Attitude and defense are better, Dogs say
ATHENS – Thursday night’s post-practice interviews brought upbeat assessments of two key components of the Georgia football team: its attitude and its defense.
- Without naming any past offenders, inside linebacker Christian Robinson made it clear he likes the attitude of this team better than last year’s.
Christian Robinson is a projected starter at inside linebacker. (AJC photo/Curtis Compton)
“I think the guys that are here and that are playing right now and that coach [Todd] Grantham has trust in are those guys that stayed positive and kept working,” Robinson said. “Our whole thing is just being intense and doing what you’re supposed to, and I think the guys we have out there at this point are those guys who will make those plays and do what they’re told.
“I mean [if you have] a cancerous attitude, if you don’t have the right attitude, if you’re a ‘me’ guy –- we can’t have that. . . . I think the guys we have right now are the guys that are going to do it right, and you don’t have to worry about having off-the-field issues, things like that. The guys that are here, that are going to stay here, that are doing the right thing — we don’t have to worry about. And if they do [wrong], they know the consequences.”
Robinson suggested an issue with “people talking down” in the locker room last year.
“It’s a general attitude,” he said. “I think that at this point the guys we have are going to talk positive. There are going to be days you’re tired, you don’t want to be out there, it’s hot and the coaches are on you, and I think everybody is mature enough in this group that when you go out there it’s time to work and [coaches] are going to push you and you just got to deal with it.
“I think the guys we have here . . . know how to contribute to the team where it’s not all about themselves. I think we have guys that care about each other.”
- Meanwhile, coach Mark Richt made it clear he is encouraged by what he has seen from the defense in the first three sessions of spring practice. The unit spent last year adjusting to Grantham’s 3-4 scheme.
“You can already see the kids are getting better at … the technique of their job, of their position,” Richt said. “You’ve always got to learn what to do first, and then you’ve got to learn how to do it well. Last year there was a whole lot of time spent on just knowing what to do, and now that they have a better idea of what to do, they’re learning how to do it better. So techniques are improving. I think that’s the biggest thing I see defensively.
“And they are playing faster. They are playing with a little more certainty as to what they’re doing, so they’re able to turn it loose a little bit better.”
Reflecting on last season, “I don’t know if we ever turned it loose as a [defensive] group,” Richt said. “There were probably certain moments in time when it looked like we were getting it, but as an entire group, I don’t know if we ever played as fast as we hope we will this year. I think we’ll do better this year in that regard.”
– Tim Tucker, AJC
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375 comments Add your comment
Bubba J. Dawgman
March 25th, 2011
8:15 am
What I’m saying is your team could be smarter than any team that’s ever suited up but without a good attitude running through the locker room none of that matters. That is all. Im sure they’re working on what made the team 6-7, not just holding hands in a circle making sure everybody feels ok.
Big Dawg
March 25th, 2011
8:16 am
Hold on everyone, spring drills have just begun so there is optimism that things have been turned around. Yes I had heard there were major attitude problems over the last several years as certain players felt entitled to play simply because it was their turn. This starts with the coaching staff not putting your best players on the field regardless of seniority. Sometimes the better athlete is not the guy who should be playing but the guy with the right attitude, who is bright and works hard to improve their playing ability. Sometimes the better athlete is a cancer because of their poor and negative attitude on a team. Football is a team sport afterall and it takes all players pulling together to win. Hopefully the JUNKYARD DOG attitude has been rekindled on this team and we will see a team that plays hard the entire 60 minutes of a game. Also hopefully we will see a coaching staff that on offense commits to RUNNING the football instead of getting pass happy.
Go Dawgs
J
March 25th, 2011
8:16 am
Mett went 12-1 at JUCO, led his team to a National Championship. Losing him was a major blow, as you’ll see with LSU’s run thsi year. He’s a winner, no 6-7 seasons with him at QB.
RS
March 25th, 2011
8:17 am
well I see all the negative guys on here.Nothing seems to change.
DawginLex
March 25th, 2011
8:18 am
J, the only loser on here is you.
Keep on bringing up Mettenberger you dumba$$ TROLL.
He messed up and Richt sent him packing.
How long does it take that to get into that retarded brain of yours?
You get on here every day under different screen names and say the same sheet over and over.
Go get a job at McDonalds and get off your grandma’s computer.
Dawg_Mike
March 25th, 2011
8:19 am
As they say up in rocky flop-
“if ye keep doin whatche been doin you keep gettin whatche been gettin”
I like what I am hearing from everyone involved, but then again I hear all this same talk every spring…
J
March 25th, 2011
8:20 am
Mettenberger was not the cancer. 12-1. National Championship? Leaders win, Mett won 12 games. Murray won 6.
Bubba J. Dawgman
March 25th, 2011
8:21 am
Maybe J IS Mettenberger, still feeling bitter…
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:22 am
Who gives up a crap about some rinky-dink JUCO school?
J
March 25th, 2011
8:22 am
Didn’t hear Robinson talking about defensive 3rd down conversions or his personal numbers from 2010? 5 tackles, 1 sack, no interceptions, wow, what a season.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:23 am
LSU & Bama offered Mett a scholarship, I guess National Championship coaches like Miles & Saban care about rinky dink JUCO’s.
Maybe Bubba is Murray.
Scooter McDoogle
March 25th, 2011
8:24 am
J, go thumb ur bum. You’re obviously a moron with nothing tangible to contribute to the blog. Just throwing out stupid statements to get a rise out of people.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:24 am
Good job there Robsinson, blaming the 6-7 seaosn, on every teammate, EXCEPT YOU!
