Shawn Green’s grocery bill gives some indication to his commitment to his senior season at Georgia Tech.
In his attempt to eat well and shape his body, the nose tackle said he ate tilapia about four times a week and chicken breast three times. He’s not quite a foodie, however.
“Honestly, I can eat it at any time,” Green said of tilapia. “At this point, I’m immune. I just eat it.”
Green reported to camp last week at about 275 pounds, about five pounds lighter than his spring weight. He appeared significantly leaner, and teammates have spoken glowingly of his fitness level.
“This year, Shawn Green, he has truly stepped it up another notch, because normally, it used to be rough on Shawn,” linebacker Quayshawn Nealy said of Green’s participation in the team’s summer workouts. “He used to be in the back. But I can truly say that he’s in some great shape now.”
Green is being counted on to deliver something he wasn’t able to do in his first three seasons — a full, healthy season of play. If he can do that, the results should take care of themselves for the Grayson High product.
“That’s my whole goal,” Green said, “to show what I’m fully capable of.”
Injuries have dogged Green practically since his arrival. His development in his redshirt freshman season in 2011 was delayed by a broken fibula. He appeared in all 14 games as a backup nose tackle as a sophomore, but played the whole season with a shoulder harness to protect an injury.
The shoulder didn’t heal, and as a result he had to leave spring practice in 2013 for surgery to repair his labrum. He didn’t return from surgery until his junior season had begun, and then he missed more time with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He played seven games last season with six tackles.
“Shawn looks good,” defensive line coach Mike Pelton said. “His whole deal is, I want to make it through camp.”
Unfortunately for Green, he was held out of Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices with an unspecified injury. It is not believed to be serious. In his inimitable way, coach Paul Johnson declined to identify the injury after the Wednesday morning practice but, just as Green came through the football lobby, invited media members to behold Green, not appearing hobbled.
“He’ll probably be all right,” Johnson said.
Green, who graduated from Tech in May with a management degree and plans to take additional classes along with an internship this fall, may be as critical a piece of the team’s potential for success as perhaps anyone on the defensive side. He is one of only two seniors on a line lacking in depth. Despite the injuries, he is the most experienced defensive lineman after defensive tackle Adam Gotsis.
His talent has not been an issue, only his ability to stay out of the training room.
“A healthy Shawn Green is someone not to be messed with,” Gotsis said. After noting his injury history and his offseason work, he added, “I feel like he’s ready to make that impact this year. Hopefully he can stay healthy. We’re all praying on that.”
His improved fitness level figures to help him avoid injuries. Green routinely challenged All-ACC guard Shaquille Mason in training runs over the summer. Green said he felt the benefits of the weight loss — he said he hadn’t been 275 since high school — and better conditioning base.
“Way quicker, way quicker,” Green said. “That’s one thing I noticed, too, as the weight was dropping — I could move a lot better. I’m not strained to run anymore. It’s just natural.”
One other benefit of the summer: He has a recipe for tilapia.
“I usually season it pretty nicely, put it in the oven a good 25, 35 minutes, comes out crisp and perfect,” Green said.
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