Jadan Baugh’s return to Atlanta comes with a little more meaning than most road trips.
The Florida running back grew up in the area, followed the Falcons and was heavily recruited by Georgia before ultimately choosing the Gators. The Bulldogs initially viewed Baugh as a defensive player, while Florida allowed him to develop into one of the SEC’s most productive running backs.
Now Baugh gets another chance to face Georgia, this time in his hometown, after grinding through 25 carries in Florida’s road win over Texas. That performance reinforced a lesson he said he has had to learn since arriving in college: every run does not need to become a touchdown. Sometimes, taking three or four yards and trusting the next one will break open is enough.
Here’s
everything Baugh had to say ahead of Florida’s matchup with Georgia.
On returning to Atlanta
It means everything to me, honestly. But I’m trying not to put too much emotion into it because one thing my dad always preaches to me is don’t get too excited.
If you get too excited, then you’ll be trying to be overly ready for the moment. For me, I’m just looking at it as another game and being very detailed going into this game. I feel like we’ve got to prepare the right way before we start thinking about the game.
On growing up as a Falcons fan
Yeah, when I was younger, seeing Julio Jones and those guys just be at the level that I’m trying to get to.
On understanding the importance of Florida-Georgia
Oh yeah. Coach said the other day, I’m trying to treat it as another game, but at the same time it means something and we have to understand that.
Again, I try to say every week, let’s prepare the right way. Let’s prepare how we should prepare and in the best way that we can just to get better, because we know they’re doing the same thing.
But we have to do it better. If we can get more sleep, then we can do that better. If we have to be in the training room a lot more, we just have to prepare the right way so we can get the results that we need.
On where he feels he is after the ups and downs of the season
Everybody faces adversity. Me going into those games that we did have and it didn’t go our way, I didn’t look at it as nothing that we’re all just doing wrong.
We just have to lock in and prepare ourselves a lot better. I feel like those games that we did take losses in and face adversity, we didn’t prepare the right way. If we can do that better, then it can help us more.
On earning tough yards against Texas
It means everything. Even coming to college, it was kind of hard for me because in high school I wanted to break every run.
I would try to do everything to break every run and not understand that some runs are just going to be ugly runs, putting your head down and just going.
Me being young-minded last year and the year before, I’m like, I don’t care, I’m trying to break every run for a touchdown.
But that Texas game actually showed me, OK, every run is not going to be a big run, but be patient. The team was actually telling me that, especially the offensive line. It’s like, it’s OK, we’re good. As long as we get three or four, one of them is going to pop.
On taking pride in a performance without many long runs
Yeah, I take pride in it just because it shows me that being patient and not getting in my head about, oh, it’s not doing this, I’m not getting this, then I’ll be OK.
If it’s not working right now, I know one of our guys on the team is going to make it happen.
You saw it. Lacota Dippre made two big catches and put us up, and it gave me confidence. I’m not out here doing it by myself. My team knows for a fact that they’re good and they’re great players, and we can go play with anybody.
On playing at Texas after being recruited by the Longhorns
No, not really. It was like I had to get back to understanding that it’s not about them, it’s about us.
Again, like I said, we can play with anybody in the country. But when we don’t prepare the right way, we get the results that we got those last two weekends.
It was very exciting, but I was just more focused on us.
On reconnecting with people at Texas
Yeah, it was great because, again, he’s a great coach. Even seeing Billie Jean and them out there, it was just like, dang, I miss you guys because y’all came in with me and stuff like that.
But those guys are doing everything they can to make their program the best. I’ve got to focus on ours.
On how hard Georgia recruited him
Very, very hard. They recruited me in my 10th-grade year, and after that it was just like they wanted me on the defensive side of the ball, but I didn’t want to play defense.
On whether facing Georgia gives him extra motivation
Each and every year, I feel like that with any team.
I feel like when I was in the recruiting stage, everybody was looking over me and looking at other guys. But I believe in my talent so much, and I put so much work in to a point where I don’t feel like nobody’s better than me.
On Georgia recruiting him as a linebacker
Oh yeah. I hadn’t really started playing tailback yet at that point.
On when he told Georgia he wanted to play running back
At the time, it was just like, no, I didn’t know what I wanted to play because I was in 10th grade. I was just trying to be on the field no matter where I was at.
I was just ready to be on the field.
But as time came on, like my senior year, I let them know that I wanted to play on the other side of the ball, and they understood that and went in a different direction.
On whether Georgia was interested in him as a running back
Yeah, but it wasn’t too high.
Like I said, they were looking over me, and I didn’t too much care. But Florida gave me the platform and they brought me in with open arms to just go out here and play the best ball I could play.
On other schools recruiting him
Yeah, but it was like, I’m a Florida Gator.
On whether teams put him in a box because of his size
I feel like a lot of teams did that.
But I bring so much to the table as far as being able to catch out of the backfield, being able to run between the tackles and being able to be in open space and make people miss.
