Here is what members of the Georgia defense said Wednesday in preparation for the Orange Bowl against Florida State:
DB Kamari Lassiter
On playing in the Orange Bowl instead of opting out: “As far as playing the game, it was almost a no brainer. As long as I am able to play, I’m a football player. I’m just trying to go out here and be connected with my brothers. We have one more game to play this season. So just being able to go out there and play for each other - that’s what we said we were going to do and the start of the year so that’s how I’m going to finish it...as far as next year, I’m focuses on the now right now and this next game.”
On having fewer opt-outs than FSU: “It just shows how connected we are. Obviously, we lost the SEC championship, but we’ve been working hard over the last months to play this game and finish the season the right way. This senior class can be the winningest class in Georgia history and we owe it to those guys to try and send them out the right way... This senior class has poured a lot into his university. They were a part of the first national championship (since 1980). They were a part of the first 15-win season. I owe it to those guys and the rest of the team and the coaches owe it to them as well.”
Defensive Coordinator Glenn Schumann
On the team’s pulse: “Our guys love playing football and they’ve had a really good couple of weeks of prep. I know they’re excited to be here.”
On preparing for a FSU team with many opt-outs: “People always preach standard, and if a standard is a real thing, then you’re always just trying to be the best version of yourself. (Florida State) has a lot of good players. That’s how they ended up in this position. The guys that are going to play are there for a reason and we know we’re going to get their best shot.”
Assistant Head Coach / Tight Ends Coach Todd Hartley
On TE Brock Bowers: “He didn’t have to come back. I think the people that are around us a lot know what type of person Brock is and what type of competitor Brock. I think it shows how much he loves his teammates. It shows how much he loves his coaching staff and it shows how much he loves Georgia. He is the ultimate competitor. So the fact that he came back in something like three weeks was not unbelievable. (The fact) he came back from that ankle injury and played at a really high level against Ole Miss just shows how much he wanted to keep playing for teammates, his coaches and this university.
“The hard work mentality and toughness is the edge that he brings to practice every day. That’s great for those young kids to see. Football is a contact sport. It is a violent sport. You got to have toughness to succeed in this game, right? And, to be honest, there’s a lot of that we avoid in our sport nowadays. To have a guy like Brock that’s more throwback that just loves the game, he loves the contact. He loves the toughness aspect of playing football. It’s very infectious for his teammates. So he’s a great person to have around because people feed off Brock and how he plays.”
OLB Chaz Chambliss
On how there are no meaningless games: “We’ve been working since January last year. We work so hard for every single play. The amount of plays we have in the game is minuscule to how many we had practice, spring ball, in summer, and fall camp. It just comes down to pride for us. You work so hard at your craft and for someone to say all that work doesn’t really mean anything in a football game, that doesn’t sit right with us.”
DL Mykel Williams
On what he hopes to get out of the game: “More confidence in my ability and in the scheme heading into my third year.”
