Faton Bauta, better known to both Dawgmeister readers as The Albanian Bane O' Y'all, came to UGA from West Palm Beach, Florida, as a 3-star prospect at the QB position during a period when Aaron Murry's hold on the position made it difficult to bring in a string of top national recruits. For much of his career, the only press he got concerned whether he'd be converted to a tight end or linebacker. But quarterbacks are hard to disabuse of the notion that they are quarterbacks, and Faton is no exception. His dedicated film study and leadership qualities kept him in contention for playing time, with the main drawback being a throwing motion that took a little too long to unwind, giving defenders the fraction of a second they needed to jump the route, a problem that became evident during his one shot at leading the team in its rivalry game against Florida in 2015. In spite of being a reputedly tough runner, Faton never quite got past his throwing limitations and, with the coach who recruited him concluding his UGA career in November, decided to head off to Colorado State for one final shot at leading a team on the field, with eligibility available immediately given that he studied in the classroom just as diligently as he did in the filmroom and graduated in under four years. At UGA Faton excelled in the classroom, majoring in Sport Management. He is a three-time recipient of the John A. Addison Jr. Family Football Scholarship, a two-time Carl E. Sanders Football Scholarship winner, three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, and UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll awardee. Faton was universally regarded as an exemplary citizen throughout his term as a Dawg, always winning admiration and respect from coaches and teammates for his determination and preparation and commitment to the team. After losing the starting QB job, he volunteered to play safety on the scout squad, an indication of resilience that should serve him well in his life beyond his playing days. I think he'll make one hell of a coach once he hangs up his cleats and moves forward into adulthood. Although he never made a great impact on the field, he elevated the quality of the QB competition by outworking everyone and earning notice from his coaches as a "preparation machine." He's a great example of how being a star isn't the only way to contribute to a program's success. Thanks for your time with the program, and all the best in what I hope is a successful final season on the field and long and successful career in whatever you undertake from here on out.

2016

The Coveted Dawgmeister Good Guy of the Week to open the Kirby Smart Era is OL Michael Scullin. Perhaps you’ve never heard of Michael. He’s not a scholarship player or a guy likely to appear high on the depth chart. From a football standpoint, he’s a guy on the roster who is happy to get a few snaps in the G-Day Game. But there’s a lot more to the players on our team than what they show on Saturdays in the fall. Michael’s decision to come forward and tell his story about his experiences with depression and feelings of committing suicide make him a special young man. In the macho world of football, admitting to a personal weakness just isn’t done. In a game that is driven by emotion, depression must be a difficult condition to have coursing through your body and mind. Many people can’t understand how an honors student and exceptional athlete—a preferred walkon who could have been a star at a lower classification or mid-major university—could feel depressed. But the neurological system is funny that way, at times producing imbalances that make even the most seemingly glorious existence mask feelings that can drive suicidal thoughts. Michael knew how to “pass” with a smile, an outward appearance that belied what went on inside. In his essay he talks about overcoming his depression, although does not share the details. Pharmaceutical research has produced a number of medications that help to correct the neurological system’s misfires and reduce the effects of depression, and they have given hope to many who would otherwise feel themselves in the grip of depressive thinking. Michael plans to create an app for others who need a confidante or outlet for sharing their feelings and experiences. As the response to his essay suggests, sharing can be an important part of coping. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/michael_scullin to get a sense of what it means to be a tough hombre and outstanding teammate without ever seeing the field, and with a neurological infrastructure that makes even the best days a challenge to survive.

At Thomson HS in the Augusta area, Danny Verdun-Wheeler (at the time, simply Danny Verdun) was one of the state of Georgia’s top football prospects: AJC Super Southern 100, Class AAAA First Team All-State and AAAA Defensive Player of the Year, Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State and Defensive Player of the Year, Region 3AAAA Defensive Player of the Year, and best player on the Class AAAA State Champion Thomson Bulldogs. To stay in shape in the spring, he competed in track and field, throwing the shot and discuss and taking home a few Region 3AAA championships in each and winning a state championship in discus during his throwing days. At UGA he had a terrific career as an outside linebacker, going from an occasional starter as a freshman to workhorse defender by his final year. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in Housing and Consumer Economics, went undrafted, and made the practice squads in Chicago and Washington before deciding to move on to life after football. That didn’t last long. After a brief stint in Atlanta as a roofing inspector and insurance adjuster, he landed a position as assistant coach for the North Atlanta HS Warriors, where he spent four years, the last two as Defensive Coordinator.  This experience gave him a bigger appetite for coaching and led to an opportunity with the NFL Players Association’s Coaching Internship program. Last year he began the journey up through the ranks, landing a position coaching linebackers for the Division II South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Consistent with his Good Guy profile, he makes it his business to ensure that his players are ready for life after football, the most likely possibility for the low-division Hardrockers (mascot: Grubby the Miner). "This is something I love to do and I want to do it at the highest level," he said. "If you can play and coach football all day long and get paid for it, it is the greatest thing in the world. I don’t have to go be an engineer and build a rocket or anything like that, but I can draw X’s and O’s baby all day long.” Danny’s tweets are available at https://twitter.com/dannyvw42, where we learn that he still helps UGA recruit and is a passionate supporter of the charity founded by his teammate, the Charles Johnson Foundation. Danny’s work ethic and Dawg spirit should move him up the coaching ladder, and it will be fun following his journey.

Ty Frix came to UGA from Calhoun HS and a family of UGA long snappers. His dad Mitch snapped for the Dawgs in the early 1980s, and Ty doubled that term of service while on campus. Little Brother Trent has succeeded Ty in this role as well. Before walking on for the Dawgs and redshirting his first year, Ty was a stellar baller at Calhoun. He lettered for four years for the four-time Region champions and one-time state runner up Yellow Jackets, lettered twice in baseball while winning the 2005 state championship, and earned a final letter in basketball. His achievements extended to the classroom and student government; Ty was both Student Council President and Senior Class President and member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and Key Club, earning status as class valedictorian to boot. At UGA he played the position that nobody notices unless he flubs a snap, and to his credit, he was only noticed during the two tackles he made during his career, during which he started 54 consecutive games. In addition to his flawless performance in this underappreciated position, Ty continued his exceptional work in the classroom: multiple CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District awardee, UGA's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy inductee, recipient of the William C. Hartman, Jr. Scholarship, multiple SEC Academic Honor Roll and Athletic Director's Honor Roll member, Peach of an Athlete honoree, Scholar-Athlete for 2010, Ramsey Academic Scholarship recipient, and Aldredge-Kimberly Football Scholarship winner. To no one’s surprise, he was named UGA’s special teams captain as a senior, graduated in 2012 with magna cum laude honors in Biomedical Engineering, and completed an MBA in 2014. Following graduation, Ty and former teammate Andrew Johnson co-founded Ichor, which offers specialized health and fitness products for use in all levels of athletics. The company earned a No. 3 ranking on the Atlan10 list, which ranks tech start-ups according to their potential in the idea, in the market, and in its execution. “How cool would it be to see Athens become a technology hub?” he has asked. “We have all the ingredients to make it happen.” And when it does, we can thank this Dawg Good Guy for helping to get it all started.

This week’s Coveted Dawg Good Guy of the Week recognition goes to 2016 Circle of Honor inductee John Little. John came to UGA from Lynn Haven, FL as an All State quarterback. At UGA he redshirted in 1982 while undergoing a conversion to the rover position on defense, then occupied quite well by All American Terry Hoage. Injuries to Hoage and Charlie Dean in 1983 led Coach Vince Dooley to start Little for 6 games, and he was in the lineup to stay, starting from 1984-1986. John, although playing a position that combined safety and linebacker skills, packed under 200 pounds on a 6’-3” frame, but still tackled like a man. With 25 tackles against Georgia Tech in 1984, he’s second on the school’s all-time single game list; and for his career is 7th on the total tackles list and 4th on primary tackles. Following in Hoage’s All America mold, he was All SEC and First Team All American in 1985 and 1986, and remains the most prolific tackler among Dawg defensive backs in program history. John also earned respect from teammates, being elected as permanent team captain in 1986. In the classroom, he was a two-time Academic All-SEC selection, earning his degree in Marketing in 1987. Those compiling All Time Dawg lists have always found room for John Little: Top 20 Defensive Players in UGA history, Top 25 UGA players from 1984-2009, Saturday Down South all-time Georgia Bulldogs football team, and SEC 2014 Football Legends Class. We may not be done with the Little family yet; his son Jack, a sophomore WR at Brookstone HS in Columbus, GA, appears to have inherited John’s football genes. Congratulations to John Little as 2016 Circle of Honor inductee, and as the nearly as coveted Dawg Good Guy of the Week.

This week’s Coveted Dawg Good Guy of the Week is former tight end Kirk Warner, now halfway into his second decade as the Head Ball Coach at Liberty County HS in South Georgia, where he coaches Athens-bound football and basketball wunderkind Richard LeCounte III. During his stellar high school career in Bleckley County, Kirk was a hotshot recruit himself, getting offers as at the beginning of his junior year—late in today’s game, when it’s never too early, but the earliest time possible in 1983. Before his senior year, he committed to the G: Ray Goff, a former star quarterback at UGA, a Vince Dooley assistant and Dooley’s eventual successor, and the Dawg recruiter for his region. While making the 1984 Class AA All State team as a tight end, Kirk also played some mighty fine basketball, averaging 20 points and 12 boards and being named Class AA Player of the Year as a senior. As a Dawg, Kirk played in 42 games and was the team’s leading receiver as a senior in 1989. After graduating, he played briefly in the NFL for Washington, retiring following a knee injury. As Liberty County’s coach for all but one year of the current century, Kirk has endured a reclassification that put his squads up against teams with bigger and deeper rosters, leading to an overall losing record. It’s a testimony to his character and ability that his administrators have stuck with him during this period, recognizing that winning is only part of what matters in developing young men in sports. Perhaps recent seasons with stars like LeCounte and Ohio State sophomore Raekwon McMillan will turn the program’s fortunes in the record book. But with Kirk leading the program, it will remain a success in every other measure of performance. You can follow Kirk on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dawgnation83, and his handle shows he’s still all Dawg. From his role in establishing the tight end as a weapon in Sanford Stadium, to his task of making Liberty County a powerhouse in one of the state’s toughest regions, Kirk is a man to admire and most worthy of Good Guy recognition.

Quayvon Hicks came to Athens from Blackshear, a small Georgia town of about 3,000 residents. Blackshear is “a community of friendly folks and good neighbors who are never too busy to stop, shake hands, and visit awhile.” Geographically, it’s not far from Waycross, a bit north of the Okefenokee Swamp, smack in the middle of South Georgia’s great football tradition. Quayvon played his high school ball at Pierce County High, and the way they talk about him back home says a lot about the quality of his character. According to former PCHS head football coach Mike Woodard, who coached Quayvon, “What a quality young man who comes from a great family. He is one of those feel good stories that you love to see perform well. I can't think of another person that has really programmed themselves mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually to be where he is. It's humbling, almost, to watch a person come into his own. There is nobody more deserving than Quayvon, as hard as he worked through middle and high school.” Not every high school star in a small town is humble; the constant attention can balloon one’s ego and sense of entitlement. Yet Quayvon was known for being a great teammate and community stalwart, even as a teenager. Like a lot of small classification stars, he seemed to play every position on the field, lining up at defensive end, nose tackle, linebacker, tight end, and running back. As the #2 ranked fullback prospect in the country, he got plenty of attention that could have swelled his head. But he maintained his team-based approach throughout his career. At UGA, Quayvon appeared headed for stardom as a blocker, runner, and weapon on pass plays, but between injuries and playcalling that distributed the ball elsewhere, he ended up being a solid contributor but not a superstar. He was, however, a three-time recipient of the Brad K. and Anissa H. Johnson Family Trust Football Scholarship, was a Richard Young Football Scholarship awardee, and was named the program’s 2014 recipient of the Charlie Trippi Most Versatile Player Award. Undrafted, he signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Whether he sticks or not, he’s got a bright future. This is one DGD to keep an eye on.

“I think the defensive breakout star of 2009 will be Rod Battle. Why? Battle has quietly racked up several sacks in practice this year against a solid offensive line and he has something to prove.” This forecast by Nate was part of widespread anticipation for the defensive end from Atlanta, a prized recruit whose career had been set back by injuries (neck, shoulder, and no doubt other areas). But in the second quarter of the second game, Rod went down with a knee injury, ending his career in Athens and sending him back to rehab. Described by Coach Richt as a “classy human being who was practicing and playing hard, doing all the right things, being a leader,” Rod never quite got the traction he needed to reach his great potential on the field. As a high school student at Frederick Douglass High School in the city of Atlanta, he graduated in the Top 10% of his class and was inducted into both the National Honor Society and the National Beta Club. During his career, he did much more than rush the passer. As a member of a mission to Honduras, Rod filed reports on his contributions to building a healthier society. Like many student-athletes, he became the first member of his family to graduate college, majoring in Sport Management. Since 2010, Rod has been involved in a different sort of management, managing accounts for FCI in Atlanta, getting it done on another field of play. He’s a great example of how to make something of your life when your first dream comes crashing down and you need to change course. Getting that UGA degree served him mighty well in his life after football.

Fernando Valesco has joined past Good Guy awardees Thomas Davis and Charles Johnson in Charlotte, where they all play key roles for last year’s NFC champion and Super Bowl contestant Panthers. Getting from his origins to these heights is rare for kids where Fernando comes from. Fernando grew up in the housing projects of Wren, GA, where far more young people end up dead than in college, much less the NFL. Fernando’s own father has been behind bars throughout Fernando’s life, and many of his family and young playmates have been drug dealers and other assorted criminals. Joining them would have been the easies path; Fernando saw a different future for himself as student, citizen, and father. Fortunately, as a big and athletic young man, he had an avenue to a different world through the sport of football. At 6’-4” and 300 lbs., he played OT for Jefferson County HS in Louisville, GA, starting for four years and earning 3 recruiting stars to accompany his consensus Class AAA First Team All-State recognition. He arrived in Athens in 2003 and was in the rotation as a true freshman. During his career he also was a two-time Iron Man Award winner and Joseph F. Espy Scholarship awardee, and was named the team’s Most Improved Player his senior year. In 2006 he graduated with a degree in Health and Physical Education, went undrafted, and went about the business of earning his way onto an NFL roster. Following stops in Tennessee (twice), Pittsburgh, and Carolina (twice), he signed with Buffalo for the current season. Like a lot of Dawgs during the Mark Richt Era, he credits UGA with changing his life. Athens and UGA, he has said, “will always be home. It is where I became a man, where I met people and learned about life.  You can’t believe how proud I am of my degree and the love I have for the campus, which is where I learned the value of friendship. UGA can count on me being an active alumnus.” He also has established a charity, Right Choices, which has provided 3,000 books to the schools in both Wren and his wife Tieleshia’s hometown of Williston, S. C., among other good works, including 75 Wren youth who watched a Panthers game last season. NFL teams might have better players on their roster this fall, but no better men than Fernando Valesco.

