GREEN BAY — It didn't take long into training camp for rookie safety second round pick Javon Bullard to impress his head coach.
"I didn't know he said that, but that fires me up," said Packers head coach Matt laFleur.
How did Bullard fire up LaFleur? After earning a starting nod on the first day of training camp Bullard was asked how comfortable he was in the defense:
“I ain’t gonna lie, I don’t even like the word ‘comfortable'," said Bullard. "No disrespect, but I don’t really like that word, especially in this profession because the second you get comfortable, somebody’s got your job. And I don’t even have a job yet."
That response fired up LaFleur in his early morning press conference on day two of training.
"I think that just speaks to his level of maturity and obviously where he's coming from at Georgia and the amount of competition that he's had to face there," LaFleur said. "I think that means a lot, but I think he's showed a lot in a short period of time."
Coming out of mini camp in late June, LaFleur wanted to see growth from his young guys by the time they got to camp — Bullard did that.
"What's been impressive about him and it's not only him, a lot of guys coming back, just the amount of recall that they've shown and to possess, shows us they stayed in their books throughout the course of the summer."
Bullard had a lot of success at Georgia, winning two national titles and was named the National Championship Game Defensive MVP in 2023. He said being winner rubs off on those around him.
"I'm a winner," he said. "I want to win at all costs. Whatever that may be. Winners like to hang around winners, If you're a winner and you want to hang around losers than sooner or later you can possibly become a loser. I like to hang around winners and I feel like this organization is all about winning, so I feel like god placed me in the best place possible.
Bullard is starting alongside Packers huge free agent addition Xavier McKinney and he's taking advantage of learning all he can from him so that one day he can reach the same level of play.
"They brought the guy in for a reason," said Bullard He's been a tremendous leader for me. I've been looking up to him for awhile now. With the ability to be able to play next him is huge for me."
