Dean sizzled in a Georgia defense arguably consisting of seven or eight first-round-worthy prospects last season as he collected 72 tackles, a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss, a second-most six sacks, 31 quarterback hurries, six pass breakups and a second-most two interceptions. Along with his smarts, Dean believes he can bring plenty more to an NFL locker room. In fact, academics have been his top priority throughout his life. Dean, who is a mechanical engineering major, slips on . Georgia won the game 37-10. Keyontae Johnson 'thanking God every day' for second chance at Kansas State after collapse. As the TV crew breaks down Tom Brady highlights -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing the New York Giants, who have two Georgia alums, J.R. Reed and Tae Crowder -- Dean watches intently. Dean's mother once referred to him as a "math wiz," recalling a time when he entered a math competition and won it. "I got the trophy the day after we lost the SEC Championship so it was kind of like a bittersweet feeling," he said. Here is a scouting report and three things to know about Dean: Dean was the definition of a traditional linebacker on defense for Georgia last season, taking 582 snaps in the box for the national champions. They seem to have the same philosophy (as Georgia) when it comes to playing defense, when it comes to playing football.". Nakobe Dean reacts after a play against Arkansas. The Bulldogs' defense was arguably the best in the nation in 2021, led by Dean as the leader of the unit. The Butkus Award winner (best linebacker in nation) was also a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which goes annually to college football's defensive player of the year, but also gives equal weight to personal character. While Dean grew up, he saw how often she visited the VA and spoke with disabled veterans. FA Cup QFs: Kompany returns to Man City with Burnley, Grimsby at Brighton, Fury calls for Paul to honour deal | Pay up!, Toney 'shocked and disappointed' over six-month ban claims. Hes heard so many calls of Nakobe making the call in the huddle and him executing the call.. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) Georgia defensive back Mark Webb (23) Athens, GA - The #3-ranked University of Georgia football team defeated ArkansasState, 55-0, in a game played on Dooley . Chris Simms' 2022 NFL Draft top five quarterbacks. According to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr, he's also been climbing NFL Draft boards and currently sits as a top-15 prospect. Those doubled once Georgia got to No. The Monday night game in late November is on every screen, but tonight Dean's the main event, the reason everyone is there, wearing Georgia red, dropping off canned goods at the front of the store before coming up to say hello and take a picture. 13 overall. Georgia junior inside linebacker Nakobe Dean was the surprise recipient of the 37th Butkus Award on Sunday. That's my thing.". Three trades in a chaotic top five, The new law changing service academy football, and the coaches pushing back, Realignment chatter: How the Pac-12 holds the key to it all. . "I know. Afterward, Boyette asked him what led him to make the move. Would love your thoughts, please comment. I faced a lot of adversity from an academic standpoint there are a lot of goals that I set that I wasnt able to attain, but it does nothing but make me stronger., Dean arrived at Georgia wanting to become a doctor but also had a strong interest in pursuing mechanical engineering. The 2021 Butkus Award winner, All-America first team linebacker, and captain of the AFCA Good Works Team now has a big NFL draft decision to make. His goal? He's the extra blitzer needed in Jonathan Gannon's defense. MechSE professor Katie Matlack was named one of this year's recipients of The Grainger College of Engineering Dean's Award for Excellence in Research. Jelani Woods is an athletic marvel - can he succeed in the NFL? "We gotta check the dates on the cans, and if the cans have dents, throw them out," she says. Dean graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA and carried a 3.55 GPA in mechanical engineering at . Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. But on Monday night, the Bulldogs held the Tide to just 399 total yards and only 30 rushing yards. Off the field, the new NIL rules allowed him to live out the values his mother, a lifetime community worker, instilled in him from an early age. Magnificent Malan ton steers England to victory in tense chase, Sterling's camp dismiss reports of Chelsea unrest amid Arsenal links, Nakobe Dean interview: On becoming a doctor, mechanical engineering and winning a National Championship with Georgia, Due to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this, Exclusive: Meet the NFL Draft quarterback who owes his grandma new windows. Associated Press, Walter Camp, AFCA, Sporting News, USA Today, ESPN, The Athletic, CBS ***. Dean valued academics as much as competing for a national championship when choosing his college destination. Georgia coaches have known just how special Dean is from the first day he arrived on campus. NEKETTA IS IN her element. That's certainly new, or at least different. "Growing up, my mother, it was always education, education, education. "Growing up, I was always able to understand the little stuff coaches wanted me to do on certain plays quicker than most.". * 15 Tackles vs. Florida, 2020 15 on the USA Today pre-season Chosen 25247Sports.com five-star