Starting or not, Big John Jenkins fired up about his first game with Bulldogs
Junior college transfer nose guard John Jenkins won't start on Saturday but he's expected to play a lot. (UGA photo by Rob Saye)
ATHENS – John Jenkins won’t start the game when the Georgia defense takes the field against Boise State at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, but that has done nothing to lessen the anticipation of the big nose guard from Connecticut, who was one of the Bulldogs’ biggest signees last February.
“Let me give you an analogy,” said Jenkins, a 6-foot-4, 350-pound junior college transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. “Think about when you were young and Christmas is right around the corner and you see all your presents underneath the tree, and it’s Christmas eve and you want to open that first present, but you can’t and you stay up all night. That’s the way I feel.”
When Jenkins inked with UGA the Saturday after national signing day, it was anticipated he would be starting for the Bulldogs when they opened the 2011 season. But a couple of things happened that nobody anticipated seven months ago.
One, Kwame Geathers came into his own. The 6-6, 350-pound redshirt sophomore out of Georgetown, S.C., perhaps motivated by coaching staff’s feeling it needed to recruit over him at the position, ended up being named the Bulldogs’ defensive MVP during spring practice and carried that momentum into preseason camp.
Two, Jenkins went down with a hamstring injury midway through camp. With him on the sidelines, Geathers operated unchallenged. Meanwhile, defensive line coach Rodney Garner expressed frustration with Jenkins’ absence. “You can’t make the club from the tub,” Garner told reporters before Jenkins returned to the practice field earlier this week.
But Jenkins said all as well. As for incurring the wrath of Garner, he said. “That’s love; that’s love. That’s all that is.” And he insists he is not at all disappointed to not be starting his first game as a Bulldog.
“I just want to win,” Jenkins said. “Being in a green jersey (signifying injured), I just got a chance to see things. The things that I missed showed me that I don’t want to miss anything. That’s all that did.
“As far as losing ground to Kwame, he’s a worker. He and I are on the same line, just like DeAngelo Tyson and Abry [Jones] and [Derrick] Lott all those guys. We look at each other as a whole. I’m not trying to do better than anybody. I just want to be as good as I can be.”
Regardless of who starts, Jenkins was always going to share the nose guard position with Geathers.
“Me and Kwame together, that’s a one-two punch, you know what I mean?,” Jenkins said. If we get this W, what’s next?”
Tamburo’s role minimal
Michael Tamburo told the AJC early last month he didn’t plan on having any pow-wows with Georgia coaches about Boise State’s offense. This week, the Bulldogs’ coaches insisted they resisted the urge to ask.
Tamburo, a sophomore from Suwanee, transferred to Georgia from Boise State this summer in order to get closer to home and finish complete his degree requirements at UGA.
“It’s obvious that we have everybody’s film,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We can study everyone’s film. We can talk to all the coaches that have played them in the league. So that’s where we get our information from. Now [defensive coordinator Todd Grantham] might’ve spent time with him. I don’t know.”
Said Grantham: “You know, we really just watch tape and the plays that were run and the way they run them and all that stuff tells them what you’ve gotta know,” he said. “So really it’s just about preparing off the footage that we got. There’s no insights.”
Injury report
Starting tailback Richard Samuel, who has been out the last two weeks with a strained quadriceps, was expected to practice full speed for the first time as the Bulldogs conducted a dress rehearsal practice at Sanford Stadium on Thursday.
Meanwhile, third-string tailback Brandon Harton continues to battle an ankle injury. The former walkon, placed on scholarship this summer because of his impressive practice performances, has been in a walking boot and on crutches when not on the football field.
“I’m maybe not quite at 100 percent, but before Saturday I should be,” Harton said. “I feel confident that by game time I should be ready.”
Every tailback Georgia has been sidelined with some sort of injury this fall, including freshman Isaiah Crowell (groin), redshirt freshman Ken Malcome (groin) and junior Carlton Thomas (ankle).
