Hines Ward knows the secret to winning football in the SEC.
You must have a great running game and a great defense. This from a two-time Super Bowl champion and University of Georgia legendary wide receiver.
“Defensively they are starting to buy in to Kirby (Smart)’s philosophy,” said Ward, who took part in a FedEx Junior Business Challenge at the Tour Championship Wednesday. “They are playing solid. When you have running backs like (Nick) Chubb and Sony (Michel), those guys, just hand them the ball. Something good is going to happen every time.”
Ward was one of five judges, including PGA Tour golfer Patrick Reed, for the finals of the Junior Business Challenge. The program, sponsored by FedEx in conjunction with the PGA Tour at selected events, had students present original business concepts. The winners advanced to Atlanta for final presentations with a first-place prize of $75,000 for their local Junior Business chapter.
Think a junior version of the television show Shark Tank.
“It’s great, being from Atlanta, that we have the Tour Championship right here, to be a part of it,” Ward said. “FedEx puts on a great community service for the kids. The outreach of putting money into the youth and seeing the youth come back and do all these different projects for small business. I think it’s great. I also like to see the youth do bigger and better things. When they asked me to be a judge, I was very honored.”
Chapters present at East Lake Golf Club for the finals were Southeast Texas, North Florida, Southwest New England, North Central Ohio and Georgia. The program is intended to “empower the next generation of entrepreneurs across the country.”
After his golf appearance Wednesday, be sure Ward will be watching the battle of the bulldogs when Georgia plays Mississippi on Saturday. It’s the first of several upcoming big games that will decide the direction of the Georgia program, according to Ward.
“It’s all about the big games in terms of Georgia,” Ward said. “You have to win those big games. This weekend is a great challenge with Mississippi State. …. Still, those big games, Tennessee, Florida, those are the games that Kirby is going to have to find a way to win and somehow get back into the championship round. Then you have to knock off Alabama, who you know is going to be there at the end of the season. If he can do that, I think the culture of Georgia will slowly start to turn around.”
Ward said it was unfortunate that quarterback Jacob Eason went down with a knee injury but said Jake Fromm is doing a ‘phenomenal’ job stepping in. While Ward knows the importance of running the football, he is a receiver at heart.
“I like (wide receiver Terry) Godwin,” Ward said. “I think he is coming into his own as far as becoming a playmaker. You have to have balance. In the SEC to compete with Alabama, they are up here, you have to be able to run the ball and play great defense. That is been Nick Saban’s philosophy. Kirby, you’ve been there so you know that philosophy. He is trying to build a mini-Alabama and have the same philosophies that they have to UGA. He is slowly getting the program in the right direction.”
About the Author
