Byrd ready to soar

Byrd ready to soar
Dogs once again have abundance of safeties
BY DAVID CHING
Staff Writer
(Buc, add the newspaper name here. Admin)

ATHENS, Ga. - Last year, Georgia's coaches frequently complimented then-sophomore CJ Byrd for his excellence in practice, but that rarely translated into opportunity in games.

Byrd faced the dilemma of working behind All-American Tra Battle at free safety, leaving the talented youngster less playing time than he might have deserved. He played in all 13 games, registering only eight tackles and one pass breakup.

But Byrd's patience is finally being rewarded this spring, as the former South Carolina high school player of the year is now listed as a starting safety.

\"It's kind of like a dream come true,\" Byrd said. \"Since I've been recruited, I've always wanted to be No. 1.\"

Although Byrd is now a starter, the Bulldogs will face a similar problem again this year. They have so many talented safeties on the depth chart that it may be difficult to get them all enough playing time.

Senior strong safety Kelin Johnson is Georgia's top returning tackler and is unquestionably one of the defense's vocal leaders. But he has big-hitting redshirt freshman Quintin Banks, a player often compared to former Bulldog All-American Greg Blue, nipping at his heels. And Byrd is backed up at the other safety spot by another redshirt freshman, Reshad Jones, whom Rivals.com rated as the nation's No. 1 safety in the 2006 signing class.

Include the return of strong safety Antavious Coates -- a player with a 6-foot-4 NFL safety-type body who has missed the last two seasons while recovering from two torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries -- and it's hard to tell how defensive backs coach Willie Martinez will keep everyone satisfied.

The embarrassment of riches at the position was enough for Martinez to move sophomore Donavon Baldwin from safety to cornerback this spring because the numbers at safety were going to work against him.

\"Actually I think the resume thing, with everybody having such good credentials, it just makes it better to compete in practice,\" Banks said. \"It pushes you to want to get that starting spot, want to get in the game.\"

Martinez often talks about the important role safeties play as leaders in his defensive scheme. He said it usually takes more than a year for a new player to gain a basic understanding of playing the position at Georgia.

That necessitated redshirting Banks and Jones, a decision Jones said was difficult to swallow while he was forced to languish with the scout team last season.

\"It was tough at first, but I overcame that and looked at the positive side,\" Jones said. \"I think I got faster and stronger. I think I got a feel for the scheme and the system.\"

The young safeties say a year's worth of film study has helped them better understand their roles at safety, as well as how they fit into the Bulldogs' overall scheme.

They're progressing, but Martinez says they're not ready to see significant action just yet. There's a big difference between making plays as members of the scout team because of their athletic ability and making plays for the varsity because they know where they're supposed to be on every down.

\"They've got a ways to go and that's understandable,\" Martinez said. \"What I like about them, the young guys, is they'll work. They keep working.\"

The light finally came on for Byrd last season, his second in Georgia's system, and he expects similar results from the second-year players this year. He believes the youngsters who are new to the defensive depth chart are good enough to possibly force a rotation at safety that hasn't existed in the past.

\"The young guys, they're starting to learn a lot more so I'm pretty sure there'll be a nice little rotation in the game, which will be nice,\" Byrd said.

\"Every day it's a battle. Those guys behind me are great.\"

Notes : The Bulldogs scrimmaged at Stanford Stadium on Monday. They worked on a variety of game situations. \"This was one of the rare spring practices where the offense had the better day. That doesn't happen often here or anywhere else in the country,\" Georgia head coach Mark Richt said in a press release. \"This was maybe one of the best scrimmages for the offense since I've been here and the protection of the quarterback is where it started.\" Georgia will practice on Wednesday and Friday, then have G-Day on Saturday.