Josh Mallard came to UGA from Benedictine Military School in Savannah. In high school he was a 1996 SuperPrep All-American, AJC Super Southern 100, Top 50 in Georgia, First-team AAAA All-Stater, and Savannah Player of the Year while playing on the defensive line. After redshirting, he made a big impact at UGA, finishing at #5 on the school’s all-time sack leaders list. In the classroom, Josh was a two-time recipient of the Joseph F. Espy Endowed Football Scholarship while majoring in Economics, a demanding degree program. Josh was a seventh round pick by Indianapolis in the 2002 NFL Draft, and spent an itinerant career after a year with the Colts, with stops at Cleveland, Miami, the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe, Atlanta, Denver, and Cincinnati, before moving to the Arena League for stints with the Las Vegas Locomotives, Arizona Rattlers, and Orlando Predators, hanging up his cleats for good in 2013. His willingness to persist with his dream of playing pro football in spite of being waived and at times out of football says something about his toughness and commitment to the game. During his career, he also began preparing for life after football. In Las Vegas, he founded Ioniq Solutions, a product development company specializing in surfactants and topical applications for the home and sports-related areas. Now back home in Savannah, Josh is a Regional Sales Manager at Data One Merchant Services LLC, where he has a range of responsibilities, including growing the sales team in order to meet the objectives of the national sales plan, and training and mentoring the sales force. To no one’s surprise, Josh took great advantages of the opportunities available from playing big-time football: a chance to play at the professional level, a degree and connections that gave him preparation and entrée into the private sector, and leadership and character qualities that make him a valued corporate player. He’s a great model for each successive class of recruits, a classy representative of the Dawg Nation, and this week’s Good Guy of the Week.

Richard Samuel had a frustrating career at UGA. He came in as a great athlete whose main question was whether he’d star on offense or defense. At Cass HS he was a 2008 SuperPrep Elite 50, All-America, All-Dixie teams, PrepStar Top 135 Dream Teamer, 2007 AJC Super 11, All Stater as a linebacker, #24 player in America, #4 RB in nation, #12 player in the South, #1 player in Georgia, and more. He began on offense, and had some brilliant games with a style that was all cannonball, with no wiggle or adjustment to the hole, just a blast ahead, hell-bent-for-leather approach to punishing defenders. This approach had its limitations, and after a switch to defense, Richard returned to the offensive backfield, mostly in a reserve role. His greatest moment came when he carried the Dawgs to a rare win over the hated Florida Gators, a game in which he injured his ankle on a TD run and never regained his spot in the rotation. Richard also excelled in the classroom, being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, the Director's Honor Roll, and Athletic Director's Honor Roll, and earning two Peter and Kay Amann Football Scholarships. For his outstanding dedication to the team, he was named the UGA Sportsmanship Award winner as well, no doubt because he was still all-in for the team, even after having his carries cut down to mop-up duty his senior season. Richard got some NFL looks, but then began his post-gridiron life with several internships. He has now found his calling with the opening in 2015 of the Richard Samuel Performance Training center in Athens. I can’t imagine a better young man for helping others develop themselves physically. Richard was always a physical specimen and a smart fellow with high character. I am confident that this enterprise will flourish and serve the Athens community well for some time. Great Guy, Great Dawg: It’s great indeed to have Richard Samuel around and available to the people of Athens and UGA to help them in their growth through life.

Darius Dewberry is from Fort Valley, GA, and played for Peach County HS before finishing his high school career at powerhouse Hargrave Military Academy. He came in as a major recruit. Darius was a pretty good player between the hedges starting a dozen games and getting a lot of reps during a period (2006-2009) when linebacker was a deep position for the Dawgs. He was known as a beast in the weight room, power cleaning 397 pounds, a hefty load to lift. Darius was an excellent student while handing the demands of football, being awarded an I.V. Chandler Memorial Football Scholarship and two Joseph F.Espy Football Scholarships for his work in the classroom. His one bad moment came when he destroyed $2,ooo in property at St. Mary’s Hospital after teammates were taken there after a bar fight, a bad decision that he took full responsibility for, taking on a part-time job in order to pay for the damages. Darius earned his degree in Housing in 2011 and joined the grounds crew that, as he says, “prepped the stadium, painted the field, cut the grass, trimmed hedges. In softball we drew lines and filled in dirt.” His old weight room coach Dave Van Halanger was still around then, and in 2013 Coach Van, then Director of Player Welfare and mentor to many players, helped DD get a job in weight training. When Mark Morrison, head strength and conditioning coach for Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte, NC and former grad assistant to Van at FSU, called looking for someone to strengthen pit crews and other NASCAR workers, DD was the man he recommended for the job. As Coach Richt said when asked for a reference, “He’s not a certified strength coach but the guy’s a freakazoid. He still looks it.” Darius helps with strength, speed, and agility, and says, “I love what I’m doing right now. It really doesn’t seem like work.” Morrison’s only concern is that DD is so good at his job that “He will be a head strength coach for a major college team some day.” Look for those pit crews to be pretty well buffed, and for Darius Dewberry to start appearing in a college strength and conditioning program before long, representing the Dawg Nation with pride and distinction.

Clint Bolling was a great prospect coming out of Chattahoochee HS in Alpharetta—in basketball. Well, he could play some football too, with All State recognition and a rare All-Area Player of the Year award as an OL. With 6’-5” hoops players being a dime a dozen, football seemed to have more growth potential for him, and he accepted a scholarship to play on the OL between the hedges as a 3-star prospect. At about 250 lbs., he might have been a hoss in 1970, but he would not have made much of an impression on Sam Pittman. Clint appeared to be headed to the weight room for a few years to get big and strong enough to play in the 21st Century SEC. Yet as a true freshman, Clint became a starter, a tribute to his talent and willingness to be coached. By year’s end he was named to several Freshman All-America First Teams. By the time he was a senior in 2010, he was up to 310 lbs. and was named a Pro Football Weekly All-American, then taken as the 101st player in the 2011 NFL draft by Cincinnati, where he’s started since his arrival. He was a highly respected man around the Butts-Mehr complex, with a pair of Wallace Butts Football Scholarships and the Leon Farmer Award for dedication to the strength and conditioning program to his credit, along with many accolades for his play on the field. As a personality, Clint keeps it pretty simple: “I like to just kind of stay private, live my own life. I don't have Facebook or Instagram. I have a Twitter page, but I like it for the news.” That’s what consistently turns up when looking for information on Clint. When asked to assess him before the 2011 draft, Scott Howard said, “Not a real vocal guy. He’s a good kid. He doesn’t jump off the page at ya, like ‘wow, look at that guy,’ because he was just kind of quiet and went about his business and was rock solid for four seasons.” He’s been that way with the Bengals too, and if you’re looking for evidence of his value, they recently ponied up and re-signed him in 2015 to the tune of 5 years and $26 million, beating out the Vikings and others who think that rock solid is a valuable quality in an OL. Low key family men like Clint tend to be valuable team players, and having a lot of ability and a head for the game doesn’t hurt. It’s easy for a guy like Clint to go underappreciated because he doesn’t draw attention to himself, but I’d take a guy like him on my team any day.

When your role model is Malcolm Mitchell, your life is surely headed in the right direction. Terry Godwin committed to the  in the hopes that Brian Schottenheimer would turn him into the next Tavon Austin. His high school achievements sure suggested that he’d taken the right path: a consensus five-star prospect, national top-five ranked athlete, three-sport star and Braves draftee, two-way player in football, and as many All State trophies as can fit on the fireplace mantle. Schotty had trouble designing a downfield game for Greyson Lambert that showed off his skills, however, and Jim Chaney hasn’t yet tapped into Terry’s enormous potential. His best football is surely ahead of him; he’s a competitor of whom Coach Smart said, “He plays with a swagger and toughness you want.” But there’s more to this guy than what happens between the hedges. As a son, he helped his father battle colon cancer at a time when his high school athletic achievements were the stuff of celebrity. Once on campus, he saw that life is good when you give to others as well. Malcolm Mitchell’s efforts to promote literacy became a national story, and he’s continued with his campaign now that he’s earned a spot in the WR rotation in New England. But instead of losing a champion, we’ve gained another in Godwin. Terry, along with WR compadre Isaiah McKenzie and Athens-Clarke County police officers led by Lee Crosby, have taken up his mission, reading to kids in an Athens apartment complex, and doing no doubt more community service that has gone unnoticed by the press and public. In a time when tensions between African Americans and police are great, it’s heartwarming to see members of each community working together for the common good. Terry’s done will in the classroom, now having been named twice as a recipient of the Mobley Family Football Scholarship. With such a great family foundation and all the right moves on and off the field, I think we have a lot to look forward to in Terry’s future.

2017

Jack Loonam…..not a household name in Dawg lore? That’s not too surprising. Jack played tight end for UGA from 2011-2014 after walking on to the team following his solid high school career in Lexington, S.C. If you remember him playing between the hedges, you’ve got a sharp eye and sharper memory: He played in a total of one game for three plays in a blowout of Charleston Southern in his senior year, which propitiously fell on Georgia’s Military Appreciation Day. Loonam was a ROTC scholarship player who, at 6 feet, 217 lbs., was never a threat to beat out the recruited scholarship players ahead of him on the depth chart. The son of an Iraq War veteran, Lt. Col. Tim Loonam, Jack had military blood in his veins and was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 2015 in a Sanford Stadium ceremony after graduating with a degree in management. He was an exceptional student here, earning recognition on Athletic Director's Honor Roll during several of his semesters of enrollment. From there, Jack went off to the Mideast to serve his country. Jack also carries an unusual distinction, having been named the Network of enlightened Women (NeW) Gentleman of the Year after being nominated by Georgia’s chapter of the organization. He relates his military training to his approach to discipline: “ROTC teaches us how to approach our life through their class lessons as leaders and be the best person we can be. Then our Army Code of Conduct, which I see acted out every time I'm with them, shows how they take it seriously and it works, which boils down to doing the right thing. Then with football, our Character Ed program was really essential to helping me maintain how I've been in college. We have it every day in our meetings before practice, and Coach Lilly does a great job of every day stressing our lesson of the day to us and how we can go use it or examples of the past pertaining to the word of the day. Coach Richt and Coach Van Halanger have done a great job with it since I've been here. Plus Coach Richt always reminds how we need to conduct and grow ourselves as men and represent the team well.” Mission Accomplished, with high hopes that this sort of character training remains a feature of UGA football under Coach Smart and staff.

Ryne Rankin was recruited by the Richt staff to play linebacker, but had trouble playing his way up the depth chart and, instead of logging dozens of plays on defense, became a valued special teams player during his career. He was perhaps known better as a regular on the “Name that Song” scoreboard feature than for putting his shoulder into opposing players. When not playing football or guessing song titles, he likes to shoot stuff in the woods, as avid hunters from Orlando, Florida are prone to do. He also had a cheerleader, Makenzie Blalock in his sights, and proposed to her on the bridge overlooking the scoreboard end of Sanford Stadium, scoring a direct hit with his request, heavily orchestrated and executed like a perfect kickoff coverage: “I had a little map set up of where I was going and where everybody had to hide, because I had my family there and her friends there and my friends there, and I had them all hiding as I walked up with a special photographer while she was blindfolded. It was all set up just right. The hard part was keeping all of her friends from telling her what was going to happen. I give them all props — her parents, my parents, her friends, my friends — for keeping it on the down-low so she didn’t know.” The avid woodworker, although contributing on the field less than he’d imagined when he committed to the G, nonetheless loved his time at UGA. He was an excellent student, earning multiple Mr. & Mrs. Jack Swan Football Scholarship Endowments and the Hugar and Elizabeth Wikes Football Scholarships as a Double Major in Agricultural Business and Agricultural Economic Business. He now tweets his views to his 13,000 followers, and that’s where you can follow him from Athens into his next phase of life, which will surely be a story worth following.

Kelin Johnson came to UGA from Mainland, FL to play in the defensive backfield. Although he was not an elite recruit, he ended up starting and logging a lot of minutes. As a freshman, Kelin was awarded the Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award and  Unknown Soldier Award, given to players who unselfishly sacrifice to prepare the team for each game; and earned a Robert P. “Yank” Ludwig Football Scholarship. Kelin was named, during his time at UGA, as a Coca Cola Community All American and was one of 11 players nationwide named to the American Football Coaches Association 2007 Good Works Team, which honors players for their community service. Kelin’s good works included volunteering for HERO for a Day activities, which seek to improve the quality of life of children affected by HIV/AIDS, working with children with disabilities through Camp Wellsprings and Project REACH, mentoring at the Boys and Girls Clubs’ of Athens, volunteering in Athens with Habitat for Humanity, and doing a lot of public speaking on behalf of community organizations. Not blessed with NFL talent, but possessing an outgoing personality and sharp wit, he was destined for other things. After graduating in 2007 with a degree in speech communication, he went into broadcasting, doing sports reporting for 680 The Fan, and later for GPS, where he could be heard calling state playoff games in December. He wanted closer contact to the game, however, and in 2014 became a graduate assistant for Mark Richt’s coaching staff. He then shifted to strength and conditioning, and followed Coach Richt to Miami where he is now the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Hurricanes’ football program. He represents the G about as well as a man could, and it’s great to see him continuing his work in his home state following his career between the hedges.

Roquan Smith came to UGA from Montezuma and Macon County HS, after a flirtation with UCLA that was thwarted when news broke that the coach who recruited him had no intention of sticking around. Although he came across to many as a prima donna for his recruitment, his roots in rural Georgia in fact produced a humble, hard-working young man with a particular dedication to the game of football, at which he is seriously talented. Roquan’s summer before college was spent on a well-drilling and water-pumping crew, which is some mighty dirty work, especially for the crew’s lowest-ranking member doing the dirtiest, toughest, heaviest jobs in South Georgia summer heat. Said his boss on the rigs, Roy Yoder: “I’d adopt Roquan now if I had a chance. He’s a super nice guy, a good Christian man, got a head on his shoulders, courteous, hard-working. I’d take him any day. This just gets him a little money and lets him know what the world is like outside of the classroom and the ball field.” We all know that this kid can run and tackle; his background helps to explain why he does it so well. He’s no slouch in the classroom, either, having earned a Tommy Lyons Football Scholarship in both his freshman and sophomore years. Now a junior with an unlimited upside and key role to play in Georgia’s championship drive, Roquan is set to take on leadership roles fitting a young man of his talent, intelligence, and humility. The sky’s the limit, and it’s mighty high for this great young Dawg.

