Kirby Smart has a keen eye for detail, never missing a beat, especially during Georgia’s sprawling practice sessions that span over 20,000 square yards across a pair of fields hosting more than 100 Bulldogs. This attention to detail hasn’t gone unnoticed, as former standout Georgia tight end Brock Bowers can attest.
In a recent appearance on SportsCenter, Bowers highlighted the players’ awareness of their head coach’s remarkable ability to observe everything, even from a distance across multiple fields. “He’d yell at you, and you’d be on the opposite field wondering, ‘How does he even see me doing this right now?‘” Bowers recalled.
What added to the intensity of the practice sessions was Smart’s use of a microphone connected to the speaker system throughout Georgia’s training facilities. This setup allowed the coach to address players from afar without physically approaching them, keeping everyone on their toes. Bowers noted, “Every single day at practice, he had the mic connected to all the speakers around our practice field. He’d call out somebody on another field, and you definitely didn’t want to be in his line of sight when he was upset.”
The Rigorous Practices and Elite Competition Benefited Bowers and the Bulldogs
As a top prospect heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, Bowers, a two-time recipient of the John Mackey Award for college football’s most outstanding tight end, reflected on the invaluable experience gained from practicing against one of the most formidable defenses in college football history during his time at Georgia.
Despite competing in the highly competitive SEC, known for its exceptional talent pool, Bowers acknowledged that the challenges faced in practice were unparalleled. “We always said the practices were gonna be harder than the games, and that’s how it was,” Bowers emphasized. He credited his growth to facing elite defenders like Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker daily, all of whom went on to join NFL rosters after his freshman year.
Bowers made an immediate impact in his debut season with the Bulldogs, culminating in 56 receptions for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to a national championship triumph. Despite earning numerous accolades and All-American honors, Bowers had to first prove himself on Georgia’s practice field against a historic defensive lineup.