Georgia’s players lay it on line for coaches as much as championships
Georgia nose guard John Jenkins and many other players don't take kindly to the incessant bashing their coaches receive from some fans. (UGA photo by John Kelley)
ATHENS — Moments after Georgia put the finishing touches on its 17-9 win over No. 2 Florida this past Saturday, coach Mark Richt and senior noseguard John Jenkins hugged near midfield. They spoke animatedly, laughed hard and hugged again. It was clearly a moment of unbridled joy.
Richt was asked Tuesday to recount their conversation, but he opted to keep their exchange to himself.
“I remember what it’s about but I won’t say,” Richt said with a grin. “But it was a good thing. Sometimes I’ll say some things to the team and I won’t even remember what I said to them. Then they’ll bring it up after the game. They’ll say, ‘we took care of you’ or ‘we had your back’ or whatever. It was one of those kinds of conversations.”
According to Jenkins, it was definitely one of those “we had your back” conversations.
In addition to the “soft-defense” talk before the Florida game, Jenkins said the Bulldogs were equally inspired by the bashing that Georgia’s coaching staff had taken since the loss to South Carolina and the endless recitation of their record against Top 10 opponents. After losing to the Gamecocks 35-7 on Oct. 6, Georgia dropped to 1-9 against Top 10 opponents since 2008. Jenkins said the players were tired of hearing about it.
“Sometimes it feels like it’s never enough,” Jenkins said. “When you’re in this line of work and you go out trying to please everybody else, then you, yourself, is not pleased. So a win like that, it was one of those victories where we knew exactly what we had within the group. Excluding everybody else, outside influences, we knew what we were capable of. The coaching staff and the players, we had each other’s backs. It was one of those type of deals.”
It used to be that football players were somewhat secluded from all the blather that swirls around every major football program all the time. They would be directed by coaches to refrain from reading newspapers or listening to talk radio and could remain insulated from the onslaught of critique and opinion.
But that’s impossible in the digital age of smart phones and Twitter and message boards and open blog commentary. Players are bombarded with instant and usually horribly ill-informed feedback about the job they or their coaches are doing. Often the messages come directly to them.
Hushing the bashers was as much a part of the joy of beating Florida as was putting the Bulldogs in position to win the East, players said.
“It was definitely a big moment for us and Coach Richt,” said junior tight end Arthur Lynch, who signed with Georgia out of Dartmouth, Mass. “We all see Coach Richt as a father figure. College football is a monopoly that we live in. It is driven by money – you can spin it how you want; NCAA this, NCAA that, TV deals, power conferences – that’s the world we live in. That being said, I don’t know many other coaches in college football who are as kind and loyal to their morals like he is. His base foundation, whether it’s his faith, his honesty or just basic human qualities, you can’t find anybody better than Coach Richt.”
“That short time after the game’s over, we’re happy for him,” senior linebacker Christian Robinson said. “We’re not oblivious to what people say. I watch GameDay every morning we have a late game. We see and hear what people say and we use that as fuel a lot of times.”
As ever, the gulf between the vocalized minority and reality remains vast and deep. They would have you think that Richt — and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, in particular – are in imminent danger of losing their jobs with a misstep in any significant game. As it is, Richt just received a five-year contract extension; he speaks glowingly every chance he gets about the job being done by Bobo, who has the Bulldogs on a record-breaking offensive pace; and those who write the checks seem unswerving in their support.
In the past three years, as Richt maneuvered the Bulldogs through their most tumultuous period in his 12-year tenure, contributions to the Hartman Fund (which is used to determine ticket priority) have remained consistent, between $22.6 to 23 million. And despite a dramatic national decline in game attendance due to a down economy, Georgia has had only a few empty seats due to unclaimed tickets returned by visiting opponents.
It’s all very annoying to Lynch, a history major who has taken a keen interest in the Southeastern football phenomena he moved more than 1,000 miles from home to be a part of.
“You can say what you want to about him as a coach, but obviously he’s had some success,” Lynch said. “He’s the longest (tenured) coach in the SEC. He’s had 10-win, 11-win, 12-win seasons. For us, the criticism is undeserving. But it’s there because that’s just how our society is. It’s a what-have-you-done-for me lately type deal in college football.”
