Out with Rod, in with Pod: Meet Georgia's New Kicker
Over the past four years, the name "Hot Rod" was heard across the country. The fan-favorite Rodrigo Blankenship whom the phrase "Respect the Specs" was coined for finished his final season with UGA this past year, heading off to Indianapolis to replace future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri. So who is the new guy tasked with replacing last year's Lou Groza Award winner?
Enter Jack Podlesny.
Podlesny, a Georgia native from St. Simons Island, is a Redshirt Sophomore who has already gotten off to a great start going 2 for 2 this past Saturday both from 38 yards and 5 of his 6 kickoffs resulting in touchbacks. This is what Coach Smart had to say after the game:
“I thought he did a tremendous job. He had a lot of composure. Trust me, it was not easy for him to win that job,” Smart said. “The best thing about him is he’s improved.”
Even the kick off that didn't go into the endzone, Podlesny kicked a beautifully designed and executed sky kick that allowed Georgia's coverage unit time to run downfield and tackle the returner inside the 25-yard line.
In HS, Jack was not only an incredibly gifted placekicker but an electric soccer player as well. Crazy enough, his sophomore year he gave up football to give his full attention to the sport. His HS coach at Glynn Academy knew how strong his leg was and convinced him to come back out for his Junior year. He wasn't the immediate starter but in his Senior season, he went 9 for 10 in Field Goal attempts and converted 49 of 51 extra points. Just as impressive, he finished the season with 55 of his 61 kickoffs resulting in touchbacks.
During his two seasons under Rodrigo Blankenship and then Specials Teams coordinator, Scott Fountain, Smart said Podlesny didn't really impress all that much. Though this offseason, that changed.
"The best thing about him is he’s improved. Rod [Rodrigo Blankenship] was here and he was kicking with Coach [Scott] Fountain and those guys and working each day and didn’t really stand out, and he stood out this year. "
According to Smart, Podlesny jumped out to a sizable lead at the position at the beginning of camp and held off both Jared Zerkel and Jake Camarta for the starting job.
"He’s done a great job. He’s really been impressed with his kick-offs. He kind of won that job first in camp, and then he continued to battle at field goals with Jared Zerkel and Jake Camarta, and he ended up winning the job. He’s a great young man. He does a great job. I know his high school coach [Rocky Hidalgo] really well, and he bragged on him all the time. Rocky Hidalgo told me how good he was, and [Jack] came to us, walked on, and he’s done a great job for far."
The sure-footed kicker got his first start with the Dawgs against Arkansas and Georgia fans headed to Twitter, getting the nickname "Hot Pod" trending within minutes, an homage to Blankenship's nickname. When asked, Podlesny preferred the nickname "Padawan" a reference to one of his favorite films, Star Wars. Unfortunately for Pod, I doubt the fans will let that one stick.
Welcome, Hot Pod.
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