Richt pleased with spring practice start.

[SacFalcFan]

Richt pleased with spring practice start

WR King has been impressive after enrolling early

By CARTER STRICKLAND

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/03/08

It was just the first day and the pads were not on and the rust was just coming off, but still Richt was impressed with what he saw from his team on day one of spring practice.

"Overall the practice had a lot of energy and a lot of just guys running around playing hard and fast," he said. "It is like a lot of first practices, it is hard to really say who did what."

But with so many veterans returning and only four newcomers to the program the day was much more organized and seamless than the first day of fall ball.

"The first day of spring is nice because almost everybody knows where they should be where the first day of fall camp you have about 30 who are not sure," Richt said. "You put things in a whole lot faster in the spring and overall we handled it pretty good."

That's not to say there were not a few mistakes.

"Every time we went on the hard count somebody jumped offsides on offense or defense," Richt said. "It happens just about every time you do that. Guys are anxious to get off the line of scrimmage. But overall it was a good day."

One to watch

Wide receiver Tavarres King didn't come into Georgia with near the hype of incoming recruit A.J. Green. But King does have the jumpstart on Green. King enrolled at the midyear and has already started to turn heads on the practice field.

"He is going to be something special," said wide receiver Kris Durham. "He works extremely hard and has got good hands, too. He reminds me, like everybody says, of Sean (Bailey)."

Bailey and King are both 6-1. Both have plenty of downfield speed. King may also have more elusiveness than Bailey over the middle. "I could see him doing stuff like Mikey (Henderson)," Durham said. "He is real skinny but he is real shifty, too."

Keep the title talk down

Georgia players are not supposed to talk about the national title. Really, they are not even supposed to think about the national title. Instead Richt wants the team to focus on the moment; what each individual can do to better himself at that moment.

That is much easier said than done. Players have hopes and dreams, too. And sometimes those just have to be fed.

To that end center Chris Davis was stuffing his imagination with thoughts of what if just the other day.

"Coaches say take it a game at a time but I am trying to win a national championship," the sophomore said. "I have never had a ring of any kind of championship in high school or anything and it would be a great experience.

"I was looking at a tennis player, some pictures of his on Facebook, and I saw they got to meet the president and I thought that would be pretty cool to meet the president. That's my goal, I want to meet the president."

Which leads to the obvious question. "I am a Republican, we will just keep it that way," he said.