MORE GEORGIA COVERAGE
- Mark Richt believes Georgia’s Jarvis Jones is ‘best player in America’
- A look at UGA’s next opponent: Ole Miss
- Bulldogs looking for ways to reproduce last weekend’s intensity
- Notebook: Georgia’s Nor’Easters keeping an eye on Hurricane Sandy
- Report: Florida strength coach shoved UGA’s Corey Moore
- Georgia-Auburn game time set
- Bulldogs jump to No. 6 in BCS rankings
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200 comments Add your comment
Kool-aid and Hugs
October 31st, 2012
1:50 pm
Wait I know what the response is
Yea!!!!!!! We finally beat a top 20 team in 4 yrs we are now going to win the National Title this year
blahahahahahahahahaha
The Commissioner
October 31st, 2012
1:51 pm
Well…that pretty much confirms it…
Kool-aid and Hugs
October 31st, 2012
1:51 pm
The Commisioner
I guess that goes for all the National Title talkers on this blog as well
The Commissioner
October 31st, 2012
1:54 pm
Perhaps it does, and that might be the most intelligent thing you’ve identified all day…but the last I checked, the focus at the moment…on this blog…is you. Why draw so much negative attention to yourself? It’s not like Alabama hasn’t had it’s day in the crapper. How many coaches did they go through in the last 10 years to get to where they’re at now? Come on, man. Grow up.
Kool-aid and Hugs
October 31st, 2012
1:59 pm
Yea Alabama had its bad years but the difference in fanbases is we dont accept mediocrity and then try to convince ourselves that everything is ok
Thats why UGA is a joke program with a delusional fanbase
Lonnie
October 31st, 2012
2:05 pm
NC dawg I watched the movie twice last week and posted that Coach Richt needs to see himself and follow his advice! The point of the scene is that the young man was the leader and has to buy in. Well dawgs bought in and we beat Florida! Let’s go dawgs!!!!
The Commissioner
October 31st, 2012
2:14 pm
Kool-Aid: look up the graduation rates between the 2 schools (66% Alabama vs. 83% Georgia)…who exactly are the uneducated, delusional ones now? I’ll take a few grimy years in football knowing that it’ll get better someday and overall, the school’s better than Bama (look at college rankings). Having a football program as a joke can be corrected. Having a school and Alabama education in comparison is a bit embarrassing. Why are you on here again?
Ghruten
October 31st, 2012
2:19 pm
This post (Chip’s) is for you Flat Tire, Thomas Brownstain, et al. Your chirping is just that. Accept it, love it, eat it.
StAugDawg
October 31st, 2012
2:22 pm
I’m in sales. If a company makes me one of the highest salaried Salesmen in the Nation and I typically got crushed competing against other companies for new business but consistently picked up the lay-ups and held on to existing customers making it an ok year, my company would fire me for not improving and taking them to the next level. No matter how nice or Christian I am. If a company pays me an average salary and expects a “decent effort” than decent results might be acceptable.
There is absolutely no way we will ever win every game. But there is also NO WAY that UGA should’ve come out flat with a “deer in the headlights” look at USCe. That game was nationally televised and had the Gameday crew on sight. That game involved 2 top 10 teams and the leader had the edge in the East. That game was against a Border rival. That game represented the first time in history that USCe could possibly beat UGA 3 times in a row. That game was against the most hated player/coach that has ever played/coached against UGA. That game was against a team that had a RB with 2 consecutive 200 yd games against us and he supposedly had an “awesome D.” If UGA lost a competitive contest (win or lose), no one would be talking about this game. Richt looked like a Zombie on the sideline and appeared to have no answers for SC. We never changed strategy. We never pulled a starter. We never chewed some ass for whiffing on assignments. Our Special Teams didn’t show up (again).
JB
October 31st, 2012
2:23 pm
Now this is a damn football schedule. Look at this challenge fro Ole Miss this year
Texas
Bama
Texas A&M
Auburn ( normally good0
Arkansas ( shoulda/coulda/woulda)
Georgia
LSU
Miss State
THAT is a schedule. Whew.
