Richard LeCounte Entering Leadership Role for Georgia Football
With the departure of three-year starter J.R. Reed, someone will have to step up and fill the leadership void left on the Georgia defense and that someone is Richard LeCounte. J.R. Reed, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award, was the clear vocal leader for the outstanding 2019 Georgia Bulldogs defense that held opponents to only 12.6 points-per-game, leading the nation.
In late December, the team announced that Reed would not be making the trip to New Orleans due to a minor foot injury, which broke a 42 game starting streak. Freshman Lewis Cine took Reed's spot alongside Richard LeCounte and had an outstanding game. After the game, Cine spoke on how much LeCounte stepped up, telling players where to be, making sure everyone was lined up correctly, and controlling overall communication for the Georgia defense. LeCounte finished that game with two interceptions and two tackles.
"Richard was basically the leader for us this whole time we were here. Richard had to do more communicating than usual, including with me. He had to communicate with me without J.R. being there. Richard did a great job stepping up as a leader, but not only that. He did his thing tonight." - Lewis Cine on LeCounte
In the 2019 season, LeCounte third on the team in tackles, had the most interceptions with four, including a 71-yard return against Mizzou, led the SEC in fumbles recovered at 3 and was voted Co-winner of Most Improved Defensive player.
With Reed gone, it will be up to sophomores Lewis Cine or Tyrique Stevenson to fill in at his position but his leadership role will be passed on to LeCounte, the player most knowledgeable of the Georgia defense.
Although there will be a senior leader at all three levels of the defense in Malik Herring, Rice, and LeCounte it will be crucial for LeCounte to step up and take that leadership role due to the complexity of Georgia's secondary defense. It's not as cut and dry as the common viewer may think. Georgia's safeties are asked to do a facet of things on any given down from disguising coverages, blitzing, playing man to man, etc.
Every indication so far is that LeCounte is primed and ready to step up and do so.
It will be hard to top arguably the greatest defense in UGA history but the team returns 8 of 11 starters and it will be interesting to see if LeCounte can take the Dawgs even further. I for one believe he can.
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