After going through the 2023 college football season undefeated, the Georgia Bulldogs meet the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2023 SEC Championship Game and for the right to play for a historic third consecutive national title. Ahead of the showdown with their great rival, junior offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran met with the media to discuss the game.
Georgia Bulldogs: Everything Sedrick Van Pran Said Ahead of the SEC Championship Game
In his third season as the starting center for Georgia, Van Pran has established himself as one of the very best at his position. A mid-season All-American by multiple outlets, the 6’4″, 310-pound, center is also a vocal leader at the heart of the Bulldogs offense. Here’s everything he said on Monday as he prepares to face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
On playing Alabama:
“It’s going to be a trench war, absolutely. It’s going to be a hard fought, physical game. You’re going to win some battles and you’ll lose some battles, but I think the biggest thing is just making sure you continue to fight.”
On staying ahead of physical and mental exhaustion:
“I definitely think you get conditioned to it for sure. You get used to just going. I think that’s the biggest thing is just the repetition of it. I think that throughout the course of a season, of course, we’re human.”
“Guys get tired and things like that. I think that’s why it’s so important to have that connection with your brother, to have guys that can check you and be like, ‘Hey Ced, today you don’t have it. I need you to step it up some.’ That happens. Leader, or no matter who it is, I know even coaches, they may not want to say it, but they have days like that as well. I think it’s just having a system of checks and balances to have everyone be able to respectfully correct each other.”
On stopping Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner:
“I think he’s a great pass rusher. I want to say he was a freshman the last time we played him. He was really good then. He was really explosive, great athlete, very twitchy guy. I would just say going into the game, as far as a mindset thing, is just accepting the challenge. Understanding that he’s another great edge that they have, much like Will Anderson, which they had when we played them then, and he was a great edge.
“They have guys like him that are game changers and can absolutely run games if you allow them too. For us, it’s accepting the challenge and understanding that God has given you some ability as well so just trust yourself.”