Dawg fans have been clamoring for Jeb Blazevich to get more touches. The TE came to UGA from Charlotte as a top national prospect and caught a lot of balls for Mike Bobo while here, but his productivity has been sacrificed to the running game. Whether he ever catches another pass for UGA or not, however, Jeb’s a winner. He was named to the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team as one of 12 FBS players, only 2 from the SEC, selected based on their commitment to community service. Across several coaching staffs, the Dawgs have produced more Good Works honorees since the award was introduced in 1992, including five in the last six years. Jeb has also been inducted into the UGA’s Leadership Education and Development (L.E.A.D.) program, showing that his good works follow from his array of personal qualities. While doing it in the classroom and being a stalwart between the hedges, Jeb has been involved with the “Learn, Play, Excel” program designed to educate and provide leadership for elementary and middle school students; spent time with cancer-stricken children at Camp Sunshine; volunteered for Countdown to Kickoff (a benefit for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Transplant Foundation and the UGA College of Education); and been involved with Extra Special People, an organization assisting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, among other charities. In the classroom, he’s earned a slew of scholarships, including the James E. & Peggy A. Hickey Memorial Scholarship, a pair of Michael A. Kahn Football Scholarships, and two appointments to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll. They just don’t get much better than this guy, and we’re lucky to have him proudly wearing the G.

Aaron Davis is a recent graduate of The University of Georgia, and also plays a little football. Although originally a walk-on, and not even preferred after tearing up his knee at Luella HS in Locust Grove, he has now been a starter through a series of coaching staffs. No matter how many 4-5 star recruits have come in to take his place, he keeps starting ahead of all comers, with 30 starts headed into his final season of competition. As a smart kid, he also graduated in 4 years with a degree in finance, leaving him with a dilemma for his 5th year: to try to go pro, to come back for a final season, or to get on with life. He made the decision we’d all hoped for, returning for one last shot at a championship between the hedges. Perhaps the opportunity to continue using the scholarship he earned the hard way—by playing well once here, rather than in front of 200 fans in high school stadiums—to continue his interests in STEM fields helped him decide to return and earn additional academic degrees if the NFL proves a harder jump than he made from high school to college. Aaron’s academic potential got him into UGA rather than his football skills, and his high school accolades include a 2012 Coca-Cola Academic and Athletic Excellence Award, Summa Cum Laude status, AP Scholar, and Beta Club and Student Council involvement. Not surprisingly, he’s done well in college classrooms, with recognition on the Director of Athletics Honor Roll, SEC Academic Honor Roll, J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll, and multiple Coach Mike Castronis Football Scholarships, a CoSIDA Academic All-District appointment. It’s great to see a kid come in here and earn his way onto the field and into a UGA degree with such distinction. It just don’t get any better than this. 

Brett Millican played high school ball for what was at the time one of the state’s powerhouse programs, Parkview, where he was a first-team All Stater. After redshirting, he earned himself carries amidst a number of backs who would later play for pay. That was never Brett’s destination, but he was a Good Guy and heck of a student. While at UGA majoring in finance, he earned a slew of academic and service-related honors: several SEC Academic Honor Roll honors, Robert E. Dicks Endowed Athletic Scholarship, Irvin M. Wofford Endowed Football Scholarship SEC Good Works Team, Southeastern Conference Community Service Award. He also served as the chapter president for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, participated in the Clarke County Mentor Program, volunteered for the Special Olympics and the Homeless Shelter, and served as a youth minister at Snellville United Methodist Church. He was ultimately named to the National Good Works Team by the American Football Coaches Association. Since graduating, Brett has continued his good works through his role in the church. Brett has 10 years doing international missions and has been a pastor at Mosaic Church in Austin, TX since 2002. He and his wife, Melissa, were married in 2001 and have 3 children. This great Dawg’s life of service reflects well on his family and alma mater, and his impact will uplift the lives of many as he continues to do the Lord’s work.

Josh Davis played tackle for UGA under the watchful eye of Stacy Searels, who was not the easiest man on earth to please. Yet Josh was one of his players he admired most, both for his intelligence and his work ethic. Josh was a 3-star recruit from Jayess, Mississippi, pop. 4,000, where he played for Tylertown HS. He grew up on a 20-acre hog farm, although the acreage now supports cows instead of pigs. Regarded as a project, Josh redshirted and earned his way onto the field, eventually building his 6’-6” frame into a 310 pound blocking machine and a starting role. To his Dawg teammate Ben Jones, "Josh plays hard every week. That's what makes him valuable. You know he's going to give his all on every play. That's what makes him who he is. He's jacked up every game." Josh played through some difficult shoulder injuries to remain on the field, showing toughness to go with his smarts and technique. Josh also graduated within his scholarship window, earning a 2010 degree in speech communication. Along the way, he earned a David Jacobs Football Scholarship and a pair of Louis S. Sohn, Jr., Football Scholarships, and was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Since college, Josh has worked in a number of occupations. He began with Victory Transportation Systems in Houston, and then taught high school history in the Klein and Aldine (TX) school districts. These days Josh lives in Cincinnati as an Acquisition & Relocation Agent for O.R. Colan Associates, LLC, the nation's oldest firm specializing exclusively in land acquisition, relocation, and program management for public works projects implemented under the Uniform Relocation Act regulations. It’s no surprise to see this DGD doing well after he hung up his pads and turned to the rest of his life.

Chris Davis was a tight end at Jefferson HS, and that’s what he came here to play. But when he enrolled for the summer, he found himself a guard on the OL, where he stayed throughout his career. A multiple-sports athlete with excellent basketball skills, Chris was a versatile, athletic lineman who started as a RS-FR, where he was an institution until his career was derailed by injuries by his senior season. Chris did pretty well in the classroom as a child and family development major, earning a Gordon and Sharon Teel Football Scholarship for his academics. Chris’s football savvy has paid off in his post-collegiate life as well. After graduating, he tried his hand at sales, then became a special education teacher and language arts co-teacher, and as a coach, first in Hall County and then at Sprayberry HS. He’s currently the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach at Cambridge High School in Milton, GA, where he also teaches special education and coaches the JV baseball team. I think we can expect big things from Chris as his career as coach and educator unfolds, and we can always hope that he molds a few players to play between the hedges. He’s a great example of a guy who made the most of his football scholarship to set himself up for a life of good work.

Joe Cox was a high school wunderkind, a Parade All-American from NC who came to UGA as an Elite 11 QB camp star and seeming game-changer, but mostly backed up Matthew Stafford, serving as QB1 for only his senior season. Joe was always a good program guy and noted fisherman, seemingly able to catch fish in a desert.  He was also, like many quarterbacks, a smart kid who excelled in the classroom. A 2009 graduate with a degree in psychology, Joe earned multiple Porter Otis Payne Football Scholarships and a Leavy Family and the Brunswick News Publishing Co. Scholarship, and was named to both the SEC Academic Honor Roll and Director’s Honor Roll during his studies. Joe’s team-oriented approach was also awarded a Coffee County Hustle Award for his spring practice contributions and, as a senior, he was named the team’s permanent overall captain. Joe was never a pro prospect, so life after football involved figuring out how to make a living. He began trying to sell things, first orthopedic products in Augusta, then scholastic supplies in Charleston. But Joe’s a football man, and got back into the game. He began as an unpaid assistant at Porter Gaud, a private school in Charleston, and then took a position as QB coach and then offensive coordinator on the staff of Mallard Creek High in Charlotte. When Mike Bobo, his position coach at UGA, got the head ball coach position at Colorado State and was filling his staff, he invited Joe to be an offensive graduate assistant. Joe and his now-wife Erica Smith headed out to Ft. Collins and Joe went to work signaling in calls from the sidelines. Joe says of this opportunity, “There’s nobody else I would’ve G.A.’ed for than Coach Bobo. As soon as I found out this was something he was doing, I didn’t care where he was going, I still would’ve followed. I know what I think he’s going to do as a head coach and I want to be a part of it.” Someday a young aspiring coach will say the same of Joe Cox as he leads his own squad on the field.

Demarcus Dobbs is a young man whose prospects in life are a direct consequence of his ability to play football. He grew up in Savannah in foster homes before moving, at age 7, into the Bethesda Home for Boys with his brother Daniel, with other siblings living elsewhere. This unsettled home life did not prevent his head from becoming squarely attached to his shoulders. Always a good student, in the ninth grade he enrolled at Calvary Day School, a private Christian academy in Savannah, while still living at Bethesda. And he could play some football too, earning a slew of honors and scholarship offers before committing to play at Georgia, where he ultimately earned a degree in consumer economics in 2010. As he did at Calvary, he excelled in the classroom, receiving three Joseph E. Espy football scholarships during his studies to go along with Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean's List appointments. His leadership on the field was also evident, earning him recognition through a Coaches’ Leadership Award for defense to go along with a pair of Coffee County Hustle Awards for his spring practice performance. Although undrafted, Demarcus was one of two free agents to make the 49ers roster the next fall, playing his accustomed defensive line position while also getting snaps as a blocking tight end. He has since moved to Seattle to play for the Seahawks. Always one to beat the odds, Demarcus continues to make his alma mater proud by continuing to perform high above expectations. That’s a tribute to his smarts, his work ethic, and to his resilience in the face of adversity. These qualities should get him mighty far in life. They already have.

Scott Woerner was an All-American defensive back and kick returner for UGA back when they won the 1980 national championship, and is now a College Football Hall of Famer. The Baytown, Texas native came to UGA after a great career at Jonesboro HS, primarily as a QB/RB combo player. In the offseason, he starred in basketball and track. At UGA, he worked his way up from special teams to fulltime starter as cornerback and safety, also putting in time as one of the SEC’s top punt returners. He was a 3rd round pick by the Falcons upon graduation, but only lasted a year. He sat out a year, then caught on with the Philadelphia Stars in the newly-launched United States Football League, where he was a top DB on 2 league championships in 3 years, at which point the league folded. After a brief shot back in the NFL, he moved to Georgia to try his hand at real estate and finish his UGA degree. Scott and wife Marianne live outside Helen with about a dozen animals. He currently teaches at Habersham County Middle School. Scott recently said: People will say to me now, “I sure enjoyed watching you play.” Well, let me tell you, there was no greater thrill for me than playing in front of the home crowd at Sanford Stadium. I felt and played like a fourth grader at recess. It provided me with so many wonderful memories and opportunities. It is a great game and it still is just a game. Saturday, after witnessing a devastating loss, we need to remember that we have a great team full of hard-working young men.  We have a great coaching staff that is laying the groundwork for success in the future.  And, above all else, I know we absolutely have the greatest fans in college football.

Matt Stinchcomb came to UGA from Parkview HS, at the time a state powerhouse in football, and played from 1995-1998 as an offensive tackle. Was he good? He was a two-time All American and then the 18th pick of the 1999 draft by Oakland. He was ultimately named to the SEC First Team All-Decade Team for the 1990s. A Lombardi Award finalist, he earned the NCAA Top Eight Award, the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year award. But he was never just about football. He nailed it in the classroom, graduating within a 4-year window with Summa Cum Laude recognition in his finance major. Matt was awarded the Academic Heisman: the 1998 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the scholar-athlete with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. He was UGA's 1998 Academic All-American of the Year, the Burger King Scholar Athlete of the Year, a two-time Academic All-America First Teamer, recipient of the Wall Street Journal National Student Achievement Award, a two-time honoree of the AFCA National Good Works Team, an SEC "Living Legend," and a UGA Circle of Honor inductee. Matt's pro career with Oakland and Tampa Bay suffered from an endless series of injuries; his only healthy season was 2004, before he retired in 2006 after blood clots and heart trouble developed following surgery. Matt has kept busy in the last decade. With little brother Jon and David Greene, he hosts the Countdown to Kickoff charity event; and he is the founding president of the Stinchcomb Family Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that supports public children's charities. He serves on the board of the Georgia Transplant Foundation and is an FCA Regional Huddle Speaker, is an organizer for the annual Feed the Children program in Athens, and serves as a SouthSide Church High School small group leader. Matt's got to earn a living too, and, with Greene operates the Atlanta offices of Seacrest Partners, an insurance brokerage firm. He can also be found as a football analyst on a variety of networks when not at home with his wife and three children. Good guy? He's one of the greats across the board.

2018

Marshall Morgan arrived in Athens as the heir-apparent to Blair Walsh as placekicker and kickoff specialist, and filled the role admirably over his four-year career. But his greatest legacy came from an incident after his foot made contact and the ball had landed. In the head-on world of kickoff coverage, he collided with Southern University’s Devon Gales, leaving Gales paralyzed and facing a new, challenging life without the athleticism that had defined his identity for much of his time on earth. Like many in the Dawg Nation, Marshall adopted Devon as one of our own, with a special interest based on his role in the tragic injury. Marshall has taken on the cause of Devon’s recovery and continued embrace of Georgia football for this tough young man whose life took a major turn in a game that was otherwise unremarkable. At a fundraiser to support Devon, Marshall said: “It’s huge. Just to have this many folks out here, and so many people are here to give from their heart, it’s just so great to see,” Morgan said. “It’s awesome. Originally the reason I came to Georgia is just the people are willing to help anybody, even if it’s someone from another school, although it tragically happened here, and they’re willing do whatever they can to make this happen. That’s just huge.” Devon himself has said: “I have nothing but love for Marshall…this was not his fault…I love him,” and the rest of his family have been forgiving and gracious.Marshall’s dedication to Devon’s recovery extends to his participation in Build for Devon, a fundraiser supporting the construction of an Athens-area home for Devon and his mother designed for his recovery and life needs (see this week’s Good Works feature). Marshall could have walked away from this one, but he has signed on for the long term. That character makes him one Good Guy and a Dawg we can all be proud of well beyond his contributions to the team.

Ronnie Harris played for the Dawgs during one of their most glorious periods, helped by the presence of a guy wearing #34 in the backfield. He lettered in 1981 and 1982 and, as a defensive back, picked off a couple of Dan Marino passes in the 1982 Sugar Bowl, a game that has left Pitt offensive lineman and ESPN broadcaster Mark May bitter to this day. Ronnie has been an educator for many years now, and was recently named the Oglethorpe County Patriots head football coach after coaching the county Middle School team for several years. “The community is very excited right now,” said Oglethorpe AD Bill Sampson at the time of the hire. “We put the word out on social media and there’s already a lot of buzz about it. There are a lot of positive things to look forward to. Ronnie has wanted to do this a little while and we felt like this was the right time. He knows the community and he’s worked with our kids at the middle school level, so we were anxious to give him a shot to work with the kids he’s worked with before.” Harris takes over a program desperate for success, going 4-45 in the last five seasons and seeking its first winning season since 2005. Ronnie said upon taking the job, “I’ve always gone places where there were challenges. And we’ve always found a way to make things happen. I’m looking forward to doing the same things here at Oglethorpe County. At the middle school, we found a way to win and a way to compete, and we can find a way to compete here.” Not everyone is built for a challenge of this magnitude, but Ronnie Harris looks like the right guy to right this program. We look forward to following the Patriots on his watch and seeing them reach new heights of excellence on the field and character off it.

