Newspaper Page Text
8
Friday, January 9, 2009 | The Red & Black
Linebacker shares
fitness expertise
Curran: start
slow, progress
By JASON BUTT
The Red & Black
It’s nine days after the
new year and you’ve
already broken your New
Year’s resolution
to get a rock hard
six-pack of abs.
You’re down,
but by no means
are you out.
Before the New
Year, The Red &
Black caught up
with linebacker
Rennie Curran in
Orlando to see
how he’s molded
his body, which is
physically fit
enough to wrestle a bear
(and win).
> Curran offered some
advice for those wanting
to get fit and build muscle,
giving a little insight as to
how he’s managed to
maintain his game shape.
RB: Since many people
want to get in shape for
their New Year’s resolu
tion, how would you rec
ommend they get started?
RC: Start off slow. Go
three times a week for 30
minutes a day. Try to prog
ress. I think some people,
when they try to get in
shape, they jump in too
hard and it ends up not
being what they expected.
Then they end up giving
up. I think you should
start gradually and build
on it, and be persistent
with it really, because it’s
something that takes
time.
RB: In order to stay in
shape, how often do you
work out with and without
the football team?
RC: We definitely work
out with the team a lot.
For me, keeping my
strength during the sea
son, I feel I have to get in
.
SAVE BIG MONEY
ON TEXTBOOKS
GO OFF CAMPOS
LOTS OF FREE PARKING • CONVENIENTLY LOCATED • ROOKS • SUPPLIES • RULLDOG GEAR
I Textbooks I
for Dowgs I
Always low, low prices I
Don't get fooled by anyone else's offer... h
book for book, we're gonna save you ||
money. And we're easy to get to with R
plenty of FREE parking - s
Top of Baxter Hill. m
JMjSId
Top of Baxter Hill • 548-9376
ocbs.com • dawgwear.net
there on my own. Whether
it’s twice a week or what
ever, just to maintain
strength because you’re
always hitting and your
body is always getting
beat down.
So it’s crucial that,
especially during the in
season, that you get into
the gym on your own.
Whether it’s shoulder work
or anything that’s
an injury-preven
tion type of work
out, to keep my
body in shape.
RB: When you
work out, what do
you focus on?
RC: Basically,
like I said, anything
that’s injury pre
vention. Stretching,
a lot of stretching.
My shoulder my
1 :
CURRAN
shoulder gets banged up a
lot because I’m always
taking on those big, fat
linemen, so I have to work
on that.
My hips, because I’m
always roving in my stance.
I might do light squats or
light leg presses to keep
my legs strong.
RB: What foods do you
eat?
RC: I just eat a lot, a lot
of protein, and a lot of
carbs, breads and sausage,
things like that. Sometimes
I get bad about the food
because I know I’m going
to work it out. Sometimes
I’ll go get some donuts,
but I never do drink a lot
of Sprite or Coke or any
thing like that. I just try to
drink water and
Powerade.
RB: Since you’re trying
to build muscle, how often
do you drink protein
shakes?
RC: I drink one after
every workout and then
one after every meal, just
to try to keep on the
weight. It’s hard to keep
on the weight when you’re
out here running around
and hitting all the time.
Top 10 goals for Richt’s offseason, next fall
It may technically be the offseason,
but there won’t be much rest when it
comes to coaching college football.
You can bet your money’s worth that
head coach Mark Richt still is working
hard to build up an SEC championship
caliber football team, especially after fall
ing short of that goal this season.
For fun, The Red & Black decided to
offer a little advice to the Georgia coach
as to what he should contemplate as
August glares back at Richt from a dis
tance.
Jason Butt and Tyler Estep
1. Remember D.J. The last time an all
time great Georgia quarterback (David
Greene) left and opened the door for a
long-time backup (D.J. Shockley), the
result was an SEC Championship. Now
Matthew Stafford is gone, and it’s Joe
Cox’s time to step up. Will the result be
the same? Who knows. But it doesn’t
hurt for a little extra motivation.
2. Vow always to tackle in practice, no
matter what. You admitted you made a
mistake when you stopped tackling in
practice. Here’s to it not happening
again. If that means Georgia faces 24
injuries next year and former Oconee
County standout Andrew Johnson starts
at safety, then so be it. We’d be fine with
your wife Katharyn taking some time off
from water duty to knock some running
backs off their feet if needed. Well, as long
as she tackled in practice.
