Bulldogs’ Richard Samuel changes positions . . . again
ATHENS –- Richard Samuel has changed positions again, although it’s a less substantial move this time.
Samuel, who switched sides of the ball when he moved from tailback to outside linebacker for the start of Georgia’s spring football practice, shifted to inside linebacker Thursday.
“I think he’s a natural [inside linebacker],” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said after a late-afternoon practice. “He can run. He can cover. And . . . you can still blitz as an inside guy, but there is a little bit more coverage element involved and that would utilize his speed.”
Head coach Mark Richt agreed that inside linebacker is a more natural spot for Samuel. “We started him outside, a little bit because of depth issues at outside linebacker,” Richt said. “To give him more of a fair opportunity, we moved him inside.”
Samuel joins an inside-linebacker group that includes Darryl Gamble, Akeem Dent, Marcus Dowtin and Christian Robinson.
Georgia’s starting tailback at the start of last season, Samuel slipped well behind Caleb King and Washaun Ealey on the depth chart at the position by the second half of the season. He played both tailback and linebacker in high school.
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After Thursday’s practice, the third of spring ball, Grantham said the transition to the 3-4 defense is on schedule.
“I think that we are on track,” he said. “I’m not discouraged. I’m pleased. . . . If we continue to work like I’ve seen us work, we’ll be fine
“Actually, it’s funny,” Grantham added. “There are things I thought might be hard that [the players] have picked up, and there are things I thought might be easy that were a little harder for them. But I have been pleased with what they have understood and grasped, because we have thrown quite a bit at them and it’s all been new.”
————————————-
For the third consecutive practice, quarterback Aaron Murray was wearing a glove on his throwing hand.
Asked if he’d ever had a quarterback wear a glove before, Richt said: “Not on a 70-degree day.”
Richt added that Murray “feels like it helps him grip the ball better.”
Click here for more on Murray’s glove, including photos.
————————————–
Defensive line coach Rodney Garner said Kwame Geathers is the only player working exclusively at the nose position. DeAngelo Tyson and Abry Jones are working at both nose and end, Garner said. . . . Safety Shawn Williams again worked with the No. 1 secondary Thursday. . . . Safety Jakar Hamilton, slowed on Tuesday by a foot injury, practiced Thursday and seemed fine. . . . Offensive lineman Dallas Lee left practice for a few minutes with what Richt called as asthma episode, then returned. . . . Tony Grantham, an assistant coach at Navy and younger brother of Georgia’s defensive coordinator, watched practice.
Please click here for more notes from Thursday’s practice.
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101 comments Add your comment
PMC
March 19th, 2010
9:26 am
This move makes all the sense in the world. He’s got perfect size for the middle he’s going to cover well in zone with his speed, and he will devistate the inside rushing lanes. I like this move a lot.
DawginLex
March 19th, 2010
9:29 am
Tech nerds obsession with UGA(Daddy) continues.
Father’s Day is still in June this year. Send your cards to Sanford Stadium where your Daddy lives.
PMC
March 19th, 2010
9:29 am
Samuel is one of the smartest players on the team and he’s a fantastic athlete. He will find a way to make an impact.
Dawgforlife
March 19th, 2010
9:34 am
it could just as easily be said stinger what have you won since 1991…oh wait ya’ll tied that one…nevermind
SaintsLSU
March 19th, 2010
9:40 am
How do you Dawgs feel about the SEC East this year? It seems like open season to me. Can ya’ll beat Florida after they lost all of that talent? I think LSU will be better than people think next year. How about a LSU/UGA SEC CG? Seems unlikely, but crazier things have happened.
TXDawg
March 19th, 2010
9:51 am
Sounds like Kwame Geathers is about to continue the family tradition.
how2fish
March 19th, 2010
10:00 am
Dirty Buzzzzzz and your last bowl victory was when??
McDawg
March 19th, 2010
10:05 am
Samuels move makes sense to me-like the interior D only concern is can those End/linebackers cover
McDawg
March 19th, 2010
10:07 am
this would have been Brandon Miller’s D
PMC
March 19th, 2010
10:20 am
SaintsLSU, It is absolutely wide open, everyone has questions to be answered. South Carolina has a ton of talent this year on offense but I still have no confidence in them at QB. Georgia has a new QB but should have an excellent offensive line, backs and receivers…but they are breaking in a new defense. Even after losing Bryce Brown Tennessee is stacked in the backfield. Don’t know much about thier receiver situation or the QB yet. Florida has to be the favorite with Brantley having experience and all the recruits they have picked up, but they are breaking in a new DC and a ton of new talent so there could be growing pains…lucky for them they never play anyone worth a crap in the non conference schedule. I still think it’s Florida’s to lose unless Brantley gets hurt… but it should be very very close in the competition.