“She means everything man. She just gives me something to work for. Just having her around it’s a cool atmosphere for the family to enjoy everything that they have set up. She’s everything to me. My only daughter. My first one. It’s special.” So says Reshad Jones, Dawg safety from 2007-2009, 5th round selection in the draft, and now stud defensive back for the Miami Dolphins and Pro Bowler. He’s also managed to get a Guinness Book of World Records listing for throwing the longest pass to himself at 31 yards. Reshad came to UGA with plenty of accolades. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, where he earned AAAA All-State and Defensive Player of the Year honors from the AJC and Georgia Sports Writers Association, and was ranked the nation’s top safety prospect by PrepStar 100 and Rivals Top 100. The cat can play. But in addition to being a dedicated father and heavy-hitting safety, Reshad was named an Atlanta-area Boy Scouts of America Pro Award winner, given to a prominent professional athlete “who exemplifies the qualities of responsible citizenship and outstanding character.” Now that’s the stuff that the Coveted Good Guy of the Week is made of. Of course, that’s not why the Dolphins signed Jones to a five-year, $60 million contract extension with $35 million guaranteed and a $9.2 million signing bonus, but he’s worth at least that much for the kind of man he is. Keep it going Reshad, and be an inspiration to the Miami kids who look up to their Dolphins for outstanding role models.

Many of my favorite Dawgs have been guys who came in lowly-ranked by the recruiting services and became stars. Deandre Baker arrived in Athens as a Jeremy Pruitt recruit for Mark Richt, underrated and undersized at 5’-11” and 180 lbs, hardly the long and tall DB favored by the staff that arrived in his second season. Deandre was a 3-star prospect out of Miami, with rankings of #88 overall prospect in Florida, #45 CB in the nation, #7 ranked CB in Florida, #22 ranked CB in the South. Guys like that, well, surely he’ll be, at best, a special teamer, a placeholder till we bring in some real talent. Instead, he’s become the team’s top defender and likely first-round draft pick in 2019. I don’t know Deandre personally, but know people who do, and they rave about his smarts, coachability, classroom performance, maturity, and with-it mindset. Undoubtedly, those qualities have helped him become a great football player over much more highly ranked prospects, e.g., the 44 CBs ranked ahead of him coming out of high school. We all know Deandre as a lock-down cornerback, but he’s a lock-down student as well. In the classroom he’s earned multiple Gordon and Sharon Teel Football Scholarships and a John Tillman Football Scholarship while majoring in Business. His decision to come back for his senior season, with NFL agents knocking his door down, undoubtedly was related to his ability to score in the classroom, although his stated motivation was to make up for the shocking ending to the championship game, when a deep pass on 2nd and 26 put Alabama in the endzone. His explanation to return for his senior year is summarized in his statement that “I wanted to come back and do something great with my teammates.” Deandre’s the sort of kid who, when a reporter noted that players he covered hadn’t scored a TD all season in 2017, modestly and respectfully said, “No Sir. Not at all.” Yes Sir, that’s one Dawg to be proud of. As teammate Juwan Taylor has said of Deandre, “He’s a hard worker at all times. On and off the field, he’s a great person.” This season, as elder statesman among the defensive backs, he’s become a coaching assistant, teaching the young pups their positions and showing them how to study film on their way to excellence: “I feel like I can help the team this year. We’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of young talent. I can help mold them.” They don’t come much better than that, no matter what the recruiting gurus thought of him coming out of high school.

Kirby Smart can sure coach. Before that, he could really play. Kirby came to UGA from Bainbridge and was a four-year letterman at defensive back, earning first-team All-SEC selection as a senior in 1999. Not bad for a guy playing alongside Champ Bailey. Kirby was a pretty good student, too, being named four times to the SEC Academic Honor Roll while earning a degree in finance, the thinking man’s business degree. He lacked Champ Bailey’s physical gifts and, after going undrafted and being cut after a brief stay with the Indianapolis Colts, began the long climb to his current status as HC at his alma mater. He began as an administrative assistant at UGA, and within a year he was DB coach at Valdosta State and within another year was the Blazers’s defensive coordinator. He ascended to the big time in 2002 with a graduate assistantship at Florida State, and in short order became the DB coach at LSU. Mark Richt hired him to the unlikely position as RB coach, mainly because he considered him to be a gifted coach, regardless of position, but he wanted to coach defense and so, when Nick Saban offered him a job as Miami Dolphins’ DB coach, he took it, following Saban to Alabama in 2007 for his near-decade as DB coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach. He’s now back home in Athens, and we all know how that’s worked out. With wife Mary Beth, herself an outstanding athlete on UGA’s women’s basketball team from 1999-2003, he’s become a fixture in Athens and among the game’s most highly respected coaches. You just don’t have this sort of career without knowing what you’re doing, and he’s doing it mighty well and with class befitting a Coveted Good Guy of the Week. Thanks Coach, and we’ll see you in championship games pretty often as you continue your quest to Make UGA Great Again.

Fullback….what’s that? Fullbacks used to reside in every backfield, but with every play involving a different formation and personnel package, the position has nearly become obsolete, and rarely becomes a recruiting focus. Yet Good Guys like Taylor Maxey still walk on at bigtime programs in hopes of getting on the field to block for the stallions toting the ball. Taylor came to Athens from North Oconee HS, where he excelled as a fullback, linebacker, and part-time left-footed punter, the sort of bruising, if not supremely athletic, jack-of-all-trades who often ends up at fullback. Being a blocker might be a job most Americans don’t want to take, but perhaps when the guy behind you is Todd Gurley, it’s not so bad. Taylor actually started out as a scout team LB, but as Mike Bobo said, “He wasn’t afraid to put his hat on anybody and he was very physical. We’re always looking for those guys as a fullback.” To which RB coach Brian McClendon added, “I really noticed Maxey when he was on the scout team playing linebacker, and then he was knocking the crap out of people. So I kind of recruited him to come play for me over there from the dark side on the defense, and he saw opportunity there.” His shot came when Merritt Hall took a medical disqualification after multiple concussions and Quayvon Hicks got shifted to tight end. A compact 5-foot-9, 226-pounder, Taylor pancaked plenty of 4-star defenders in his days clearing space for the studs in the backfield. An SEC Academic Honor Roll member and repeat Athletic Director’s Honor Roll member as a finance major, Taylor was described by B-Mac as “very sharp. He pays attention well and he learns things very quickly and he’s a tough guy.” Since hanging up his spikes, Taylor has worked in the finance world, as a loan officer with SunTrust and now as project manager for Graydaze Contracting, a company that specializes in painting, specialty coatings, and sealant installation to the warehouse and manufacturing construction industry. I imagine that his high school coach Terry Tuley’s opinion of Taylor during his UGA career holds up well in the paint business: “The one thing that you always got was just that total commitment.” Committing to the G was just the beginning for Taylor Maxey. Guys this good are hard to find, and we’re fortunate he decided to come to Athens and do us proud well outside the hedges.

Marlon Brown came to UGA from Memphis as the second coming of A. J. Green: a 6’-5” burner with excellent hands, rated as a 5-star talent and the #3 WR in his graduating class. He never had that sort of impact on the field, and went undrafted in 2013 when his injury-impaired career in Athens ended. But as a free agent he made the Ravens, played in a Super Bowl, and now has signed with the Chicago Bears, joining some mighty fine players as the venerable franchise has recently struck gold between the hedges. Not bad for a guy considered too fragile for the pro game. At UGA Marlon played a full season on a badly sprained ankle, suffered a groin injury, separated the acromioclavicular (AC) joint in both of his shoulders, pulled a hamstring muscle, and had his career end with an ACL injury. But he’s one tough old Dawg, and fought through the pain and rehab each time to play another day. Fellow Ravens WR Torrey Smith said, “I think the best thing about him is just his toughness. He tore his knee like a month after [Lardarius] Webb and [Darrelle] Revis and all those guys, and he didn’t get the luxury of being eased in. They just threw him out there to see how he’d respond, and he did a great job, and I’m proud of him. He’s a hard worker.” His Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell added, “He does a very tremendous job in terms of grasping things quickly, at multiple positions no less. He works hard at it. Not only that, he has aptitude. You tie those two together and you have a guy that’s going to be able to step in [and] play pretty early for you.” That disposition, that toughness and intelligence, have kept this free agent pickup in the league much longer than many guys drafted ahead of him, and those qualities will carry him far in life. He sounds like a Good Guy to me.

Jon Stinchcomb came to UGA from Parkview HS when it was a state powerhouse. He and big brother Matt were among the moving forces of the program, with Jon named USA Today and Parade All-American his senior year, and ranked among the nation’s top OL prospects. It’s hard to have a more distinguished career than the one he put together in Athens. Jon was a four-year starter on the OL, but that was only part of the story. He earned All-Academic honors in 2001-02, was one of 11 players to earn AFCA Good Works Team honors for contributions to community service, was a 2002 Walter Camp All-American and All-SEC selection, and was one of six recipients of National Football Foundation scholarship. To top things off, Jon was inducted into UGA’s Circle of Honor in 2012, which is about as high an honor as an old Dawg can get. John played from 2003-2010 with the New Orleans Saints, where he had a distinguished career, making one Pro Bowl, winning one Super Bowl, and being named the Saints’ Man of the Year in 2008, locking down the tackle position till injuries led to his retirement. Jon credits his Christian faith with his life path, saying, "There's a victory that every man can have. And that's an eternity and salvation and that comes through Jesus. So it gives you that solace that you can go out there and you play your heart out and give it all you have. And at end of the day you'll be a winner no matter what." He realizes his commitment as director of operations for the Gwinnett County-based NG# (Next Generation 3), which promotes the development of character building and chaplaincy programs in local schools. You can catch him, along with Matt, on TV analyzing football games in the fall, and they are among many ex-Dawgs using their expertise to explain the game to use couch-potatoes on weekends. Indeed, he’s a winner no matter what he does, and works to help others fulfill their potential. Count me among his many admirers, with gratitude for the glory he’s brought to his alma mater in his post-Dawg career.

Aron White is the rare Dawg recruited out of Missouri. The tight end was among the nation’s most sought-after recruits, a 4-star prospect with hands and athleticism. Rivals rated him the nation’s top tight end and he was named to the SuperPrep All-America and All-Midlands Teams. He had a solid career in Athens, if not quite the All American performance that his ranking would have predicted. He finished his career with 34 catches, 10 for touchdowns, and 512 receiving yards, then went undrafted and signed with the Falcons as a free agent but never caught on in the NFL. But he was a big personality in Athens, speaking at the 2011 commencement in what one news source called his “approachable and loquacious manner.” His definitely had his wits about him. He was one of 11 FBS student-athletes named to the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. At UGA he volunteered his time with Camps Sunshine and Kudzu, participated in the MLK Day of Service, built houses for Habitat for Humanity, visited kids at Egleston Children's Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, played in the Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer Golf Tournament, and talked with local youth at elementary schools and the Boys & Girls Club. "My parents always taught me to give back," White said. "They taught me that I'm just the same as anyone else. When you are blessed with stuff, it is important to give to those less fortunate. I think it is important to give back, so I try to give my best and give back to the community." In 2013 he was a finalist for the John McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 and demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level. Aron earned a bachelor’s degree in management from UGA in December 2010 and then pursued a master’s degree in sports management with hopes of becoming an athletic director. I’d want this guy running my show, and I hope to see him leading the way for others before long.

Randall Godfrey played for the Dawgs in the mid-1990s during Ray Goff’s coaching tenure, graduating in 1995. He was a south Georgia product from Lowndes HS in Valdosta, where he starred in football, basketball, and track and being named to All-American, All-State, and All-South teams. He was also named Player Of the Year in the State of Georgia. At UGA he became the first true freshman in school history to lead the team in tackles (114) while being named SEC Freshman of the Year. He continued to develop his game, making All SEC as a sophomore. Injuries reduced his playing time in his final years, but he was still impressive enough to be taken in the NFL’s second round by Dallas. He went to the NFL as a proud UGA alum, with a BA in Housing and Consumer Economics at a time when academics were not necessarily the focus of the UGA student-athlete. He played until 2007 with the Cowboys, Titans, Seahawks, Chargers, and Redskins. That’s when he founded The Randall Godfrey Foundation back home in Valdosta, which sponsors The Randall Godfrey All-Star Football Camp. There Randall and company teach the fundamentals of football for both newbies and experienced players looking to hone their skills and knowledge of the game. Randall went through a crisis in 2005 when his sister, Deidre Miller, was shot and killed after a wreck following a chase by her former boyfriend. Ironically, earlier that year Randall had founded Godfrey Funeral Home LLC in Valdosta. His commitment to the people of his hometown extends from youth to the grave, and his community spirit raises the whole city and its families. You can’t get much better than that, and though he’s far from campus, he’s never far from home.

D'Andre Walker attended Fairburn’s Langston Hughes HS, where he was a consensus 4-star prospect, an All Stater, and a U.S. Army All American. Langston Hughes was known as a poet, but he was also one tough hombre, fighting for Civil Rights in the 1930s as Harlem Renaissance pioneer. D’Andre has lived in that spirit, substituting the defensive scheme for the rhyme scheme, and playing a key role in the Dawgs’ rise to glory under Coach Smart. It’s hard to be a more productive backup than he was before 2018, getting snaps in the midst of his NFL-bound teammates. But his teammates know his value mighty well. After 2017 he was one of four defensive players to win Most Improved Award, and was named the team’s defensive winner of the Physicality/Head-hunter Award after spring drills to go along with his Coffee County Hustle Award for exhibiting the most desire during spring drills. In the classroom he’s excelled as well, earning a Leavy Family & the Brunswick News Publishing Co. Scholarship, DeVore Family Football Scholarship, and Larry Munson Football Scholarship. The Mass Communications major is now a dominant force on the DL and making a name for himself after mostly subbing his first three years in the program. With the qualities behind his hustle and desire awards and academic scholarships, it’s no surprise that he makes the most of his opportunities and abilities. Fighting for playing time has made him into an exemplary teammate for the young All Americans who might not realize how much work it takes to get on the field in this program, and that makes the whole team better. But for a team-oriented guy like D’Andre, maximizing potential is a way of life, and it’s great to see the outcome as he demolishes opponents’ backfields and maintains the tradition of greatness in UGA defense.

