WATCH: Carson Beck learning to control his competitive fire at Georgia, ‘breathe it out,’ seize the moment

ATHENS — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck comes across as a player who isn’t looking to kid anyone, least of all himself.

So, yes, Beck always thought of himself the guy even when he was backing up JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett these past three seasons.

And, no, when you’re as competitive as Beck, it’s not easy to flush mistakes like they never happened and move on to the next play.

But Beck knows better than anyone that quarterbacks must develop a different level of coping skills and mental toughness than others on the football field.

Everyone’s eyes are always on the quarterback, and in Beck’s case, every word is scrutinized. This is true especially now that he’s in the thick of a competition with Brock Vandagriff splitting first-team reps as they compete for the starting job.

It’s a safe bet there will be some degree of psychoanalysis from Kirby Smart and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo when they review the interview film: What was important to their players, and why and how did they choose to answer questions the way they did?

Beck didn’t shy away from self-disclosure on Tuesday night, opening up to the media with honest responses about what makes him tick underneath that No. 15 jersey.

Confident being ‘the guy’

“No,” Beck said, there was never any part of him that had to fight the idea that he should be the starting quarterback.

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“I think every quarterback, honestly, should feel that way every single year they step into it,” Beck said. “Even last year with Stetson (Bennett), he just came off a national championship.

“Of course, every day I walked out there, I felt like I was the guy. I think that’s the mindset that you have to have at the position of quarterback because there’s only one guy out there. When you get your opportunity, you have to seize it.”

Competitive fire

Beck is the first to admit, “it’s never easy” just flushing bad plays like they never happened and moving on.

“Obviously, you’re going to get upset when you do something wrong, you’re going to throw interceptions, you’re going to throw incompletions,” Beck said. “It’s more about how you react to it then that one singular moment and letting it affect you in the future.”

Beck is confident he won’t let one bad play affect the next play, but that doesn’t mean he’s not ticked off.

“I was really bad at it, (and) sometimes I still get pretty upset,” Beck admitted. “I think I’ve learned how to tone it down in a sense and kind of figure out it’s cool. Breathe it out, next play mentality always.

“I think it’s a lot easier to do in a game because you make a mistake, you go off the field and you have time to think about it. In practice, it’s like you make a mistake, well you’ve got the next play.”

Competition timeline

Beck wasn’t about to get sucked into the question about the importance of Kirby Smart naming a starting quarterback sooner than later.

“Honestly, I’m not really worried about anything like that as far as like a decision,” Beck said. “The coaches are going to do what they do and all I can worry about every single day—practice, going out there practicing my butt off, working out, watching film, making sure I’m getting better every day.

“If I start focusing on other things, it could take me in the wrong direction.”