ATHENS – There’s a lot of things Georgia players don’t want to be called but one of the main ones this season is “energy vampire.â€â€œEnergy vampire†is a new distinction the Bulldogs have come up with for somebody on the team who doesn’t meet certain standards or who complains. If a teammate nominated by another player for the “energy vampire†board and coach Mark Richt approves, he ends up with his pictured plastered all over video boards in the weight room, usually photo-shopped to include fangs and other unflattering enhancements.“If you say something negative, if you’re not doing something positive when we’re doing activities as a team, you can be called an ‘energy vampire,†explains sophomore linebacker Chase Vasser. “Anybody who hears you say something like ‘I don’t want to be here,’ you can be turned into the coach and you’ll get your face on the board. They’ll take a picture of you and put a wig on you with some vampire teeth and crazy-looking eyes.â€Actually it’s a motivational technique that Richt borrowed from Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.“There’s a book called ‘The Energy Bus.’ John Gordon wrote it,†Richt said. “It’s something that Coach Smith of the Falcons had read and incorporated it with his team. When he came to speak at our summer clinic he was talking about a positive attitude. He said when guys aren’t positive they call them ‘energy vampires.’ So I was asking him about that and that’s where he came from.â€Richt said anybody can end up on the energy vampire board. “Even me.†But all nominations have to come through him.“I don’t want [the players] just taking it over and making up stuff,†Richt said “It’s got to be legit.â€The bottom line, Richt said, “We’re looking for guys who want to be positive.â€As for the photo-shopping. “We’ve got people in charge of that.â€
I'm guessing Coach Dooley or Coach Nutt will use the "All In" Coach Chizik speech.