>> UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but hits by the Milledgeville native pack a mean punch.
The sophomore does a lot of things right, which impresses Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart.
'He is extremely tough and physical,” Smart said last Tuesday during a press conference. “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 a 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.'
Bullard appeared in 14 of 15 games last season during his freshman campaign. He finished 2021 with 12 total tackles and played a huge role on Georgia’s special teams.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back has transitioned into taking on a bigger role this season. He started the Bulldogs’ first three games at the STAR position.
Bullard has totaled four tackles and one pass breakup so far this season while also continuing to play on special teams. He said he enjoys every chance he gets to see the playing field.
“Football is football. Anytime you get to step on the field and showcase your skills, that’s an opportunity, so you need to make the best of it,” Bullard said in a Tuesday interview. “I’m on every special team; I’m the type of guy who doesn’t want to leave the field. Here at Georgia, we pride ourselves on special teams, and I do, too.”
Bullard has embraced his time at UGA but doesn’t want to get complacent. He also wants to keep learning under Smart and the rest of the UGA coaching staff.
“I feel like it all starts with your mindset,” Bullard said. “The game of football, that’s the funny thing about it. Everybody comes in all shapes and sizes. You’ve got 5-10 quarterbacks, 5-8 receivers 6-7 D-ends, so it all starts with your mindset. You can’t go into a game timid and shy away from contact. Playing in the SEC, it’s a physical game.”
Bullard played four years at Baldwin High School, where he was a four-year starter and All-Region player every season under long-time Braves’ head coach Jesse Hicks. He and Bullard developed a tightly- knight relationship over the past several years, as Hicks taught his former player how to be both a great player and a human being.
“I love him to death,” Bullard said of Hicks. “I always had a love for the game of football, but he gave me a better view of life in general. I’ll always appreciate him for that.”
Bullard displays a passion and love for the game of football that Smart is fond of.
“I think Javon, he'll tell you, he probably had some firstgame jitters like the other guys. A couple of times when he didn't get lined up right, maybe didn't have his eyes in the right place, (but) he plays really hard,” Smart said. “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 really 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 team, too, which is a credit to the way he plays.”
Several other Bulldog defenders are also recognizing how physical Bullard is on the field. Georgia inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson called his teammate a true leader.
“He is a small guy, but he plays like he is 6-foot-3,” Dumas-Johnson said. “Having Javon (Bullard) on the field with me, you see he is confident but also very good at the same time. He brings the energy. He is powerful. He brings it every day in practice.”
UGA senior safety Christopher Smith was honest when asked about Bullard’s potential.
“Javon is one of the toughest football players I've ever seen in my life. Just the way he works day in and day out; man, it's so impressive,” Smith said. “Nothing surprises me about any of the guys we have, especially Javon, you know? He's such a hard worker. He's got such a strong mind. He's willing to work and learn every day, day-in-and-day-out, so nothing surprises me about Javon.”
Bullard is a prime example of a player who earned his spot. The former three-star product was lucky enough to be on last year’s national championship team, too.
Afterward, Georgia had eight defensive players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Five of Bullard’s former teammates: Travon Walker (No. 1), Jordan Davis (No. 13), Quay Walker (No. 22), Devonte Wyatt (No. 28) and Lewis Cine (No. 32), were all picked in the NFL’s first round.
Bullard said he learned a lot from his former teammates.
“It’s a big transition from high school to college ball, so you just have to be like a sponge and soak up all the information you can to put yourself in the best situation to help the team,” he said.
Bullard returned to Milledgeville a few months after the 2022 CFP National Title game. He visited Oak Hill Middle School and spoke to the students about his recent success.
“That was probably one of the best days of my life,” Bullard said. “Just feeling the love from your city, and the people you grew up with. The kids that look up to you, it was huge.”
Hicks told the Baldwin Bulletin earlier this year about how proud he was of Bullard’s success.
“It’s amazing to see it all come full circle, man. To see one of our young men, one of our brightest, be a member of that team just makes our hearts pound,” Hicks said.
“He’s saying pretty much what I expected him to say. He thanked me and the coaching staff here, but he was also kind of speechless. It was a great opportunity for him to be a part of something of that capacity … I think (the magnitude of his achievement) will finally hit him when he finally comes home (to celebrate).”
Top-ranked Georgia (3-0) will face Kent State (1-2) on Saturday at Sanford Stadium, where Bullard is slated for the fourth start of his college career.