BD
March 19th, 2010
10:26 am
If Samuel is so smart, why is he attending UGA? The average UGA grad starts at $43k, the average GT grad starts at $58k. 4 years of partying at UGA sure does cost folks in the long run. GT also has a pretty good track record for putting defenders into the NFL. Apparently, Samuel (and the rest of UGA’s S/A’s) can’t be too smart.
coachx
March 19th, 2010
10:29 am
“Defensive line coach Rodney Garner said Kwame Geathers is the only player working exclusively at the nose position. DeAngelo Tyson and Abry Jones are working at both nose and end, Garner said.”
Sounds like we need to pray Geathers can stay healthy.
Paul (you doesn't have to call me Johnson)
March 19th, 2010
10:33 am
I read that Bryce Brown was interested in playing @ Kansas State
AceDawg
March 19th, 2010
10:40 am
I still have hopes for Samuel. Good luck at LB.
Chester Copperpot
March 19th, 2010
10:53 am
Stinger:
You’re a sad little delusional boy. Lets be honest, you never watched sports til you came to Trek. You probably grew up on Long Island or Napierville, maybe even Lilburn but had no ties to the area and picked Trek cuz they have an AWESOME chem E program (which I’m sure they do). Once you got to Trek, you met lots of other dorks and you got into the “crazy” football scene. You wear a yellow and black bumble bee stripe sweater and jump up and down buzzing in the student section. At a party once a girl passed out on the couch next to you and you almost could feel her you know whats. What has Georgia won since ‘80? How about 22 of the last 30 meetings with the reigning ACC champs. If you in fact knew anything about CFB, you would know that Trek is a 2nd rate program.
Will Dawg
March 19th, 2010
10:57 am
Dirty Buzz,
You mean that DISPUTED half a national championship in ‘90. Colorado would have owned you and you got half because the Big 8 official was unable to count to four. HMMMMM musta been Reggie Balls DADDY. 30-24 8 out of 9 EAT IT NERDs!!
KeithB
March 19th, 2010
11:11 am
I was thinking that when they said they were using him at OLB. I think he’s a better fit inside.
Will Dawg, half is better than not sniffing it for 30 freaking years. Even when you won the SEC a few years ago, it wasn’t good enough to get you in to the NC! Have fun underachieving with top recruiting classes, and basking in the glory of owning a Technical Institute.
THE 1990 NC belongs to
March 19th, 2010
11:25 am
In 90, The Miami Herald and The Tampa Tribune and the Pensacola News-Journal all declared Miami as the NC. Jacksonville Sun said North Carloina was the NC because they tied hapless Tech that same year.
In the midwest with Chicago Tribune and St. Louis Dispatch and many, many others declared Colorado as NC. So did most of the west coast papers and up east. Notre Dame got all of the votes in garym Indianna and in South Bend and s.e. Chicago with the local neighborhood leisure papers.
In Atlanta and even in Decatur, Ga and Columbus, Ga., their newspapers ( both the Atlanta Constitution AND the Atlanta Journal ) did declare that Tech was NC Co Champs. Now, this is really something to be proud of ???????…………..well, um yes, if you are a sissy team, like Tech is. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAH AAAAAAHAHHAHA
Dawgforlife
March 19th, 2010
11:33 am
yeah BD he could have gotten one of those famous industrial management degrees wonder what the starting salary is on those…and while we’re at it…Tyrone Sorrells flunked out of UGA and enrolled and finished at Tech..wonder how he got past those rock solid enrollment standards…well, he was 6ft6 250 and could run like a deer…but, that probably didn’t have anything to do with it
Dawgforlife
March 19th, 2010
11:44 am
stinger…you own us?….that is perhaps the worst thought out comment I have ever seen on these boards…own us in what respect?…it has been proven on the football field for decades and cannot be disputed…when it comes to football, we own you…now if you are talkng about other sports…clarify…but, even then, the higher rated tech basketball team has gotten into a nasty habit lately of losing to the supposedly helpless Dogs…The proof is in the pudding…conference championships, All Americans, First Round draft picks, total players drafted, head to head record, every aspect of football UGA is the top performing program in this state…now, I’ll sit back and wait for you to dust off all those ancient Bobby Dodd champoinships you all love to pull like a handgun…My answer to that is this: Bobby Dodd is not walking through that door
Dawgforlife
March 19th, 2010
11:51 am
BD I’ll agree UGA did misuse Brandon Miller…but, it happens all over…are you going to sit there and tell me tech didn’t ruin Jonathan Dwyer?… When he was recruited, he was one of the top tailbacks in the country..they baloon him up to a horrid 240ish and make him a fullback..costing him about .4 on his forty…he is now desparately trying to lose weight and increase speed…they cost him millions of dollars..he went from near first round lock to trying to aviod lasting til the 4th round….Paul Johnson and tech cost that young man perhaps tens of milllions of dollars
UGA = Clemson = Perennial Underachievers
March 19th, 2010
11:52 am
Dawgforlife
“The proof is in the pudding…conference championships, All Americans, First Round draft picks, total players drafted, head to head record, every aspect of football UGA is the top performing program in this state….”