3. Study the Chick-Fil-A Bowl tape.
Now. Sure, Georgia Tech never really had
a chance after a special teams turnover, a
failed fake punt inside its own 22 and the
bowling ball that is Charles Scott.
However, because of those opportunities,
LSU’s defense was able to play aggres
sively against Georgia Tech’s flexbone
option, and hold the Yellow Jackets to
164 yards rushing. And that’s spectacular
considering Georgia Tech racked up
more than 800 on the ground in its last
two weeks of the regular season.
4. Send Nick Saban a thank you note.
We know you won’t admit it, but Auburn
will not be nearly as good as it was just a
couple seasons ago. And it’s all thanks to
Nick Saban. Saban’s presence has freaked
Auburn into a panic. Auburn now has
forced out Tommy Tuberville and hired
Gene Chizik, who lost 10 straight games
at lowa State (and was about to be fired
himself). Now the Auburn fan base is out
raged and alum Charles Barkley is fum
ing that the Tigers didn’t hire Turner Gill
(who won a MAC championship at
Buffalo. BUFFALO!) Oh, and Saban also
owns Auburn in recruiting now.
This is
Bulldog Country
Everything for the Dawg (except fleas!)
Used Textbooks • Shirts • Shorts • Caps • Cups
Jackets • Sweats • Posters • And so much more!
%
BAXTER STREET
BOOKSTORE
www.dawgwear.net
(the best Bulldog gear web site on the planet!)
360 Baxter St. (across from the dorms)
706-549-3081
SPORTS
Lv lag
few W'a.
n - |yir V If ;
BLAKE LIFTHRATT I The Red * Black
▲ Mark Richt is congratulated on the field in Orlando after
Georgia won 24-12 over Michigan State in thp Capital One
Bowl game.
5. Take a deep breath and count to 10 when you hear the name
Lane Kiffin. You may have another coaching nemesis in the SEC at
Tennessee. We all already know your personality doesn’t mix well with
the Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban types. And Lane
Kiffin may be the latest to join that list after he called you out on pos
sibly “falling asleep” on in-state recruits. Keep your cool. But you do a
pretty good job at that.
6. Do your best to fly under the radar. This shouldn’t be the hard
est thing in the world given the departure of Matthew and Knowshon.
You’ve even admitted that the preseason No. 1 ranking was a distrac
tion: “[I think if it did happen again] everybody would just under
stand it a little bit better and know that it doesn’t really mean a
thing,” you said. “...All that does is probably cause more distractions
than anything else.” Bingo.
7. Don’t listen to the Willie haters. You know it, he knows it, we
know it. It wasn’t his fault. Every armchair quarterback with a Bud
Light in his La-Z-Boy’s cup holdej wanted to blame defensive coordi
nator Willie Martinez for the defense’s mishaps. It wasn’t Martinez’s
fault the players didn’t wrap up as the regular season closed. You’re
right: The players were in position but failed to make the plays. It
begins with coaching, but the players also have to be accountable.
8. Please give us a better explanation of your special teams game
plan. Blair Walsh can’t do the directional kickoffs without it going out
of bounds. And Logan Gray called for so many fair catches this year
his arms must be more tired than a comedian who just flew in from
Cleveland. We’re sure there’s a good and logical reason behind yours
and coach Jon Fabris’ scheme, and we trust you guys in that regard.
We’re just curious what it is. Please fill us in. Please?
9. Give Ron Courson a raise. With 18 season-ending injuries, ath
letic trainer Ron Courson had to have put in his share of overtime
hours. Already regarded as one of the best trainers in the country,
Courson spent lots of time wrapping casts, taping ankles and properly
bracing elbows. And with eight new surgeries scheduled this month
and five more Bulldogs scheduled to miss spring practice, it doesn’t
get any easier from here.
10. Take a vacation. This was a tumultuous season arrests, inju
ries, preseason hype, missed opportunities and disappointment. Take
a breather. You’ve earned it.
laSSgwmgjl
> USED TEXTBOOKS
> NEWTEXTBOOKS '
> SCHOOL SUPPLIES
> LOTS OF PARKING
> NO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
> BEST PRICES IN TOWN
> 706-583-8733
;
Tealt campusTl
LTboOKSTORE__J
LOCATED AT THE COLLEGE STATION SHOPPING CENTER
BETWEEN KROGER & KMART