ATHENS -- Bruce Figgins' college football career began promisingly. He started the first game of his freshman season for Georgia in 2007 and even caught a touchdown pass in his debut. A few months later, he played in the Sugar Bowl as the Bulldogs routed Hawaii to finish the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it?
"It seems like forever ago,” Figgins, 22, said. “We talk about it in the locker room, and I say, ‘Man, I’m too old; I got to get out of here; y’all don’t know what I’m talking about.’
“Guys are used to Memphis and Shreveport and the Capital One Bowl,” he continued, recounting the Bulldogs’ more modest postseason destinations of the past three seasons. “All bowls are nice, but I tell them, ‘Oh, that Sugar Bowl!’”
One of just two players on the spring-practice roster who appeared in that Sugar Bowl -- offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant is the other -- Figgins now finds himself adjusting to a new position in hopes of finishing his UGA career with a flourish as a fifth-year senior.
Figgins has moved from tight end, where playing time would have been scarce behind Orson Charles and Aron White, to fullback, where the starting job is open. Figgins and rising sophomore Zander Ogletree are battling for the spot.
“It’s going well,” Figgins said. “I’m doing a lot of learning on the run."
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound Figgins, from Columbus, has played in 37 games for Georgia, but has started only four -- the 2007 opener against Oklahoma State, two in 2008 and one last season. (He was redshirted in 2009 after shoulder surgery.) He began the transition from tight end to fullback in December and played “a couple of snaps” at the new position in the Liberty Bowl loss to Central Florida.
New attitude?
Without naming any past offenders, linebacker Christian Robinson makes it clear he likes the attitude of this team better than last year.
"I mean [if you have] a cancerous attitude, if you don't have the right attitude, if you're a ‘me' guy -- we can't have that," Robinson said after practice Thursday. "I think the guys we have right now are the guys that are going to do it right, and you don't have to worry about having off-the-field issues, things like that. The guys that are here, that are going to stay here, that are doing the right thing -- we don't have to worry about. And if they do [wrong], they know the consequences.
"It's a general attitude," he said. "I think at this point the guys we have are going to talk positive. ... I think the guys we have here ... know how to contribute to the team where it's not all about themselves. I think we have guys who care about each other."
Etc.
Coach Mark Richt called Thursday's 2 1/2-hour practice, the Bulldogs' third of the spring, "very highly spirited" and "real good competition." The next practice is Saturday and will be the team's first time in full pads this spring. ... Brandon Boykin, Tavarres King, Branden Smith and Carlton Thomas fielded kicks during Thursday's breezy practice. ... A.J. Green and Justin Houston, who left school after last season to enter the NFL draft, were spectators at practice. ... Aaron Murray said he had a "nice little quarterback powwow" earlier this week with former Bulldogs Matthew Stafford and Joe Cox, who were visiting Athens. ... With prized recruit Isaiah Crowell arriving this summer, Caleb King says he and the other returning tailbacks -- Washaun Ealey, Ken Malcome and Thomas -- are "a little bigger and faster and stronger already" and looking forward to Crowell joining the competition.