Notice how you didn’t say “National Championships”
in that respect, GT owns you….seriously owns you
run the
March 19th, 2010
11:53 am
Enter your comments here
BD
March 19th, 2010
12:02 pm
Dawgsforlife, I am presenting you with facts. The Industrial Management degree I guarantee you starts at $50k+ for a fresh grad. How much money are UGA’s Leisure Studies grads averaging fresh out of school nowdays?
UGA is not a top academic school. It’s just a fact. It is a substandard degree when compared to a GT degree.
As for “ruining” Dwyer, CPJ wanted Dwyer to lose weight last season. That is also a fact. Dwyer has tried to spin his weight for draft purposes, but he was overweight last season and the entire staff knew it. He’s still a better player than anything UGA has and will be a first round pick, unlike Brandon Miller that got shoved into mediocracy by UGA’s incompetent staff.
run the ball
March 19th, 2010
12:07 pm
Oops. Has CMR ever beaten TN and Fla in the same year? Memo to CMR: practice everyday for those two teams. If you beat those teams, we will win our side of the conference. These two programs are going through some changes, as is UGA’s, but they are both beatable.
Gratefuldawghead
March 19th, 2010
12:27 pm
Plug them in where you need them Grantham !
GO DAWGS!
Dawgforlife
March 19th, 2010
12:33 pm
YEP..underachiever pulled out the old Bobby Dodd days…Tech has had 8 count em 8 total first round draft picks since 1937…talk about underachieving…and BD, if Dwyer is drafted in the first round, I will personally sing the Tech fight song and admit I am wrong on these boards..he will do well to go in the 3rd round…spin it anyway you wish; but, Johnson gorged him so he could play fullback and cost him dearly…almost as much as Meyer cost Tebow in the spread…as for UGA as a school, I will be the first to say you can get a first rate engineering degree from tech….how about a degree in Journalism, Business, Education, Law, Music….Tech is a fine school honestly it is..but, unless you want to engineer something, you are literally forced to go elsewhere
Will Dawg
March 19th, 2010
12:59 pm
KeithB,
Punk on the field and bigger punk on blog. OVERRATED. By the way since 1950. Gt .5 UGA 1
stick that in your pipe and …..
Ogeechee Dawg
March 19th, 2010
1:03 pm
BD – good for Tech grads. This state has incredible educational opportunities including:
– one of the top engineering schools in world (GT)
– A top 25 Public University (UGA)
– A top 20 Private University (Emory)
NOt to mention unique schools like North Georgia College – consistently ranked high and recog. as the top military leadership school outside the service academies – beating Citadel, VMI, Texas AM, Virg Tech, and Norwich.
My point is – I have family that have received excellent educations at all of these schools – all successful.
While a DEVOUT Bulldog – I also am proud what is offered in this State – and wish each school the vest – unless playing UGA!!!!
GT grads are deserving of higher pay due to the unique field of study and challenges in engineering. Also – not as many GT alums in the Atlanta area as GT grads get scattered all over the world.
For UGA – being a large University – there grads will settle more in the Georgia area – incredible national respect for School of Law, Terry Business, Journalism, Vet school, education – etc etc.
Be proud of all the schools – we are fortunate to have them all!!!
Stung
March 19th, 2010
1:42 pm
Last time I checked Tech doesn’t “own” anything. I mean besides lots of retainers and hand lotion.
Bo
March 19th, 2010
1:53 pm
That story about Samuel being asked to lighten up is true. My neighbor is an assistant coach at Cass and told me that story when it happened. He should do well. The guy is fast and hits hard.
