Baker ‘locked in a lot more’ to eventually earn starting role

Things changed for Kendall Baker during the summer.

Baker, a fourth-year junior, spent his first three years at Georgia as a reserve. He redshirted as a true freshman and then found himself in a backup role the next two years. Especially early on in his career, this was a difficult position to be in. Like any college athlete at a Power 5 program, Baker saw plenty of playing time and accolades in high school.

He wasn’t used to sitting on the bench.

During the summer, however, Baker was determined to change that narrative. He didn’t want to be a backup any longer.

“I locked in a lot more,” Baker said. “I pushed myself a lot harder to do what I needed to do.”

That desire to see the football field on game days helped eventually land Baker a starting role on Georgia’s offensive line at left guard. He began his college career at left tackle, only to move inside once head coach Kirby Smart took the program over.

Thing is, Baker was actually a pretty good defensive lineman in Marist at high school, which had him thinking he’d be better served on that side of the ball early on when things didn’t go too smoothly on the offensive line.

Baker said it is tough for a lot of freshmen to go through what he went through. After becoming accustomed to playing throughout his entire life, Baker went three full seasons of barely seeing the football field. As the maturation process took place, Baker realized he needed to clear that final mental hurdle if he was going to become a starter.

“I feel like my situation comes with work,” Baker said. “My mindset changed. This season, I said I wanted to be on this field. I changed my mindset. I worked towards that.”

Baker didn’t start the season opener against Appalachian State but did rotate in with the first team. He has since been a starter in Georgia’s past three games in wins over Appalachian State, Samford and Mississippi state.

Tight end Jeb Blazevich said he admires Baker for sticking with the program when he could have checked out over a lack of playing time like a lot of players have previously done.

“It’s easy to quit. The majority of people quit,” Blazevich said. “It takes somebody with a lot of character and a lot of integrity to say, ‘I’m here to work.’ That’s becoming the culture of this team, regardless where you are on the depth chart.”

Blazevich said he saw Baker begin to emerge during preseason practice, which is when it all started to “click” for the Atlanta native. Now, Blazevich said he has noticed Baker playing with more confidence in himself.

It may not have come easy for Baker. But it could serve as a teaching tool for young players who are unhappy with where they sit on the depth chart early in their careers. Just because it doesn’t happen in year one or year two — or in Baker’s case, year three — it doesn’t mean a breakthrough won’t eventually occur.

Through it all, Georgia has a lineman who refused to quit when it would have been easy to do so.

“They have somebody who will never give up on them, and will keep trying and fighting until the end,” Baker said.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Baker ‘locked in a lot more’ to eventually earn starting role."