Linemen Discuss Preseason

UGA Sports Communications

The No. 3-ranked Dawgs conducted a two-hour practice in shoulder pads and shorts on Tuesday afternoon.

The Dawgs are now 11 days from their season opener at Vanderbilt on Saturday, Aug. 31. Georgia will open the season against an SEC foe for the first time since hosting South Carolina in 1995 and versus a conference foe on the road since facing South Carolina in Columbia in 1994.

Following Tuesday’s practice, selected linemen visited with the media including Cade Mays from the offense and Tyler Clark from the defense.

Cade Mays

On the competition on the offensive line…

“We’re real deep on the o-line, and we’re just out there competing every day and making the most of our reps. We’re just doing everything we can.”

On the best compliment someone could pay him as a football player…

“I would say the best thing that someone could say about me is just that I play hard and that I love the game and that I just want to finish people.”

On playing multiple positions on the offensive line…

“I like being that useful. If anything happens, I’m the guy that can be plugged in. Anything that happens, I’m the guy. It’s definitely helped me to learn the center spot. It’s helped me learn the offense better knowing what everybody else is doing. I don’t think it’s slowed me down. I think it’s picked my game up and elevated it to a new level.”

On how playing multiple positions (and center) happened…

“It just came about. Coach Sam Pittman just moved me there one day and saw that I could play. Since then, it’s just kind of been the deal.”

On playing both the left and right sides of the line…

“I kind of played everything my whole life, starting in youth ball. My dad (Kevin Mays), when we were playing youth ball, any time we were running to the left, he put me on the left side. Any time we were running to the right, he put me on the right side. It’s kind of been that way my whole life. I’ve played both sides.”

Tyler Clark

On last season…

“I didn’t do as well as I thought and as I knew I could. I just started feeling myself too much and it got in my head and it took me out, but I’m going to be back this year. I feel like I’ve come back this year bigger, better and stronger.”

On the difficulty of young players trying to make an impact on defense…

“It can get a little overwhelming with all the plays, but once you learn the plays, you’ll be fine and everything will be smooth. I think I’m good with the play book, actually. I feel like I can teach it to the young guys. This is the best feeling I’ve had in all my four years here.”

On the “havoc rate” the defense is trying to create this season…

“We’re looking for more sacks and more TFLs. I’ve got a different kind of move for each down.”

On the relay race between players and coaches/sprinter Matthew Boling on social media…

“I was shocked. I knew it wasn’t Coach Smart running like that so I had to look twice. After I saw it was Matthew I was like ‘oh wow!’”

On Richard LeCounte’s reaction to losing in the final leg of the relay…

“He was mad at first because he thought it was Coach Smart. He had to look back, and I think he knew ‘oh wow, that’s not Coach Smart.’ I think he just took it on the chin after that. We told him ‘It’s alright Rich."