Etc. . . .
Boise State was scheduled to arrive in Atlanta between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Friday morning. An NCAA rule prevents teams from arriving earlier than 48 hours before a competition while school is in session. . . . Boise State coach Chris Petersen and Richt will hold a joint press conference in advance of the game Friday at 1:25 p.m. at the Omni Hotel. . . . Boise State’s radio play-by-play man Bob Behler is a 1985 graduate of UGA. . . . Georgia’s tennis team plays Boise State at the Atlanta Athletic Club at 4 p.m. Friday. . . . Sports radio station 680 The Fan is has organized a concert in Centenniel Olympic Park in conjunction with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. O.A.R is the featured band for what they’re calling the Downtown Touchdown Concert. Gate open at noon with music set to start at 1 p.m.
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175 comments Add your comment
Athens Dawg
September 1st, 2011
11:30 pm
Nobody will see Crowell coming. Nobody will see big Geathers or Jenkins coming (figuratively speaking). Nobody will see what we have as a team, the confidence, the swagger coming. They just don’t see it. They see Georgia and they think of losses to Colorado, and UCF and think, we aren’t going to be any good. Well there’s a reason teams have new seasons. We can correct the mistakes and move forward. I really cannot wait until it’s time to get after it.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
September 1st, 2011
11:31 pm
THIS JUST IN….the strange assembly of odd looking characters in the downtown area was not – repeat – not the Dragon.Com annual parade of Klingons, Darth Vaders, Jedi Knights and other assorted odd characters that live out their lives in their mama’s basements…it was in fact our dear old Bulldawgs clothed in their new Nike uniforms.
Yes, I know, they are beyond ugly, but then, if the Leeburn-Adams Athletic Association sanctions the wearing of the uniforms…who are we to argue against Nike’s big check?
Shawn
September 1st, 2011
11:36 pm
This week is going to be so easy that I’m worried about being over confident for next week. This will be a repeat of the Hawaii sugar bowl or the 2005 Boise game. They have no business playing an SEC team in their home state dome! UGA is going to win going away!
Hart Co.
September 1st, 2011
11:38 pm
Motel 6, He’ll turn the lights out for You.
Remarkable
September 1st, 2011
11:38 pm
I love all the positive vibes on this blog. Keep it up guys.
Edgewood Dog
September 1st, 2011
11:41 pm
Anyone know of a website that will be streaming the game
Thanks…..
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Ty
September 2nd, 2011
12:32 am
Geaux Tigers btw a real SEC football team 2X BCS Champs and UGA ZERO
Chuck UGA
September 2nd, 2011
12:47 am
Can I listen to Bob Behler then see if he is better that Scott Howard? Scott is great with hoops but abysmal announcing football.
Ajohn Fan
September 2nd, 2011
12:52 am
Big John is a quote machine; it’s cool seeing a guy’s personality shine through in an interview. I’m sure the beat writers are love this dude.
Let the big (John) Dawg eat!
Chuck UGA
September 2nd, 2011
12:55 am
Ty, what is LSU head-to-head versus UGA since 1970? UGA leads the series. ‘Nuff said.
SLCDawg
September 2nd, 2011
3:32 am
Can’t wait for this game, and not to be negative but anybody remember the WV game? We didn’t think big east team would be able to hang with us either. But then there’s Hawaii, Boise state part 1 etc. And also the way sec Dlines have dominated in the BCSNC lately. I’m just saying nobody knows what’s going to happen here. Not us and not Boise. I hope y’all are right about our d. Seems like so long since we had dominant D. Man that would be nice to see again.
RedandBlackDAWG
September 2nd, 2011
5:10 am
The young man is showing the enthusiasm I think this whole UGA team has, They are ready to play some football, and get last season behind them. Our offense is young, but they have some athletes on that team, so I am not going to discount them. Our Defense has the ability to control the game so I hope they can do it. Size, strength and speed are the keys to this game, unless Boise is allowed to score on trick plays all night. Keep their QB moving with happy feet and the fourth quarter belongs to UGA.
