Brock Bowers says not losing is his motivation

Georgia finished off its spring football practices with the annual spring game this weekend and coach Kirby Smart seems to have his players locked in yet again. Not losing has been a key point of motivation.

Of course, losing isn’t something the Bulldogs are all that familiar with. They’ve lost just one of their last 34 games.

But not losing has been what keeps star tight end Brock Bowers and other players fighting year-round.

“I think I’m speaking for myself and everyone on the team, you’ve just got to hate to lose,” Bowers said. “Just by thinking that way, just take every day, take it in the right direction. Just coming in every day wanting to work, keep doing it.”

The only loss Georgia has taken in the last two years was a 41-24 defeat at the hands of Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship Game. That, of course, was a loss that the team would avenge just one month later in the national title game.

Smart’s team has designs on a third national championship, though it will have to replace quarterback Stetson Bennett, game-wrecking defensive tackle Jalen Carter and a slew of other key contributors.

Few in college football recruit like Smart does, though.

And perhaps more importantly, he’s clearly gotten his team to buy into the hate for losing that he has. But he’s done it in a very sustainable way.

“I think it’s kind of mindset, just be disciplined about what you do,” Bowers explained. “We have a ton of discipline every day. Just come in ready to work every day, I guess. The energy he brings every day is awesome.”

Smart also praised his team for embracing that mindset of not losing.

“I’m excited. I’ve always said, you know we’re built to sustain here, and that’s my motto,” Smart said. “We’re not trying to be a one-hit wonder. We put a really good football team out there each year, and we’re well on our way to doing that this time. We’ve probably got the most cohesive unit we’ve had, in terms of the guys love being with each other, they like practicing hard. I mean, we had 14 of the 15 days, I really thought we had good practices. That includes today.

“I was really pleased with their work ethic. So they like practicing. They like football. When people come to your practices and they visited seven other schools and they say, ‘Man, y’all get after it. Man, your guys are hard. Man, your guys buy in and have fun.’ It makes me feel better that our kids enjoy it.”