I feel like the size that I have gives them more of an advantage.
On his upright pre-snap stance
Honestly, it was just seeing some of my previous runs that I have.
I feel like I could do a lot better being a lot more upright and being able to see the field a lot better and be comfortable back there.
It helps me a lot more.
On what he looks for before a run
As soon as I get the ball, I go through my reads. But when I see green grass, I’m ready to run there.
On Georgia’s linebackers
They’re very aggressive. They’re aggressive, good players. They can move really well in space.
But I feel like it’s things that we see that we can take advantage of, and we’re ready to just do it.
On how many friends and family members could attend the game
I’m still trying to get tickets.
Just know my family’s out there. They want to be out there and see the game. Some of them are Georgia fans, some are Florida fans. But when it comes to this game, they’re all Florida fans.
If I can get enough tickets, probably up to like 30 people.
On his grandmother
If they have the camera on her, I would probably have it on her for a couple seconds just because she’s going to be going crazy. I can’t wait.
My grandmother is everything to me. She has taught me so much on and off the field.
Honestly, my grandma at one point didn’t understand anything about football until I really started playing.
But she’s everything to me. She has been there through my downs, the greats, the bads. I can’t wait to see her out there this weekend as well.
On the biggest Georgia fan in his family
My little brother.
My brother is at Missouri Valley right now, but he’s one of the biggest Georgia fans.
When we got on NCAA and were playing the game, the first team he got was Georgia. I’m like, OK, cool, I don’t care. I’m going to get Florida.
But when those games come on, he looks at it and he’s like, no, I’m a Florida fan, just because of me.
On whether his hand injury still bothers him
No, no. The first couple weeks, yeah. But now I’m all right.
On having his high school jersey retired during the bye week
I ended up going back home to see my high school play in that homecoming game, but they ended up retiring my jersey.
I didn’t even know they were going to do that.
When they did it, it was very exciting. But they’ve got a great team out there. I was happy to see them out there playing at a high level, fast and playing the game they love.
On what number his high school retired
Three.
On playing Georgia in Atlanta instead of Jacksonville
Oh yeah. I was planning to do that anyway.
When I was a freshman, I said, I can’t wait to go back home.
I knew we were going in some way. Somehow we’re going to go back home and play. I don’t care where we’re at, we’re going to be in the SEC championship or we’re going to be playing Georgia.
I’m ready to do it.
On the opportunity Florida has against Georgia
Honestly, it’s a big opportunity.
Like Coach told us this morning, everything we want is going to be there. We’re going to be in a great position to show our talent. I can’t wait to just see my team show their talent. Forget what I do. I just can’t wait to see them boys go out there, smiles on their faces, and just play the game we love.
I feel like we put so much into it, going through the gauntlet, going through spring ball, fall ball. It was just everything that we put into it. I feel like we can just go display it, and this game is something where we can go out there and just display our talent.
On whether the Georgia game could put him back into the Heisman conversation
Yeah, but again, that’s an award that is independent, and I’m not looking too much more at the individual right now. I’m looking more at the team.
Our team has so much talent to put out there and display on the field to a point where those accolades will come.
I’m ready to just go out there, play football and play at a high level.
On growing up as a Falcons fan
Oh yeah. I got upset when we lost to Brady and them in the Super Bowl, 28-3. I was in the stadium before they built the new stadium, so I was probably in there four or three times.
On the expected return of Florida’s injured playmakers
I was telling somebody earlier that I don’t think nobody in the country can guard one (Vernell Brown III). One is different.
Having him on the field, he opens up the field just with his presence. Even just having two on the field, six, two, three, any of those guys, I don’t too much see that anybody can guard them. Because y’all have seen it when they’re all on the field at one time. It’s very, very dangerous and electric.
On how Duke Clark has handled being sidelined
Duke is very energetic, very caring, and he wants to play football. But he understands his situation right now. He kept a great head on his shoulders.
He was down at one point, but at the same time he came in the meeting rooms teaching, learning and just understanding that his time is going to come.
I can’t wait to have him back on the field.
On London Montgomery
He don’t know slow down. We tell him that each and every day. You ain’t got to run. We’re in a walkthrough right now, and he’s 100 mph each and every day.
I love it just because it shows that he wants to work hard. He wants to get better. He might mess up here and there, but he’s going to do it 100%. That’s all I ask for: his effort.
On Florida having options at quarterback
Great, because I feel like a team can’t prepare for both quarterbacks because you just don’t know what you’ll get.
Like I was telling somebody with the DJ and Graham Mertz situation that we had, Graham did things right and DJ did things right, but having both of them helped us so much just because a team didn’t know what they were going to get.
I feel like, again, Tramell can do a lot of things with the ball in his hands. He can do some amazing things, but Philo can, too.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Everything Jadan Baugh said ahead of Florida-Georgia