Great attitude there.
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:24 am
99% of the players on even PLAYOFF JUCO squads think Rudy was a physical specimen, so yeah, way to go Mettenberger. In the land of the blind, your one eye came in handy.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:25 am
Robinson’s “blame teammates” attitude, led to a 6-7 season.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:26 am
Mt. Cody, Fairley, & Cam Newton came from JUCO, what a loser.
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:27 am
Three whole examples??? Out of how many total? You’re proving my point; thanks, dolt!
J
March 25th, 2011
8:27 am
I can tell Georgia has the wrong leader for defense, blaming others, will not get it done.
Draw a little circle around you, and work on that.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:28 am
Saban & Miles both won National Championships, offered Mett, don’t think Mett’s leadership 12-1 team was “cancerous”.
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:28 am
No one is saying Mettenberger is not a good player. He might be a great player. Certainly Cody, Fairley, and Newton were.
But to rain all these accolades upon him for doing something in JUCO ball?! Give me a break…it means NOTHING.
Bubba J. Dawgman
March 25th, 2011
8:29 am
He’s not blaming everybody but himself… He’s just making the statement that there were some bad attitudes last year. If you want to just throw out stupid statements go talk to Charlie Sheen.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:29 am
Winners win, losers lose. Georgia’s a 6-7 team with a bunch of losers.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:30 am
I’ll go with Saban & Miles opinion of Mett instead of a lame blogger’s.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:31 am
Losers blame teammates.
Bubba J. Dawgman
March 25th, 2011
8:31 am
No, Georgia’s a 0-0 team that’s working there tails off to get the problems fixed.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:32 am
Did Robinson win SEC 1st team last year? Maybe the problem was HIM.
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:32 am
JUCO is like rec league basketball. It is filled with mostly guys who can’t make the school team, some guys who got signed up by their parents against their will, and one or two idiots who flunked out or got kicked off their team who dominate their team.
Dogs Smell
March 25th, 2011
8:32 am
What will the attitude be after Boise State puts 40 up against them? What will the attitude be when they give up more points than the offense can score? I know what it wil be. “Wait till next year”, all over again !
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:33 am
*should read: “and one or two idiots who flunked out or got kicked off their [school] team who dominate their [rec league] team.”
J
March 25th, 2011
8:34 am
Saban & Miles disagree that Mett was a ‘cancer”. Their opinion matters more than a lame blogger.
J is a Gay Douche
March 25th, 2011
8:34 am
Sez it all
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:35 am
“Dogs Smell,”
The attitude will be, “See ya, Richt.”
We’ll bring in someone who knows how to coach, then we’ll rack up the SEC Championships like we should have been doing all along.
This program is a sleeping giant. Unfortunately we’ve got Barney Fife in charge.
Scooter McDoogle
March 25th, 2011
8:35 am
Dogs Smell and J, two bitter losers. Are you guys mad because you couldn’t beat UGA even in our worst season in ages?
J is a Gay Douche
March 25th, 2011
8:35 am
only lame blogger is J
Mo Ball
March 25th, 2011
8:35 am
You can’t get more discipline, leadership, and better attitude, than Naval academy. They don’t win Championships.
J is a Gay Douche
March 25th, 2011
8:36 am
J went to West GA College, tried out for the tiddly winks team and got cut
Richt for life!
March 25th, 2011
8:36 am
I wonder what everybody’s gonna say when Richt wins the SEC this year… Are you all still gonna hate on him? Say he got lucky?
J
March 25th, 2011
8:38 am
Logan Gray will probably lead Colorado to a 10-2 season.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:39 am
How come once certain people leave Georgia like Mett, they start winning?
Bubba J. Dawgman
March 25th, 2011
8:39 am
Why is he even bringing up Mettenberger? The kid wasn’t on the team last year so he’s definitely not the reason we went 6-7. So I’m sure Robinson was not talking about him… I swear it’s Mettenberger patrolling the blogs from LSU.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:39 am
If Georgia stays with Robinson as their elader, season is done.
Never heard a guy with a more loser blame teammates attitude.
J is a Gay Douche
March 25th, 2011
8:40 am
How come you can’t get a girl to do anything with you except laugh at you??????????
J
March 25th, 2011
8:40 am
Bubba must be Murray trying to defend his 6-7 LOSING season.
david
March 25th, 2011
8:40 am
J-
Mett wasn’t in the locker room last year, so obviously he wasn’t referring to him.
dumb.
Timbodog
March 25th, 2011
8:40 am
“Richt for life!”,
Though I wish it weren’t true, because we certainly have enough talent, we aren’t winning the SEC this year. We could certainly win the East. We SHOULD win the East. But we aren’t beating whoever comes out of the West. Richt pales in comparison to Saban, Miles, and Chizik.
Honestly, be a GEORGIA fan, not a Richt fan.
J
March 25th, 2011
8:41 am
Why did Robinson bring up teammtes who left the team, and calling teammates “cancerous”? Wow, loser attitude.
AltamahaDawg
March 25th, 2011
8:41 am
I can think of nothing more embarrassing than not recognizing a line from Animal house.
J is a Gay Douche
March 25th, 2011
8:41 am
J’s parents won’t defend his lifestyle. They have given up.
Kicked him out of the double wide
AltamahaDawg
March 25th, 2011
8:42 am
well, maybe getting your perspective from a 12 yr old.
Mo Ball
March 25th, 2011
8:42 am
If having no off the field issues won Championships, Naval Academy would win every year.