UGA safety Shawn Williams rants that Dogs’ defense is ‘too soft, playing wrong players
Georgia strong safety Shawn Williams, here tackling South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore, called out Georgia's defense and some teammates for not playing hard enough. (AP photo)
ATHENS – You figured somebody would say something eventually. Monday night, Georgia strong safety Shawn Williams obliged.
The Bulldogs’ senior and de facto defensive captain ripped into his unit for what he called “soft play” all season. And Williams wasn’t above calling out a few teammates, identifying a couple of linebackers he didn’t think were playing up to snuff.
Do you like that Williams spoke out?
- Yes. Somebody needed to give a wake up call. (86%, 1,144 Votes)
- No. He should have kept his complaints in-house. (14%, 189 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,333
Loading ...“We’re playing too soft as a defense,” said Williams, talking to reporters after Monday night’s practice. “That goes for the D-line, linebackers, corners, safeties, everybody. We’re just not playing with the same attitude we were last year. I don’t know what it is.”
Asked if he had communicated his frustration to his defensive mates, Williams said he did during the Kentucky game and he plans to again this week as the Bulldogs prepare for Saturday’s game against No. 2 Florida in Jacksonville.
“After the first series [against Kentucky], I told everybody we played too soft,” said Williams, Georgia’s leading tackler with 51 stops. “They got the ball at the 20 and went 80 yards right up the middle. I came to the sideline and said ‘y’all are playing soft.’ It gets frustrating because I’m sitting here and I’m giving all I got and I feel like I’ve got some guys that are not. I feel we’ve got some guys that are in a whole different place.”
Asked what he thought needed to be done, Williams said, “I don’t know. I’m trying to see if I have to take somebody’s helmet off and slap them and say, ‘what’s going on’? We’re not playing with any emotion right now. Period.”
Willliams then got into specifics.
“Personally, if I was the coaches, I can’t tell them what to do, but I’d have Amarlo Herrera in the game more,” Williams said of Georgia’s starting Mike linebacker. “I wouldn’t bring him out. . . . I want to see Amarlo (Herrera) and (Alec) Ogletree in the game at linebacker; I don’t want to see anybody else at linebacker. I feel like they’re two guys that are going to go out and give you all they got, no matter if they mess up or do right. I feel like they’re going to get to the ball and tackle. That’s what we need.”
As it stands, those two are playing the most at Georgia’s inside linebacker positions. Seniors Mike Gillard and Christian Robinson split time with Herrera at the Mike. But Herrera played less against Kentucky than he has in the previous six games. He came in averaging 7.8 tackles per game. Against the Wildcats he had three, tying his season low.
“I just feel like he’s better,” Williams said. “I don’t know what he’s doing that’s better than them, getting off blocks, getting around blocks. He just gets to the football, and that’s what we need, somebody who gets to the football and tackles.”
More than any specific individuals, Williams indicated it was attitude in general that has seen the Bulldogs plunge down the national defensive rankings. Heading into Saturday’s game against run-heavy Florida, Georgia is ranked 47th in total defense (367.43 yards per game), 72nd against the run (167.86) and 49th in scoring (24.14 ppg). They were top 23 in all those categories to end last season. Kentucky rushed for 206 of their 329 total yards in a 29-24 Georgia victory.
“Right now, Florida plays very physical and they’re going to come out and try to just manhandle you,” Williams said. “So I’m really looking forward to seeing what we do. Somebody’s gonna get punched in the mouth. It’s going to be us or them. Whoever gets punched in the mouth is going to have to decide, ‘what do we do now?’ You’re either going to give in or you’re going to fight back. Point blank that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Williams’ teammates – at least those available after Monday night’s late-finishing practice — concurred with his assessment.
“I understand where he’s coming from,” senior free safety Bacarri Rambo said. “He wants to win and he wants to be the best in whatever he does. I’m in the same boat with him. I see him as a leader and a captain of the defense. He just wants what’s best for the team and the defense. So if he feels like that I feel the same way. . . . That’s what we’re upset about, because we’re not playing the best we can play, not to the potential we have as a defense.”