Tae Crowder merits Good Guy status simply on the basis of his given name: Dequartavious. But he’s also the kind of guy that makes a football program go. He was recruited to play RB when there was absolutely no way he’d get on the field any time soon, what with Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel on the roster. You’ve got to admire his tenacity simply in accepting a scholarship under those circumstances, especially given that he was a very good HS player but not an elite college prospect. 247sports composite rankings pegged him as a two-star prospect at either RB or WR, both of which he played at Harris County HS while doubling as a solid basketball player. And sure enough, there was no playing time for him on the depth chart. To no one’s surprise, he redshirted as a 2015 freshman and started the 2016 season at RB before moving to inside LB in midseason, a tough transition to a tough position at a tough time of year, hardly one predicting a major role in the rotation. Yet he hustled his way into the lineup ahead of a lot of 4-star studs and became a regular in his sophomore year. His most famous moment before this year was his heads-up snag of Oklahoma’s squib kick in the Rose Bowl that helped Roddy Scholarship nail a monumental field goal that started the improbably comeback that put us in the championship game. This year he’s become a regular and example to any other grinder who comes in without accolades but has the desire, smarts, and dedication to work his way onto the field. Tae’s been a producer in the classroom as well, with three Richard Young Football Scholarships to his credit, and no doubt counting. He’s my kind of Dawg: Bite, bark, and enough snarl to patrol the middle of the field in the middle of the nation’s toughest conference. Keep an eye on this guy. He’s got all the tools to make it in life well beyond football. Just don’t be surprised if he ends up in The League ahead of all those superstars ranked well above him coming out of high school.

2019

Geno Atkins came to UGA from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale as a 4-star DL. He was in the rotation in the first defensive series of his first game his freshman year, stayed there throughout his career, and then headed to the NFL, where he’s continued to dominate opponents in spite of being a relatively low 4th-round draft pick. Geno’s a 7-time Pro Bowler and 3-time All-Pro defensive tackle, one of the best Dawgs to play between the hedges and a bright spot on Bengals team where few have thrived without having first played in Athens. With those credentials, he’s a surefire NFL Hall of Famer, an impressive achievement for guys playing on teams that rarely make the playoffs. But Geno has always been more than a baller. Late in 2018, he and his wife Kristen started taking care of over fifty Cincinnati families struggling to get their bills paid and put food on the table. "Kristen and I had the amazing opportunity to call some of these incredibly deserving people and families earlier," Geno said of the struggling families served by gifts to help with house and medical bills, adoption funds, tuition assistance, necessary shopping, and more. Geno said, "We can't imagine being hungry or homeless any time of year, but especially during the holidays," Atkins wrote. "We were again moved today by the incredible stories of resiliency. From groceries to new beds to dental bills—a great reminder that so many in our communities face daily struggles and we can all do a little something to help this time of year!" In addition to families, Geno and Kristen assisted such organizations as Blessing Bags of Love, a Cincinnati charity that helps keep homeless people warm in the winter; and hospitals like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which they have visited and supported. If you are concerned he can’t afford it, think again. Last year Geno signed a four-year deal worth $65.3 million, the largest contract given to a non-quarterback age 30 or older in NFL history. He’s worth more than that as a human being; the old saw that “he’s an even better person” applies in a big way to the big man, a good guy doing great things in his post-UGA life.

John Theus was the highest-rated OL of Mark Richt’s tenure after coming to UGA from The Bolles School in Jacksonville. He ended up showing that he was worthy of his five-star rating, playing in 43 straight games, starting at tackle for four years and, as a senior, being voted the team’s overall captain and sharing the Coaches Leadership Award for the respect he earned on the practice field, in the locker room, and between the hedges on Saturdays. At the time, he was only the third true freshman to start at offensive tackle in a season opener for UGA since freshmen became eligible in 1973. In addition to getting it done on the field, John was an outstanding student, winning two James E. & Peggy A. Hickey Memorial Scholarships and three John Tillman Football Scholarships, and earning both SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll distinctions. After being selected in the 5th round of the NFL draft by San Francisco, he played sparingly with the 49ers, Panthers, Saints, and Titans. After getting cut at age 24, he retired from the game and returned to UGA to complete his degree, saying, “I’d like to give a special shoutout to the fans of Dawg Nation for always being there with me throughout my years playing ball.” With Coach Smart building bridges with former players, his return to Athens for his studies also paved the way for John to return to the program, where he now serves as a student assistant helping Sam Pittman coach up the OL. Last season, even the defenders were happy to have him with the team. As LB Natrez Patrick said, “He’s a great guy. He always did the little things right, paid attention to detail. He critiqued himself all the time. Just something I took from him. "I’m sure the offensive line is pulling a lot from him.” Coach Smart added, “He’s been there, done that, he’s played at a high level and he’s really good for our kids to be around someone who has been successful in this league who has also gone on to play in the next league so he’s been a big asset for us. We appreciate him doing it because he doesn’t have to.” That’s a great endorsement for a great guy, one who’s just beginning the next phase of his life, one that will surely bring as much honor as the ones he’s already concluded.

Nick Chubb needs little introduction to this era’s Dawg fans. A spectacular RB from Cedartown, Georgia, he ran hard for 4 years through injuries and a stunning load-sharing backfield stocked with future NFL stars, before being drafted by Cleveland and becoming one of the top RBs in the NFL in his first season. By the end of his first NFL training camp, his teammates named him Old School because of, as fellow RB Duke Johnson put it, “The way he goes about football. The way he dresses. The way he barely talks. Just his whole demeanor.” When the Browns were featured on Hard Knocks, Chubb was barely in the picture, as the more charismatic and quotable Baker Mayfield provided a far more telegenic and compelling personality for the program. Meanwhile, Nick played his way past everyone by mid-season, becoming a starter and huge impact player. But this isn’t about his football ability. It’s about his character. His family upbringing has gotten much attention, and that no doubt has contributed to his humility and team spirit. Nick hasn’t forgotten his roots. He recently presented his high school alma mater, a small school with simple resources, 65 top-of-the-line “Epic-Plus” football helmets by Xenith, with whom he recently signed an endorsement deal. “It’s a chance to give something back to a place where I grew up and loved so much and is so dear to me. So, it was a perfect way for me to show how appreciative I am of this town that made me a better person.” His football millions and additional endorsement deals, however, have not turned him into a bling fashionista. You’ll still find him in old blue jeans and t-shirts. He still drives the car he had in college, and puts his earnings in the bank. “I haven’t done anything. I try to act like I’m broke,” he recently said. He still spends a lot of time back home in Cedartown, where in spite of his celebrity he remains grounded and humble. That low-key personality has served him, his teammates, and the people from his community well, as has the work ethic that led him to say, following his rookie year’s training camp, “You’ve just got to go in there and work and do what you’ve got to do” to contribute. The NFL is finding what we knew all along: This cat can play, he’s the hardest working man in the football business, and he does it without screaming for attention and reward. He’s a team player all the way, as he was at UGA, and as he’ll no doubt remain throughout his career and life.

UGA has reclaimed its RBU reputation after a long series of 4-5 star recruits who lived up to their billing. They’ve also brought in a few more lightly regarded guys who don’t run 4.4 forties or light up the summer camps, but come in and earn their way onto the field through talent, focus, and hard work. Guys like Brian Herrien, a 3-star talent who was overshadowed in his own class by Elijah Holyfield, a 4-star recruit, and the future NFL backs already on the roster. Brian came to UGA from Douglasville as a late addition. But he surprised everyone by playing his way into the rotation early, showing speed, toughness, and a few moves, and earning the respect of his coaches and teammates. The following spring he earned the Coffee County Hustle Award and a game ball, demonstrating the respect he’d won from his teammates and coaches. He has stayed through four years as a reserve, instead of transferring to a school where he might be the featured back. Even without a major role, he’ll leave Athens as a 1,000 yard rusher with a career average of over 5 yards per carry—pretty good for a guy backing up some of the best players ever to suit up between the hedges. As he’s matured, he’s become more of a banger, at times providing the most physical runs our backs have delivered. He’s also made the most of his education and is scheduled to earn a psychology degree from UGA. To win championships, every team needs program guys like Brian Herrien. He busts his tail in practice, doesn’t sulk when other guys get the call, plays his position, and supports his teammates. Coach Smart has said that for each player, it’s his job to do his job. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Helping his team win is the main thing, and it’s his job to make the team better by doing his job. Without guys like Brian Herrien working hard for the benefit of the team, there wouldn’t be much of a team. He might not have lit up the Internet when he signed, but he’s leaving the program as an important contributor of the sort we just can’t do without.

What are the odds of a 6’-2”, 280 pound, 3-star offensive lineman from a small private school, his state’s #45 prospect and 678th best overall recruit in his class, becoming a multiple-year starter and then a captain of the Super Bowl champions? Pretty slim, I suspect. David Andrews pulled it off, however, when he committed to the G in 2011 and proceeded to be the roadgrader for some outstanding, record-setting offenses. He came out of UGA the way he entered: underrated. He went undrafted, signed with New England, and has been wearing Super Bowl rings ever since. His formula for success has remained constant throughout this process: “There’s always things you’ve got to improve on. I think first, the biggest thing, is that you’ve got to be in the best shape that you can. You’ve got to work out and do all these football things and run, but especially for an offensive lineman it’s just hard to simulate the kind of shape you need to be in. So that’s definitely a big thing, and then I think also just getting back into your technique and working on your technique. Kind of looking at ‘Alright, here’s what I did last year.’ There’s some things I did good on and there’s some things I really need to focus on, whether that might be hand placement and things like that." The consummate teammate, David is quick to credit his fellow OL for whatever success the team has: “We have a great room, and we definitely have to just bring each other along. I think that’s what makes our group special is that we’re doing a good job of that.” It’s also special for Dawg fans to see him doing the jazz hands thing with Sony Michel in NFL endzones, an increasingly common spectacle. A veteran of the Richt, Bobo, and Friend system at UGA, David finds himself welcome with the Smart regime: “Coach Smart does a great job of making us feel welcome, which means a lot because he was a player there and so he gets it and understands how much that place means to a lot of us. Obviously I never played for Coach Smart . . . but he treats me like I played for him for four years. I’m definitely grateful for that, I love those coaches over there. Coach Pittman is the same way. I never played with him but he treats me like Coach Smart does. It’s been awesome just to watch them from afar and see the great things that they’re doing." David has done some great things himself after being evaluated at critical stages of his career as only good. He’s now fighting physical problems, and when he recovers I think he’ll do even greater as he anchors the OL of the greatest franchise in modern sports history.

For some, the road to Good Guy recognition takes a winding path. Jonathan Ledbetter originally committed out of Tucker HS to Alabama and their energetic defensive coordinator, although that’s not the wayward turn I’m referring to here. After flipping to the G, he got off to a rocky start in Athens after arriving as a world-beater DL. He got arrested for underage drinking, including a DUI, and possession of a controlled substance, leading to suspensions (including half of the 2016 season) and the possibility of dismissal from the team and university. That’s quite a crossroads in life, and many have a trouble finding the straight and narrow path, especially with the pressures and temptations of being a star athlete. Jonathan, however, decided that instead of heading to the transfer portal or the local hookah parlor, he’d fix his problems and get himself upright, personally and between the hedges. Making mistakes isn’t always a sign of character flaws. As Coach Smart said: “He will tell you there were times of immaturity in his youth during the recruiting stages and even leading into his time at Georgia.” Growing up can be difficult, disrupting bad habits can be a challenge, public shaming can be humiliating, and getting back on track can take dedication and resolve. Jonathan’s been through it all, and emerged a team leader and example of how to recover from a bad start. His degree in sports management shows that he recovered in the classroom as well as on the field. But it hasn’t been easy. He said, “Life is a rollercoaster, man. You’re going along for a ride and you never know where it’s going to take you. You just have to keep the faith. I went through a bunch of trials and tribulations and I just kept my head on and stayed prayed-up. I talked to God when I could, to Kirby when I could, and my family. All that stuff has just kept me grounded. It’s really cool to see how far I’ve come, but there’s really no looking back. I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t be who I am today without it.” J-Led eventually dominated on the field, but that’s not why I’m adding him to the Good Guy roster. Rather, it’s because, unlike some teammates who got off to similar starts, he got his act together and got his life and career on track. “I don’t like to look back,” he said. “I just like to keep moving forward and going in the right direction. Everyone has to grow up eventually. Everyone has to mature as you get older and gain experience. You can only get that through life. You can’t get it from someone else.”

Whit Marshall played linebacker for the Lovett School in Atlanta before heading to UGA in the mid-nineties. After being drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft, Whit played with Philadelphia and Atlanta, with stops in Indiana and Frankfort of the World League of American Football. After leaving the game, he became a builder, and recently has gotten attention for his generosity and dedication to the UGA community, along with a few others. Now the Founding Partner and CEO of Paran Homes in Duluth, Whit has stepped up to show that being a business leader can co-exist with having a big heart and benevolent spirit. When Devon Gales suffered a devastating injury between the hedges while playing for visiting Southern University, the Dawg Nation responded by inviting him in. Whit has now helped him stay around by donating an acre of land at the company’s Traditions of Braselton development in Jackson County for the family to build a home on. Said Whit, “We are a Georgia family and feel privileged to play a small role in helping this project become a reality. Devon and his family have been through a lot over the last two years and continue to persevere and keep such a positive attitude under these difficult circumstances. They deserve to be together. . . . The Gale Family has faced a difficult challenge for the last few years and they deserve a break. We’ve got the lot, a terrific design-build team in place, and a vast network of subcontractors ready and willing to do what’s needed to complete this vision. To help fund this project, I’m calling on my fellow University of Georgia alumni to step forward and join me in providing this incredible young man and his family with a very special place to call home. . . . I feel privileged to be part of the Build for Devon team.” This sort of charity is not unique for Whit. He’s donated a lot in their Barrington Pointe community in Tennessee to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Paran Homes has also participated in such events as the Toys for Tots drive, collecting hundreds of new, unwrapped toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program to brighten the holiday for children in need. Says Whit: “When we design and build our homes, we have this image in mind of the happy families who will one day live there. The truth is that—when faced with financial challenges, childhood illnesses or other catastrophic events—not every day is happy in the lives of so many families. With that in mind, my team and I—many of whom have families of our own—strive to do what we can for all of our neighbors in hopes that one day soon, the happy days will far outweigh the bad.” A corporate conscience: that’s the epitome of what the Dawg Good Guy is all about.

