It’s well-known that the Georgia Bulldogs have struggled with tackling lately.
As the team prepares to wrap up their regular season at home over the next couple of weeks, head coach Kirby Smart chose to tackle the issue with some humor before the UMass game.
He playfully introduced punter Brett Thorson as a “tackling expert” and even allowed him to give a presentation on the topic. Thorson earned the opportunity to speak to his teammates after successfully tackling Tennessee Volunteers’ returner Boo Carter, stopping him from scoring during their Week 12 victory.
During his presentation, Thorson made jokes about Kirby Smart’s height and Will Muschamp’s own tackling troubles from his time at Georgia.
Smart found it amusing and explained the reasoning behind letting Thorson bring humor to a serious topic. “He adds a lighthearted touch. He’s funny. I was telling Muschamp last night about a punter from LSU named Donnie Jones, who used to present to the team and talk about the upcoming opponent every Thursday. When a punter does that and discusses how we’re going to take on the opponent, it always lightens the mood,” Smart said. “Brett reminds me of Donnie. He’s a funny guy that the players really enjoy. We thought this was a great chance for him to highlight his achievement. We’ve been struggling with tackling for some reason, so we’re looking for solutions and wanted to reinforce that he succeeded in this area.”
After laughing about their mistakes and making corrections during practice, the Bulldogs will refocus as they aim for another playoff run.
