Bacarri Rambo sidelined with knee injury; Jakar Hamilton pleased with his progress
ATHENS – Georgia starting safety Bacarri Rambo is expected to miss the remaining two weeks of spring practice after injuring his right knee this week.
Rambo has a sprained MCL, Georgia said Friday.
He started all 13 games last season and was second on the team in tackles with 82.
His injury will mean more practice opportunities this spring for the three players who are competing for the other starting safety position: Jakar Hamilton, Shawn Williams and Marc Deas. They are battling for the spot vacated when Alec Ogletree moved from safety to inside linebacker at the start of spring practice.
Hamilton and Williams started five and three games, respectively, at safety last season before Ogletree claimed the spot.
“You want everyone to know the plays because you never know if somebody might go down — just like, for example, Rambo went down,” Hamilton said Friday. “That gives opportunity for me and Shawn to come up and get more plays at the safety position. So come game time, if somebody goes down, we don’t have to rely on just one person. We can rely on other players that can come in and have the same effect.”
Hamilton seems pleased with how his spring is going, particularly in comparison to last year at this time, when he had just arrived on campus from junior college.
“Last year I came out here, and I really didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “This year I am into the film more, studying my playbook even more. So now that I know what I’m doing and know the concept of the defense, I get to play faster. I don’t have to think as much. I get to make plays.
“I had very high expectations for last year, but then again most people don’t know this is only my third year playing safety. I didn’t start playing safety until I got to [Georgia Military College]. . . . It was just a matter of me getting that first year [at UGA] up under me and seeing how things work. I know a lot of people had great expectations of me — I had the nickname ‘Hitman’ — but all of that comes in the role of getting used to playing at the next level. . . .
“I know what I’m doing now,” Hamilton continued. ” Last year at this time, I couldn’t even tell you cover 4 from a blitz. But now I’m on it, everything.”
– Tim Tucker, AJC
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64 comments Add your comment
ugadogsfan_365
April 2nd, 2011
11:16 am
dawg tired im just a little curious how can you say he played poor when he was second on the team in tackles, led the team in forced fumbles, and had 3 ints all while learning a new system just like everybody else. stop hating on rambo.
King Gators
April 2nd, 2011
12:47 pm
Coaches gotta keep these guys from playing soccer it’s killing the depth chart for the Dawgs! Go Gators!
wildbill
April 2nd, 2011
1:48 pm
The Rambo ‘hype’ far exceeds his ability or effectiveness. I have watched him pull back on several plays when he should have made a hit. Is he gun shy, or what?
Dawg Tired
April 2nd, 2011
2:12 pm
I am not hating on him. He got beat consistently last year and his tackling was poor most of the time. Look at the videos. He seemed to be afraid to really lay a lick on the opponent.
51WTGW50
April 2nd, 2011
5:58 pm
He was already SLOW and only tried to make BIG hits. He was never faster than the GAME. He Dreams to be Half the DB Eric Berry was in the SEC.
I hope he gets healthy and play this year. I would like to see he weak play on the field other a kid trying to really play the game.
Gratefuldawghead
April 2nd, 2011
11:56 pm
God speed recovery for Rambo!
GO DAWGS!
rub some dirt on it
April 3rd, 2011
11:21 am
Rambo is a bust.
PeePants the hobo clown
April 3rd, 2011
4:59 pm
All the talk about Rambo being scared is bullsh!t.
Columbus Dawg
April 4th, 2011
6:06 am
I think “The receivers are in trouble”, is a little premature. Sounds like the receivers had a pretty good scrimmage to me. As far as Rambo goes, the kid will be fine, and as he moves into the upperclassman role, I believe he will return to the promising form that he brought to UGA. At least Hamilton has learned the D better, and for that matter, there were several players that did not know the D last year, not just Hamilton.
All fazes of the UGA football team will be better this year, and the explanation of how the wins will come by Shawn sound pretty spot on to me. Nobody ever thinks about the fact that when other teams, especially a pos like the 2010 Auburn team has great success, that other teams in the conference are way down. Hell, with a little more D, and the conditioning needed to play four quarters of football, Auburn may have never came back to win against UGA. We are not that far away guys.
mgdawg
April 4th, 2011
7:21 am
Jakar needs to win the “Just Shutup” award from mike and mike. Reminds me of a quote “better to keep your mouth closed and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
hornblowermg
April 4th, 2011
12:14 pm
Rambo dogged it all of last year. many times we saw him dodge the ongoing play to avoid further contact. he hasn’t been the same since the hit that he gave and took against auburn.
Richt's Butt Cut
April 4th, 2011
8:09 pm
Agree with GaDawg… He (Rambo) has looked timid ever since the last play of the ‘09 Auburn game…. He avoids the BIG collisions.
Big Dawg
April 5th, 2011
8:09 am
I hate to say this— but Bacarri Rambo just like the rest of our defensive players last year were learning new roles in an entirely new defensive scheme to them. It usually takes a year even for the brightest and most gifted players to fully comprehend and play at full speed in a a new/different system. We will see this year if they have absorbed and adapted to the 3-4 and are just playing and making plays because it is second nature or like last year guys were out of place and a step slow because they were having to think about it.
It is still to early to be making any comparisons to last year, the fact that he is hurt and will miss the last 2 weeks of spring practice is a concern because nothing replaces repitition and learning from one’s successses as well as mistakes. And since it is in practice we have an opportunity to correct the mistakes.
Go Dawgs
cadawg
April 5th, 2011
2:55 pm
i’m confused–does rambo avoid big collisions or only go for big hits? rambo is just a junior, guys, and greg blue didn’t start until his junior year. i’m not saying rambo will be greg blue, but i do expect him to improve over last year. experience does that, and so does having more help from the other safety position; the very article we’re all commenting on makes it pretty clear that our problems at safety last year didn’t start with rambo.