Nakobe Dean Georgia football

ATHENS — Georgia football has plenty to work on in fall camp, and one way the Bulldogs aim to improve is by holding one another accountable.

Nakobe Dean said on Friday the team has emphasized an approach that will make it easier for teammates to understand and push one another.

“Everyone has worked on getting to know each other better ‚so we can hold each other more accountable,” Dean said on a Friday Zoom call. “Trying to learn everybody’s story, everybody’s ‘why.’ I feel like that has helped the team and everybody individually.

“We all know each other better than we have, and that goes hand in hand with our core value, which is connection.”

Teammate Lewis Cine said team meetings have helped each player recognize their individual ‘why,’ and feed off that.

“We do this thing here, it’s called skull sessions, it’s to work on our core value as a team and the ‘why’ is an important thing,” Cine said. “Because when things get hard and tough, the why pushes you.”

Run stopper

Georgia led the nation in run defense last season in large part because of Dean, who led the team in tackles despite a nagging shoulder injury that led to offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum.

“It was something I was battling the whole season, since the first or second game,” Dean said. “It was something I knew I had to get looked at, so I just played on it.”

Dean said he has been cleared for fall drills, but during the spring, he was limited to leading from the sideline.

Coach Kirby Smart made it clear he was impressed with Dean’s ability to lead despite not being on the field.

“I’ve never had a player in all my career of coaching who is more engaged — .you have to stay on certain guys when they are injured to stay engaged,” Smart said. “Nakobe’s calling things out. He’s playing linebacker every play and is making the call from the sideline.

“You can hear him. He’s engaged. He’s on top of it.”

New beginning

Dean isn’t about to let up with Georgia starting fall camp on Friday with an opening game against Clemson at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 approaching rapidly.

“I’m trying to tackle fall camp like I don’t know any plays at all,” Dean said. “Last night, I was still looking over Day One install, to make sure I’m fresh on everything.”

Dean indicated that’s been a team-wide mindset.

“Everybody, we all work hard, the whole offseason coaches do great job to make sure the type of work we put in is second to none,” Dean said. “They work hard to make sure we are ready mentally, physically and emotionally.

“Now going into camp, it’s putting everything all together and basically chopping away.”