Javon Bullard taking on bigger role with physicality, toughness

Whenever you ask somebody how to describe Javon Bullard, the word tough always comes up. Along those same lines, he’s physical, despite coming in at just 5-foot-11, 180 pounds. And on Tuesday, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart echoed that sentiment that has surrounded Bullard early in the 2022 season for the Bulldogs. The Milledgeville, Ga. native played in almost every game last season for Georgia, but none in quite as big of a role as he’s had so far this fall as a starter at the STAR position.

“He is extremely tough and physical,” Smart said. “His high school tape displayed toughness. He was one of the COVID kids that was during the time where you didn’t get to bring them on campus. He sent tape in of his workouts very similar to the way other players did. We liked his workouts. We thought, ‘Man, this guy is dedicated to working out in a time when the rest of the country stopped doing anything.’ We liked the kid. He has the core values we like of physical toughness. We loved the way he practices every day.”

Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said similar things about Bullard before the season started when he was competing for the starting spot against super-senior William Poole. There were others involved, but the competition really came down to those two, and Bullard got the nod. He’s made the most of that opportunity so far this season recording two tackles in each of the first two games as well as a pass breakup that was nearly intercepted this past Saturday in the win over Samford.

“I think Javon, he’ll tell you, he probably had some first-game jitters like the other guys,” Smart said about Bullard after the season-opener. “A couple times where he didn’t get lined up right, maybe didn’t have his eyes in the right place. He plays really hard. He plays really physical. He’s going to continue to get matched up on some big guys. He’s got to play big for a guy that’s not a real big size. But he’s another guy that doesn’t back down from contact. And works really hard every day. He gives you everything he’s got. And he’s a starter I think on every special teams, too, which is a credit to the way he plays.”

“We’re always looking to find the best guys, the guys that give us the best opportunity. A lot of it depends on how we’re playing defensively,” he added when speaking on the STAR position. “We have weeks that we play zone, we have weeks that we play man, and we have weeks that we blitz. Each one of those guys is kind of a different nickel, and they have different attributes. You try to use the guy that can do the best with the attributes that you need. I thought (Javon) Bullard played well. He’s going to have to play bigger and play more physical, because he’s not a huge guy, but he’s tough. He’s hard to block, and he’s smart. (William) Poole did a good job in coverage, and he’s also doubling up as a corner. Tykee (Smith) is working his way back. He hit his highest speed yesterday that he’s hit since being back, and we really need him to come back and help push Bullard and give us some relief there. We certainly have to play well at that position.”

In speaking to Bullard on Tuesday as well, he agrees with everything that his coach has said, both moments before he came to the podium and in previous press conferences.

“It all starts with your mindset. The game of football, that’s the funny thing about it, everybody comes in all shapes and sizes,” Bullard said. “You’ve got 5-foot-10 quarterbacks, 5-foot-8 receivers, 6-foot-7 defensive ends. So it all starts with your mindset. You can’t go into a game feeling shy or timid. You can’t shy away from contact. Playing in the SEC, it’s a physical game, so it all starts with your mindset.”

“Confidence,” Bullard added when asked what he’s improved in his two starts this season. “When you go out there with your brothers, guys you share blood sweat and tears with out on the practice field, it gives you confidence in the system, calmness when you’re out there … Game reps are huge. Anytime you line up in Sanford or any other stadium, it’s a huge boost to your confidence. Practice is hard, but when you go out there and the lights are on you, some players kind of shy away from that. It can become overwhelming at some point. You’ve just got to lock in with laser focus, keep to your job, everybody keep to their job and we’ll be pretty good.”

Saturday brings about another challenge for Bullard. He’ll be making his first start on the road in the SEC when Georgia travels to South Carolina to face Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks. Kickoff time from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.