'Bambi' grows into force as tackle for Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. - Mark Richt remembers that Dennis Roland stood out among the 2001 freshman class at Georgia, and not for all the right reasons.

• Photos

A skinny 6-foot-9, Roland didn't look like he was ready to play football. He barely looked like he could stay on his feet as he tried to keep up in conditioning and agility tests.

"He really did look like Bambi after Bambi was just born, with just spindly legs," Richt said. "I remember the first day with agility drills with the freshmen he about didn't even make it through the drill at all."

Richt says he remembers the leg-weary Roland looked like he was moving in slow motion.

Four years later, Roland again stands out among his peers, and this time that's a good thing.

This week, Roland was named the Southeastern Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Week following the senior's dominant performance in Georgia's 17-15 win over South Carolina. In a game that Richt chose to win with a physical ground attack, Roland graded 95 percent and had two "dominator" blocks as the Bulldogs rushed for 238 yards.

"When we're pounding the ball, running the ball play after play, that's definitely fun," Roland said.

The SEC honor was a surprise as other players on the line - including guard Max Jean-Gilles - are better known.

"I'm sure there were a lot of people surprised, and I was probably more surprised than anyone," Roland said. "We have some talented guys on the line, and it was definitely a total team honor."

In his second year as a starting offensive tackle, Roland has filled out to 320 pounds and helps give Georgia perhaps its best line since the 2002 SEC championship season.

Roland is one of three starting seniors on the line for No. 7 Georgia, which plays host to Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. No other member of the line, and perhaps no other starter on the team, has worked through a more dramatic development from raw rookie to polished veteran.

"He's come so far it's unbelievable," Richt said. "At practice I congratulated him and he laughed and he was like 'Would either one of us ever dreamed of that happening when I was a freshman?'"

Added Richt: "He just struggled so much early on and the guy just worked and worked and worked and now the guy is 320 pounds and a man who understands the technique.... He has just improved in every area as a football player and as a person. I'm just so proud of him."

Roland spent most of his high school career in Bolivar, Mo., as a defensive end. That made the transition to offense on the major-college level even more difficult.

"I didn't play offense until my senior year in high school," he said.

"I probably doubted my abilities when I came in, facing the defensive ends and their pass rushes. I guess it was something you gradually grow into. You improve your quickness. Mentally and physically, it was challenging."

Roland is the son of Southeastern Louisiana's first-year coach Dennis Roland Sr., the former coach at North Gwinnett High School. The elder Roland attended Georgia's opener as Hurricane Katrina forced Southeastern Louisiana to postpone its first game.

Roland joins 6-foot-7 Daniel Inman to give Georgia towering tackles on each side of the line. Ken Shackleford, a 6-foot-5 junior, rotates with the two as the third tackle.

Jean-Gilles' decision to return for his senior season gave the line a major boost. He has been projected as a possible first-round pick in next year's NFL draft, and Roland may also earn a chance - an idea that would have been scoffed at two or three years ago.

"He's definitely a prospect," Richt said. "I don't know how highly they regard him now. If he keeps playing like he has been playing, I think he'll find himself in a camp somewhere. I think he's a draft pick."

Said Roland: "If this honor helps me get to the next level, that's great, but right now I'm focused on this season. I think we have something special going on."