By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

“…And that’s why you the play game” is a phrase we’ve all heard trickle out of an announcer’s mouth on more than one occasion.

While it normally pertains to a team winning a game they weren’t supposed to win, you could argue it’s just as appropriate when referencing a certain player’s careers. To me, Jake Fromm’s time at Georgia, and his probable future in the NFL, falls under that category.

From the time Fromm stepped foot on the Athens campus it feels as though he’s been the underdog; having to prove himself time and time again.

First there was Jacob Eason, the highly touted incumbent quarterback. Granted, Fromm didn’t win the starting quarterback job his freshman season and was only given the reigns when Eason went down with an injury. But he never relinquished those reigns once he got them forcing the former #1 rated quarterback to transfer.

Then, there was Justin Fields. Again, another quarterback rated higher than Fromm, whom most expected to see as the starting quarterback by the end of the season, if not earlier.

Yet again, Fromm played well enough to make sure there wasn’t even a discussion of who the starting QB should be entering the 2019 season, and following in Eason’s footsteps, Fields was gone.

Three 5-star quarterbacks in three years, with the lowest ranked of the three being the last one left standing.

That’s not to say Fromm will be a better NFL quarterback than those two, or that he is the better of the three, but to have outlasted the other two says a lot about his play and leadership on the field, and I think quite a lot about his mindset of it.

As fans, we like to complain when someone transfers to another program, or just signs with another team to begin with, because there’s a better chance that player may get playing time with another team. I mean really, we yell “lack of heart” or “is afraid of competition” more often than roses are given out on the Bachelor/Bachelorette.

So, if we’re going to complain about someone trying to improve their chances at a professional career- as if we wouldn’t be doing the exact same thing- then we should praise Fromm for attacking his college career in the way we want our athletes to.

Instead of searching for playing time and signing elsewhere his freshman year, he decided to attend to the university he’s always wanted to go to, even though that meant likely sitting behind Eason; injuries excluded, obviously.

Then, after being recruited over with Fields, he didn’t cry about on social media or make any kind of inflammatory remarks about the situation. All he did was show up, work hard, and proved he belonged.

I have nothing against a player making a move that suits him or her best, especially since coaches change jobs like Game of Thrones changed character arcs. I have a lot of respect though for someone who decides to take the road less traveled.

I know what I’m saying is nothing new, or anything you haven’t probably thought of, but every now and again sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious.

If you’re a Georgia fan, enjoy this upcoming season because in less than a year from now Fromm will likely hear another phrase we’re all used to- “And with the (insert number) pick of the 2020 draft…..”