGA people think Erk was so great? We lost 3 or 4 games about every year he was here. We were 10-3 year before last and there was so much weeping and knashing of teeth that you’d have thought the world ended.
FL DAWG
January 22nd, 2010
7:15 pm
Good read. Grantham is going to be good for the dawgs. I sensed a completely different level and type of expectation in his words. I suspect uf dc will be similar. Grantham words read much like you would expect from a professional. Here is a prediction for you: mo
Hmmm
January 22nd, 2010
7:18 pm
Ha!!!!!!!! No doubt about it, Russ the temporary mascot is “smarter than the average Dawg”.
FL DAWG
January 22nd, 2010
7:19 pm
Sorry still learning the iPhone: prediction, more than three uga defensive players will quit. They will not be able to live upto granthams expectations.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
January 22nd, 2010
7:27 pm
Grantham and Mark Fox are a lot alike. We needed a new start in both areas and better results than what we’ve gotton the last few years.
Happydawg
January 22nd, 2010
7:41 pm
Over the past 11 years SC/UF’s defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong’s defense gave up an average of 17.5 pts per game against UGA. Thank goodness he is gone. UF has hired a new DC in Edwards.
Imagine with Grantham, that we give up 5 fewer pts per game and Edwards gives up 5 more points per game. The UF jinx is over, we can now compete. Thank you Charlie Strong for taking the Louisville job.
Willie Martinez
January 22nd, 2010
7:44 pm
That Grantham guy intimidates me. Why so serious? I mean its just a game, right?
chuck
January 22nd, 2010
7:52 pm
I think Todd Grantham is going to be the most popular man in Athens because the defense can only get better. My biggest concern is I hope he is a hell fire and brimstone kind of guy? WM wasn’t a genius but the biggest problem with the entire UGA football team was they played an emotional game with zero emotion. I want a coordinator that acts like his hair is on fire.
I think Jessica is a good looking woman. But Mark, tell Todd that it will take one drive down sorority row and Jessica will be a distant memory.
DaddyDawg
January 22nd, 2010
7:53 pm
GA Gator:
Did YOU ever stop to think that Richt and his coaching staff, along with Grantham, thought about the issue of whether GA currently has the personnel to run Grantham’s 1 gap 3-4 defense before hiring Grantham to make such a change this year? The defense may have to be tweaked in some respects depending upon current personnel, but that would be true for any year.
Do you think that FL will continue to run the QB like Tebow is on campus without regard to whether John Brantley can run the ball like Tebow? Of course, Meyer will have to adjust his offense to fit the personnel he has on campus this fall. The real question is whether Meyer has finally found a RB who can carry the ball…… that’ll be essential for FL this fall unless Urban is in denial and tries to run Brantley like Tebow down after down!!
Mike Bobo
January 22nd, 2010
7:54 pm
Hey UGA fans, Mr. Grantham and I are cool despite the monetary worth UGA has put on his coaching position versus mine. Mr. Grantham took me to Golden Corral for lunch today and has promised to pick up the tab at Waffle House when we go back to Shreveport. Coach Richt says I get to pick the color of the week for Russ, the temporary mascot.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
January 22nd, 2010
7:57 pm
I see that I have struck some nerves with some of my posts. Well, even a little dog like me knows when to say “your” and when to say “you’re” and when to say, “that degree of yours must be a piece of crap.” I won’t say that just yet because I think I still have a shot at permanent mascot.
GaGators
January 22nd, 2010
8:03 pm
Grantham will rock the SEC compared to Martinez, no doubt, major upgrade.
FLA DAWGS
January 22nd, 2010
8:05 pm
Gators are concerned about the improvements Georgia has made. Gonna be hard to beat Georgia from here out. No wonder coach quit.
A-Ville Ranger
January 22nd, 2010
8:06 pm
He’ll have to learn not to make comments about the Jessica Simpsons of the world,He ain’t in Dallas anymore.
randdumb
January 22nd, 2010
8:07 pm
Good to see Grantham was turned off by the gypsy moves like Saban, he turned him down for DC. He likes unselfish guys like Mark Richt. Which proves that unselfishness is always the best ethical choice.
1eyedjacksparrow
January 22nd, 2010
8:09 pm
I pity Florida. Bad enough that Georgia has won against Florida 46 times now. Looks like another 46 beatdowns on the way.
