On a Saturday afternoon between the hedges, the red jerseys that little Bulldog fans wear usually resemble those of the team’s most recognizable players.

Matthew Stafford’s number 7 and Thomas Brown’s number 20 litter the chest and back of many a child, and you probably will see the numbers 3, 34 and 14 sometime during a gameday in Athens.

You would have to look very hard to find Fernando Velasco’s number 75 in the crowd – not that he minds.

“It would be nice,” the senior center said. “My 12 year old brother has one, and so do other members of my family.”

Being underrated is nothing new to the Wrens native. The work done in the trenches, especially on the offensive side, often goes overlooked.

“I’ve played offensive line my whole life,” Velasco said. “I don’t expect much recognition. Skill positions can get all the hype. I don’t need it.”

That’s not to say the job he is doing is overlooked by his teammates. Stafford may be the face of Georgia football, but Velasco is its leader.

“He’s our leader on offense and the leader of our team,” said junior defensive tackle Jeff Owens. “He’s a role model for me, and I love him to death for that.”

Velasco has been charged as the on-field caretaker for a young offensive line that will include a junior college transfer, a redshirt freshman and a true freshman.

He is one of many players on this year’s team whose name may not be familiar to fans but whose leadership will be needed if the Bulldogs are to be factors in the SEC.

Brandon Coutu

Though placekicker Brandon Coutu is the centerpiece to the cover of Georgia’s media guide, it was not long ago the Lawrenceville native was a walk-on hoping for his shot.

This season, he comes in having made 35 of 43 career field goals, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper has rated Coutu as the top senior kicker in the country.

“I set goals for myself going in and so far I’ve surpassed them,” Coutu said. “I’ve set new goals now and I have a lot left to accomplish, but this whole experience has been surreal.”

As effortless as he makes kicking seem, Coutu is quick to point out how difficult the position is.

“There’s absolutely a lot of pressure, with less than 1.2 seconds to get the ball off and make a field goal from 50 yards out. It’s not something everybody can do. It’s a craft.”

Kelin Johnson

Senior safety Kelin Johnson knows the feeling of being taken for granted. Every time the Bulldogs give up a big pass, it’s apparently his fault.

“When we blow coverages, people think it’s the safety’s responsibility,” Johnson said.

Though defensive mistakes are not completely his fault, a young secondary looks to Johnson for guidance on and off the field.

“A lot of people look up to Kelin,” said junior cornerback Bryan Evans. “Whenever he talks, people listen.”

That’s Johnson’s forte – leading his teammates through motivation and communication.

“It runs in my family,” Johnson said. “We know what to say to motivate people.”

He also knows what to say to those who think they know what’s happening on every defensive play.

“We’ve got different coverages for different plays. Therefore, people don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Mikey Henderson

More than likely, you didn’t know who Mikey Henderson was going into last season, but that all changed in last year’s opener against Western Kentucky when he returned a punt for a touchdown.

The senior from Buford ran back two punt returns for touchdowns last season and became one of the nation’s best punt returners. So what will he do for an encore?

“Coming into this year, I want to try to do at least what I did last year,” Henderson said.

The fact Henderson excels at a position in which he barely has control cannot be overlooked.

“(At other positions) a lot of things are in your control. But (on punt returns) it’s up to those other 10 guys to block and I have to wait for the ball.”

The Bulldogs will look to Henderson to continue to give them another dimension in the return game.

Brandon Miller

Brandon Miller came to Georgia with high expectations as one of the best defensive end prospects in the country.

Now after being bounced around from end to inside linebacker to outside linebacker, from starter to non-starter, he has no regrets.

“If I can adapt to the position, then I’ll do it,” Miller said.

Head coach Mark Richt called Miller the “key to our defense,” and Miller will have to be a leader on an inexperienced defense.

“For the team, I’ll play wherever they want me to play,” Miller said.

That is true for all of these players. They don’t care if fans know their names, just as long as they’re holding up a trophy at season’s end.