Said Malcolm Mitchell, who played nearly half the season at cornerback before switching back to defense full time: “Yeah, we’ve got to amp it up. We’ve got to play harder.”
Williams was asked if he thought some players were worried too much about NFL and complacent because they’ve already proven themselves. Williams is among four Georgia starters that have been projected as first-round draft picks.
“I don’t know if it’s the NFL or worried about messing up or worried about a game down the road,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to do what we do and play physical football. And we’re not. That’s what you’ve got to do to win.”
NOTES . . .
Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who was nominated as a Butkus Award semifinalist on Monday, was not listed on Monday’s injury report. Generally that means he was able to practice without limitations. The 2011 All-American was unable to play against Kentucky due to right ankle sprain. Neither Jones nor any coaches were available to comment after practice… . Starting defensive end Abry Jones was listed on the practice report as “out.” He left the Kentucky game on the second defensive play with a left ankle injury… . Quarterback Aaron Murray was named the SEC’s offensive player of the week Monday for his 427-yard, four-touchdown passing performance against Kentucky. Murray was also tabbed a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s best quarterback on Monday.
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527 comments Add your comment
GB's Hamburgers
October 22nd, 2012
11:08 pm
Tampa Gator makes some good points. Florida’s concept is a team concept. Their time of possession offense complements their defense. At Georgia, the quick strike long game that puts up a lot of scores on bad teams, actually works against its on its own defense in big games.
Former Dawg
October 22nd, 2012
11:10 pm
Thanks Shawn for speaking up and being a leader!!!!!
ugab
October 22nd, 2012
11:10 pm
SW want to win. LET’S GO TO WAR. WIN OR LOSE. LET’S BRING IT. BLITZ ALL GAME. DON’T LET THAT QB OUT OF THE POCKET.
Tampa Gator
October 22nd, 2012
11:11 pm
I want to remind Dawg fans that you still have Ole Miss on your schedule…..and no matter what Spurrier says……the Rebs are a highly improved team…..playing A&M down to the wire and then clobbering Auburn. If Georgia beats Florida, they better not let their guard down vs. Ole Miss.
ugab
October 22nd, 2012
11:12 pm
EVERYONE ONE THIS BLOG NEEDS TO GIVE IT UP TO SHAWN WILLIAMS FOR CALLING HIS DEFENSE OUT. THANK YOU SHAWN. IT IIS ABOUT TIME. WE NEED SOME LEADERSHIP. CMR LOST. POOR FELLA. HE WANTS TO RAISE SOME HELL SO SO SO BAD.
He Hate Gator
October 22nd, 2012
11:18 pm
WOW…Basically calling out the coaches as well as the players….your defensive captain is questioning the players that the coaches put in and the teams’ intensity….pretty much what many have on this blog have been saying….again, WOW!
ugab
October 22nd, 2012
11:19 pm
TAMPA GATOR.
The dawgs also have auburn. We don’t know which team is going to show up week to week. We will have a NC team one week and a 2-6 team the next week. CMR give the players time off after the butt woopen in SC. Time Off?? Time off is the worst thing to do. Look how bad the players played against Kentucky. 2 weeks off should off been plenty of tiime to have the players ready for Kentuciy. lol CMR says,” It is good to have a week off. the players get to go home and get away from football.they need rest.”: did anyone see how lazy the players looked for Kentucky. If CR wants to go home to see his wife let him step down.
Bernie Matt
October 22nd, 2012
11:20 pm
I TOLD YOU SO!
ugab
October 22nd, 2012
11:24 pm
Ole Miss has a very good chance to beat uga. Kentucky should of beat the dawgs. One or 2 plays and ga has another Loss. How many weeks did Uga prepare for Kentucky?????I though CMR learned his lesson after WV beat the dawgs down in the bowl game. You can’t give time off. Play through the pain and get after it. THIS IS THE SEC. NOT THE ACC. IT IS SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
birdo
October 22nd, 2012
11:32 pm
Could we have very good coaches and just average players? I have been blasting the preacher man and Bozo, but maybe , we just don’t have the talent. Has this been considered?