Buddy El
January 22nd, 2010
8:09 pm
Coach Paul Johnson: You may be correct that the PERFECT option offense is unstoppable but you’ll have to admit that it warn’t anywhere near PERFECT in the UGA game and the Iowa game. You Bunglebees got some hard times ahead…………. 30-24
Cheri Leavy
January 22nd, 2010
8:12 pm
Bradley, here is Bulldawg Illustrated’s coverage today…a podcast of the whole briefing and some commentary. Tons of fun to hear you and Vance and to see your front row seats (see photo in blog post) http://www.bulldawgillustrated.com/blog/593
randdumb
January 22nd, 2010
8:13 pm
I guess Urban Meyer ain’t no Atlas eh? He ain’t good at stress management that’s for sure. He is good at moving–7 times now in 24 years.
Tebow didn’t carry his team on his shoulders in the SEC Champ either. 11 starters gone, 5 coaches quit.
No heroes in Florida, that’s for sure.
Richt on the other hand is stable, just keeps winning, and winning, and winning, and winning. Richt’s an Atlas in a world of wimps.
messin with sasquatch
January 22nd, 2010
8:13 pm
no pressure on this poor fool. welcome to the AFATO conference, and no, there is no g in AFATO. lame kitten cut and ran back to la. why?
Buddy El
January 22nd, 2010
8:17 pm
Daddydawg: Haven’t you heard. CUM had to give up coaching because of health issues but when he publicized it, the head Gators, etc. pounced on him to at least come back and save the recruits. He will not be on the Gayturds sideline. I’m thinking that if CUM suffers some really, really seriuous problems just trying to save the 2010 recruits his family will sue the UF for several zillion dollars. I sincerely hope it doesn’t happen but it could
randdumb
January 22nd, 2010
8:24 pm
that’s his excuse this time. Anyone seen proof of a medical condition? Florida officials say it isn’t that, it’s just a little too much stress. What about the other 6 times Urban Liar quit on his players and fans and recruits? The guy is a pathological quitter.
Santa Cruz CA Dawg
January 22nd, 2010
8:33 pm
With this guy as D Coordinator; he reminds me of Erk!!! And if Richt would only take back the play calling duties. UGA could again rise to the top, of the SEC and beyond!!!!!!
Please Richt take the play calling duties, back over.
Russ's @ss just got worse
January 22nd, 2010
8:39 pm
What could be worse than Russ having his @ss painted white you ask? Try Russ getting a visit from Jessica Simpson’s tailor to have his @ss fitted for a pair of mom jeans.
Old Dog Fan
January 22nd, 2010
8:41 pm
After the “Martinez years” which has all but “decimated” our defense maybe TG can bring back some “agression”.
It will take him a couple of years but we should see some improvement!!!
“Then again we saw “improvement” from the “grad students defense” in the Independence Bowl over what Martinez did.
icedawg
January 22nd, 2010
8:47 pm
9 months till kick-off
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
January 22nd, 2010
8:53 pm
I didn’t ask to be mascot. They came after me just like they came after Foster, and Chavis, and Van Gorder, and Muschamp, and Smart, and Rin Tin Tin, and Grantham. I took them up on the offer and they painted my a$$! Grantham better watch these guys.
OSCAR
January 22nd, 2010
8:58 pm
277rd
The 3-4 will bring the heat
January 22nd, 2010
9:02 pm
I hear the G on the side of the helmet is going to be replaced with a decal of Russ’ @ss. Talk about intimidation. And just wait til you see a behemoth nose tackle terrorizing SEC defenses in a pair of mom jeans.
Hunker Down you Silver Mom Jean Britches!
904DAWG
January 22nd, 2010
9:32 pm
I wonder if CTG has seen how much lumber JAKAR HAMILTON brings!! I would like to see him compete for mad PT !!!
Enter your comments here…..
Delbert D.
January 22nd, 2010
9:56 pm
“Todd Grantham: ‘I understand who UGA fans want to beat’ ”
Duh…it ain’t the Eagles or the Giants.
Suwaneedawg
January 22nd, 2010
10:12 pm
Thanks for asking my question Mark. I can’t begin to tell you how stoked I am already for this coming season. This guy is what UGA needs to breath some life into it’s passive defensive schemes. CTG will say attack and that is what they will do. Hey, a possible nickname, “The Attack Dogs.” It could work.
Suwaneedawg
January 22nd, 2010
10:14 pm
That should be “The Attack Dawgs”‘ my bad.
Delbert, you are a moron.
Mark Bradley
January 22nd, 2010
10:33 pm
You’re welcome, suwaneedawg. Thanks for the question.
Hey Bratley
January 22nd, 2010
10:45 pm
Gators eat boogers
Hey Bratley
January 22nd, 2010
10:47 pm
Hey Gator your team has a losing record against ole miss and miss st a couple schools from a third world country
hind tit
January 22nd, 2010
10:48 pm
stand and deliver, didn’t john wayne utter those words.