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
6:13 am
4th quarter ?
The game will be won or lost on how we play starting at the kick-off. Our fans will dominate. The media hype will be great. The season starts and we are in Atlanta at the Dome. You cannot go out there and let Boise State think they can play with us, from the opening kick-off. You bury them at the very start. 4th Quarter ? Play your subs.
DirtyDawg34
September 2nd, 2011
6:37 am
Am i missing something here?UGA coaches say they have resisted the urge to ask Tamburo anything about Boise States offense,hes our player,he transfered to UGA from BS.Would this be some kind of ncaa violation?Does this break some kind of CMR loyalty code to the rest of college football?(Please help me out with this one Chip) If hes my player hes showing me every hand signal and every tendancy BS has.
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
6:58 am
I thought the same when I read all that
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:17 am
I think he was saying with with some degree of levity. The serious point being that professionals who study film down to the smallest of stop frame details, don’t really gain anything from asking some former player who would have limited information from a particular perspective that doesn’t help them, anyway. I’m guessing if there had been something positive to help them all keep thier jobs, they would have asked. I’m also guessing that nobody keeps all their “hand signal” the same over the years, especially one that that just changed Offensive Coordinators. It’s not a matter of honor, but rather a matter of pure amateurism.
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
7:25 am
Pure Amateurism ?
Is there something about pure Amateurism that I don’t know about, all of a sudden ?
You have a player walk-on. He got beat out at QB there. He is here. If you think with the old OC leaving to Texas, and his assistant OC leaving to Indian – then a few days later returning to take over OC, that they don’t still run the same plays…
And, what is this about hand signals ?
It is the plays.
The playbook
Amateurism doesn’t say I can’t find out all I can find out about the playbook
You say some really stupid stuff
Pure Amateurism. Pure stupidity.
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:25 am
I sure didn’t hear any “urges” that needed to be resisted, in thier actual comments.
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:27 am
Said the amateur.
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
7:27 am
You just only just always post every post about whatever viewpoint then means you agree with whatever the bloody blazes EVER goes on
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:30 am
You tell us what it is about handsignals that you want to know. That was DD34 idea, that you “thought the exact same thing.”
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
7:31 am
Grow a pair.
Say something just one time that is your opinion on something, instead of sitting there squirming in your seat, trying with all your heart to think up some excuse for everything this football program has ever done, is doing, or ever will.
The rest of us are trying to call it like it is. Not everything is perfect. Sometimes, it is better to actually say that, well, that is wrong AltamahawDawg
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
7:34 am
I wonder why we didn’t sit him down and get the whole playbook. We had bloody all Summer since he got here. Game film ? You think they showed their plays vs Idaho and Toledo ?
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:36 am
Do you seriously think that in live action the defensive coaches are goign to be sitting there trying to read “plays” then sending down the instruction of what our guys should do. In what ,4 seconds? Or have they already predetermined out what the best reaction for our guys when they see “this guy here or there”. newsflash, K. Moore, has about a dozen option at this disposalal when he is standing under center, and would eat our lunch if we tried to play “uh uh uh , we know your playbook”
I understand the hyporthetical argument. I just disagree that its reality or how it actually happens.
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
7:40 am
We know how much balls it takes to hate everything BullDawg, keep patting yourself on the back.
I feel sorry for you, 1 day till the season starts and you are so addicted to your little mask and cape persona’s that you have built in here, that you can’t even get excited, just everything sux. So sad.
Thomas Brown
September 2nd, 2011
7:48 am
And, we all know how much it takes to sit there and say everything that ever happens is for the best, in this, the best of all possible worlds. Heaven forbid anyone even hint that maybe we should do this. You are not a better fan than I because you are this person and I am not. In fact, you are a worse fan because it reads like EXCUSES. That is not being supportive. The facts are obviously it has nothing to do with Amateurism and is, once again, not Pure Amateurism. We either are going to beat a team who finishes in the AP Poll Top 10 one year and not lose 4, 3 or 4 games, or we are not.