Roofie
October 31st, 2012
2:25 pm
The USC game is history. Move along people. For Christ’s sake……………..
Art.
October 31st, 2012
2:26 pm
JB,
Texas is crap.
JB
October 31st, 2012
2:27 pm
StAugDawg…..now now now……He’s working as hard as he can to make us better. McGarity pulled ALL or most of his non coaching duties to get us better……………………………Kidding. It’s a trend the last 4 years
Lonnie
October 31st, 2012
2:29 pm
So kool- aid how do I get on an Alabama blog? What a life!!!! Spend all day talking about Georgia!!!!!
Kool-aid and Hugs
October 31st, 2012
2:29 pm
The Commissioner
LOL
UGA fans now using the academic argument LOL
Its harder to get into Bama than it is UGA look it up
“”"I’ll take a few grimy years knowing it will get better”"”
LOL again
when is it getting better we arent living in the middle of the 80’s decade you know
What delusions; Its fun to come on a UGA blog and listen to this
What will really be fun is to watch UGA fans get all excited if the game is close in the 1st against Bama then watch as their jaw drops in the second half as they get demolished by a real football team that doesnt cry and boo hoo because ESPN said something bad about them
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
October 31st, 2012
2:34 pm
The sad part about the delusional trailer park hillbilly bama fanbase is they live in a state that has barely had running water for 20 years, 90% of the fans live in trailer parks and have never set foot in any classroom, much less in Tuscaloosa. All they have is bama football because no pro team in any sport could ever survive there. The trash filled putdowns they throw at all of us were nowhere to be seen during the embarrassment of riches known as Dubose/Price/Franchionne/Shula.
They will go back into hiding once the cheating catches up to the NCAA idiots who are slow in the brains.
The Commissioner
October 31st, 2012
2:36 pm
Koolaid, you are an angry old man or woman…or both. Unfortunately, people here are talking about UGA football, not Alabama football. Again, not sure why you’re on here. I’m sure it’s to make yourself feel better…and that’s OK too. Not every fan should be painted with the same brush; but it’s clear that it can indeed be said for you as an Alabama fan…notice it’s you who looks like an idiot. I’m not pasting all the Alabama fans. No…just you. And honestly, your handle, at your age…? What? Are you trying to pick up kids on these blogs or what? Next thing you’ll be calling yourself Halloween Candy ya big dork.
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
October 31st, 2012
2:36 pm
You have to be able to read and write to participate on a blog.
That is why they don’t exist in Alabama
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
October 31st, 2012
2:37 pm
They do have lots of family trees in Alabama that don’t fork so at least they have that going for them
Kool-Aid and Hugs
October 31st, 2012
2:37 pm
You’re right…I’m gay
The Commissioner
October 31st, 2012
2:42 pm
Huh?!
StAugDawg
October 31st, 2012
2:43 pm
That being said, GO Dawgs! Let’s hope Richt and staff coach the rest of the season like they are obviously capable of. If they do, this could be a special season. And as for last weekend’s win over UF, that was an awesome effort by players and coaches and the win is still being celebrated at my house. Highest paid coaches + 4 and 5 star athletes + Effort = Competitve games against good teams.
StAugDawg
October 31st, 2012
2:45 pm
Muschamp is now 0-6 in the GA-FL game as a player/coach….Let UF keep him.
I-DOG
October 31st, 2012
2:48 pm
Hey I-DOG:
I’m glad you like watching kids play football because they love it and I agree they should never be critiqued. I do to. That is called rec league football and the best part is everybody gets a trophy at the end of the season for participating and at halftime one of the mom’s bring orange slices.
I also like SEC football which is a little different level where the staff gets paid $5 million dollars a year.
LSU Tiger Fan
October 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
Like ANYBODY gives 2 shits about the past. Hell, my team has won AND lost SEC champ games and natl’ chmpshps. Some moron doofus from hickville alliebammy going on and on about how good the team they follow is….. Go clean your fkn trailer you hick.