Cmdawg99
October 22nd, 2012
11:33 pm
Great job Shawn!! I like the fire!!!! Let’s get goin or get goin!!!!!
BigDawg
October 22nd, 2012
11:38 pm
If we lose to the damn Gators, another season is down the drain & we go to some scrub bowl, let’s get some attitude & kick some butt, tired of this tip your cap to the other team garbage, let’s Get Some! C’mon man
Hairy Dawg
October 22nd, 2012
11:38 pm
Richt and Grantham have done a terrible job getting our defense ready to play. Grantham hasn’t been neutered. He’s just not doing a good job. I don’t care how much fire a coach has as long as the team plays smart and acts like they give a crap about competing. We’re not playing smart and we’re not competing hard enough. Unless that changes Saturday, the game will not be even remotely winnable.
jdawg
October 22nd, 2012
11:43 pm
Headed for heartbreak in Jacksonville. Rhetoric can’t displace a year of sloppy defense. No discipline.
JRW7
October 22nd, 2012
11:44 pm
DAWGS are soft, defense plays soft, this attitude comes from CMR, sometimes a team takes on the head coaches personality, and plays that way, no emotion, no fire to win. CMR has 6 wins this year over teams that have a record of 12 wins and 31 loses! Something’s wrong! Maybe the rumors are true and CMR steps down, because I don’t think GM will fire him!
GoDawgs
October 22nd, 2012
11:44 pm
Heard similar coaching rumor and talk of Jon Gruden being a top choice if that does in fact occur. Of course this is only rumor so don’t know how much backbone it really has anyone heard something similar?
jdawg
October 22nd, 2012
11:45 pm
The Tennessee game excuse was looking forward to SC. Bye week and softer than ever. Florida feels like a real bad beat coming. I hope that I am wrong.
drbasic1
October 22nd, 2012
11:48 pm
Gruden to give up his cush job for this team and this fan base????…….lol….i don’t think so.
7576DAWG
October 22nd, 2012
11:49 pm
Enter your comments here
marc
October 22nd, 2012
11:54 pm
Dammit Shawn Williams call it for what it is and let the chips fall where they may. This is your senior year and I wouldnt leave with regrets either because you will go on the rest of your life wondering why you didnt say anything so the hell with it…….Say it Bra and whoever dont like it is probably the ones guilty from top to bottom. I wish i could run the steps with you..Hell.
Uh OH!
October 22nd, 2012
11:56 pm
First sign of a splintered squad, calling out players by name.
Ed
October 23rd, 2012
12:02 am
Please go back to a 4-3 dawgs…..john Jenkins can’t handle 5 linemen by himself….
DroopyDawg
October 23rd, 2012
12:03 am
@ Uh Oh….not in this case….sounds like Williams finally had enough, it’s his senior year and shame on the other players for half azzing it…all starts with coaching, and Richt is ultimately responsible…this squad was splintered long ago, but it’s nice to see some players like Williams who actually cares, and is evident from his play on the field as well..
FloridaDawg
October 23rd, 2012
12:04 am
Interesting how one player can get everyone fired up…uga is paying the wrong person looks like.
Thanks Shawn Williams…at least you are excited about showing up!
Cmdawg99
October 23rd, 2012
12:13 am
The next article needs to be ” CMR needs to take lessons from “spurrier” on how to do a post game interview if they lose.”
umyboyBLUE17
October 23rd, 2012
12:13 am
Are any of you aware that our favorite head busting saftey Greg Blue has been coaching at a small school in KY, that is they kind of personality that needs to be running defensive meetings in Athens.
7576DAWG
October 23rd, 2012
12:17 am
It shouldn’t be Williams calling the slow, soft defense out, it should be Grantham. I think it was Williams who let receivers from South Carolina or Tennessee get behind him and score of long passes. But , the reason was because he was more interested in doing someones else job than what he was suppose to do . Williams missed his assignments because other players were not doing their job. Commings is not swarming to the ball like he should and swain would be a lot more effective if he would have more discipline and play like he has a plan instead of wide open in reckless abandon.
