For the moment when the ball was in the air before Kelee Ringo picked it off and had the pick six, what was that moment, what did you see in front of you?
This is the question ESPN’s Kece Davis asked Coach Kirby Smart during the trophy presentation ceremony of the National Championship. Kirby’s response has stuck with me ever since:
Actually, I saw about 1000 drills we did during the year playing the ball with Kelee and I knew he was going to catch it. I didn’t know he was going to run it back, but I knew he was going to catch it. And what a big play in a big moment.
Coach Kirby Smart
It takes work to win and to accomplish your goals. A lot of work.
I love Kirby’s response because his entire team worked their tail off to get on that stage. Coach Smart knew Kelee was going to make the play because they had practiced it a thousand times. When asked about one of the biggest moments in Georgia football history, Kirby credited the work.
Take a look at another quote from team captain Jamaree Salyer after winning that night. The culture of putting in the work shines through.
Q. What does this moment and winning a national title at Georgia mean for you?
It’s probably one of the most special things I’ve ever done in my life. Just understanding the work that it took, honestly, it’s kind of one of the crazy things, just understanding how much work, man hours and how many reps. It’s kind of crazy to look back on it.
Jamaree Salyer
In 2016 we produced a film for Jamaree’s high school that features him doing squats. He has not stopped doing reps since and the work will undoubtedly pay off during the upcoming NFL Draft.
Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis (two additional team captains) both credited work ethic in their postgame interviews.
Kirby created a vision and instilled a culture of preparation and readiness. He was honest about the amount of work required to get there. He was able to attract, inspire, and coach others who bought into his strategy.
Three points of application:
- It takes time to reach big goals
- Coach Smart won the National Championship in his sixth season as the Georgia Head Coach. Before that, he was the Defensive Coordinator of Alabama for eight seasons. And before that he was a coach for nine seasons. Twenty-three seasons of coaching to reach the top.
- There are no short cuts
- UGA quarterback and former walk on, Stetson Bennett, said it best after helping Georgia win the title: “I hope it gives somebody a little hope, just keep fighting, keep your mouth shut, work hard, life’s tough, you just gotta fight through it.”
- The end crowns the work
- Or said another way, the goal gives value to the labor that produced it. This is one of my favorite phrases that I discovered while walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Kirby and the entire UGA Football Team brought this phrase to life while accepting the championship trophy.
It takes belief, a team, time, and work. Seeing the dawgs win in Indy will forever be a source of inspiration and pride. Go Dawgs!
The Birdnest 