UGA football players discuss fall camp, upcoming 2021 season

Two UGA football players, seniors Justin Shaffer and Ameer Speed, met with the media via Zoom on Tuesday morning to discuss fall camp and the upcoming 2021 season.

Below is a transcript of their comments that was provided by UGA Athletics:

#54 | Justin Shaffer | Senior | OL

On the offensive expectations for this season…

“One of our main expectations is just to not turn the ball over. Work together as an offensive and play together as an offense. At the end of the end of the day it is all about working together as a team and as an offense. I feel that we are going to be way more explosive because we have so much more talent surrounding the team. Everyone has been working together and working on the same page.”

On how the offensive line is preparing for Clemson…

“I feel like we are not just preparing for Clemson but for everyone. We still have work we have to do as a team offensively and defensively. Clemson is not our main focus but us working on each other is our main focus.”

On the closeness of the offensive line…

“I feel like since I have been here we have just gotten closer and closer. I feel like we have just been growing and growing. Me just being the older guy in the room I feel like I have to be the guy that is everyone’s big brother and make sure that everyone is connecting. At the end of the day we are all one unit.”

#9 | Ameer Speed | Senior | DB

On his progress during camp…

“I have just been taking things day by day and using every day to really get better as a team and as a player, as a brother and as a person. We are just taking it step by step and not letting everything get too ahead of us, like coach says ‘moving day by day, live in the moment to be able to perfect that day so I can move on to the next day.’”

On how the team is meshing…

“We have just been trying to be a brotherhood, Coach Addae, Coach Smart, Coach Monken have been working with us all, allowing us all to perfect our crafts and just being the best we can be. Also us older guys, we are able to help out. We are all open, when one person does something wrong ‘we are all like hey, you know you could have done this or done that’, we are all working together and trying to make each other the best we can be. We are only as strong as our weakest link so once we are all where we need to be we can do anything we want to do.”

On the maturity of this team…

“It is crazy as you get older, your thought process and the way you see things just evolves on and on. I forget that I am an old head sometimes. Just seeing that influence that you have on people on the team, it does mean a lot. You can feel it at practice with the old guys helping the young guys and just us all being there for each other.”

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The Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to open the fall 2021 season against the Clemson Tigers in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 4.

2021 UGA Football Schedule