Hey Bratley
January 22nd, 2010
10:50 pm
I bet Brantley gets hurt in the first 3 games of the season.
UGA Husband
January 22nd, 2010
11:06 pm
I hope things turn around. My wife is hard to live with after a loss. especially to Fla.
Dawg Rule
January 22nd, 2010
11:15 pm
With Grantham running the D, UGA will start beating florida, which will be way down without tebow—mark it down: Ga 31 Fla 23
Clayton
January 22nd, 2010
11:16 pm
Hey there, I also asked the question about what type of Nose Tackle/Guard he would be recruiting because of Ratliffs size. I feel no love!!
Top Dawg
January 22nd, 2010
11:19 pm
Has paul johnson threatened to punch Todd Grantham in the face? My guess is that if paul were to try to punch Mr. Grantham, paul would pull back a nub.
studalert09
January 22nd, 2010
11:45 pm
im excited about the 3-4 scheme, it has always kind of been foreign to me and now we will run it. i think this is the best thing for us as far as personnel wise, after losing atkins, owens, and weston the 3 man line creates instant depth
chem
January 23rd, 2010
12:20 am
“Exotic” sounds much better, Brad (thanks). It seems Grantham will need some speedy linebackers to make it work. They’ll definitely need to recruit some depth there because I’m sure they’ll be rotating guys as they get winded/ busted in the head dodging O-Linmen. Didn’t Pollack play linebacker in a 3-4 before he got hurt?
Denver Dog
January 23rd, 2010
1:01 am
It is always great to see the idots comparing the two programs. I love my dogs, but the Gators have dominated the series as of late. It wasn’t that long ago when Ray Goff’s dogs were shutting down Emmett and the Gators. . The Hillbilly Genuis, changed that, and there was a point that UGA about turned it around under Donnan, but throw a game Quincy gave one away, and then we were back on Gator Skid Row again. Right now, UF is the premier program in the country, make no mistake about it. SOS did it, and UM tweeked it to that state. Most programs can’t stay up that long, and UF may be on a slight downstroke right now, but they are still the class of the country in football. The record speaks for itself.
UGA is in the top 10 for programs, but the 3 years of Willie, and company hurt. We will see what happens next. Based on history, and players, I’d say look for an 07 type UGA season. If you can run 5-7 minute drives, it makes up for alot of short comings on the rest of the team.
Nick
January 23rd, 2010
1:16 am
Holy crap! He looks like Jack Nicholson in that pic!
bugsquacher
January 23rd, 2010
1:30 am
Hey Coach, this one’s for you…..woof woof woof, sic’em dawgs!……ok that should be good for at least 3 QB sacks in the 1st half of the 1st game….. make us proud…
BuLLdawg
January 23rd, 2010
3:34 am
Todd Grantham who is on campus 22 January 2010 quote : ““Right now, take the players that you have here, the players that are committed and you basically rank those players. I think it’s important that you find ways to get your best players on the field. That’s what we’re going to do over the next few months. We’re going to be evaluating the players that we have right now. We’re going to be teaching them the system. We’re going to work to find out the things that they do well and find ways to put players in position to be successful to make plays. Ultimately, you have to make plays on defense and to do that you have to have guys that are playmakers. I think you do that by getting your best players on the field. I think player evaluation is critical.”
He is NOT Redshirting 9 of the Very Best Top Football Players, and then go 8-5 without them. That strategy has not worked. Oh, it’s worked if you like looking at the won/loss record of LSU and Florida in the same timeframe Coach Richt has been here, and see that BOTH of them have been BETTER than us. It’s worked if you look at Alabama and see that they too have passed us by. That’s 4th in The SEC for UGA. It’s worked if that is what you want. What you settle for. To be 4th in your own conference, never mind that during the Coach Richt Era not only are all these SEC teams a LOT BETTER than we are, but that on the National Stage so too have all these teams been BETTER in the Coach Richt Era than we are :
Southern California
Texas
Florida
Alabama
LSU
Boise State
Oklahoma
Ohio State
All of these teams are not only FAR MORE SUCCESSFUL overall than we have strapped ourselves with in the Coach Richt Era, but every single one of them except for Boise State has WON IT ALL.
3 out of 20, that’s what we’ve done in the our own Division of our own Conference, never mind the National Stage after you get out of your own Conference. Out of our own Division of our Conference we are 3 wins out of 20 games against Florida.
They have totally killed us recruiting. Truth be told they have recruited the very top football players from the state of Georgia. They always have. They own us.
They own Coach Richt at 2-7 for us.
Todd Grantham understands that we UGA fans want more than that. We want to be better than that.
He knows we are out-recruited in our own state.