Not everything is either sucks or exciting, little boy.
Some of us are grown up enough to actually love the players and not be in the least satisfied with the “coaching staff” Mark Richt has assembled. We make mistakes. We are not perfect. But according to YOU you are a great fan and can tell me off in public that I am not because you have a predisposition to make up excuses – and you know full well Pure Amateurism is nothing but a sorry little poorly thought up silly, stupid, idiotic excuse for that which is obvious.
Pure Amateurism – hogwash AltamahawDawg
bad brad
September 2nd, 2011
8:06 am
In the words of Erk Russell: It’s going to be great to be a GA Bulldog on Saturday night (or early Sunday morning in this case).
D-MAN
September 2nd, 2011
8:35 am
Great job all summer Chip,but i’ve read all this stuff allready this week on other blogs.Time to punch some Broncos in the mouth,GO DAWGS!
DC
September 2nd, 2011
8:38 am
whoever said “he lay heavy” cracked me up..good work!
FSSikes
September 2nd, 2011
8:41 am
Let the games begin!!
GO DAWGS!!!
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
8:44 am
So to you sucked up the bait hook line and sinker, got mad at me for offering a normal perspective, then diverted the topic to some banilities and personal insults. What a surprise.
Also, the sun came up today.
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
8:49 am
For the others in here capable of discussions related to the topic:
Who else thinks that with Tamburo simulating Moore and running the Boise plays in scrimmages, there was multiple exchanges between him and the defensive coaching staff about what Boise does.
Does anyone expect the staff to really openly talk in the local newspaper about what they do or don’t know about Boise’ tendencies.
Who believes it would be a disaster if they worried about “playbook”, knowing that was just a collection of formations and options, rather than, how best to defend the action in front of them on the field?
Dawg Gone
September 2nd, 2011
8:50 am
@Thomas Brown I think you need a hug..its the day before the season and we ARE the Bull Dog Nation…just that fact ought to have us all grinning from ear to ear. We get to play a top 10 foe on national TV and reestablish ourselves as a program. Boise bless their hearts have given us a golden opportunity….lets take it! Go Dogs !
1eyedJack
September 2nd, 2011
8:52 am
I’m sooooooooo excited!
PreyDawg
September 2nd, 2011
8:53 am
This Jenkins kid has a real wit about him. I like him alot. “That’s love, That’s love, That’s all that is.”
Very funny line and very true. Gardner wants him to be his best. This guys personality will be good in the locker room, and imagine having him come in to spell Geathers. The Boise Center will never get to catch a breath.
@Athens Dawg- I don’t think the trick plays will be a problem. I see this as a game like Hawaii. I don’t think they can hang with us in the trenches. Everyone is talking about an air attack on both sides. I dont think it is going down that way. I think we are going to be physical with them. Richt wants to send a message to the team. He knows they were soft last year. Ask Thomas Davis what he said to the team earlier in camp. Richt is going to play smash mouth on both sides of the ball. Our D-line penetration is going to neutralize the trick plays.
I think people are going to be suprised how much difference having a legti nose tackle will make for a 3-4. Remember Atlanta when Grady showed up? Huge change.
Bama in Atlanta
September 2nd, 2011
8:56 am
To quote Jerry Clower (some of you may be too young to remember him): “Bust through the line and strike the first jersey what ain’t the color of yours”!
PreyDawg
September 2nd, 2011
9:00 am
@Altamaha- You are consistently one of the highlights of these boards. Don’t let the jerks get to you man. Keep posting your thoughts. I always read your stuff. By the way, I worked on the Altamaha from 86 to 88. I was green as a goard and scared to death. I could tell you some stories about Lyons. Liked Vidalia. Didn’t like Lyons.
