Bo Hughley comes up big for Georgia once again

Bo Hughley is the perfect embodiment of Kirby Smart’s latest mantra.

Georgia’s head coach has been preaching the importance of players with “fire, passion, and energy” since the spring. According to Smart, no player possesses those characteristics like Hughley, the redshirt sophomore who has gotten major playing time for Georgia early in the year.

“He’s just a competitor, man,” Smart said. “That guy loves football. He should be the poster child for fire, passion, and energy. He never stops cheering. He’s in the halftime geeking people up. He loves football, he plays hard. He loves Georgia. I mean, he struggles to keep his weight up sometimes, but you love the way the guy plays, and I appreciate his competitive toughness.” 

Hughley has been huge for an offensive line that has been riddled with injuries.

On the road at Tennessee, Hughley played right tackle on Georgia’s final two possessions, both touchdowns. The former Langston Hughes High School star walked out of Neyland Stadium in tears, overcome with emotion.

Georgia called on Hughley again Saturday against Kentucky. Left tackle Monroe Freeling limped off the field toward the end of the opening drive. Hughley manned left tackle the rest of the way until the starters were pulled late in the third quarter, when he switched to right tackle.

Center Drew Bobo attributed Hughley’s improvements to his effort off the field.

“He’s a great player. He’s a great dude. He’s been one of my favorite guys since he came in as a freshman,” Bobo said. “He’s just improved. He’s learning the playbook. He just keeps getting better and better, asking questions, asking what to do, talking to me in between drives. And the more he’s gotten to play this year, the better he’s gotten. I’m happy for him.”

Smart said after the game he isn’t sure about the extent of Freeling’s injury. Georgia could call on Hughley again next week in another hostile environment, Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Even if Freeling does play, Hughley will be one play away from more critical snaps.

Bobo knows Hughley will be ready to fill whatever role his team needs.

“He just knows that he’s a team player,” Bobo said. “He knows that when he goes in, he’s going to play hard. He’s not going to whine about not playing and doing what he wants to be playing more. But when he has to go in, he’s a team player and he plays hard.”