Richt needs to take the muzzle off Grantham and let Grantham’s passion show through if Richt won’t do it himself. It is obvious Grantham was call out by Richt and Grantham said for $850,000 I will stand over on the side line and be just as stoic as Richt you are the boss.
I would like to remind Richt that I know he doesn’t want anyone hurt so he doesn’t want any hard hitting but if and when any of the Defensive players get to the NFL they won’t even be given a tryout if they are playing the way they all are right now at Georgia and I don’t want to see a totally different person when they play Pro ball because we all will know that Georgia could have had him playing like a wild man if Richt was not such a wimp with NO PASSION FOR FOOTBALL.
Blake
October 23rd, 2012
12:17 am
Thank you Shawn!!!! This D has underperformed as a unit all season. Now it’s time to see if Robinson and Gilliard and the rest of the D for that matter take it to heart and play like true Dawgs, or if they wine, pout, and lay down because someone called them out. Wake up boys!!! The East is right there, we just have to take it. Florida looks good, but we have the talent to be better. We must leave it all out on the field! Leave nothing in the tank! You should be spent every Saturday. At least that way, win or lose, you can be proud! Wake up men and Hunker Down!
Old School
October 23rd, 2012
12:37 am
Disagree South Carolina Dawg with the “player focus on the NFL comment”. Bama, FL, SC, LSU, TN, ect. recruit the same high profile, elite and future NFL athletes every year. The difference being how the other programs seem to able to keep the blinders on their NFL bound players by reminding all of them that their play on every snap is evaluated by NFL scouts. Start taking downs off and dialing back your effort then be assured of your draft stock and signing bonus dropping like a stream-lined man whole cover. Second comment concerning the apparent inability of the UGA coaching staff to deal properly with this team issue is spot on by my estimation.
slobodan
October 23rd, 2012
12:40 am
Shawn Williams will probably be held out of Saturdays game; Richt will label him an “energy vampire.”
Or he’ll say some other stuff about “getting on or off the bus.” You know, those gems of inspiration he got from some self-help book.
Can anyone tell the difference in the Dogs performances since Richt started studying cutting edge football techniques.
Warhorse
October 23rd, 2012
12:44 am
Four poodle first round picks on defense? Only in the eyes of guys who post on here and the AJC.
GTBOBjr
October 23rd, 2012
12:47 am
None of this matters ! Gators WIN BIG !!! 31-3
Lakedawg
October 23rd, 2012
12:47 am
Talk is cheap- Williams has been missing tackles just like everyone else, and has been beaten long more than once. He should correct his own game before he becomes DC.
John
October 23rd, 2012
12:50 am
Charlie Strong for UGA head coach…..it just makes too much sense.
John
October 23rd, 2012
12:52 am
Christian Robinson is a gym rat and CMR favorite, there’s no way CMR sit him.
L.A. BULLDAWG
October 23rd, 2012
12:58 am
GREAT! WE NEEDED SOMEBODY TO STICK THEIR NECK OUT, AND SAY SOMETHING! WHO BETTER, THANS SHAWN WILLIAMS? I;M GLAD BACARI RAMBO, CONCURRED! UGA HAS BIGGER, AND FASTER ATHLETES, THAN FLORIDA! OGLETREE, “TREE” IS THE BEST ATHLETE ON DEFENSE!
dbc
October 23rd, 2012
1:08 am
Happy to hear someone has some fire. Guess CMR was sitting in his office knitting together a game plan. Now at least we go from no way to, slight chance. For the life of me I don’t know why it took anyone on this team this long to acknowledge the problem. Really…isn’t the coach supposed to lead?