prospectranked as the #1 ILB nationally, #14 overall prospect nationally and the #1 prospect in MississippiPrepStar Magazine four-star prospect, #13 nationally and a member of the Top 150 Dream TeamRivals.com five-star prospect, ranked #19 nationally, #1 ILB and #1 in MississippiESPN.com four-star prospect, #23 nationally, #3 OLB, #11 in the Southeast and #1 in MississippiLed Horn Lake to a 15-0 season, No. It is a message that Dean, whose love for football began at the recreation centre where his mother worked in Mississippi, passes on to those in the position he once was. The New England Patriots have multiple needs heading to this month's NFL Draft, inside linebacker perhaps chief among them. Its a blessing, he said. Coach Lanning used to always say, if youre good enough, youre old enough, Dean said. As a mechanical engineering student with a 4.0 GPA, hes also the play-caller for the defense and a projected first-round NFL draft pick. Know your personnel. "Trust me, this won't be the last time we're back here," she says. Stroud keeps God first as he leads Ohio State. The football player's success in the classroom stems from a routine he developed in high school. In the midst of all the hoopla, Dean still can't turn off the part of his brain that gravitates toward the ball. He also had 31 QB hurries, six pass breakups and two interceptions. 17; sixth-round linebacker Kyron Johnson gets No. He was literally like a coach on the field. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Memphis, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ole Miss, South Alabama, Stanford, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt all wanted his services. What schools have the most players invited to the 2023 NFL combine? Even though the purpose of this trip is for Dean to show the kids a little more about engineering in hopes of one day improving diversity in the field, it's Dean who is the kid in a candy shop. Its a blessing that Im in this position., RELATED STORIES: Dean has been quizzed on both a lot. I feel like I'll do whatever I need to do to be great and be one of the greatest ever to do it. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/draft/free/stories, at Dean could miss the entire 2022 season, but the risk was worth the reward for the Eagles. #Eagles rookie LB Nakobe Dean said he will be a full participant during the team's rookie minicamp this . Dean has great instincts and speed, but he missed Georgias spring practice in 2021 with a torn labrum. Clemson QB D.J. I used to see veterans who lost limbs and everything. Dean, a mechanical engineering major with a 3.5 GPA, was the first name . As a senior, Dean racked up 175 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions, and scored nine touchdowns at running back. Dean said slipping to the third round is something that will always stick with him during his playing career. "All the physical things are on film, you can watch that and work me out. The type of three-down playmaking linebacker you want today. "I feel like my mindset is second to none, unmatched. Dean was the leader of that unit. The original plan was to get 10 meals from the restaurant that was going to host Monday night's watch party and take them to the shelter. He plans on majoring in either chemical or mechanical engineering in college. Football . He goes where the ball goes, and the defense goes as he goes. They would volunteer at the homeless shelters and partake in community cleanups or, in the case of Dean, volunteer at the local youth football program when he was in high school. He's a 4.0 GPA engineering majorhe's one of the premier linebackers in all of college footballand here he is with kip-up in full pads Nakobe Dean is ELITE! NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? Neketta once organized a 5K run aimed at bringing together police and first responders and the local high school football team, which Dean was a part of. I always wanted to help somebody, I always wanted to have a job where I could help, so I thought 'I could be a doctor, that would be perfect'. From providing food to the homeless, to street cleanups and more, Georgia LB Nakobe Dean, with the help of his mother, has made it a priority to give back to Athens and his hometown of Horn Lake, MS. Giving back has always been something near and dear to me.@sportsiren pic.twitter.com/YU4wwIM4rA, ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 10, 2022. She claimed to have given him over $1,000 before his senior year of high school. Members of the Bulldogs defense put on a dazzling display, from 304-pound Devonte Wyatts blazing 4.77 40 to 6-foot-5, 272-pound fellow defensive lineman Travon Walker running a 4.51 40, vertical jumping 35-5 inches, and timing a 6.89 in the 3-Cone, to 230-pound linebacker Channing Tindall running a 4.47 40 and vertical jumping 42 inches, to 6-foot-6, 341-pound behemoth Jordan Davis clocking an unbelievable 4.78 40 with a 32-inch vertical and a 10-3 broad jump. One prospect who could be the perfect fit in Foxboro is Georgia's Nakobe Dean. Life is busier. Uiagalelei thanks God for challenges: Jesus put me in this position I really growing up it was like I was going to be an engineer or doctor or architect, those were kind of my things. One of the sports leading voices, he also is a sideline reporter for FOX College Football. To make prosthetic limbs for veterans in need. That was enough to know what kind of player he has in his locker room. 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