Chris Conley could be in line for a big senior year. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley is a 6-foot-3, 206-pound senior flanker from Dallas.
Dallas, Georgia that is.
Conley was a real bright spot for the Bulldogs as a junior when he led the team with 45 receptions for 651 yards. He also scored four touchdowns. For his career, he has 12 starts in 36 games and has 81 catches for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns.
But Conley has been a standout off the field in his Georgia career as well. He was named recipient of the UGA Sportsmanship & Ethics Award and serves as a football team representative on the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He earned Athletic Director’s Honor Roll distinction for spring semester and was the recipient of the The Leavy Family & The Brunswick News Publishing Co. Football Scholarship and the Larry Munson Football Scholarship. Conley was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
On the field, he has been not only an outstanding player but a leader as well. But this season he plans to be more of a leader in every game and every practice.
“Leading by example is actually one of the easier things to do,” Conley said. “It’s really pretty simple. You just play hard and practice hard and make plays when you have to. In every situation you take criticism You listen to those things and try to get better at them.
“When it comes to leading with your words that’s something you have get to know each one of your teammates so you know how to speak to that person and reach them where they are at,” he said. “Each one is different. Taking that into account, there are some guys you might need to yell a little bit to get at them. There are certain guys you can’t talk to in front of everybody.
“When you have practice you have to focus in and know what you have to get done for that week and for the game plan and also you have to know how to interact with your teammates and keep everything light-hearted, build camaraderie and team chemistry, that’s how that happens,” said Conley. ”Being able to flip that switch on and off is something I’ve tried to work on since I’ve been here.
“It really comes down to knowing your teammates and having a level of trust where they trust you and know you have their best interest in mind.”
The leadership was on display in Georgia’s Spring Game between quarterback Hutson Mason and Conley, who paced the Red team with six catches for 124 yards, including a 53-yarder from Mason.
“The tempo of the offense was outstanding,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “I think Hutson really enjoys the faster pace. He handles that very well. Chris is a very accomplished receiver in my mind. He runs good routes and gets good separation, and Hutson knows where best to place it to give him the best shot of making a play.”
Wide receivers coach Tony Ball believes Conley will make plenty of plays this fall for the Bulldogs.
“Coach Ball is definitely a guy who is like a father figure to a lot of the players,” said Conley. “He coaches you hard. There is never a point where you do something perfect. There is always something you can work on, You can do the drill the best you ever have and there is always something he can point out you can better on.”
With that attitude it’s no wonder that Chris Conley will be one of the best leaders for Georgia this fall as the Bulldogs try to get back to the top of the SEC East.
