MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — It's been a college football history full of honors and great memories, including two national championships and two bowl game Most Valuable Player awards.
Now former University of Georgia Bulldogs standout, Javon Bullard, will use the same motivation entering the NFL as he did playing college football. The 5'10, 198-pound safety got his start in Baldwin County.
“There's a scripture that says be anxious for nothing, knowing you have a great group of guys leading that team and who are in front of me,” Bullard said, “Patience is key and I had to wait my turn just like everybody else.”
On Friday, Bullard was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round. He was selected as the 58th pick overall.
Bullard a three-star defensive back out of Baldwin High School in Milledgeville became the talk of college football for his high IQ and hard hitting play in the defensive backfield. Bullard says to him it's all about one emotion that has brought him success.
“Very passionate that's probably the number one trait for me” says Bullard. “Just love ball. I've been playing the games since I was four years old. This game has took me a lot of places and will continue to take me a lot of places. If you are good to the game it will be good to you.”
Javon's family has supported his dream to play professional football all of his life. Now that moment is drawing closer, it's becoming more and more surreal.
Shonda Bullard, Javon’s mom explains, “I think everybody knows what I'm going to be doing. I'm going to be in tears”.
Husband and father, James agrees, “ I'm not going to say I won't because they will be tears of joy. This is the absolute moment that we've all been waiting for. It's his moment and we're eager to see where he's going. We want to know. Cause we going.”
And it's the love Javon continues to feel from his family and friends is why he wouldn't want to share this moment anywhere else but at home.
“I wouldn't be here without my family and the people that go unseen,” says Javon. “Of course my parents and my siblings and many other unseen people like coaches, friends, teachers people that don't get enough recognition I want to celebrate this moment with them as well. So I felt it should have my draft party here and nowhere else.”