Solidarity Finally

Maybe some have watched this video, aka . . . . the welcoming of Mike Ekeler.

While watching Mike being interviewed, my thoughts went back to my high school football days playing under a 1946 graduate from UGA. Mannerisms, everything. Get a bit longer in the tooth, seem to do more of that "looking back".

When a group of defensive coaches pick up their belongings and families and move to Athens as quickly as this group has, inspires me. Say it again, I used to witness this type of thing under Erk. Everyone bought in, and we now pay our respects to Erk and his accomplishments at UGA. Took a while, but most understand how much a committed group of coaches mean to a program.

Back to Mike Ekeler. No doubt in my mind that he will sit and talk and understand the young men he will coach. He will also make you come close to hating him at some point. That is the beauty of working for someone like Mike. Once you understand that he is totally on your side as a player coach, the game of football is understood and as a player you play FAST. Doing what comes naturally, using your head, playing team ball.

Mike talks as if he is playing the game himself again. Actually he is, he is playing every down in his mind, just a bit old to try and mix with the young folks on the field. That has been missing at UGA for many years, has been noticed by many. Change is heading at warp speed to the defensive side of the ball. Mike and those that he will coach defense with did not come to Athens to be just another defense. Everyone on that side of the ball appears to be on a mission.

Thinking back at our cast of defensive coaches, it has been a real disappointment to me. Have stated many times, I love defensive football. Much like a very good band, knowing how to harmonize. This of course falls on the shoulders of those that also need to understand there is more to coaching than throwing a 50 yard pass completion.

Not going to be ugly, trying to call this new arrangement as I see it. I see a strong base unit that will demand and get results in the near future. Looking forward to Clemson in Athens.

Go Dawgs, coach'em up . . . .

You nailed it Buc

Coach Mike is a gamemer Love the statement. We will have the best LB's in the country or I have failed

As you point out. We have coaches who can and will coach them up

yankeedawg1, have read your thread, you have mentioned much of the same before that was mentioned here.

I don't want anyone to think that I am in total agreement with the total product, meaning those in the highest positions in Athens. Damn sure not there yet.

Cannot count the times in my life that I have heard this statement . . . . "Never too old for an old dog to learn new tricks". Some do, some don't. Leave it there.

In my life I have noticed that the smallest changes sometimes become the ruling factor. It is impossible for me to believe at this point that Jeremy Pruitt would leave an extremely talented FSU team, a team with a quarterback that allows a good defense to be even better.

AM was that piece for UGA, there were however some "serious problems" with the lack of leadership on both sides of the ball.

Would love to sit in a room with the defensive coaches that now take all of the alloted spots in Athens, (closed door meeting) and listen to this band of "destroyers". I say that in all honesty. Butts-Mehre walls would shake. This group will feed off of each other and UGA will again play "real defense" . . . . FAST.

Putting it out there, these guys are "football TEACHERS". No doubt there will be some fine tuning, but from where I sit, looking at the talent in Athens, could be like averagedawg said in another thread . . . . big winning season. Most of the returning players understand bits and pieces of the so-called 3/4. Not entering 2014 Season with blindfolds on.

Jeremy Pruitt said this and I believe it. "We will prepare our defense according to the opponent we play each week." Watched a lot of FSU tape since he arrived, he did just that. Impressive.

There will be a lot of pushing and shoving in the Spring, guarantee that is what this group of defensive coaches want to see. Starts with smacking each other around, find out who wants to play SEC football. This group has a chance to do some extraordinary things, talent laden. No more sucking air in the second half.

Those with attitudes, I would say this . . . . check the lastest release from our team. Don't care who the coach responsible for the release was, the right thing was done, now a clean plate exists for not only the coaches, same clean plate is there for the players. If you have it, show it. Rubber now truly meets the road in Athens, Georgia. Long time coming, and as ogredawg likes to say, and he is right, show me.

Confident TEACHERS tend to produce confident PLAYERS. Just works that way in life.

What I see is a competent coaching staff led by an average head coach.
Question is would we rather have a competent head coach with a bunch of incompetent assistants?
Trick question, there is no competent head coach with a bunch of loser assistants.
Mark Richt is one lucky guy.

On another note, watched my daughter's Heels beat the dookeys last night.
Roy Williams clearly out coached Coach K in the second half last night.
Bedlam on Franklin St. last night.

averagedawg, so right about Coack K being outcoached last night. In the beginning, thought Duke would have things their way. What a great rivalry.

Doing some more reading concerning Ekeler. More I read, the more I see good things ahead for the defense.

"You're looking for your best players," Ekeler said. "These guys, I don't know them. It's open competition right now. I'm forming opinions based on what they're doing in mat drills. How they're gonna compete. Are they gonna do a drill and jog back with their head down? Are they gonna sprint back with their chest out and look somebody in the eye and say, Let's go! That's what I'm looking for right now."

Mike is up in the morning, involved in the drills. No more tip toeing through the tulips with this group of coaches. Every young man going through this knows that something has changed, they have a group that leaves the BS at the door and proceeds.

We are going to see some changes in the 2014 Season that will be totally unexpected.

In Mike's video interview, I picked up on several things he said, but one that really stuck out to me. Mike said the home he and the family have purchased is in basically the same neighborhood that Bobo, Friend and Pruitt live in. That to me is really big. Shows these coaches are going to be together, through thick and thin. Offense and defense living close together. Much is changing in Athens.

Like a rattlesnake, need to add to the rattlers, shed the previous skin and move forward. The neighborhood might be full of rattlesnakes dressed as Bulldogs that fully intend to move on to bigger and better things. Thirteen or so years, time to do something different. Bulldogs and rattlesnakes both survive because of the ability to bite and cause damage.

Go Dawgs, coach and teach'em up.

Much has been and is being said about defensive backs.

Last season Paris Bostick was being touted as a linebacker. Paris got hurt, but I will say this, Pruitt and his Alabama gang will find a place for Paris to play. Me thinks, safety. Can play linebacker, both inside and outside.

Paris is the kind of player that I believe Pruitt is looking for, and will play him. Pruitt can do a dozen things with Paris Bostick, not giving up what his defense will do. Bostick is a player that does not have to come off of the field because of his "overall talent". Hold me to that, if Paris has made his way back from injury. He will "smack" you. Bad to the bone, and smart as can be.

So much talent in Athens, that seems to be the recurring statement, year after year.

Jeremy Pruitt has to be as excited as our head coach is "energized".

Stay out of the way, reinforcements and replacements have arrived. Trying to be nice.

www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/..._bostick_838213.html