Why George Pickens Says: "I Have to Stay Calm"
#1 George Pickens | So. | WR
On what it is like playing and practicing under Todd Monken and what changed for him, as a receiver...he biggest shift has been from last season…
“The biggest thing that has changed for me as a receiver under Coach Monken was just the split adjust, me being an outside edge or me being an inside edge. I feel like that helped me a lot, knowing he is an NFL guy... He and Coach [Cortez] Hankton are just two guys who can really help me improve."
On how he dealt with the pressure coming in as a freshman/how his teammates D’Wan Mathis and Jermaine Burton have dealt with the expectations…
”Coming in from Alabama as a freshman and the expectations that people had for me— I was really just working hard every day. I knew that was the standard at the school I chose, and I feel like Jermaine Burton knows the standard is the same thing, and so does D’Wan [Mathis]. All three of us are just going to work hard, and I think that’s what we’re all doing."
On how he plans to balance excitement on the field without taking it too far and getting flagged on the play...
“It’s really just about staying wholesome. I make so many big plays I see on the internet or things like that, and I see them getting riled up, but knowing me, I just have to stay calm and play as a team. This year, I’m mostly just focused on the team, because I see now that the team can win you a National Championship. The team can win you an SEC Championship. If your team is grounded, then you’re going to win.”
On the importance of his Sugar Bowl performance after the Georgia Tech game earlier in the season…
“It was really big. Me coming out into that game, I just wanted to show everybody that I don’t have to do other things just to be great or just to make plays.”
On his personal growth during the offseason…
“Specifically, from the Sugar Bowl game, from then on, I have just been focusing on the team. That’s kind of how I got good in the Sugar Bowl game and how I got the numbers that I had— because I was just focused on the team. Now that’s what I’m really working on. I felt like I was [team-focused] before, but it wasn’t as important to me as it was to other people, so now it’s way more important to me.”