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AMPED UP: Chicago Bears' Roquan Smith talks sports and social distancing

The Macon County native, Georgia Bulldog legend Roquan Smith is dealing with social distancing and life in the coronavirus pandemic as a member of the Chicago Bears.

CHICAGO — The third-year NFL linebacker Roquan Smith may be away from Central Georgia, but he's not exempt from the safety measures put in place due to coronavirus. 

“Everything is going pretty good, just trying to be normal as possible,” explains Smith. “Just really going on walks and things of that nature, so not a whole lot to do, but it's not the end of the world, you know? I'm living. I'm blessed.”

Georgia's first Butkus Award winner offered some advice for athletes in training and fitness enthusiasts who are looking to maintain or improve their health goals during this idle time without sports, as well as the shelter-in-place order for many in the Peach State and across most of the country. His message is to simply "Just get it done." 

Smith says, “You have to find ways to do things. There's still grass outside and there still weight sets you can do, so you can make things work. There's no excuses, I feel like.” 

And even though Smith is coming off a season-ending injury in week 14 of last year, he remains positive about his comeback with the Chicago Bears and America's comeback as well as we continue to fight against this coronavirus pandemic. 

“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” says Smith. “Things may seem a little tough, but continue to practice sanitizing and washing your hands and things will eventually work out for themselves.”

If all goes according to plan with the NFL, Roquan will be returning to Georgia with the Bears as they take on the Falcons in Atlanta for the season opener in September.

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