Jason Butt: Georgia's J.J. Frazier plays Superman role in big moments
Superman long has been drawn and interpreted to possess certain physical attributes in his quest to save the day and prevent evil from taking hold.
Superman, even back to his original comic book days, is generally tall, with broad shoulders and defined muscles that poke through his predominantly blue outfit. Christopher Reeve, the actor who portrayed Superman in each of the original four movies, was 6-foot-4, a tall and imposing figure for villain Lex Luthor and his cronies to deal with.
In sports, quite a few gigantic athletes have adapted Superman to their personas. In the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard have referred to themselves as Superman. In the NFL, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a 6-5 freak of nature, often imitates Clark Kent ripping off his suit to show the Superman emblem across his chest.
It's not often that Superman has taken the mold of a 5-10, 155-pound (on a good day) man who is usually the shortest and smallest player each time out in his respective sport.
There haven't been too many like J.J. Frazier. While unassuming, Frazier has taken on the role of the player who just won't let Georgia succumb to defeat when a game is on the line.
In Georgia's thrilling 76-73 win over Arkansas on Saturday, Frazier led the Bulldogs with 26 points. Much like Superman's weakness to kryptonite, Frazier was forced to power through with a crippling migraine, which head coach Mark Fox believes set in shortly before the tip. Frazier wouldn't let that stop him. He was on a mission from the start, hitting his first shot of the game from behind the 3-point line. He helped give Georgia a big enough cushion late with an acrobatic layup over Arkansas forward Keaton Miles, who is 9 inches taller. Superman, even when the odds are stacked against him, managed to pull through and help his team to a victory.
Hyperbole? Perhaps, given the fact Georgia has lost six games and is still very much in uncertain territory at this time with its NCAA tournament status. But just look at what Frazier has meant for the Bulldogs. When he scores 15 or more points, Georgia is 9-1. He has taken over games -- Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Arkansas -- when Georgia needed more than just a spark. He's shooting 44.7 percent from inside the 3-point line and 42.3 percent from outside it.
Frazier has been nothing short of super for Georgia this season, and is making quite the surprising -- at least from an outside perspective -- case as one of the top guards in the SEC.
"He's Superman," junior guard/forward Kenny Paul Geno said. "J.J. could have cramps or whatever, and he's going to finish. He's going to give his all every play until the horn goes off."
Frazier has become Georgia's unlikely superhero, the diminutive guard who has knocked down his share of big shots. Saturday's performance was just another way of showing it.
Frazier didn't tell Fox about his migraine until about two or three minutes into the Arkansas game. Frazier wasn't about to let that stop him from pushing through and playing 35 of the 45 minutes of regulation and overtime.
"If every competitor could have the heart of that guy, they would have an advantage from the start," Fox said. "His competitiveness and his will to win carried him through a lot of discomfort (Saturday), and it's also contagious. You need that spirit within your team, and J.J. brings that to us."
Contact Jason Butt at jbutt@macon.com
This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Jason Butt: Georgia's J.J. Frazier plays Superman role in big moments ."