Georgia’s Jay Rome is feeling better than ever. And from where he’s coming from, that’s saying something.
Rome, a senior tight from Valdosta, has been dogged by injuries most of his career and especially the last two seasons. He finally broke down and had surgery on his troublesome right foot after it limited him to just eight games in 2013. But issue affected him well into the start of last season.
Now, as the Bulldogs wrap up their second full week of spring practices, Rome said he’s feeling almost as good as he did before the injury. For the first time in the last two year he has been able to participate fully in Georgia’s offseason strength and conditioning program and Rome is feeling a difference.
“I’m a whole lot lighter and a whole lot more in shape,” said Rome, a former AJC Super 11 selection. “Last year, from December to probably March, I was in a cast. So I didn’t get to go through any of that. I really didn’t do any running until deep in the summer. So I was really out of shape going into the season last year.”
And now?
“I feel like I’m in a lot better shape,” said Rome, who is down to 248 pounds from as high as 260. “I’m a lot more agile and lighter than I was, and not in a bad way. I feel like I’ve put on a lot of muscle mass and dropped some fat percentage.”
A healthy Rome gives the Bulldogs a wealth of riches at the tight end position for this coming season. While Rome struggled to fully recover at the outset of last season, then-freshman Jeb Blazevich came in from Charlotte and made sure Georgia’s strong tight-end legacy stayed intact.
Blazevich started 10 of the Bulldogs’ 13 games last season and led the tight ends 1ith 18 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Rome started two games himself and finished with 10 catches for 59 yards and hauled in a TD catch against Georgia Tech.
Rome said he doesn’t not begrudge the younger Blazevich for the success he had and believes
“Jeb’s looking really good, too,” Rome said. “Midway through the season, we didn’t look at Jeb as a freshman any more. With things that were going on at the position, Jeb had to start and he did a wonderful job. He’s still doing a wonderful job and we expect to do a lot of good things with him this year.”
Georgia also has sophomore Jordan Davis returning to the position and brought in Jackson Harris (6-5, 250) from Columbia, Tenn., as a midyear enrollee.
“I feel like Jackson is doing a really good job, expecially being a midyear guy,” Rome said. “Four months ago this guy was sitting in a high school class. So the way he’s been able to come in and learn things, I’ve been really proud of Jackson.”
Of course, Rome and the tight ends are having to adjust to new coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer like all the other offensive players. Rome isn’t sure what the new offense will look like once it’s fully installed, but he remains confident that the tight ends will be a big part of the plan.
“We’re just going to have to see in the fall,” Rome said. “Whatever happens, happens. But I feel like the tight end with have a really big role. Here at Georgia the tight end has always been a position of high esteem. There’s always been guys who can do what they’re being asked to do and I don’t expect that to be any different.”
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