UGA Football: Frierson Chats With Nakobe Dean

By John Frierson
UGA Staff Writer

Nakobe Dean loved playing football, basketball and baseball growing up. The ultra-athletic Georgia football sophomore first dunked a basketball the summer before he started eighth grade.

A 6-foot and 220-pound linebacker from Horn Lake, Miss., just south of Memphis, Dean had a very good freshman season on the Bulldog defense, playing in all 14 games and finishing with 25 tackles.

During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, the Bulldogs’ second of preseason camp, Dean talked about what he’s been doing the past few months, what he could eat every day, dunking at a young age and much more. Here’s some of what he had to say:

Frierson: How close to normal do things feel these days now that everyone is back together and you’re practicing football again?

Dean: As far as camp, yeah, we’re all in our little bubble and doing everything that we usually do. We don’t usually get out during camp and I know that when we do get out, it’s going to be a little different.

Frierson: Obviously it was a very unusual spring and summer because of the coronavirus pandemic, so how did you use all of the time that you had? Did you do anything interesting or fun?

Dean: I basically worked out the whole time. I don’t really watch TV much so I started watching old movies, like classics that I’ve never watched before.

Frierson: Can you give me an example?

Dean: I watched “Rambo” — I’d never seen “Rambo” and I got to see it. It was nice and I was able to watch the whole thing. Even when I was young, I was never able to sit down and watch a whole movie.

Frierson: Who was the first football player or athlete that you really admired and looked up to?

Dean: Probably my favorite player when I was younger was (former Pittsburgh Steelers safety) Troy Polamalu, and he probably still is. I just liked the way he played and how he flew around on the field and things like that. I was intrigued my that at a young age, way before I even knew I was going to end up taking football seriously.

Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?

Dean: Not too much anymore, but I used to draw. I like to dance but I haven’t been doing too much of that, I haven’t been able to go with my guys and do anything like that because of COVID. I usually like to do stuff like that, though.

Frierson: Who’s the most creative or talented guy on the team? Is there one that stands out?

Dean: There’s no specific person, everybody’s got their own thing going. Some people can rap, some people can draw and everything like that — it’s just unique to have people like that on my team.

Frierson: What was your favorite toy when you were growing up?

Dean: My favorite toy? I didn’t really play with toys too much. I’ll probably say a basketball, if you can say that’s a toy.

Frierson: Was that your favorite sport when you were young?

Dean: I actually loved football, basketball and baseball equally growing up.

Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?

Dean: Oh, yes, I do. It was July, I couldn’t tell you the year right now unless I do the math, but I was going into my eighth-grade year — the summer after seventh grade, going into eighth grade. Man, that was great. I was really working on it, working to get there all summer.

Frierson: If you could play any other sport for Georgia, what would it be?

Dean: It would probably be baseball. I love basketball and everything, but I was never really the point guard type and I’d probably have to be a point guard. I loved baseball growing up and I’d definitely choose baseball.

Frierson: The SEC did its big schedule reveal on TV last night, so did you all get together and watch it? Or did you all kind of know what was coming?

Dean: I didn’t have any idea and I wasn’t really too worried about it, I was just mostly focused on us. I think we were heading to a meeting during that time.

Frierson: Who’s the funniest guy on the team?

Dean: Ooh, we’ve got a lot of funny people: Jordan Davis, Tyson Campbell, Mark Webb, George Pickens — all of them are hilarious. The things they do and the stuff they say, it’s crazy.

Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?

Dean: Singing and song-writing — I’d make a whole album in that day and drop it before I lose the ability to sing [laughs].

Frierson: What’s something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?

Dean: Probably chicken — chicken, definitely. All types of chicken, any way you cook it.

Frierson: Is there a meal that’s waiting for you every time you go home? Is there something special that mom or dad makes?

Dean: My mom makes salmon, lemon-pepper salmon — that’s probably my favorite dish by her.

Frierson: Are you still a little amazed at where football and your talents and abilities have taken you?

Dean: Oh, yeah, I’m blessed to be able to do these things, especially coming from Mississippi where I was at. I’ve traveled with my parents and everything, but to be able to see the things that I’ve been able to see and experience the things I’ve done, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without college football.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He’s also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.