I-DOG
October 31st, 2012
3:01 pm
Dirty Dawg:
Which hurts recruiting worse? A few critical posts on the AJC blog about the play of the team over the past 5-6 years OR the nationally televised loss to South Carolina that nearly all potential Georgia players for the next 5 years were watching. The one where we were down 35-0 and the announcers were scratching their heads and trying to come up with reasons why so talented a roster didn’t show up? If our recruits have sight and hearing capabilities, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that think that might have hurt us a little.
I think Auburn being able to show off their recent national title trophy to a UGA recruit and Bama showing off their two national title trophies and Florida showing off their two recent national title trophies probably hurts our recruiting efforts a little more than any silly little post I can come up with.
Georgia is a great place to play football. Incredible facilities, sold out 92,000 seat stadium, plays in the best conference, beautiful campus, average SAT for students is over 1,200. Great college town, beaufitul women. Not a tough sell to the hundred plus D-1 prospects in state each year.
I-DOG
October 31st, 2012
3:12 pm
GT:
Couldn’t disagree more with you. When that 5 star RB got caught with a gun under the seat, the AJC reported it and that was all that was talked about the entire week it happened (on these blogs).
Richt gave Crowell the death penalty of college football, he dismissed him from the team. Richt is prohibited by law from beating the snot out of his players or pouring lemon juice on their papercuts. What else did you want Richt and the media to do to Crowell?
Munsondawg
October 31st, 2012
3:23 pm
The best thing to do is not have these little boards where you can post…. Then, get rid of facebook and twitter too. I have never used either one for a minute of my life and haven’t missed a thing I’m sure.
The Memory
October 31st, 2012
4:49 pm
I understand what Athur Lynch and Jon Jenkins are saying about it “never being enough”, but I counter with a team stacked with talent, exceptional facilities, outstanding coaches and fans who consistently support them. With all these conditions, it is hard to understand a 1-9 record against top ten teams since 2008. While we were disappointed vy the South Carolina game, it was the Kentucky game which really frustrated me. I mean, that same afternoon Florida has beaten South Caroliina and the Dawgs played poorly against arguably the worst team in the SEC. Poorly on defense especially. Obviouslty Aaron had a career night and thank goodness for Conner Norman. So let’s put it together for the rest of this season and ALL enjoy it.
Scrappy
October 31st, 2012
5:17 pm
I could not agree more with Arthur Lynch. I have always been proud of Coach Richt as a man and a role model, even when I didn’t always agree with some of his coaching decisions, and I am glad he is Georgia’s coach..
Concerned
October 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
All of you complainers that are season ticket holders and believe that UGA somehow owes you something better for your money – please just give up your ticket so you won’t feel like you’re “wasting” your money any more. Unlike GaTech, where they can’t give away seats – there is a UGA fan out there just waiting to grab any season tickets that come available. UGA will not miss your contribution at all – they will just get it from someone else that wants to be there.
A True Dawg
October 31st, 2012
5:44 pm
I’ve always been proud that Mark Richt is our coach. There are so many scumbags out there who only care about their own job and wins and losses. Winning isn’t the most important thing for a college coach. This isn’t the pros. Mark Richt does things the right way and he is a great example to the anyone that cares to acknowledge it. I hope he’s at Georgia for another twelve years and I hope you haters have to keep eating crow.
graphite
October 31st, 2012
6:13 pm
It’s going to be sadfor the puppies to lose a homecoming game,especially on national t.v…..RollOn
Beano Jr
October 31st, 2012
6:33 pm
Georgia beat Alabama ? When frogs grow wings maybe.
Neutral
October 31st, 2012
7:13 pm
Beano,
You are indeed one of the negative idiots they are talking about. So what if UGa doesn’t beat Bama? Neither has any other team recently. Not bad to be second best to Bama…..and have a clean program. We may not have won a NC in 30+ years, but we also haven’t been on probation for 30+ years.
