“Strain” is a favorite word of Kirby Smart’s. He sometimes uses it in place of “effort” or “grind” or other coaching buzzwords when talking about trying hard all the time. “Six seconds of strain” is a Smart phrase for the ideal of players maxing out on each play.
“I definitely think strain is important,” the Georgia football coach said this week, ahead of his fifth-ranked team’s season-opening showdown with No. 3 Clemson Saturday. “I’ve stressed that you can be out-strained, and it’s critical to any game. I think it measures somebody’s heart and courage and toughness to strain a little longer than the other guy.