He knows we have left 9 of not our best players but 9 of the best players in all of America on the Sidelines, Redshirted in a season we sorely needed them at 8-5 with horrid losses to horrid football teams like 7-6 UNRANKED both Kentucky and the vols.
And, we tried to Redshirt Washaun Ealey the Number 11 Tailback Nationally we recruited last year too. Until the 3rd quarter of the 5th game, then we ripped the Redshirt Off Washaun Ealey.
Todd Grantham will tell Coach Richt and Mike Bobo to get Washaun Ealey on the field in Game 1 last year, were he here. That he is a hard player for his players to stop.
And, he wouldn’t be looking at Richard Samuel and Caleb King as our Saviors when it is obvious to everyone you have to play favorites to put those 2 ahead of Washaun Ealey. The season before this, Richard Samuel and Caleb King proved that they don’t catch the ball well, don’t block well, do not hold on to the football well, and do not run well. Not as well as Washaun Ealey.
Todd Grantham also knows that UGA has sent our Secondary Defensive Backs to the NFL for the time when he got started in the NFL 11 years ago, and that we don’t have those players on this Defense this year, or last year or the year before.
Once we once had, we haven’t had.
Knowshon Moreno Redshirted.
So we only get to see him 2 years.
The best Running Back we’ve had in 3 Decades.
And, we Redshirt him.
B.S.
Leading the nation in Turnovers and Penalties and Arrests/Suspensions EVERY YEAR since the very day DJ Shockley graduated with Honors in 2005. That’s 5 years ago now.
3 of the last 4 years, UGA Bulldogs have no business claiming that we are even deserving of being a Ranked Team in the Final AP Poll Top 25.
3 of the last 4 extremely disappointing seasons, because our Offense sucks.
We don’t evaluate talent well.
We don’t.
We needed Todd Grantham. I hope he stays here a long time for us before becoming a head coach elsewhere. I still do not think we have any strategy whatsoever on play calls, either. But, I am certainly aware of the fact that he ranks players and figures out how to get the best players on the field making plays.
That part I am totally clued into.
We have NOT done that.
We are going to have a very successful year for Todd Grantham. He is a smart guy. He can look at this Defense as well as anyone can. It takes just a few moments to realize that UGA did not have good players in the Secondary last year. Those guys are all gone.
We Redshirted 9 of the Best Players in the Nation.
That doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out, either.
We have a hell of a lot of Number 7 in the Nation Best Recruiting Classes, 10 in a row now according to Both Rivals and Scout.com.
We have, in short, a not solid or very capable starting 11 on Defense, we have in fact a Great Defense this coming season.
And, the 2 Best Kickers on one team in America. We just have a weak offense.
Todd Grantham came here because he considers this an opportunity in his career. He is not an UGA man. He is a football coach.
Why did he come here ?
To teach us with 11 years NFL experience that which we have demonstrated we have no clue about.
Rank them, get them on the field, let them make plays.
B.S. on this Redshirt our best football players and then go out and embarrass yourself against lousy 7-6 UNRANKED Kentucky and lousy 7-6 UNRANKED vols.
Kick-Off Coverage should be Todd Grantham’s JOB ONLY.
We still have to do something about the damn offense. We cannot waste these years of Todd Grantham with the FAILED OFFENSE of Mike Bobo. He doesn’t even try to make 1st down on 3rd and 10. No effort. He has beat NO Final AP Poll Top 10 team, losing EVERY GAME. He is 5-6 vs the Final AP Poll Top 25. And, worse yet he has even LOST to FOUR (4) UNRANKED TEAMS in the Final AP Poll Top 25.
We cannot line up, call a play without a penalty, and even execute the poorly designed play the players are not coached how to execute without a Turnover Fumble or Interception, never mind the play was never designed to be a play to gain 10-yards on 3rd and 10. And, under Mike Bobo, we do THAT EXACTLY against Top 10, against Top 25 and against UNRANKED teams.
So, do NOT get all hyped up on your Kool-Aid and tell me we are WINNING ANY DAMN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP when after this season we LOSE 14 seniors and another half a dozen Juniors. Beat Florida. B.S. Now I return you to your FEEL GOOD LIARS hyping the crap out of Coach Richt’s coaches on the Offensive Side of the Ball where they have done NOTHING. DISNEYdawg RED DOG 77.
BuLLdawg
January 23rd, 2010
5:34 am
QUOTE by
RED DOG 77
“we ,my friends will begin winning championships like Fla has in recent years…….It is our turn now”
END QUOTE
The Head Ball Coach
January 23rd, 2010
6:57 am
I am licking my chops already! We practice against that defense every day. LMAO