Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Florida State coach Mike Norvell met with the media Friday, the day before the Orange Bowl. Here are three questions and answers from each.
Kirby Smart
On being on Florida State staff for two seasons early in his career: “I was a defensive coordinator at Valdosta State, and decided to go be a graduate assistant, which people would say was a step down, but to be in a room with Mickey Andrews, Odell Haggins, Joe Kines, Jody Allen, Kevin Steele, a lot of really good minds in college football, it helped shape me. To be sitting in a staff room with coach (Bobby) Bowden for two years getting to see how he ran the team and commanded the respect of the team was really instrumental in my upbringing as a coach. Two of the best years I had, I got a graduate degree from FSU and was able to be 45 minutes from my hometown and just a tremendous experience for me.”
On having few opt-outs for bowl game: “I think the leaders of the team kind of spearheaded that. I stay out of it. I met with each player that was draft eligible, seniors that have draft grades, and just spoke with them very honest and talked to them, and they had to make the decision with their family members. They want to go out on top. They don’t want their last Georgia outing to be what was the SEC Championship. They put their minds to it, and it was a little bit of almost a contagious deal. One guy did it, another guy did it, and they wanted to play.”
On Carson Beck’s decision to remain at Georgia: “I would say more pressure lifted off of him. Instead of carrying that burden of that decision, he wanted to get that over and focus on the Orange Bowl and didn’t want to have to answer questions about that down here. He wanted to be at his best. He wanted to lead his team. I thought that was a good decision. In terms of his leadership, he’s one of our better leaders. He does it in a different way than most people. He’s very poised and calm. Very pleased with his leadership.”
Mike Norvell
On having resolve tested after being left out of playoff, opt-outs and ACC lawsuit: “I mean, I think so. When you sit there and you look at the challenges that present themselves – we are in a wonderful place with a wonderful position. There’s nothing to sit back and hold your head -- hang your head about. This team, they went through an incredible season, and from where we were four years ago to where we are now, you’ve seen tremendous growth, tremendous belief, just a wonderful culture and team that we get to be a part of. But the challenges have presented themselves. For us, we always talk about that response. We talk about the mindset of what you’re going to bring to the things that you can’t control, and ultimately it still provides opportunity, which provides choice.”
On considering themselves national champions if they finish 14-0: “I think that as things go on the field, you’ve got to control what you can control on the field. We were not presented the opportunity to go play in the College Football Playoff. For that decision, we get a chance to go compete against Georgia to win the Orange Bowl. That would be an incredible feat for our football team, to be able to go 14-0 throughout the course of the season, throughout the things that we’ve had to face. Right now that’s the focus. Ultimately that’s what’s in front of us. That’s all that we’ve talked about.”
On quarterback Brock Glenn: “Brock is a remarkable young man and he’s mature beyond his age. The way he approaches practice, the way he approaches the meeting room, his excitement and really just the charisma he brings to the guys that are around him, being his first start, being an ACC conference championship, there was a lot on it. Really this is his first week going into a game week knowing that he was going to be the starter, because there was some uncertainty there even in the championship week and how practice reps kind of went. I love his attitude. I love his approach. I think he’s very talented. He’s got all the characteristics you look for and what you want a quarterback to be. He learned some lessons in that first game, and now it’s an opportunity to go and improve and help those guys around him to go play at the highest level that we possibly can.”
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