Kendall Baker played his high school ball at Marist in Atlanta, excelling on both lines of scrimmage. Depending on the service consulted, he was a 3 or 4 star recruit who was expected to play on the defensive line. His rankings reveal how different these evaluations can be: the state’s #15 player according to Rivals, the state’s #24 player to Scout and DawgPost, the #44 player according to 247Sports, and #47 to ESPN. Once at UGA, he was moved to the OL, redshirting and playing on the scout team as a freshman, then gradually increasing his action over the course of his first three years of eligibility, including 14 starts at left guard as a junior, when he also was one of two winners of the team’s offensive Up-Front Award and one of the team’s Most Improved Player Award winners. By his senior year, the team’s recruiting at his position had taken a major upturn under Sam Pittman, and the competition, along with injuries, reduced his playing time, leaving him and his relatively small 305 pound frame as a backup. His response to the demotion shows what a Good Guy is made of. He’d worked his way onto the field through determination and hard work, yet was being pushed for time by the immense young pups brought in behind him. He began cross-training at guard and tackle to give Pittman flexibility, given the violence of the position. He never thought of transferring, however, because, as he said, the coaches know he “will never give up on them. I’m going to keep trying, keep fighting until the end.” His teammates appreciated his dedication to the program and position room. As Jeb Blazevich said, “The fortitude that takes, I feel like staying mentally engaged, it’s easy to quit. [Kendall is] somebody with a lot of character, a lot of integrity to say I’m here to work.” Ultimately, it worked out pretty well for Kendall, who graduated with a sociology degree, helped by a Bill and Jane Young Football Scholarship, showing that Kendall Baker came to work in the classroom as well. The AJC’s Chris Starr has called him “the walking representation of dogged perseverance.” That sounds right to me.

When Rashad Roundtree committed to the G out of Lakeside HS in Evans, we appeared to have our next dominant defensive back. He was a can’t-miss prospect all the way: a consensus 4-5 star recruit, the nation’s #3 safety, 2-time first team All Stater in 5A, AJC Super 11, Under Armour All American….he couldn’t miss. The next Greg Blue, Thomas Davis, and Sean Jones was on the way. Everyone wanted Rashad Roundtree for football, and he was also an outstanding student and first-class citizen. But football never panned out for him. He played 2 years as a reserve, alternating between safety and linebacker, and then, due to a series of head injuries, was forced to hang up his cleats, announcing, “As a result of a number of concussions, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that my journey in the path of football has come to an end. As a child, all of my dreams involved playing football and it deeply saddens me that I can’t play anymore.” A lot of guys brought in to play football would have had their bags packed, because the classroom is an alien place to them. But Rashad came here to get a degree as much as to blow up offenses. He also stuck with the team, getting himself a whistle and coaching up his teammates during practice. The transition was painful: “It’s been hard,” he said. “Setting football aside and focusing on a professional career has been a challenge. But Georgia has done a great job of giving me support, like this internship opportunity [at RaceTrac’s corporate headquarters] right here. Just because my football career is over doesn’t mean my career is over.” The internship has blossomed. It began through a UGA networking initiative first known as the Paul Oliver Network under Mark Richt, and now called The Georgia Way. To no one’s surprise, Rashad’s done a terrific job with RaceTrac, as a company official has said: “Rashad has come in and worked really hard and had a really good attitude. What we’ve realized is student-athletes, and specifically football players like Rashad, have qualities that translate really well to the work force, like passion and drive and work ethic. Everybody here just loves him. We hope we can get him in the future.” His future is now, with a degree in sport management in hand and companies like RaceTrac recruiting him the way Richt, Saban, and Meyer recruited him out of high school. His reflection on picking the Dawgs out of high school suggests that he’s a very mature young man: “When I was being recruited, my father (Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree) said, ‘If you took football out of it, what school would you want to go to? That was the University of Georgia. It’s unfortunate what happened, but I’m still happy with my decision of going to the University of Georgia. I love what they’ve done for me.” To recruits he advises, “Don’t take it for granted. Work hard every day and do as much as you can every day. It’s what you love to do and what you’ve been working for. But realize it’s not going to happen for everybody. So use the resources you have. Take advantage of it and try to help those that are trying to help you. Georgia wants to see you succeed.” Succeeding is no problem for this Good Guy, with or without football. And the Dawg Nation is the winner.

Buford’s Isaac Nauta took a detour on his way to UGA to play for IMG Academy in Florida before deciding to bring his 5-star talents home for his college career. He was a major catch for new coach Kirby Smart, and did a lot of catching during his 3 years in the program. He had to check his ego at the door, because the team’s commitment to running meant that he had to block his way into the rotation, something he took up with relish and a skill he’ll need at the next level. “When you look at some of the backs we had and the amount of times we ran the football, just being able to block for some of those guys was something special too. Not everyone gets to say they blocked for Sony Michel and Nick Chubb and Holyfield and D'Andre Swift. We had a lot of good players. There were games where we had to block and do it well to win games and that is what we did. A big part of the tight end position is being able to do that. You have to be able to hold up against big defensive ends and something I take a lot of pride in." That team orientation took considerable humility for a guy with his receiving skills. His decision to declare for early entry in the draft produced regrets for not being on a possible national champion and because he hasn’t yet completed his degree in Sport Management, which he’s pursued with the help of a Watkins Family Football Scholarship, and with the recognition of a 2017 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll appointment. On his way to the NFL Combine, he started giving back to his community and team, creating a “pledgeit” account to raise money for the Northeast Georgia Food Bank. “It’s a cause that’s near and dear to my heart,” he said. “When the stock market crashed in 2008, there was a time me and my family were getting food from the food bank. I thought this would be a good way to give back to something that helped me and my family out.” We often see these guys on the field and assume that kids who appear healthy and hearty have grown up without worrying about their next meal, but Isaac did some of that very worrying as a kid. Now he’s trying to help other families put food on the table. That’s some good work he’s doing, and no doubt with his NFL earnings, it’s not the last time he’ll be giving back.

At UGA these days we love talking about the 4-5 star superstuds headed for NFL rosters. There are, however, plenty of other guys on the team who contribute and make the program hum. Guys like Ridge Underwood. Ridge was a Colquitt County HS starting linebacker who blew his knee out so badly that missed most of his senior season and feared he’d never suit up again. He’d survived back and wrist injuries, but the knee was mangled, and that looked like the end of his gridiron career. Nonetheless, he was named one of his team’s permanent captains. He played tennis in the spring—at 6’-2”, 245 pounds—and graduated with honors, then headed to Georgia Regents University (Augusta State). But guys like this just don’t give up easily. He rehabbed the knee and it got stronger, and he decided it was time to get back to football—as a Georgia Bulldog. He got a tryout in the spring of 2014 and made the cut as one of 7 walk-ons added to the roster. At UGA he never beat out Roquan Smith or Natrez Patrick, or anyone else at his position. But he was a warrior in practice, especially the scout team, where he helped mimic opponents to prep the starters for Saturday’s action. “It was very rewarding,” he says. “We win as a team, and I am part of the process. I just do whatever I can to help get us ready to play on Saturday.” He got the offenses ready pretty well, winning the team’s Outstanding Scout Team Player award. Even though he topped out as a practice stalwart, he has no regrets: “I’ve got memories that will last a lifetime,” he said. He did well in the classroom too, earning a J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll appointment and honor roll recognition on his way to a 2017 degree in Communication Studies. Not everyone on the team is an NFL superstar in the making. But teams need more than stars and starters. They need guys like Ridge Underwood, who take on roles that are invisible outside the program but valued in the locker room and on the practice fields. He’s a Good Guy who will surely do big things in other fields of play. He hopes to work in the film industry: “I plan to become a movie or television show director, but will start out by working on smaller film sets as a grip.” This is not a guy who needs to get a grip. He’s already got one, and I look forward to seeing him on Netflix before long. 

This year’s UGA defense is second to none, in either the nation or the program’s vaunted history. The defensive line features an endless rotation of tough, disciplined players whose team orientation keeps the whole unit working in unison and in the opponents’ backfields. Among the linemen in Michael Barnett, who came to UGA from South Carolina, where he was once the state’s #2 ranked DE, #4 overall prospect, and consensus 4-star recruit. He graduated high school early and enrolled at UGA in January, using his spring practice experience to play in 7 games in his first year on campus before sitting out Y2, then becoming a regular for his last three years on campus, during which he has been part of a dominating defense. He also excelled in the classroom, making the UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll as a freshman and earning a James E. Farish Football Scholarship in his redshirt season. When Coach Smart says his players must “Do More,” Michael has applied the imperative to his studies along with his play on the DL. He also likes to take it easy, saying, “I’m from the country so I need the woods and a little bit of fresh air” to get away from the pressures of football and the classroom. But don’t expect him to let up: “I’m trying to tune-up every aspect of my game,” he says. “Whether it’s stopping the run, playing two-gap, playing one-gap, playing the shade, reading blocks and converting pass rush. I feel like every aspect of our game needs to improve.” I expect that attitude to take him far: never satisfied with success, always working to get better. That’s my kinda Dawg. 

“Yessir!!!” That expression of joy from Sam Pittman has brought a smile to the face of every Dawg fan who likes a mammoth offensive line commitment. Sam has been a beloved coach every place he’s been in his career coaching the big boys up front. At UGA he’s been given a lot of credit for lassoing just about every lineman he’s set his sights on, and for making our ground game the centerpiece of our attack. But the Good Guy Award isn’t about recruiting acumen. It’s about being an exceptional citizen, someone who brings honor to the program. He’s the kind of coach I often admire: He was a small-school player at Pittsburg State in Kansas after playing his high school ball for the Grove Ridgerunners in Oklahoma, a school enrolling under 700 students, and probably a whole lot fewer in Sam’s day. Sam made the Pittsburg Hall of Fame after his stellar career there. He started out as a high school coach in Missouri, then worked his way up through a junior college position and then churned through a number of positions, staying 2-4 years at each before moving on and up. His move back to Arkansas to run the program is the culmination of a lot of positioning and outstanding work, not only in recruiting and teaching technique but in bringing esprit de corps to every unit he’s worked with. His former players and coaching staff colleagues universally praise his ability to build strong relationships that last well beyond graduation and coaching moves. He’s a terrific guy we’ll miss in Athens, but I can’t help but feel good about his future in Arkansas. “Yessir!!!” That’s one damn good Hawg.

2020

Isaiah Wynn came to UGA after a tremendous career at Lakewood HS in the Tampa area, where he was a consensus 4-star OG and rated as high as the #6 player at his position nationally. At UGA he made an impression immediately, making the OL rotation in his first year and starting for the next 3. He ended up a consensus All SEC player and 2nd team All American before being a first-round choice by New England in the 2018 draft, losing a year to an Achilles tendon injury before earning a starting role on one of history’s best sports franchises. He did all this as an undersized but “country strong” kid who stayed in Sam Pittman’s starting lineup even though he was a good 30 pounds shy of Pittman’s ideal player. While at UGA he nailed it in the classroom as well, earning 3 Harriett Reppard Evans Football Scholarship Endowments, and landing on the UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll for his excellence in his Human Development and Family Science major. His coaches and teammates appreciated not only his ability but his work ethic, which earned him a team Most Improved Player Award, Hugh Hendrix Award for being a player who most strains his potential following spring practice, Physicality/Headhunter Award following spring practice, Frank Sinkwich Award for toughness, and "Up Front" Award for his role on the offense. He hasn’t let up on or off the field following graduation. He has established a “Win for Wynn” organization based in St. Petersburg, FL, that donates back-to-school supplies to kids and their families, leading Coach Smart to say, “I told him I’d wear [a t-shirt for his charity typically reserved for camp volunteers] at one of my press conferences. I saw his video of what he did for kids before school started. He just did an unbelievable job. It’s so indicative of him, what he did, so I asked him for one of those shirts.” Talk about a winner: This guy has made it big in ways that most people never do.

Tyler Simmons said in the midst of his injury-riddled senior season, “Of course, it’s football, (pain) comes with the game. You can either sit out and miss those opportunities, or you can go and do what you can do.” After coming to UGA as a consensus 3-star WR from McEachern HS, Tyler played for half of his career with a painful shoulder injury that required a brace that limited his range of motion. Catching passes, while a major responsibility for a WR, was only part of what this blazing fast player contributed to UGA during his career here. He was the consummate team player, blocking like a lineman in spite of the shoulder issues, starring in special teams, and providing leadership to what was, by his senior year, a receivers room full of pups. He also never dodged accountability, accepting responsibility for the South Carolina loss in which lost track of a pass that was picked off in overtime. He said in the aftermath, “At the end of the road there’s still a plan for me, everything happens for a reason. Of course I got down on myself for a little bit, but you just have to keep pushing. You’re either going to dwell on the past or keep pushing for a better future, and that’s what I’ve been doing, keeping a positive mindset and telling younger guys that are stepping up to play, to take advantage of those opportunities because that’s big.” During his career, Tyler earned a lot of recognition, including Special Teams Most Improved Player Award, the Charley Trippi Award for versatility, and the Kevin Butler Special Teams MVP award. AJC writer Mike Griffith put it well in a lovely profile he wrote on Tyler during his senior season: “Spend five minutes talking to Georgia senior receiver Tyler Simmons, and you can understand why any coach or quarterback would want the ball in his hands. It’s clear Simmons is going to be successful at anything in life he chooses after football.” Well said Mike. I think we all look forward to seeing what Tyler does once he hangs up his cleats and takes on the rest of his life in earnest.

Andrew Thomas wasn’t the highest-rated OL in his own UGA recruiting class, but immediately stood out as the best. He didn’t enroll till summer, but by fall camp of his freshman year was starting and dominating. He continued to own the line of scrimmage throughout his college career, and no doubt will continue in the footsteps of his mentor Isaiah Wynn and have a stellar pro career. Andrew’s achievements on the field have been well-documented with his many awards and all-star team selections. He’s also a solid, humble citizen. After Andrew went home for Thanksgiving during his third and final season in Red and Black to hand out turkeys to those in need, Lithonia mayor-elect Shameka S. Reynolds said, “We have to be proud of good people like Drew. He’s done well. He’s done well in school and not only that, he’s putting us out there like he’s from Lithonia. We don’t normally get people that are from here to do what he is doing. So it is a bit different. He’s a big deal here. Very big.” To Andrew it was simple: His aim was “just to come back for the holiday, give out some turkeys and just try to be a blessing to other people and give back to the folks who live around you.” I suspect that once his pro contract gives him a bank account to draw on and his knowledge from his business major gives him strategies for growing it, he’ll do more than pass out the turkeys donated by other community members. Andrew was never just a hulk in the trenches. He earned Wayne McDuffie and Statesboro Bulldog Club scholarships as a student, and is eloquent enough to have been selected as the student-athlete speaker at the Bulldogs’ West End Zone dedication in 2018. He’s got all the tools he needs to make it once he’s done playing on Sundays and transitions to being a competitor in civilian life.

