For Solomon Kindley and Andrew Thomas, it's all about the “fruit cookies.”
Don't know what those are? Well, the preseason All-Americans who play side-by-side on the left side of Georgia's offensive line will be more than happy to tell you.
“It’s just some kind of dough with some kind of icing and it’s got fruit on the top,” Kindley said, his eyes dancing with excitement. “It’s the best cookies ever.”
Said Thomas: “It’s like a slab of cookie, then icing and then fruit.”
“Fruit cookies” are a treat that is provided for the offensive linemen each week by quarterback Jake Fromm. Or, to be more specific, by Fromm's grandmother.
But there's a catch. They get them only when Fromm has a “clean game.” That is, when he's not sacked.
According to the Bulldogs' linemen, the fruit cookies are worth fighting for.
They were first introduced to them last year by now-sophomore Trey Hill, who has emerged as the starting center this season.
“Oh, yeah, we look forward to them fruit cookies,” said Kindley, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound junior guard from Jacksonville. “When Trey first got here, (Fromm) and Trey played on the same high school team (Houtson County), and Trey told me, 'sometimes Jake's grandma would bring fruit cookies.' And he was like, 'you’ve got to try them.’ That’s when Jake came up with it.”
Ever the opportunist, Fromm said he'd bring some, but only if he wasn't hit in the previous weekend's game.
“He said, 'don’t give up any sacks. I don’t get hit, I’ll bring the whole offensive line fruit cookies,' ” Kindley said. “So he started bringing fruit cookies, and the one day I got one, I knew I needed more. I told him, ‘I need more fruit cookies.’ ”
Thomas said he's good for four or five slices by himself.
“They don’t last 5 minutes; they’re gone quickly,” Thomas said. “(The linemen are) like vultures running to get some food.”
The goal this season is quite simple for the Bulldogs: Fruit cookies every week.
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