Todd Hartley explains what he learned from coaching Brock Bowers

The Bulldogs’ tight end coach shares what he now looks for in players after coaching Bowers.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers made a name for himself very early on at Georgia, and over the course of three years he built the resume of one of the greatest Bulldogs of all-time. His position coach, Todd Hartley, learned early on that he had something special in Bowers, and Bowers has left an impression on him that will remain for years to come.

Hartley spoke about Bowers last week during Orange Bowl prep and shared what he’s learned from watching Bowers over the years. While Bowers has shined on the field with his various big plays and incredible moments, Hartley explained his biggest takeaway from Bowers was the importance of finding players who love the game of football.

“It’s hard to find kids nowadays that actually love playing the game of football. There’s so much going on, right? There’s social media, NIL. They all have this presence they try to build up, OK, to the outside world,” Hartley said. “Ultimately the guys that are going to succeed — especially at Georgia, especially in the SEC, and then ultimately at the next level — is at the heart, you’ve got to love football, man. And so somehow part of the evaluation process — how fast his 40 is, how high he jumps, how he can catch — you better evaluate do they love football. Brock Bowers loves football.”

Hartley explained that it’s hard to know for sure if recruits really love the game, though Bowers showed early signs of his dedication. Bowers’ senior season of high school football in California was canceled due to COVID, but he stayed busy by working out. Kirby Smart recalled Bowers sending in videos of himself running up and down hills or going to throwing sessions with friends, making it clear that he was all in on getting better.

Hartley said Bowers’ all-in attitude was evident once he got to Georgia. Before long, all of college football knew his name.

Over his three years with the Bulldogs, Bowers recorded 175 catches for 2,538 yards and 26 receiving touchdowns. He capped off his time in college in 2023 by playing in 10 games and recording 56 receptions for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns, all of which were team highs. Bowers missed three games due to a high ankle sprain but came back triumphantly against Ole Miss, suiting up just 26 days after undergoing tightrope ankle surgery.

Bowers ended that night having caught 3 passes for 34 yards and 1 touchdown in a 52-17 victory over the Rebels.

“We repped that play I swear like every single week, every single day for like three years. That was the first time we actually ran it in a game,” Bowers said of his touchdown a few days after the game. “I’m like, it’s the right coverage to throw the Y the ball. It came up, I motioned down and I saw him there and I was like, oh man, this might be good. It felt really good, just getting back and just scoring and being able to celebrate on the sideline with all the dudes. It was fun.”

Bowers won the John Mackey Award for the second time this year — becoming the first player to ever win the award twice — and was named a unanimous All-American. He officially closed the book on his collegiate career on Tuesday by declaring for the NFL Draft, kicking off a process in which most expect him to be selected early in the first round.

Bowers built a legacy at Georgia that rivals the program’s greatest players, and he’s set the bar high for those at his position. As for how Hartley will remember Bowers, the assistant coach explained that Bowers’ competitive nature won’t soon be forgotten.

“The dude is the ultimate competitor,” Hartley said. “Everything he did, he competed to be the best at whatever that was: 10-yard sprint, 30-yard sprint, inside run, 7-on-7, Alabama, UAB, it didn’t matter. The dude wanted to be the best, and he is the best.”