Lassiter and Mondon Discuss Practice and Upcoming Season

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia sophomores Kamari Lassiter and Smael Mondon spoke with the media Wednesday evening and offered the following comments about practice and the upcoming 2022 season.

#2 Smael Mondon | Sophomore | LB

On how it feels to be playing football consistently again...

"It's a blessing playing the sport you love. Injury is part of the sport, it happens, but to be able to bounce back and keep playing is a blessing."

On the defense...

"I see us getting better every day. I see the guys putting in the work, I see everybody coming in and pushing each other, holding each other accountable. I feel like we will be all right."

On the lasting impact of Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall...

"They showed us what it takes, the hard work you have to put in every day, the toughness, composure, resiliency, connection. They showed us what it takes to go all the way."

#3 Kamari Lassiter | Sophomore | DB

On how he would describe fall camp and his as well as the team’s progression…

“This camp has been pretty good for us as a team and myself. We’ve all been working hard to get better and trying to get more connected each day; we spend a lot of time together in camp. I’d say that camp has been a lot of great progress to get to where we are now, but we still got a long way to go.”

On the competition at the cornerback position and how it makes them better…

“The competition level is at an all-time high. You know, it’s just like every other position. We compete with each other, we compete with ourselves, we want to make each other better, and ultimately make the team better.”

On what he did to earn public praise from Coach Smart upon his arrival last fall…

“I wasn’t really looking for praise or anything. I was just playing the game that I love and just trying to give my best effort to help the team in whatever way I could.”