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2B Thursday, October 28, aoio | The Red a Black Safety Alec Ogletree created a hard-hitting reputation in high school. Now, the freshman is patiently waiting to lay his first big hit on an unsuspecting opponent. By RACHEL G. BOWERS The Red & Buck Alec Ogletree tried to hold back and avoid hurt ing his teammate, but it was too late. The safety had comer back Branden Smith in his sights during an 11-on-ll drill in practice when Smith was getting reps with the offense. Thes-foot-11, 175-pound Smith ran right into two walls the 6-foot-3, 224- pound freshman Ogletree and the wall that surrounds Georgia’s practice field and wound up with a con- cussion after the collision. “That’s probably the toughest [hit] I ever saw [Ogletree] give,” safety Bacarri Rambo said. “Branden Smith was coming around the end and he just took Branden Smith out. But he realized it was Branden Smith and he tried to catch him and avoid from hurt ing him but it as too late. Branden Smith [went] into the wall. Everybody like, mouths just dropped.” Ogletree's high school highlight reel is filled with huge hits that make foot ball fans cringe when they watch. After hitting his growth spurt in ninth grade and lifting weights during the year, Ogletree began to build his eventual big hit ter reputation during his sophomore season at Newnan High School. In a game against Griffin High School, Ogletree laid out a receiver running across the middle of the field, registering the first big his of his young career. Though Ogletree was aware of the caliber of hit he delivered, he said he brushed off the shock and awe of coaches and fans, chalking it up to just another day’s work. “[The coaches] were just looking at me. They just had a glare in their eyes and stuff,” Ogletree said. “I knew they was Now serving brown rite! Find our menu at: www.choochoorestaurants.com choo&thoo JAPANESE KOREAN CRILL EXPRESS] Student Special Everyday! Chicken Entree for $6 Steak or Shrimp Entree for $6 50 plus one side order side salad • drink • eggroll • spring rolls (2) We Are Open Late: Mon-Sat until 4am! Easfrside Location k 1055 Gaines School Road /, 706 543 8888 I We deliver Westside front of to We ftove FREE m iin ■■ 'fiiSi mii !■ ■■ excited and stuff a lot of people came up to me after the game talking about the hit and stuff but I mean I just like, ‘Well, well, [let’s] move on.”* But going from being such a dominating pres ence on the field through out high school to transi tioning to the collegiate level and in anew defen sive scheme made for a new challenge for the fresh man. “Everybody’s faster [at the collegiate level] —a whole lot faster," Ogletree said. “In our [high school] region, we had fast kids, but it’s a different level coming to col lege facing kids in practice that are faster than dudes I was in high school with. You just gotta keep working at it.” Despite his youth, the reputation and the fall camp and practice perfor mance of the self- OGLETREE described “quiet guy” spoke volumes to the vet erans on the Bulldog defense. Not only did his reputa tion create somewhat of a buzz, his size rivals that of some of Georgia's lineback ers. “He’s a big hitter He’s so big for a safety and he just comes downhill and he’s made some really big hits [in practice] and you kinda wanna hold him back so he doesn't hurt the guys on offense," linebacker Christian Robinson said. “He’s a great athlete. He’s learning. He’s getting bet ter every week. I’m out there with him, encourag ing him and I love watch ing him play. He’s doing a great job.” Because of his perfor mance in practice, Ogletree worked his way into the game rotation for the Bulldogs. Though he has tallied just nine tackles on the season, five of which have come in the Bulldogs’ last three games, Ogletree has yet to deliver the type of DELIVERING BLOWS WES BLANKENSHIP ! TANARUS Rid * Ruti ▲ Safety Alec Ogletree (9) built a reputation of being a hard hitter and has worked his way into the game rotation for the Bulldogs because of his performance in practice. bone-crushing blow he often handed out in high school. “I’m very excited to see [Ogletree’s first big] hit. If he do that, everybody gonna get out the stands when he hit somebody coming across the middle,” Rambo said. “That’s gonna be a rough lick. I thought he was gonna get one [against Kentucky], but it didn't happen. I’m just ready for him to see it hap pen.” While Rambo and Robinson said they are both more than excited to watch Ogletree to nail an unsuspecting receiver, Ogletree said he is being patient and getting more and more comfortable with Georgia’s defensive scheme. “That’s what I did in high school. I just waited and when the opportunity [to hit someone] came I took it,” Ogletree said. “Whenever it comes up here, it’ll come. I’m not try ing to rush it or nothing.” Ogletree’s twin brother Free appetizers. See below. FIRST & GOAL Alexander, who is a full back for the Bulldogs, said once his brother finds his way on defense, he’ll do what he does best flat ten offensive players. “It’s destined to happen because that’s just what he do,” said Alexander Ogletree. “Once he get a couple games under his belt then he get used to the atmosphere or whatev er and used to playing and stuff and once he makes that big hit, he’ll be all right.” Rambo said Ogletree has the potential to be “one of the greats" to play safety at Georgia and when the freshman reaches his peak. Ogletree will be a force on the field for the Bulldogs' defense. “I think he'll get his con fidence up and like the feel ing of the crowd arid every body [will be] so excited,” Rambo said. “I think he’ll like the feel of that and I think it’s gonna be on and then he’ll turn that switch on and it’s gonna be hard to stop him." In a great location... HfMftß- 1 HHH£Bh ■ JB P . I ft tons °* s Pace... |fi|l ■Pt P I Hp| * * ’*&&** '•* •*• v - “ 1 ftl JACKED UP Early in head coach Mark Richt’s career at Georgia, two safeties came through the Bulldogs’ ranks who posed huge, big hit threats in the sec ondary Thomas Davis and Greg Blue. Freshman safety Alec Ogletree possesses simi lar size and stature to the two All-Americans and has the potential to produce the same type of awe-inspiring hits. Safety Bacarri Rambo on Alec Ogletree's potential: ‘I can't wait to come back and see that guy when he get to be a senior ...I know like the opponents' receivers, they just gonna see him out there at safety and that just gonna put fear in they heart. But other than that he's a very aggressive guy ... But he has a lot of potential to be one of the great safe ties at UGA like Thomas Davis because I haven’t seen him backing down from no one. He's not far from [it]. ’ DAVIS