Malaki Starks taking it all in this spring, learning from afar while injured

ATHENS, Ga. — Spring practice has looked a little bit different for Malaki Starks this year as compared to years past. The All-American entering his third season with the program has been sidelined due to a shoulder surgery. And while he’s been going through individual drills in a non-contact capacity recently, the last few weeks have given Starks a different perspective on the Georgia defense.

Starks told reporters on Tuesday that he first tweaked his shoulder during fall camp last season. A couple of games into the campaign, the injury got worse, and he could tell something was off but decided to play through it, trying to help Georgia in its pursuit of a third straight National Championship.

Prior to Georgia’s appearance in the SEC Championship against Alabama, Starks was informed his injury would require surgery. However, he played through the pain in and even waited until after a somewhat meaningless Orange Bowl to undergo the procedure. To Starks, it was important to finish the season out the right way. The Bulldogs weren’t playing with any title implications, but he wanted one last crack it alongside Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith, all three of whom he had played with since his freshman season.

“There were a few things that played into it,” Starks said about deciding to play in the bowl game against Florida State. “One, the guys I played with last year, I won’t get to play with them again this year, or ever – unless we get on the same team when we get to a higher level. That connection that we built, that bond that we had on that team was special.”

“Two, the job wasn’t finished,” Starks continued. “A lot of people opted out and there’s nothing wrong with that. There was still a game to play and just because it wasn’t the game we wanted to play or whatever the case may be, I wasn’t going to just sit out and treat it like it was nothing.”

Starks had an interception in the 63-3 win over the Seminoles, his third of the season. Finishing off with 52 total tackles on the season, the Jeferson, Ga. native earned All-American honors and is widely considered to be one of, if not the top returning secondary players in the sport this season.

So how about his spring? Well, it’s been tough on Starks to sit and watch from the side. He’s never been out due to injury as long as he has this spring. The kind of competitor he is, Starks wants to be out there badly matching up against Carson Beck and the Georgia offense. He also knows he’s being looked to as a leader on a defense that will have several new faces.

“It’s been tough. I haven’t been out this long since I started playing football. For me to sit out and not do stuff, I started doing indy not too long ago to get back into it a little bit, I guess it’s a blessing in disguise,” Starks said. “It’s teaching me how to lead from a different perspective and be there for the younger guys, and also the older guys. We’ve got a mix of young guys and old guys in the DB room so it’s kind of teaching me how to get to everybody and connect with certain people.”

Starks still spends plenty of time with new safeties coach Travaris Robinson. The two recently went on an early-morning run together and watched film afterwards. Coming over from Alabama this offseason, Starks has noticed how much T-Rob resembles the man that previously held his position, Will Muschamp.

“I mean, it’s been awesome. He actually got here, our first meeting, like, if you closed your eyes, you would think Muschamp was talking. So I was like, ‘Did Muschamp give you a script of, like, what to say when you got here? Y’all are saying the same things.’ I forgot they’d been together for a long time,” Starks said. “He’s very knowledgeable about the game. Just to see him come in from a new perspective, again from ‘Bama, seeing what they did and the things that they’ve done. He just brings a different perspective and a different type of energy to the room.”

“I haven’t been able to be out there, but I meet with him a lot,” he continued. “He runs in the morning, every day at five. He told me and I texted him Monday. I texted him at 4:30. I was like, ‘Yo, you up?’ He didn’t text me back. I was already here because I was trying to beat him here. He hadn’t texted me back so I started running. He called me at 5:00 and was like, ‘Where you at?’ I was like, ‘I’m in the indoor.’ He was like, ‘Come outside.’ We started running, we ran two miles or whatever. After that we went up and watched film. Just that connection I’m starting to build with him, it’s very special. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

All in all, Starks says this spring has been about learning from afar. Whether it’s been observing his teammates while on the sidelines or meeting with Robinson to watch film together, the now-junior is excited about all he’s taken in.

“I think that’s the biggest thing for me in my role right now is being able to affect other people,” Starks said. “Whether if it’s young guy, old guy, GA, coach, it doesn’t matter. Just bringing that energy, knowing that every day I came out there and I was the same guy no matter what. Yeah, I can’t practice, but I’m not going to just sit around and just pout about it. I want everybody to get better. I want to see the defense grow, so just being able to just learn and teach, really.”

“When you have got to sit there and watch, it teaches you to watch different things,” he added. “Usually I just kind of pay attention to what I’ve got to do and the dude beside me. You see everything when you’re just sitting there watching, trying to coach everybody up. That’s probably the biggest thing. And then for myself, probably just being more vocal. Not being able to be out there is forcing me to speak up a little bit more and be that voice that we need.”

Starks will be sidelined for Saturday’s annual G-Day spring game, a battle between the red and black squads for steaks and beanie weenies. Kickoff time to Georgia’s 15th and final practice session of the spring, open to the public at Sanford Stadium, is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.