There are four things that UGA fans know about Zamir White:
- He signed with the Bulldogs in 2018 as the nation’s No. 1-rated overall recruit at running back
- He missed his first college season with a knee injury
- He’s expected to be cleared by UGA to play this season
- Most importantly, he could be a difference-maker for the Bulldogs this season
Here’s something that is not as well known about White: He takes a lot of pride in his blocking.
“Zamir is a very good catcher of the football — he catches passes, and he’s willing to pass protect,” said Richard Bailey, who coached White at Scotland (N.C.) High School.
“Those are some things that keep people (other running backs) off the field, especially young guys. But Zamir is going to be good at that. He’s not going to have to come off the field on third downs.
“He can catch a swing pass and a screen as well as anybody – and take it to the house after he catches it. Protecting the quarterback is a big deal, and he’ll be good at that, too.”
In fact, White takes so much honor in his blocking that he put some of his signature blocks on his high school film that was presented to college scouts.
“He took as much pride in those things as his 80-yard runs,” Bailey said. “We’d be looking at film and he’d say, ‘Coach, rewind the film. Look at that block.’ My mind would be somewhere else, and he’d point out how he picked up a blitzer or be the lead blocker on an isolation play … he’s just a special talent, and for more than running the football.”
Georgia fans will find out a lot more about White when the Bulldogs kick off preseason practice in a couple of weeks. White is one of the team’s inspirational stories after recovering from a “dark place” emotionally during his ACL rehab.
