Earlier this morning you were talking about how you don't look at social media, but it you did you would see a lot of criticism of Mike Bobo. Why do you have faith in Mike to be not just your play caller, but your developer at Georgia?
GUNNER: Coach Bobo, I think he gets the best out of everybody. He gets the best out of me; the best out of my teammates. A lot of people that have criticism - They don't get to see the day in, day out that Coach Bobo does you know. He barely sleeps during the, during the week during the game week. They don't see all the work he puts in, the love he has for the university, the love he has for all my teammates and me.
Um, I truly don't think anyone understands how hard he works, and I think he's the best play caller in the country. I'm just really excited for this season.
Q: Gunner, after the way last year ended, what's the biggest lesson this team has carried throughout the off-season, and how motivated is this team entering this year?
GUNNER: It's been a great off-season. I think the biggest part is just the excitement we all have for this year. Last year definitely didn't end up the way we wanted it, but you know, we came off an SEC win in the championship, but definitely didn't end up where, where we wanted. But you know, we've had a great off-season so far.
We put a lot of sweat in the bucket. We've connected a lot, and, uh, I'm excited. We've had a great summer so far. We're about to go in fall-
What individual goals do you aspire to to get that team to that next level?
GUNNER: This off-season, I really focused on my body - just trying to get where it needs to be. I've kind of got with a nutritionist. We've done DEXAs, and I've kind of got my body fat lower to where it's the best I've had it. And I've got to where I'm weighing 217.
During the season, I dropped down to, like, two oh seven. So with football, like, during the season, everybody loses a little bit of weight and trying to maintain that. But just kind of getting my body where it needs to be and getting in the training room, getting, you know, stretching, doing all the stretching I need to do, and just getting my body right for the season is a big part.
Q: New face in the quarterback room in Jenter Williams from Norman. What have you seen from him assimilating to the team in Athens?
GUNNER: Yeah, he's done a great job. Um, I think the biggest part is he came in here and worked, and he's a great, great player obviously, but even better, better player.
I mean, even better person. And you know, just getting to see him and going to play against him and seven-on-seven stuff we've done this off-season and just the workouts, just seeing all the work he puts in, it's been awesome. Third row in the pass. Trevor Dennis with Way 31. Gunner, you mentioned the SEC championship.
Why do you think that second matchup with Alabama went so differently from the first one earlier in the season? What do you think contributed to that?
GUNNER: I think one, we we probably played a little bit better. I think we had a good week of prep. Going into a week, I feel like we, we had a good week of prep and doing everything the right way.
We, we set ourselves up for success and but really just trying not to, you know, you can't... One game doesn't-- If you play the teams two times, it doesn't, doesn't translate. So you have to show up every, every week and play your best, put your b-best foot forward.
Q: What was your experience like at the, the Manning Passing Academy, just being around so many of your, your peers, and then what, what have you seen from Marcel Reed?
GUNNER: I actually, uh, me and Marcel, we were roommates this past year. So he's a great guy. And, uh, it's, it's pretty neat with the Manning camp.
Not only are you there with the Mannings, I think the Mannings, when you think of football, you think of, you know, the Mannings. Getting to see Mr. Archie, getting to see Peyton, Eli, Cooper, and just getting to know, you know, all the success that they've done and had getting to hear from them and, you know, obviously getting to see, I think there's forty-three quarterbacks there.
So you know, we all have the same job at the end of the day. So it's nice to be able to talk to other quarterbacks and get to see what they've been through. Right side on the aisle Uh, Gunner, Joey Johnson from the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. As you know, the Georgia-Florida game will be in Atlanta this year.
Q: It'll be in Tampa the year after that. Are you looking forward to that? What do you think that'll do, uh, for this rivalry game to have it in sites like that?
GUNNER: I, I hadn't thought much about it. I know it's in Atlanta. Um, you know, right now I, uh, that'll be a little bit away, ways away, but I'm kind of focused on we're going through mini camp right now about getting to fall camp.
So that's kind of my main focus right now.
Q: You're standing in the tunnel at Sanford Stadium. Between the Hedges, all those Dawg fans are just barking, going crazy. Do you still get goosebumps?
GUNNER: Absolutely. It, uh, it definitely... When you, when you, uh, are standing in the tunnel and see everybody, all I can see is kind of that upper row and all the fans up there, you see red and black it definitely gives you chill bumps and, you know, it's, it's pretty neat to be like, "Hey, this is what I kind of dreamed of when I was younger."
And, uh, I think that's the cool part and some people lose focus on, you know, why you fall in love with the game of football and you know, just being grateful for the opportunity to be, you know, as me growing up in Georgia, being a Georgia boy, getting to play at the University of Georgia, it's definitely very special.
Q: So much talk right now is about how the SEC is slipping, having not been in a national title contention for the last three years. As one of the torchbearers of the program, do you feel that it's incumbent on Georgia to assert themselves once again at the top of college football?
GUNNER: I don't know about that. I know you know, at Georgia we do, we do our job and we just try to do what we know, just kind of do our work. And like I said, we've had a good off-season and we do... Like at Georgia we just work and, uh, I think that's what Coach Morris has done a great job of and, uh, what we believe in and I think we've had a good summer so far.
And you know, you can't worry about that too much. We just got to do our job and have fun when we do it.
