Previous generations of Georgia players took pride in winning bone decals for their helmets with big plays. “Give that Dog a bone” was the familiar cheer from Georgia fans.
This year Bulldogs safeties Thomas Davis and Greg Blue and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder have started a new reward system–the lip jar.
VanGorder rewards defensive players for big hits with paper cutouts of lips he places in the jar. The lip jar is designed to recognize teeth-rattling hits that are so devastating they silence trash-talking from opposing players.
“We are always trying to go out and collect lips each week,” Davis said. “Right now I’m pretty much leading the lip jar. We feel like that’s something that really motivates our defense and encourages everybody to go out and play harder and play faster.”
Davis says no ordinary hit makes the lip jar.
“It takes a lot to get a lip,” Davis said. “Coach VanGorder is the one who gives the lip. In order to give a lip, it’s got to be something that he truly likes.”
Davis is one of the biggest hitters for No. 3 Georgia, which plays host to Marshall on Saturday.
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Thus far, Davis says he’s the lip leader, but VanGorder is keeping the tally a secret.
At 6 feet 1 inch and 230 pounds, Davis is big enough to have started at linebacker in 2002, but he also has great speed and a knack for big plays. In 2003, the junior led the Bulldogs with 138 tackles while adding 4 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and one recovery.
On a defense that also boasts end David Pollack, the 2002 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, and linebacker Odell Thurman as stars, Davis may be the best athlete. ESPN’s Mel Kiper lists Davis as the best underclassman–at linebacker–for the 2006 NFL draft. Davis may have the chance to be a first-round pick in 2005 if he enters the draft as a junior.
“He is one of the greatest defensive players I’ve ever seen up close,” coach Mark Richt said.
Richt’s praise of Davis came the same day Marshall coach Bob Pruett said Pollack “might be the best college defensive player I’ve seen since Bruce Smith.”
Taken together, the comments from the coaches say much about the talent on the defense.
It’s not just the big hits that impress Richt, who says Davis makes fundamentally perfect tackles that are rare in the open field.
“It’s amazing how he can tackle in the open field,” Richt said. “He makes more direct hits in the open field then any guy I’ve ever seen.”