After arriving in Athens from Stone Mountain in 1981, Kevin Butler became widely regarded as the best kicker in Dawg history, and an all-time great in the college and pro games after playing 13 seasons for the Chicago Bears, including their Super Bowl team. The only kicker in the College Football Hall of Fame, he was selected on All-Century teams provided by Sports Illustrated, ABC Sports, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He’s also returned to help more recent UGA kickers develop and challenge his records, suggesting that he’s all for the program and not his personal glory. He did so as a student assistant after returning to campus to complete his Economics degree in 2018. “It gave me a lot of pride,” he said. “Being able to go back over there and give back to the program that gave me a head start in life and gave me the discipline and talent that I was able to harness back then. It gave me all the opportunity in the world. To help the kickers and the punters and the snappers, it was a dream come true.” It also opened up the opportunity to be recognized with one of the university’s highest honors: election to the Circle of Honor, which is designed, according UGA, to “pay tribute to extraordinary student-athletes and coaches who by their performance and conduct have brought honor to the university and themselves, and who by their actions have contributed to the tradition of the Georgia Bulldogs. The criteria for selection also stipulate that each recipient has earned his or her academic degree.” Kevin’s post-football career included a job with UgMo Technologies, a King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based company that focuses on turf irrigation. Fans who follow the Dawgs on the radio also know him as an astute commentator on games, players, and all else pertaining to UGA football. His legacy thus continues to grow and shine, and we can expect even more from him in years to come.

Nolan Smith came to UGA via Calvary Day in Savannah and ultimately the IMG football factory as the nation's top recruit. As a freshman he made plenty of plays, combining outlandish athleticism with intelligence and a motor that never quits. As Coach Smart put it after his first drills: “Nolan plays hard all the time. He doesn’t always play smart but he plays with great effort and does a good job.” I suspect that the “doesn’t always play smart” part got jettisoned pretty fast as he learned his way around the system. His work ethic was evident to DL coach Ernie Logan as soon as he arrived at IMG and their D-1-heavy roster: “Even when he first got out here, he immediately jumped out. He was busting his tail during my drills but I noticed him doing special team drills. He was showing up everywhere. I could tell soon as I saw him out on the field and the way he worked and how he went about his business he was a natural leader. He started displaying those qualities from the beginning. I made sure to pull him aside and say ‘Look, man don’t let what class you are in or you just getting here dictate how you see yourself on this team as a leader. You can lead now. You are showing those types of qualities.’ He started shining as soon as he hit the field. The kid works his tail off and has qualities you can’t really coach. Competes and competes his tail off. Has what you call that ‘Dawg’ in him.” As ferocious as he is between the lines, Nolan is kind and charismatic off it, going home to feed homeless people in Savannah through his church every Christmas. His faith drives him to excellence, leading him to say at one point, “At the lowest point of my life nobody was there but God to get me out; and I Thank him for that! So now that he brought me up, I REFUSE TO LET YALL bring me down.” He also carries his dedication into the classroom, where he majors in engineering, a remarkable outcome for someone of whom his mother said, “Where we are from so many kids never finish high school. I have a young black man who finished high school [half a year] early when you have so many people in your ear saying he will not be anything and I owe it all to God. I thank God for giving me a son like him because there were so many people that doubted me about why I didn’t let him play with certain kids outside.” Nolan’s now playing with the big kids, and making every minute count, on and off the field.

Rodrigo Blankenship has the rare distinction of being a crowd favorite as a placekicker, and one of the most popular Dawgs in recent memory. There are plenty of reasons, going back to his starting as a walk-on who had to demonstrate to the staff his worthiness before earning a scholarship in his second season. The drama over the Sprayberry HS grad’s status became the stuff of memes and legends. The announcement to the team that he had finally been awarded a full ride is among the most heartwarming scenes of recent memory. And yes, the boy can even rap. Between his near-infallible performance on the way to the Lou Groza Award and his goofiness—exemplified by his rec-specs and helmeted post-game interviews—he became a much-beloved and essential part of the program. Sports Illustrated wrote that “Hot Rod stole the hearts of college football fans across the country in the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma, partly because he banged one in from 55 yards (a Rose Bowl record) and nailed a clutch kick in overtime, but also because he wears those goofy goggles. He just looks like an interesting character, and that’s because he is.” Rod is surely going to be in the NFL for a while, but that didn’t stop him from working hard in the classroom. He graduated cum laude from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a focus on digital broadcasting. On the way to his degree he made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll each semester at UGA, the team’s sophomore GPA award, and SEC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. He also was presented the UGA Community Service Award, made the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, was one of 12 recipients of the National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Award for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership, and won the Wuerffel Trophy for community service. He said, “It takes a lot of discipline [to balance academics and athletics.] You have to be fully committed to everything that’s going on in your life,” he said. “You have to have the discipline to not lose your motivation, no matter what time you get done. Football took up a big chunk of my day, but I knew that I was here to get an education and I did everything I could to make that my priority.” You betcha Rod. All that and he can kick.

Charlie Woerner came to UGA from Rabun County in the Georgia mountains, where he was more likely to be hunting or fishing than showing off in summer football camps. A typical day in the Woerner household: After his brother killed a deer, he said, "We brought it back and skinned it and cleaned it. Then my buddy Eli and I broke open the chest cavity and tore out the heart and went and fried it in the pan and it tasted pretty good." Don't expect to see that feast on Instagram; Charlie doesn't do social media as part of a generally quiet and humble personality. As a result of his low-drama persona and nonexistent media presence, he came out of high school underrated. It probably didn’t help that he was as versatile an athlete as you’ll find, and guys without specific positions often don’t project easily at the next level. In high school he ran out of the backfield, caught passes from every receiver position, and was a standout defensive player in roles as diverse as cornerback, safety, pass rusher, and interior lineman. In the classroom, Charlie didn’t back off from a tough major, graduating with a degree in Economics with the help of the John A. Addison Jr. Family Scholarship, and the Peter and Kay Amann Football Scholarship. His academic work landed him on the 2016-17 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll and the SEC Leadership Council; and his effort in practice and during games earned him the team’s Coffee County Hustle Award, Special Teams Most Improved Player award, and Frank Sinkwich Award for being the team’s toughest player. That’s a lot of mental focus, which will serve him well no matter how much football he’s got in his future. There may not be many deer left in Rabun County by the time he’s done with them, but his hunger for excellence knows no bounds.

Nakobe Dean arrived from Horn Lakes, Mississippi, with a reputation for being a great football player and an equally great student. His football prowess earned him such accolades as the Touchdown Club of Atlanta's National Lineman of the Year, Dick Butkus Award for nation's top HS linebacker, Gatorade Mississippi Football Player of the Year, and an Under Armour All-American. His off-field performance got plenty of notice as well, including the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award presented by the National Alliance of African-American Athletes, an organization founded in 1989 to empower African American males through athletics, education and public programs. J. Everette Pearsall, executive director of The Alliance, said at the time of the award, “Nakobe Dean is an amazing young man. We were very impressed with his contributions in the community, his excellence in the classroom, and his success on the football field.” Nakobe famously never made a “B” in high school at Horn Lakes, with the only non-A in his academic history coming in 7th grade in a business education course that involved typing, which he found difficult to do with speed and accuracy because his hands were so large. Otherwise, Nakobe earned a 4.3 GPA and a National Honor Society appointment for academics, and volunteered as an elementary school mentor, Toys for Tots program, and homeless shelter. In his copious spare time he participates in Fellowship of Christian Athletes activities. His career at UGA is still in formation, but he developed into a regular in the LB rotation as a freshman in spite of a bad ankle injury to begin the season, and now is creating havoc as a sophomore. He’s tearing it up in the classroom too. We were fortunate to recruit him to Athens, where he’d be a star with or without football. But he’s mighty good at that too.

Eric Stokes is the sort of football player I love. He was a raw athlete in high school, a 3-star prospect that many Internet evaluators had trouble seeing as a scholarship player. At Eastside HS in Covington, he was regarded as the nation's #63 cornerback and #65 player in his class in the state of Georgia. He still got 19 offers, including many from SEC programs and many from outside the Power 5 orbit, but was viewed as a project rather than instant contributor. His speed made him a track star and raised the question of whether he was a fast football player, or a track star trying to play football. He also played RB initially, giving college scouts insufficient tape to evaluate as a cornerback. Early on at UGA, however, the coaches began talking about his intelligence, work ethic, practice habits, coachability, film study, and other attributes. So it wasn’t a surprise when after redshirting, he played past higher-ranked teammates and into the starting lineup early in his career. Perhaps his focused frame of mind helps account for his Psychology major, supported by a Tommy Reeder Football Scholarship and David William Moorman Football Scholarship. His high-end athleticism helped too. His HS coach, Troy Hoff, noted that “At his height, weight and size, there’s only a few guys in the country that can run like that. If you compound that with the competitor that he is. . . . The thing about Eric, he never quit working [at UGA]. He battled for the position all the way through fall camp, and put himself in a position to compete. He didn’t win the job initially, but kept at it. He had his role on special teams, and got some snaps here and there. The biggest thing I can say about Eric is that he’s a competitor. He knew that once he got an opportunity, he was going to be ready for it and make the most of it. And that’s what happened.” With his mental preparation and 4.3 speed, Eric appears to headed to a shot at NFL riches and glory. And when that’s all over, he’s got everything he’ll need to be ready for and compete toward every challenge and goal that comes his way.
 

Demetrius Douglas played HS ball at Lakeshore High School in College Park, where he was named an All-American in both football and basketball. As a linebacker from 1987-1989 at UGA, he was an All-American who graduated with a major in Education and minor in marketing, ultimately being a UGA Football Hall of Fame inductee. He then played professionally for the New York Jets, Washington Redskins, and the Calgary Stampeders. Demetrius then put his degrees to work. He became a mortgage broker and real estate broker. His love for football and youth led him to coaching at Arlington Christian School, Henry W. Grady High School, Lovejoy High School, and now Dutchtown High School. His commitment to community led him to become involved in the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, where he serves as a deacon. His political savvy and business acumen led to a political career, with his first election to the Georgia House of Representatives in July 2012, where he represents House District 78, which encompasses parts of Clayton and Henry counties that include Jonesboro, Lake Spivey, Lovejoy, and Stockbridge. As State Rep. Demetrius Douglas, D-Stockbridge, he has advanced anti-obesity and youth health legislation for several years. He’s also helped to advance football safety through concussion-related bills. But his proudest achievement? His family, including wife Veda and daughters Destiny and Demi. Demetrius is a great example of how athletics can teach the life skills that allow for a successful post-sports experience. He’s what the Good Guy Award is all about.

Mecole Hardman was one of those can’t-possibly-be-true athletes coming out of Elbert County High School on the South Carolina border, where he continued a family legacy of football excellence. Mostly playing QB, he was a 5-star Athlete, the #1 ranked player at that position in the nation, even at 169 pounds. His 4.4 speed no doubt helped his ranking, which assumed he’d shift to WR at the college level. His family kept him on course, including his father, Mecole Sr. As Junior put it: “He’s the one that kept me on a straight path and setting the expectations that I couldn’t set for myself and just getting my mind right, the mental state.” He earned a lot of humility at home from getting beaten in sports until he matured and became as dominant with his father as he was with kids his own age. At UGA he was moved to defense at first, an assignment he didn’t take to; and then as a sophomore he joined the WR room and became a feared weapon for Jake Fromm, leaving after his junior season for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he joined a blazing fast receiving corps and made the Pro Bowl as a returner. But he also took care of business at home, buying his mother, Danyell Hardman, a new house, something he’d dreamed of since childhood. He wrote on social media, “Now to finally do it words can’t explain how happy I am. It’s my turn to take care of you now.” He later told Kansas City reporters, “Actually she picked it out. She didn’t actually know I was going to get it for her, so it was a good surprise for her. I was just happy I did it for her.” It helps when you sign a $5 million contract over four years that includes a $1.6 million signing bonus, but the way he’s produced for the Chiefs, he seems like a bargain. And he also seems like the kind of Good Guy who will represent UGA with honor as he continues to mature as a player and a man.


Sony Michel needs little introduction to Dawg fans. He is one of the greatest RBs ever at RBU, and stayed for a senior season of glory that came within a busted coverage of a national championship. He was a stalwart off the field as well, being a multiple Davis Family Foundation Football Scholarship recipient, a J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll member, a team Community Service Award winner, and UGA Leadership Education and Development (L.E.A.D.) program appointee. The Communication Studies from Florida seems to score high on just about any measure of character than you can think of. He’s also a Haitian-descent American who feels a strong connection to his nation of origin, wearing Haiti’s flag on his cleats on Sundays now that he’s the bell-cow RB of the best franchise in recent sports history. This symbol represents My Cause, My Cleats, an NFL initiative through which players promote charities. For Sony, it’s  awareness of disaster relief efforts in Haiti, which has in the last decade been hit by major earthquakes and hurricanes. "My cause that I will be wearing my cleats for is to represent the earthquake in Haiti," Sony said. "I chose this cause because I am Haitian, family with Haitian background. Especially having family members in Haiti dealing with this tragedy, it was important for me to bring this to light. I want the world to see the Haitian flag, and I want them to know that I'm representing the Haitians that are going through a lot of stuff, the hurricane, the earthquakes, all the tragedies. No matter what, nobody in my family flinched to the adverse situations. I thought that was most important. You hear so many stories about families that go through adversity, and then they break apart. But my family is still strong. We all supported each other. My parents, my brother, my sister, I supported their dreams. They supported my dream. That’s kind of my approach. Me doing what I do, that’s my motivation, to keep going, to keep making them proud. I know that by me being in the NFL, playing for the Patriots, I give them hope. I give a lot of people hope. Whether it’s me giving them hope or them inspiring people through me ‘My brother’s doing this; he’s done this’—I think it’s pretty cool.” Indeed, that’s pretty cool, and I suspect that he’ll do a lot more cool stuff before he's done to help people who can’t run the football at high levels, yet whose lives demand respect, dignity, and our support.

