Georgia’s defensive line chain used as strong symbol for unit

When Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott had an opportunity to begin hands-on instruction with his players, he wasted no time making a statement.

At some point during spring practice, the first-year Bulldogs position coach walked into the defensive line meeting room with a long chain that weighed about 40 or 50 pounds.

Georgia’s front-line defenders were puzzled at the time about the message being conveyed.

“What does this mean?” Georgia sophomore defensive tackle Tyler Clark asked.

About a week later, those within the unit — ranging from the developing freshman talents of Robert Beal and Malik Herring to the highly touted veterans like Trenton Thompson — were able to quickly gain grasp of Scott’s reasoning.

Scott made his way to Georgia after brief stints at North Carolina and Mississippi. In his first game with the Bulldogs, his group allowed 136 rushing yards in a season-opening win over Appalachian State.

“The chain means all of us together,” Clark said. “If someone is not with us on the defensive line, like having a bad practice, the chain is broken. When the chain is together, it means that everybody is working.”

The Bulldogs keep the chain as a symbol for cohesiveness despite personnel changes, both in the meeting room and during games. In Saturday’s victory, Georgia rotated eight defensive linemen in order for players to have frequent rest.

One of those contributors has been Clark, who was considered a raw prospect in his first collegiate season. Still, Clark was depended on and played in each of the team’s 13 games.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see him from when he first got in,” Georgia junior defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said. “He’s always been a competitor, just like everybody else on our team. His motor has definitely kick-started and he’s turning into one of the premier guys on our defensive line. He is someone we have to call on this season, and he’s filling that job really well.”

With many upperclassmen, the expectation is for the veterans to lead their younger teammates and the big brother-little brother concept frequently comes into play.

Clark appreciated how Ledbetter served as a leader during his freshman season by showing him what to do in terms of lining up on the line-of-scrimmage and handling the SEC level of football.

But Ledbetter doesn’t see the 6-foot-4, 305-pound sophomore as an understudy. While somewhat jokingly, Ledbetter mentioned that Clark stands similar in size — even 28 pounds heavier.

“He’s one of my guys, and we hold each other accountable,” Ledbetter said. “Just because he’s a younger guy, he still has to be as strong as everyone in that chain, and he’s doing that.”

After facing an Appalachian State line that was a mismatch for Georgia, the Bulldogs will face an entirely different test Saturday at Notre Dame.

The trip to South Bend, Indiana, will be the first in the program’s history and the first time that Georgia has played Notre Dame since the 1981 Sugar Bowl. When the ball is kicked at 7:30 p.m., the Bulldogs’ chain will face a challenge with NFL-caliber offensive linemen in Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson.

In an attempt to simulate the stature of the two next-level talents on the left side, Georgia has used freshman Netori Johnson and senior Aulden Bynum from its scout team during team practices.

Scott’s group believes it has prepared properly for the looming showdown and believes it can exploit the opposition’s plan.

“There’s always a way to beat somebody,” Ledbetter said. “Somebody will always have a weakness. You have to find it. We’re going to find it and execute off of it.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Georgia’s defensive line chain used as strong symbol for unit."