Lunchtime links: Waiting on Lattimore | SportsCentral Arkansas
March 19th, 2010
1:56 pm
[...] moving from running back to outside linebacker, Georgia’s Richard Samuel is on the move again, this time to inside linebacker in the Bulldogs’ new 3-4 [...]
Big Dawgs Eat!
March 19th, 2010
2:23 pm
i wanna see samuel be great, and ilb could be where he needs to and should have been…. imo, he will be a force!
Let the Big Dawg Eat
Lunchtime links: Waiting on Lattimore | theSPORTSpage Arkansas
March 19th, 2010
2:29 pm
[...] moving from running back to outside linebacker, Georgia’s Richard Samuel is on the move again, this time to inside linebacker in the Bulldogs’ new 3-4 [...]
Thuga
March 19th, 2010
3:50 pm
Willdog, you ruin this state wif yo mouf! I’ll bet your all pickup and no sheepskin. Don’t be hatin on the techies. VD used to lead his teams with humility and character. It showed up in the interviews and in how our players acted outside of the stadium. Today, we do it fsu gangster style. All mouth and no show. Hating is our best defense! If you are so worried about the bees then see if we can leave the sec and move over to the acc. uga fans need to chill and worry about our own business, thats the only way we will improve.
Stung – you are in the same boat!
Ole Dawg
March 19th, 2010
4:51 pm
Stinger, you are right we aren’t listed in the TV guide cause we didn’t win enough games but we did Beat tech in football And basketball. Does that count??????
mark
March 19th, 2010
4:52 pm
samual is the best running back on the team
run the ball
March 19th, 2010
5:07 pm
Mark, you’re right. If he touches the ball 30 times a game, he gets 100 yards and we win. CMR won’t just sell out to the run game. Run the darn ball.
Notes: Dogs seek taller cornerbacks; Richt ‘really encouraged right now’; more | UGA sports blog
March 19th, 2010
5:39 pm
[...] If you missed it: Richard Samuel has changed positions . . . again. [...]
PT
March 19th, 2010
7:29 pm
Does any one remember the story of Robert Edwards move from defense to offense. Give Richard a chance. You never know. Edwards was a natural at Tailback.
mark
March 19th, 2010
11:47 pm
i will always give richard a chance at defense but when he is the teams best running back then he needs to be the running back…. sorry but caleb king fumbles every 8 carries
CWM
March 20th, 2010
12:40 am
IS RICHARD GOING TO CHANGE HIS #
RED DOG 77
March 20th, 2010
12:41 am
Hey RED DOG 77 7:32am 3/19…………………I am RED DOG 77, and I have never seen “The Blind Side “……….Richard Samuel played High School football in Cartersville, I believe it was Cass High. I watch UGA recruiting very carefully every year, and unless his coach is a liar, and I don’t think that’s the case, The coach was indeed asked by the ref to tell Richard to ease-up on his hits, or someone was going to get hurt ! I’m sure I’m not the only DOG that read that story, so DOG NATION, I need your help to straighten this dude out………This dude who can’t even post with his own name…………..PS…….I am RED DOG 77………Don;t use my name again !
big south mike
March 20th, 2010
12:06 pm
Samuel averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Ealey averages 5.7 yards per carry (higher than Herschel’s career 5.2 ypc).
T'VILLEDAWG
March 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
Every team could use all the Richard Samuels it could get, a consumate team player! Wow I’m impressed, well done young man.
VolFan
March 22nd, 2010
5:19 pm
I am a Vol fan but i have to praise this kid for being a true team player
Lunchtime links: Waiting on Lattimore | SportsTalk South
June 25th, 2010
10:58 am
[...] moving from running back to outside linebacker, Georgia’s Richard Samuel is on the move again, this time to inside linebacker in the Bulldogs’ new 3-4 [...]
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August 18th, 2010
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Zach
September 6th, 2010
3:43 am
Great move. I had the privilege of going to high school with Richard and playing football with him my senior year. When I met the guy, coach Casko told me about his magainze cover and people saying he has the speed of a gazelle, so in turn I was expecting to meet a guy about 5′10” – 5′11”, and about 190 lbs. The guy was 16 years old as a senior, he was about 6′2” and built like a refridgerator. As you would expect, I was ready (or thought I was ready anyway) to practice with this athlete. He didn’t disappoint me, I’ll tell ya that much!! I moved not long after enrolling at Cass High, making my stay pretty short, but I made it a point to meet this guy and see where he goes. He may or may not remember me, he’s in a phase of stardom that he deserves and that many players go through. Richard Samuel is a very talented athlete and he will make it to the next level, crushing some bodies along the way.