ATLANTA—On Monday night, UGA quarterback Jake Fromm took a brief respite from his limited summer break to attend the Atlanta Sports Awards dinner in the midtown area.
Fromm (2,615 yards passing, 27 total TDs; 13-1 as UGA's starter last year) also joined 11Alive Sports anchor Wes Blankenship for a quick chat, addressing his admiration for former Dawgs linebacker Roquan Smith, the high-profile fishing accident from a few weeks ago, the preparations for 2018 and the rat poison-effect (echoing an infamous Nick Saban line) of contending for offseason honors at such a young age.
As a freshman last season, Jake Fromm stealthily replaced injured QB Jake Eason and subsequently led the Bulldogs to an SEC title, a 12-2 starting record and to the brink of a national championship (before losing to Alabama in overtime).
On being a finalist for 'Collegiate Athlete of the Year' ... along with Roquan Smith (No. 9 overall pick to the Chicago Bears) and Clark-Atlanta women's track and field star, Jazmine Bowser:
"I'm blessed and honored" to be part of the ceremony.
"It's great to be in the same (category) as Roquan (Smith), it means a lot. He's a great football player; and however (the voting) works out, Roquan certainly deserves it ... and I'm excited to see what he's going to do at the next level."
UPDATE: Smith captured the Atlanta Sports Award for 'Collegiate Sports Athlete of the Year.'
On his fishing accident from last month in southern Georgia:
"Well, I was fishing, and it was getting dark. My buddy and I were fishing at the top of the water. ... He tried to set the lure, and the lure came flying back at me, and it gets stuck in my leg. The rest, is pretty much history."
On how he's been spending time during the offseason:
"Really, it's about focusing back on us, and controlling what we can control. And that's going to work every day, continuing to work hard and taking care of the little things ... in the weight room, on the field. As long as we do what we do, we'll be fine."
On getting complacent from postseason awards, and if Nick Saban was right about it being 'rat poison' for hungry players:
"Don't think about it too much. Just kind of take it as it is. Really, you've got to put your focus into things, elsewhere. For me, it's about being the best leader I can, the best player I can, and try to help the team as much as possible during the summer."
