Smart on Fromm: 'He doesn’t want to be good. He wants to be great'
Jake Fromm sat not too far from Kirby Smart during the 2016 edition of the Macon Touchdown Club jamboree. At the time, Fromm was still an Alabama commit, thanks to Smart’s recruiting efforts that dated back to the former Houston County standout’s freshman year of high school.
A year later, Fromm wouldn’t return to the jamboree since he was enrolled early at Georgia, which followed the eventual flip from Alabama. He is now expected to compete for the starting quarterback job against incumbent Jacob Eason.
Since Smart has been allowed to talk about his class of 2017, he’s gushed over Fromm. He did so again as the keynote speaker at this year’s Macon Touchdown Club jamboree on Feb. 13, stating how well Fromm has done since arriving to campus.
“We’re really proud of Jake and what’s he done with his leadership already,” Smart said. “He’s a commanding leader. He jumps out there and throws every day.”
It will be a tall order for Fromm to beat out Eason as Georgia’s starter. After all, Eason started 12 games in 2016, throwing for 2,430 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
But since Smart has been allowed to talk about Fromm, he’s maintained it will be a competition between the two quarterbacks.
Fromm hasn’t had to compete for a job since his freshman year at Houston County. Fromm’s high school head coach Von Lassiter, who has since taken the same job at Bleckley County, said his former pupil is looking forward to competing against Eason.
“It’s going to be a challenge for him,” Lassiter said. “It’s going to be a new challenge. It’ll make him better. I’m quoting him, he’s said it a thousand times – it’s going to make him better, it’s going to make Jacob better, it’s going to make the University of Georgia better. He knows that and I think he’s excited about that challenge.”
Fromm earned a reputation at Houston County as being a vocal leader. On National Signing Day, Smart said Fromm asked him for the wide receivers’ phone numbers so he could coordinate throwing days with them.
Leadership has certainly been a strong suit for Fromm, which has already piqued Smart’s interest.
“Not all quarterbacks can lead the same way. Some guys got it and some guys don’t,” Smart said. “And I know this – (Fromm’s) one of those kids who has great competitive fire and wants to be the best. He doesn’t want to be good. He wants to be great. I think that’s really important in finding the student-athletes you want. Does he want to be great? Or is he OK with being good? And there is definitely a difference in those two things.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Smart on Fromm: 'He doesn’t want to be good. He wants to be great'."