As Georgia prepares for its season opener against Tennessee State on Saturday, junior running back Nate Frazier returns as the leader of the Bulldogs' ground game, carrying with him the lessons of family, resilience, and an unrelenting work ethic.
Frazier, who just missed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season with 947 yards and six touchdowns, has become a "go-the-extra-mile" kind of player, according to head coach Kirby Smart and junior linebacker Justin Williams. That drive, Frazier says, comes from his mother, Yomeshia Moore.
"I give all the credit to her," Frazier said. "That lady, she broke her back a million times to go the extra mile and made so many sacrifices for me growing up."
His father, Nathaniel Frazier , died in March, and Frazier has leaned on his support network — coaches, teammates, and even a French Bulldog named Dane he adopted during spring practice — to stay grounded.
"They've been here every step of the way," Frazier said of the people in his life.
The Bulldogs' coaching staff has been particularly attentive, with every coach either sending Frazier a text or pulling him aside to check on his mental well-being. Frazier said that sense of community is a main reason he came to Georgia.
"I feel so comfortable here," he said. "These are the type of people you want to be around. I'm blessed to be around these types of people who care for me as a human being, and don't just look at me as a ball player. They take time out of their days, out of their busy schedules to make sure I'm straight."
Frazier's emotional connection to Georgia was on display before preseason practice when the team posted a video of him standing on the steps of Sanford Stadium, clad in his red No. 3 jersey, raising his hands and clinching his fists as he proclaimed, "I don't want to leave this place, bro! I love this place, bro! I love it here! I don't want to go!"
Frazier said Monday that his sentiments were genuine.
"Oh man, it's just a blessing, man," he said. "We come and we put work in at this place, you know, Monday through Sunday, and then coming to the game on Saturday, it's all worth it."
He added, "I feel like it is no greater feeling than that that moment right there."
Frazier also cherishes the Dawg Walk with fans before games, calling the tradition "crazy" and "something that's unlike any other."
"So it's like it's a special feeling, right? So when I said I don't want to leave this place, it's actually a true feeling, but I can only be here for so long," he said.
On the field, Frazier has shown star potential, most notably rushing for 181 yards on just 12 carries in a 41-21 win at Mississippi State last season — the most rushing yards by a Georgia back since D'Andre Swift ran for 186 in a 2018 win at Auburn. He hopes to join the ranks of recent Georgia rushing leaders like Swift, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Todd Gurley.
Beyond football, Frazier draws inspiration from basketball greats Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry.
"They didn't do everything with the team, they went above and beyond," Frazier said. "I heard a story once about Steph Curry. He didn't leave the gym until he made like, 1,000 shots. I'm like, what? 1,000 shots?"
That mentality, Frazier said, is what he strives to emulate as he leads Georgia's running back room, which also includes juniors Chauncey Bowens and Bo Walker, as well as Dwight Phillips Jr.
"It's not just about football; it's a big family," Frazier said.