Neutral
October 31st, 2012
7:22 pm
I have noticed that the negative idiots are having trouble finding anything intelligent to say!!! It is hard to bash a team that has beaten 3 ranked teams including #2 during the past 10 regular season games. And a team that has produced more Allstate Good Citizen Award winners than anyother college in history. And a program that hasn’t been on probation for decades. All of this while UGa has an incredibly strict program kicking players off the team every season…..only to see these guys reappear at LSU, Auburn, etc. It is obvious that it is getting tough for you jerks to find fault with UGa.
Neutral
October 31st, 2012
7:26 pm
@concerned
Do you really believe those “ticket holders” really have season tickets. That is a bunch of malarkey!!! They aren’t true fans……we know real fans don’t act like those knuckleheads.
Neutral
October 31st, 2012
7:36 pm
@I-Dog
OK, I agree the SC/UGa game helped SC…..then FL obliterated SC which helped FL…..then of course all of those recruits had a chance to watch UGa kick the Gator’s butts. Oh yes, so Auburn gets to show recruits their NC trophy and tell them they have had a “top5″ recruiting class for the past 3 years…..and look at our progress…….1-7 with the sole win being an overtime game against Louisiana Monroe. You my friend are scratching for an opportunity to cast stones. You had that opportunity 3 weeks ago, but it is time to let it go because the Dawgs now have it together while FL and SC are the ones who are reeling!!
jack
October 31st, 2012
8:19 pm
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1234901.html
Dawg89
October 31st, 2012
8:43 pm
I support the Dawgs and I support Richt. Go Dawgs!
JB
October 31st, 2012
9:17 pm
Boy Sprurrier stepped in it today. Yahoo sports took him to task. Dabo from Clemson sent a thoughtful statement about Honoring Lattimore today at Lattimore day. Sprurrier ripped Clemson and Dabo in his remarks and made it about him, not Lattimore. Great coach but ALL jerk.
joe jenkins
October 31st, 2012
9:27 pm
We should win this game by 20 points if we are for real…….if we lose to ole missy or auburn….we are not ready to be an elite team and richt needs to make more coaching changes
Old Dog Class of 80
October 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
If what Georgia wants is a good coach who is well-liked and a mediocre team, then they should reduce the price of their tickets to $10 per seat, not ask for alumni contributions, and cut Richt’s salary to 1/10 of what it is now.
They are PAYING for a winning championship team and HAVE NOT BEEN GETTING IT!
I-DOG
October 31st, 2012
10:08 pm
Nuetral:
OK, I agree that Auburn’s season this year isn’t going to help their recruiting.
I can’t agree that we “kicked Florida’s butt”, we won the game… that is a fact. It was a 1 point game with 7 minutes to go and then Florida had the ball inside our 3 yard line to try to tie the game up with 2 minutes to go. Not really the same thing as the 35-0 with 1 minute to go at USC.
Have we turned the corner? Not so sure looking at the last three games. Hope you are right.
joe jenkins
October 31st, 2012
10:12 pm
@old dog 80….opon further review my honest opinion is coaching is not the problem this year….It has aaron murray’s turnovers and the defense having their head else where and maybe the soft schedule had the team a little un focused…..bobo has had a good year!! If murray can stop turning the ball over…the sky is the limit for us
joe jenkins
October 31st, 2012
10:23 pm
@ I-Dog……I agree with alot you have written……I just hope this year is alot like 2007 and we win out…
Bulldawgman49
November 1st, 2012
8:00 am
Dawgs will be focus for this weekend against Ole Miss . GO DAWGS!!!
bulldawg rental player
November 1st, 2012
10:15 am
wow…2 days later and the steam is still rising from this pile…we wanna win for our coaches…what a crock…you win in spite of your coaches….
mark
November 1st, 2012
10:43 am
Coach Richt is one of the most admired and respected men in all of college football. Yes, I want to win more too, but most of these people here have never played a down and it shows with some truly stupid and unrealistic statements. I am all in no matter what. 98% of college teams would LOVE to have Aaron Murray as their QB. I am proud of him and the rest of you can go to hell or go to Tech. Go Dawgs.
mark
November 1st, 2012
11:00 am
@old, You think you are veteran fan? You are a joke.