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closeATHENS — It wasn’t long after National Signing Day that Michael Moore’s phone started ringing. A few text messages soon followed, then the occasional notes on his Facebook page. Soon the inquiries became part of his daily routine.
As the lone healthy senior on Georgia’s receiving corps, Moore expected to be a mentor for the incoming freshmen, but the job began even before Marlon Brown, Orson Charles and Rantavious Wooten arrived in Athens. They wanted to learn, and Moore was the man with the answers. The more answers he had, the more questions they asked.
It’s a far cry from the environment Moore found at Georgia when he arrived as a freshman in 2006. Back then, the Bulldogs had a wealth of veteran receivers, and Moore’s presence was more of a luxury than a necessity. It’s not that his teammates didn’t care, he said. It’s just that sharpening their own skills took precedent over helping a freshman who wasn’t likely to earn much playing time anyway.
Playing time won’t be an issue for this year’s freshmen, and the need for immediate contributions from the wide-eyed newcomers has underscored the importance of Moore’s role as teacher.
“Everybody knew we had to step up as leaders,” Moore said. “We all know how hard it is to come in as a freshman, and this year, we’re depending on everybody for success. We need the younger guys. You don’t want them to shy away. You want them to be able to perform and be able to compete with you.”
Moore isn’t the only senior to embrace the role of mentor. Throughout the offseason, Georgia’s veterans have worked as hard at teaching as they have at tackling and blocking, and they’ve spent as much time in the film room as they have on the practice field.
“We’re getting in there to watch film, and that’s something we really didn’t do a lot of before,” tailback Carlton Thomas said. “A lot of units are even coming in in the mornings to watch film. And it’s not just a couple guys trying to improve each other. It’s like everybody’s on the focus of, ‘If I can get my unit better, it’s going to help the team.’ ”
It’s all part of this year’s unofficial motto: The star of the team is the team.
In the wake of the departures of Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and a number of other established veterans from last season’s squad that began the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, head coach Mark Richt has touted a renewed focus on teamwork that the Bulldogs have rallied around.
No one has offered specific criticisms of last year’s stars, but the general feeling is that the reliance on a handful of top-flight players took away from the focus of the team as a whole, and the result was a disappointing three-loss campaign.
While preseason practices won’t begin for another two weeks, many of this year’s leaders have already touted this offseason as the most successful of their careers, and the time spent mentoring the younger players has been the key difference from years past.
“This has been a really interesting offseason to me,” fullback Fred Munzenmaier said. “I’ve never seen such a big group of guys staying afterward and working on things. I think everyone is self-driven, but it really helps to have a lot of guys reaching out to the other ones and saying we’re going to stay here and we’re going to do this.”
In truth, the job hasn’t been quite that difficult.
In years past, the veterans weren’t quick to offer advice, and the newcomers tended to keep quiet, junior linebacker Akeem Dent said. This year, both groups have become more vocal.
“As a freshman, sometimes you don’t want to ask the questions, but these guys have done a great job of it, and we’re always willing to answer questions,” Dent said. “That’s been a good thing for them. They ask a lot of questions and we have a lot of answers.”
Perhaps the most difficult adjustment for many of Georgia’s veterans has been remembering their own early days with the Bulldogs.
When he was a freshman, Moore felt overwhelmed. These days, he has to constantly remind himself of that feeling. The game is simpler now, slower. But seeing things through the eyes of his new students reminds him how bewildering those first few months of college life can be.
“Sometimes it’s funny because when you try to explain things to them, they’re still looking at you like you’re talking to a brick wall,” Moore said. “So sometimes you need to take a step back and break it down for them from point A to point B to point C. You can’t just go from A to C. But the guys that we have now, they’re real smart and they’re picking it up real fast.”
The education, however, hasn’t been limited to the freshmen. The mentoring program has spread throughout the team.
Injured senior receiver Kris Durham said he has exchanged tips with Moore regularly.
Kiante Tripp moved to defensive end in January, and throughout the offseason he has gotten tips from Georgia’s offensive linemen on how to beat blocks and get to the quarterback.
Cornerback Branden Smith just arrived on campus in June, and he has already gotten coverage tips from receiver A.J. Green.
It has all been part of the plan. There are no distinctions between seniors and freshmen, offense and defense. When any one player improves, the team improves.
Last year, Stafford, Moreno and senior Dannell Ellerbe graced the cover of Sports Illustrated before the season began. This year, there are no poster boys. It’s about the team, and everyone has a role to play.
“We say be your brother’s keeper,” Dent said. “If one guy falls short, it feels like you’re falling short. We want to hold everybody accountable for their actions.”
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