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'Georgia prepared me in every way': Bulldogs' culture on display at NFL Combine

Jake Reuseby: Jake Reuse02/29/24ReuseRecruiting
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Nov 4, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Javon Bullard (22) reacts with defensive back Kamari Lassiter (3) after intercepting a pass against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

At Georgia, ‘the standard is the standard’ has been repeated ad nauseam, but for those who’ve walked in the halls of Butts Mehre or played between the hedges, there’s plenty more to it than just a saying.

It’s a culture that has been created and flourished under the watchful eye of Kirby Smart, and for now former players like Kamari Lassiter, it has made all the difference.

“I think Georgia prepared me in every way, from a player standpoint to a maturity standpoint. Georgia helped me mature in a way I never thought I’d be able to mature in,” Lassiter said while meeting with the media on Thursday ahead of his workout at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “From just playing football, they helped me understand the game in a way I never thought I would. In a situation about football, I’m able to talk it with coaches and teams, and I’m sitting in front of you guys in a place I didn’t think I would be a few years ago.”

A few years ago, he wouldn’t have had the same mentality either. It’s something the former four-star cornerback developed during his time at Athens, and he admits it requires a unique individual to both accept and buy into the culture and expectations that come along with it.

“Whenever you get into Georgia, it’s a different style of coaching. It’s hard coaching. You just have to be able to handle it and take the coaching,” he said. “When you’re young, you don’t always understand that. You have to be able to hear it from the older guys.”

But Lassiter has some advice the younger guys as to how to make that work.

“You have to understand the message and what everyone is saying. You have to hear what (someone) is saying, not how he’s saying it. That’ll take you a long way.”

Buying in can take you all the way to the top of draft boards, in fact.

Just ask Brock Bowers, who saw much of the same during his time with the Dawgs.

“Yeah, Georgia helped me a ton. Obviously, we were going against first round dudes on defense every single day in practice so just that kind of development, going against that kind of competition improved my game and helped me out,” he said.

Both Lassiter and Bowers are slated to work out on Friday, though it is unclear of the standout tight end will take part in test as of now.

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