As to your point. Of course you are right. We aren’t too worried about the individual plays. I do think that the coaches would be crazy not to let this kid help them a bit with tendancies. But they are not going to announce that to the world and put a target on the kid with his hometown folks. MAN!! I am ready for this game to kick off.
If we win this one….game changer in terms of perceptions. That means media, our fanbase, and the players. IF we win this. The SC ticket instatnly doubles or triples in value. Forget buying that one from a scalper.
RedandBlackDAWG
September 2nd, 2011
9:01 am
Jordan,
What year did you graduate from Tech.? I was just wondering since your “Predictions”, have UGA going 7-1 in the SEC, and then losing to Tect. by a low score from both teams in the teens. Where does tech. come up with the defense to keep any team down that low? Why does this supposedly high octane tech. team, only score that few points? Journalism has once again, shown to be biased and a story skewed to what the person writing the article would like to see happen, not what is actually going to happen or is based on sound reasoning. By your predictions, one could assume then, that tech. is better than S.C., Auburn, Tenn. and 7 other teams that you predict UGA beats. I am a die hard UGA fan, but I live in a realistic world, and do not supposedly write for a sports column. Are those your predictions or are you saying you agree with whomever wrote them?
GO DAWGS and GATA
Dawg Gone
September 2nd, 2011
9:03 am
@Bama in Atlanta I miss ol Jerry one of the funniest in person folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around.
WDE
September 2nd, 2011
9:04 am
@AltamahaDawg what Prey Dawg said you just keep preaching it brother…Go Dogs !
just sayin'
September 2nd, 2011
9:05 am
@bama…’knock him out, john’….that BS center is gonna need some ‘relief’….loved clower….still have some of his ’78s…but havent played them lately…
just sayin'
September 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
and Brother Dave Gardner, too…miss him…i think that BS center is gonna be alright, ’till they ‘turn his head around’….he’s gonna be looking out of his helmets ‘ear hole’ after the first qtr….
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
I remember watching the Ga/AU replay from 09 this past summer and noticed that Fairley didn’t record his first sack till that game (in his first year). He did contribute, even stated at times, but it was his SECOND yer before he dominated. Jenkins’ will be a hero if he does nothing more than provide the depth at that spot, that we wouldn’t otherwise have. And I don’t see how he was ever going to have been the answer by himself had Geathers not come on so well to be a strong backup.
AltamahaDawg
September 2nd, 2011
9:10 am
Enter your comments here
5$ Dawg
September 2nd, 2011
9:13 am
This team literally has NFL caliber talent at every position group, sometimes two deep (i.e. D Line). We have an excellent coach, a manageable schedule but with enough exposure for a quick rise in the polls, and with a little luck and few injuries, the Dawgs will win it all this year.
Don’t sit back and hope to be pleasantly surprised, believe it and get behind it 100%
MarineDog
September 2nd, 2011
9:14 am
@Bama in Atlanta,
Another famous quote of the late Jerry Clower: “Knock him out John,
ooo-whee and it won’t be long”.
Jeff
September 2nd, 2011
9:14 am
Even if JJ didn’t win the No. 1 spot, I have loved his attitude. All the interviews I have seen with him are extremely optimistic. He seems to keep a lot of stuff in perspective.
Mobile Dawg
September 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
PreyDawg, I hope you’re right. We have the horses to deliver the load if the driver has figured out where he’s going.
1eyedJack
September 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
PreyDawg, if you thought Lyons was bad you should have tripped down 280 to Rhine. Rhine is between Lyons and Abbeville on highway 280.
True story: Back in WWII two old gentlemen are playing checkers on a porch in Lyons. One of them is reading the paper.
“It says here the Germans have captured Abbeville (France),” says the one reading the paper.
Without even feigning interest the other retorts, “Well, I wouldn’t worry to much about them Germans just yet. They still have to come through Rhine.”