Monroe Freeling champions chemistry on ‘very nasty’ Georgia offensive line
ATHENS — Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling smiles a lot when he talks about playing football with his teammates.
But don’t let that fool you, because as former Bulldogs linebacker and DawgNation analyst Davin Bellamy pointed out, Freeling and his fellow linemen “are very nasty” to opponents when delivering blocks.
“This O-line, it’s not just the way they are playing,” Bellamy said, “it’s the attitude they are doing it with. They finish blocks, and they work their way downfield looking for the smoke.”
Freeling and the offensive line are bringing the sort of fire, passion and energy that coach Kirby Smart wants these days, having paved the way for 221 rushing yards while not allowing any sacks in Georgia’s 43-35 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.
The Bulldogs chewed up 37 minutes, 39 seconds of possession time — grinding for an eye-popping 34 first downs in limiting the Rebels’ explosive offense to seven possessions.
“Keep chopping,” Freeling said with a smile. “I think it’s a great thing for our offensive line. I think everyone on our offensive line loves to do it.”
Georgia’s offensive line has found success despite having started six offensive line combinations in the first seven games. This, in a unit that lost four starters to the NFL after last season.
“Every year we have offensive line injuries. I think everyone in the country does — they’re playing in a phone booth and have a lot of contact,” Smart said. “I’ve really been proud of that group, they’ve had to circle the wagons, and players have had to step up.”
Most notably, freshmen Juan Gaston and Dontrell Glover have been pressed into action with veteran Earnest Greene III and Freeling missing time with injuries and the line having to shuffle players around.
“Them coming here playing as freshmen and actually, I’d say, dominating,” Freeling said. “They’re doing a great job, it’s beyond impressive, and I’m really proud of those guys for stepping up and going out there and playing like veterans in the SEC.”
Freeling — a junior who started the last four games last season — was himself expected to miss the Auburn game on account of the ankle injury he suffered the Saturday before against Kentucky.
Instead, he slept with ice on his ankle each day leading to the Auburn game and was ready to jump at the chance to play when asked to enter the game of the third series.
“I was like, ‘I thought you’d never ask, I’d love to go out there and play,’” said Freeling, who did just that and was ready to start and play well against Ole Miss on Saturday.
“Being this far in the season, you’re gonna be beat up, regardless, so it’s just a matter of how well I can manage it.”
In true leadership fashion, Freeling has made it a point to do his best for his teammates.
“I think the best thing about this offensive line (group),” Freeling said, “is that a lot of this is just a lot of people working together for each other.”
Georgia O-line season snap count
(Games, offensive snaps, Per PFF)
- Drew Bobo: 7 games, 491 snaps
- Micah Morris: 7 games, 472 snaps
- Monroe Freeling: 7 games, 434 snaps
- Dontrell Glover: 7 games, 398 snaps
- Juan Gaston: 6 games, 214 snaps
- Bo Hughley: 7 games, 199 snaps
- Michael Uini: 4 games, 141 snaps
- Earnest Greene III: 3 games, 119 snaps
- Jahzare Jackson: 3 games, 62 snaps
- Cortez Smith: 3 games, 46 snaps
- Daniel Calhoun: 3 games, 43 snaps
- Jamal Meriweather: 3 games, 29 snaps
- Nyier Daniels: 2 games, 19 snaps
- Mason Short: 1 game, 6 snaps
- Marcus Harrison: 1 game, 6 snaps
- Henry Peagler: 1 game, 6 snaps
About the Author
Mike is in his eighth season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 30 years of collegiate sports multimedia experience, 25 of them in the SEC including beat writer stops at Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and now Georgia. Mike was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