Now We're Talking
October 23rd, 2012
1:10 am
Good Job Mr. Shawn Williams,
You may have just become the leader of Georgia’s football team. Rally the troops and get the eleven who are going to put a helmet to somebody on Saturday on every play. This is the kind of passion and stepping up that it takes for a team to win championships. Murray and the o-line need to do the same thing on the offense and open some darn holes for our running backs. Simple game plan: 3 and outs on defense + blocking on offense with zero turnovers = Win for Georgia.
Troup Co. Dawg
October 23rd, 2012
1:13 am
Put on some damn Pastor Troy any get these mugs crunk up at practice! Put on some damn Ice Cube and lets go lay these gaytor bitches on the lawn ! Crank the stereo all the way up at practice! Let’s Go Dawgs!!!!!!!
flo-ri-duh
October 23rd, 2012
1:23 am
Game Crocks fumble inside their five yard line on their very 1st series and go down hill from there. A very physical game against LSU the week before took a big toll on them. Shaw had a poor game – missed several open receivers. Game Crocks had a wide open receiver in the end zone on their 2nd possession and missed him. It should have been 7 – 7 at that point with 3 minutes left in the 1st quarter. Shaw seemed to lose confidence and Spurrier was constantly on him on the side line. Without an injured Lattimore S.C. gave up on the running game. Clowney was in position 3 or 4 times to make a stop in the back field but whiffed on the tackle. Florida’s punter was the star of the game. Averaged close to 50 yards a punt with little to no return.
flo-ri-duh
October 23rd, 2012
1:26 am
Shaw missed at least three time deep to open receivers in the 1st half. UGA can beat the Lizard DB’s deep – on 1st down is best.
dbc
October 23rd, 2012
1:31 am
This speaks volumes about the state of UGA football. When a player has to rally the troops? Holy guacamole, the coaches make huge amounts and a player has to be the one to call out the reality? UGA might win because of this stunt, but if they lose, CMR is that much closer to being out the door. And I can’t say I’d be disappointed…Either way, it puts a microscope on the coaching mentality. We’ve been saying something “ain’t right” for years now. Maybe, just maybe (and mercifully) our AD might just have the ammo to make a change. It’s gonna happen anyway…CMR won’t win 6 or 7 games next year.
UGA
October 23rd, 2012
1:33 am
Shawn did not call anyone out by name except praising marlo and tree. A reporter brought up certain players. Get your facts right.
Black and Red
October 23rd, 2012
1:34 am
Finally, someone tells it like it is. Soft and having the NFL on there minds.
Trouble
October 23rd, 2012
2:27 am
This is why UGA fields teams that WILL NEVER win the BCSCG. Never call teammates out in the press, it is classless and divisive. But too many of you blind homers loyalist see it as a good thing and do not see the big picture.
Dawgman
October 23rd, 2012
2:30 am
Thank you SHAWN WILLIAMS!!!!!!!!!!!
At least i know he is going to show up for the FLa game, now what about the coaches and the other 10 guys on the defense?
Trouble
October 23rd, 2012
2:33 am
UGA
October 23rd, 2012
1:33 am
Shawn did not call anyone out by name except praising marlo and tree. A reporter brought up certain players. Get your facts right
When you say certain players should be the ones playing, you are telling the other players they are not worthy of playing, either way you are not helping your team.
nobody
October 23rd, 2012
2:57 am
I knew there was a leader out there on defense somewhere and Shawn Williams is the man…a South Georgia kid with guts to speak up, call folks out, and can whip the as….. of anybody who thinks he’s bluffing and tries to back him down…and he’s right…get the picture….there ain’t no games after Saturday….
Tomato Picker
October 23rd, 2012
3:59 am
It’s all just empty words until they prove otherwise, and I have my doubts to be sure.
No. 1 Braves Fan
October 23rd, 2012
4:57 am
Some of the UGA fans post the most ridiculous comments. You always hear bad mouthing of CMR, UGA will get beat by teams like Ole Miss, players are too soft, they don`t win enough or don`t win the right games, on and on, etc.
I think a great part of the problem is some of the fans who think their team should win every game, Boys, this is the SEC not the ACC. Get real.