This article was originally published with Dawgs247 on September 11, 2015 and can be found here. 

Collin Barber has no idea how it happened.

The Georgia punter dealt with a weather delay during the Bulldogs’ game against South Carolina on September 13, 2014. After warming up once only to head back to the locker room as the rain soaked Williams-Brice Stadium, he returned to the field and loosened up with his business-as-usual-attitude. He thinks the unexpected stop-and-restart exercises caused the problem.

Barber positioned a punt on the Gamecocks’ 14 yard line in the first quarter and again took to the field for his second punt in the third quarter. He produced another powerful attempt that sent the ball 41 yards downfield. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain shoot down his right leg.

“After my second kick my back just started killing me,” Barber said. “I ran off the field and knew something was wrong. It just kept getting worse and worse.”

The pain was the result of a herniated disk in his back. He continued on despite the injury, playing in nine of the next 10 games for the Bulldogs. Moving forward while hurting didn’t happen without repercussions.

Barber’s statistics took a noticeable drop in 2014, as his average punt fell nearly four yards shorter than it had the previous season. He had to lay off heavy lifting during his weight room sessions, which led to weight gain and a loss of muscle. It also silenced his personal drive, a tool he soon sorely missed.

He’d held his own motivational figure in the form of his father, who died while Collin was a junior at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia. Phil Barber’s memory inspired his son to push forward through out workouts with the hope of never letting him down. The back pain muted that inner push for excellence.

Barber recognized the problem after Georgia’s season closed with a victory in the Belk Bowl.

“I just kind of looked in the mirror and realized this was not where I need to be, body-wise and mentality-wise,” Barber said. “Ever since my dad passed away, I had that mentality where nobody could beat me. I’d be in the gym and I couldn’t miss a rep because I felt like he was watching me. I feel like I got comfortable with where I was at.”

He continued to heal through the offseason but hit another setback in the form of Georgia’s G-Day scrimmage. He struggled in the April dress rehearsal, averaging 36 yards over the span of seven punts. Sitting at his locker afterwards, he couldn’t avoid the personal verdict ringing in his head. The hinderance was still there, and he knew he had to correct it.

Barber approached John Thomas, Georgia’s senior associate director of strength and conditioning, with a request. He wanted Thomas to help revitalize his career by getting his body back in shape. Thomas responded to the rising senior with a simple message: do what I say and you’ll be back.

“I looked forward to 6 a.m. workouts every day after that,” Barber said. “I wanted to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. Every day I woke up, I knew it was a new day to better myself and do everything I could to be a better punter and person.”

The rejuvenated player paired his determination with help from a man who spent 20 years running Penn State’s strength and conditioning program. With Thomas’ guidance, Barber put the back issues behind him and lost the excess weight. The next test was finally coming through on the field.

He did just that in Georgia’s opening game against UL-Monroe. He gave the Warhawks very little wiggle room on Sept. 5, delivering three of his four punts to at least the UL-Monroe 21 yard line. His 50-yard punt in the first quarter provided a concise glimpse of the progress made since his G-Day struggles.

His punting doesn’t seem so questionable now, and he may even expand his role with the team. Kicker Marshall Morgan’s groin injury allowed Barber to be the kickoff specialist against UL-Monroe, a role he clamored for in past practices. It’s part of his plan to become versatile in several aspects of special teams in hopes of playing professionally.

With one game checked off his senior campaign, Barber understands what he wants to accomplish. He hopes to leave the team on great terms and fulfill the plan he set in motion back in April. The setbacks in 2014 are far behind him now, leaving him to concentrate solely on his foot and the ball.

“Going into this year, I just felt like this was my last year to prove myself to everybody,” Barber said. “I’ve got a God-given ability to kick a ball, and I want to make the most out of it. My whole mindset has changed, and I just want to be the best that I can be and see where it takes me.”