ATHENS – Georgia punter Jake Camarda was named the SEC’s special-teams player of the week Monday for his performance against Arkansas on Saturday. But during his 13-minute video conference interview session with reporters Monday, Camarda was asked a grand total of zero questions about that.
Naturally, he spent nearly the entire session talking about golf.
Hey, it’s what he wanted.
Camarda said at the outset of this season he “absolutely” hoped to succeed Rodrigo Blankenship as the Bulldogs' quirkiest player. He also happens to be an avid golfer. So, when he stepped up the podium to field reporters' queries during Monday’s weekly media availability, Camarda opened his remarks with a request.
“I’d personally just like to talk about golf, so any golf questions would be a good,” he said.
The Athletic’s Seth Emerson was called on first, and he obliged Camarda. He asked whether Camarda thought pro golf was interesting when Tiger Woods is not in contention. Camarda dutifully answered, and so it went.
With a little football sprinkled in here and there, nearly every question Camarda fielded had something to do with golf. In all, Camarda was asked 19 questions; 13 of them involved some aspect of life on the links.
Camarda was asked to compare punting with golf, which he did quite well. He also was asked if he knew his handicap (not accurately), if he knew any PGA players (a few), who he favored to win The Masters this year (Tiger), where he liked to play around Athens (Double Oaks in Commerce), if he had a regular group on the team (yes), if had he played the PGA’s new video game (of course) and what were his most reliable and least reliable clubs to hit (8 iron and driver).
Those were the standards, but there were a couple of classics.
For instance, he revealed that Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is “annoyingly good at golf.”
Asked if he knew that a UGA golfer won on the PGA Tour this past weekend, Camarda said was “well aware. Hudson Swafford. I’m very excited about that. I knew he was in contention because he put something out (on social media) that he probably wasn’t going to be able to watch us because he’d be playing.”
Camarda said UGA alum and current PGA player Keith Mitchell being on the sidelines during a game last year was “one of the coolest things ever!”
He also said if he could play only more round in his life anywhere in the world, “I’d have to play Augusta (National).”
But the comment that is going to bring Camarda the most attention – both inside and outside the UGA football complex – was his challenge to coach Kirby Smart. Camarda challenged the Bulldogs' head coach, a pretty good golfer by his own right, to a match with a foursome of his choosing against Camarda, Bill Rubright, Noah Chumley and Brooks Buce.
“I let the word get out that we’d play him and whatever three he wanted,” Camarda said. “I told him I think we could take him. I know that’s a lofty goal.”
Smart surely has heard by now. Georgia football actually posted Camarda’s entire interview on YouTube.
As for the player of the week award for Camarda, it was well earned. Against the Razorbacks, he punted seven times for an average of 49.9 yards (second nationally) and for a 47.0 net (fourth nationally) Five of those balls were down at the 11-yard line or better with a long of 63 yards.
If Camarda continues to perform like he did Saturday against Arkansas, perhaps Smart will accept his challenge and grant him that Augusta National wish at the same time. Well, NCAA rules permitting.
