Georgia Bulldogs' Psyche is Getting Tested
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Mike Tyson famously once said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”... or something like that. And with the news of the allegation against Adam Anderson, and with Jamaree Salyer’s injury, it certainly feels like the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs have been punched in the mouth this week.
Now, I don’t write this with a desire to pull apart what the allegations mean, or to revisit the situation in any way. I’ll reserve judgement, as we all should, once more information comes to light about those allegations. I also don’t want to talk about what Anderson’s absence, however long or short it may be, will mean to the defense. I want to talk about how this team gets past getting punched in the mouth.
I think we can all agree that Kirby has a plan. He never seems to be caught short. That’s why he recruits the way he does. That’s why they rotate players throughout the game. That’s why he develops players the way he does. He has a plan. And that plan will get tested Saturday against Missouri, and here’s why. We’ve talked about leadership and connection previously, and those two components will be tested. These two facets of this program are the ones I’ll be watching starting tomorrow.
I’ve been in Army units where a key leader, at some level, had some sort of allegation made against him. Good organizations find a way to fight through the friction and continue to drive towards the objective even without key folks. Other lesser-known or thought-of folks step up and do what is required.
We just saw the Atlanta Braves do this. In the case of the Dawgs, though, it’s not just the loss of a key player. It’s the gut punch of why that loss happened that the Dawgs must overcome. The psyche of this team will be tested. Some may be shaken to their core about these allegations. You start to wonder about focus. You start to worry about effort. And that is where the leadership of this program, both at the coach and player level, will either rise or fall.
Resilience is measured on a scale, both at the individual and organizational level. But you can’t get a true measure of resilience at either level until trauma, adversity or a stressor is experienced. You see how that individual, or organization, responds to the trauma and can judge just how resilient they are.
How quickly do they bounce back? Does their outlook change? Do they continue to grind regardless of how hard it may be to grind?
Resilience experts have long argued about how to effectively measure an individual’s resilience. And to be honest, there is no objective scale. It’s subjective - with indicators. Some of those indicators include body language, spoken word with tone, physical appearance and adherence to that person’s established norms. What that really means is: How does that trauma change what is normally expected from either the individual or the organization?
At the organizational level, it’s not as simple as next man up. It’s easy to say, and we hear it all the time. Frankly, I think it’s overused and simplistic. There are plenty of candidates, and while they may not be Anderson, they will fill the position with the full trust of the coaching staff and fellow players. Where I am concerned, and what I am looking for over the next few weeks, is how does this affect the team’s approach and focus?
I’m less worried about the loss of production. Kirby and Dan Lanning will figure that out. What energy level do they play with? How does the team leadership respond, and what do they do to keep this team on azimuth to the SEC Championship Game? Who steps up?
The pieces and parts are there for the Dawgs to continue like nothing happened. Kirby has talked about connection, and that connection will be tested. We will see what this team’s heart truly consists of. Physical tests on the field are one thing. We’ve seen this team respond to those challenges in spectacular ways. This test of the psyche, of focus, of resilience starts Saturday and will continue each week. Allegations aside, this adversity can either make or break a team. My money is on the guys in Silver Britches.
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