2021

Channing Tindall has turned out to be the type of college football player whose career already qualifies him as "old school." He came in as a major steal out of Columbia, South Carolina, a 4-star ranked as the nation's #5 ILB and #103 overall prospect. He had star potential, a guy expected to compete for major minutes the day he arrived on campus. But he's been a reserve through his first three years in the program, mostly a special teamer and third-down specialist. With the transfer portal now available for those whose first choice didn't work out, guys like Channing often take their talents to a new program for a fresh start. He reflected on his decision to stay, saying, “at the end of the day, this was the place for me. Coming out of high school, not playing inside linebacker as much, I knew it was going to take me some time to actually gather and learn. If that was just playing a role, I was going to do whatever was best for the team at the moment. I'm doing anything I can do to help the team out in any possible way. I look at it like the whole team is my family, so why wouldn't I do anything in my power to help them?" On his journey he missed time in 2019 with a fractured fibula. His response? He didn't sulk or explore his options, but instead took a look at his game and figured out what he needed to improve. Channing has taken care of business in the classroom too, majoring in Sport Management and earning a Teka and John Adams Football Scholarship along the way. Channing appears ready for a greater role in his last season, but he's already a winner through his persistence on the field and across campus.

Richard LeCounte was a delight to have on campus for four years. He was Kirby Smart's first commitment. The five-star kid came in and played right away, starting his last three seasons before a freak biking accident ended his season and affected his showing for pro scouts. He's often described as having an infectious personality, one that led to leadership roles throughout his career on the field and in the locker room. His high school coach in Liberty County, Good Guy Kirk Warner, said of him: "There's that aura about him and that leadership quality. He pretty much then backed it up on the football field. He's always represented himself in a class manner. That's just the type of kid Richard is. That's how his mom and his dad raised him. Just an A1, class-act person." Coach Smart added, "He has been so loyal to Georgia in an era when that's not normal. It's normal to de-commit, move here, decide late. He committed early, he was a great player, and he stayed an extra year for his senior year. He loves the University of Georgia. That makes somebody special and people will remember that for the rest of his life." His teammates found him to be motivating just to be around; said Malik Herring, "He just inspires me to be great. He just brought smiles and laughs to everybody." Richard got it done in the classroom, majoring in Sports Management and earning a J.E. and W.S. Hickey scholarship. An eager Dawg Nation awaits his NFL career and beyond, with hopes that his accident didn't cost him the athleticism he'll need to compete for snaps at the next level. But no matter what, Richard LeCounte was what we hope all of the athletes we recruit will be: a great citizen, an inspiring person, and a Damn Good Dawg for the ages.

Shaun Chapas reminds me of something I heard Damon Evans say once: "I played a position we no longer have at UGA: slow wide receiver."" Shaun played fullback, a position that has gone the way of the dodo, the pterodactyl, and the musket. The Bolles (FL) HS graduate played at UGA for Mark Richt, and in spite of playing a position that didn't fit the evolving game, was drafted by Dallas and played several years in the NFL. He's not a guy I can recite flashy stats for; fullbacks create the conditions for the guys behind them to get yards and scores. His career duration speaks for itself: the guy was a roadgrader coming out of the backfield and a lot of terrific backs were happy to run behind him. He retired from the NFL in 2015 and came home to UGA, starting as an intern and Sports Management master's student, and now, working as diligently as he did on the field, has become Senior Director of Development. His classroom acumen was evident from the start: when he tore up his knee in HS right about when he committed to the G, he was advised to go to a college he'd love even if he got injured and couldn't play. He said, "Georgia was that place. It was where I could go even if I could not play football. I wanted to study business, and Terry [Business School] provided a great place for me to do that. The campus is also so beautiful, so if you add all of those things up, it really was a no brainer." Brains were never in short supply for Sean. At UGA he was named CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team, made the SEC Academic Honor Roll, earned Director's Honor Roll distinction, and was named CBS Scholar Athlete of the game versus LSU. In 2010 he was selected as the team's overall permanent captain, also being named the team's Coaches Leadership Award for Special Teams, the Leon Farmer Award for dedication to the strength and conditioning program, and the David Jacobs Award as the player who by example portrays courage, spirit, character, and determination. No wonder he has been promoted up the ladder in the Athletic Association. He's got what it takes to lead our athletics operation, and we're lucky to have him back home.

Shedrick Wynn provides us all with a lesson in persistence and determination. Once a Jim Donnan recruit in the late 1990s at the defensive end position, he finally walked across the state in 2020 to become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He said, "Perseverance and not worrying about what people think was a big part of it. I had a chance, an opportunity in life and the way we were taught when I was young was that you finish what you start. Not having my degree had been eating away at me. There were personal, financial, and other issues that slowed me down at times, but I never tried to get discouraged from my mission. I had to become a caretaker for my wife when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013. This has taught me to believe in yourself until the end. I finally feel some validation of all of the hard work over the years." Shedrick's UGA career was cut short by injuries during his senior year in 2003. Just 12 hours short of his degree, he returned to Lincoln County and married his sweetheart Andrea, with whom he's raised two sons and a daughter, all current or former students at Cedar Shoals HS in Athens, where Shedrick also coached football. His oldest son, Jalen Jackson, now plays football for Georgia Southern. While at Cedar Shoals, Shedrick began talking with Glad Horvat of the compliance department, a Cedar Shoals booster who encouraged him to re-enroll in his late 30s to complete his undergraduate degree in Housing Management and Policy. It took him a while, but completing his degree two decades after starting is a rare and impressive feat, one for which he has earned my admiration. There's an online interview with him about his journey if you want to hear the man tell his story himself; see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI-DlHSjd5A. You won't find a more inspiring narrative, or a better man.

Todd Gurley is one of the greatest players in UGA history, although was only the second-highest ranked running back to commit to the Dawgs in his class. Aside from an injury that sidelined him and a suspension for selling memorabilia, he thrilled Sanford Stadium crowds with his otherworldly athleticism and talent. He was also a team leader before departing early for the NFL. Just for the heck of it, in 2013 he joined the indoor track team and recorded the seventh-fastest 60-meter hurdles time in school history at 8.12 seconds. You just couldn't hope for a better player or better teammate than Todd was at UGA. He continued his outstanding play with the Los Angeles Rams, winning just about every accolade presented to NFL offensive players. Too many hits to his knee took its toll, reducing his effectiveness within a few years, an unfortunate development for a player of such great skill, intelligence, and athleticism. His citizenship is well exemplified by his decision in 2016 to spend his off week helping his home state of North Carolina recover from Hurricane Matthew. He flew to Tarboro to volunteer at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, with the understanding that his home town was serving as a refuge for those experiencing flooding in neighboring towns. Rather than cutting a check and using his off week to rest and recuperate, he spent the weekend “Helping people take food to the car and make a couple sandwiches. It was pretty cool just being able to see people's faces. People were excited just to have me there just serving and helping out. I just wanted to give back, get back and really go see my family and just see all my friends. I just wanted to kind of do something while I was there and show my appreciation for the town." You can see why he's been such a force on the field and in the locker room. We can only hope that his knee miraculously heals and we can again watch him run like a stallion through defenses. But if it doesn't, he's got the character to do big things in other areas of life.

The transfer portal is full of guys like Ameer Speed. Ameer came in as a 4-star, 6'-4" cornerback from Jacksonville who arrived at UGA at a time when the defensive backfield was loaded with future NFL players. Now in his fifth year, Ameer is positioned to get onto the field beyond the special teams work he's done to this point, and contribute the way he was expected to when Coach Smart recruited him to come to Athens. Said his high school coach Adam Geis, "he's 6-4, 210, fast as hell and looks like he's carved out of marble. When I brought [transferring] up to him, he said, 'Nah, man, I really love it up here.'" His love for UGA, his coaches, and his teammates didn't help him move past the guys ahead of him, though, an obstacle that has sent many to the portal. Instead, Coach Smart is sending him to the podium as a representative to the press, a sign of his leadership and maturity. He's also an example to the relatively young backfield he leads this season: "I'm just helping my team out the best way that I can, trying to hone in on my technique and be that old guy that the young pups can lean on and just be there when they need me. I bring good length and good speed to the defense. Also, I know the scheme very well, so those things can help me out. I'm blessed to be here. God's timing is different than everybody else, so I'm just here working and getting better and just waiting for that right moment where I'll be able to step up and take my role. I love my teammates; I love the University of Georgia. Pretty much everything you want to say, that's why I'm still here today. So, it's just realizing and understanding my situation and just knowing that it's God's timing and that's different than everybody else's has kept me real humble and patient about my experiences."" While at UGA the Communication Studies major earned an Alisa and Robert O. Tate Scholarship to support his studies, suggesting that there's more to him than what's visible to football fans. With his healthy, team-oriented attitude, he'll do just fine even if the new pups take his time and cut into the film that scouts love to break down. This guy's got it, whether on the field or off.

UGA has gotten accustomed to signing 4-5 star offensive linemen in the Smart Era. Occasionally there's a lower-ranked guy getting an offer, a guy like Justin Shaffer of Cedar Grove, GA, whose recruiting score made him a 3-star recruit of the sort who often has trouble playing past the elite players ahead of him. But here we are in his fifth season in the program. For the last three years he's become indispensable to the line's cohesion and success. It takes an extraordinary man to be patient and allow himself to be coached up to this level, and that's what Justin is. It no doubt helps to be 6'4", 330 pounds; but then, so is everyone else in the OL meeting room, unless they're bigger. There are qualities between the ears that have made Justin into an OL staple: "I look at myself as the underdog. Coming out of high school I was the underdog. Coming into college I was the underdog because I had people like Andrew [Thomas] and Isaiah [Wilson] in front of me. So I always played with that chip on my shoulder, like I have a point to prove." No transfer portal for Justin Shaffer: He wanted to earn his time at the place he originally committed to, emerging as a team leader in the offseason in workouts and other forms of preparation. He said, "I've just been standing with [underclassmen] during practice and trying to give them the confidence so they can be a [starter] and do whatever it takes to help the team, because at the end of the day, it's about the best starting five who come out there. I feel like the momentum has shifted into the right place. I feel like it comes to the team bonding and everybody just being on the right page, and just connecting, to get us to go where we need." The Sports Management major and Crosswy-Mackey Families Football Scholarship recipient understands that he's a member of a team and not an individual making a name for himself, and that's what champions are made of. Justin Shaffer is a champion, no matter what game he's in.

Cory Phillips came to UGA from Hart County HS as a walk-on quarterback with a banged-up knee and no scholarship offers; he just wanted a UGA education. He left in 2002 as a scholarship player and 3-year letterman with a few starts to his credit, and made one list for being one of the greatest walk-on stories in program history. While never a star, he was a stabilizing personality in the QB room and valuable backup who threw a 53-yard TD pass to Terrence Edwards in his first game. When starter Quincy Carter was injured he was named the starter against Kentucky and threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-30 win; he then threw for 400+ more and 2 TDs against Georgia Tech and won his bowl game start. But with Carter and then David Greene, who became one of the program's most celebrated leaders and performers, in front of him, his opportunities were limited; then D.J. Shockley arrived and he dropped another rung in the QB ladder. Not everyone prospers after their eligibility runs out, but Cory's been the kind of guy who makes the program proud. In 2019, the UGA Alumni Association named Cory to their 40 under 40 list of alumni who excel in their early post-UGA careers. Cory now owns and serves as Atlanta-based Senior Settlement Consultant of The Forge Companies, a company that now has eight offices in six different states, including the District of Columbia. He is a regular speaker at legal education seminars on settlement disbursement issues, for which he is a Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC), a designation provided by the National Structured Settlement Trade Association in cooperation with the University of Notre Dame Executive Education Department. He's also on the Advisory Board for the Brain Injury Association of Georgia. Cory and his wife Courtney, a former Gym Dog and national championship team member, now live in Atlanta with their daughter, Aiden, and sons, Cannon and Walker. He comes back to Athens for games and other program-related events, and we're glad to have him back.

Vickery Langley Wealth Management, LLC---Is there something in that name that sounds familiar? "Wealth" is sure outside my own vocabulary. But the "Langley" in that corporate name refers to an old Dawg, Dax Langley, whose punts averaged close to 40 yards and who added 29 points as a placekicker from 1994-1997. In 1996 he even completed a 38-yard pass in his only collegiate attempt, giving him a career QB rating of 419.2. You might recognize those years of service overlapping with those of fellows named Smart and Bobo, and sure enough, they are part of a posse, known to one another as "Mag 7," using group texts and annual gatherings to sustain their close friendship. Dax graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Economics and has gone on to success in the financial world. In 2006 he took a position with Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. From there he moved to Vickery Financial Services, Inc. an SEC Registered Investment Advisor in Athens, GA, where he served as a wealth advisor. Ultimately the company reformed itself as Vickery Langley Wealth Management, with Dax credited as founder and president. His approach, he says, is based on close working relationships with each client—just what you'd expect from a Good Guy. Dax lives in Athens with his wife, Valerie, and their four children, Kate, Charlie, Knox, and Mamie, attending The First United Methodist Church. He's active in the community and still has ties to his alma mater. I'm sure he's got plenty of good advice on how to invest your money, and on how to enjoy a Saturday afternoon in the fall between the hedges.

Sterling Bailey played his high school football at East Hall HS in Gainesville, where he was a huge star. He played himself into a national profile, cumulatively ranked with 3 recruiting stars and listed among the country' top 20 defensive ends. With offers from Clemson, Florida, and other regional schools, and from as far away as Cal, he was named to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was such a phenomenal player that he was eventually elected to East Hall's Hall of Fame and had his number retired. It probably helps to have a father like Kevin Bailey, who expressed public concern during a period when UGA booted the likes of Trey Matthews and Josh Harvey-Clemons off the team, and who gave Sterling a stern comeuppance when he got into early trouble during his career on campus. At UGA Sterling became a solid rotation player, if not a star, while being recognized as a team leader with the Coaches' Leadership Award, which speaks to his role in the locker room and in the classroom, as well as on the field. After completing his History degree and his eligibility in 2015, Sterling went undrafted but found spots on a number of teams, most recently with Arizona. Presently unsigned, he still hopes to catch on with another team, saying, "As long as the love of football is in my heart, I'm still going to continue chasing my dream (of playing pro football). I'm still going to continue to go out there. Whatever God has next for me, that's basically it." God has taken pretty good care of Sterling so far, building the character he'll need to be resilient and persistent, and to reorient himself if his pro football dream never materializes. There are plenty of ex-athletes who don't know what to do with themselves after they hang up the cleats. I'm pretty sure that Sterling's compass will stay true and that we'll see big things of him as the decades unfold.

Micah Morris is a fine young man from Camden County. "Young" in that he only turned 18 in August, 2021. "Fine" in pretty much everything else. Most Dawg fans can cite his measurables: 6'-5", 330 pounds, which apparently is the baseline figure for playing on UGA's OL. How about his 4.3 GPA at Camden County HS in college-core classes, or his 5.025 GPA when the computation included AP and dual-enrollment courses? His high school coach, Bob Sphire, is an admirer: "College football recruiting these days, it's always about the athlete; it's never about the person and the student. Well, let me tell you, Micah is an absolutely wonderful young man, and we couldn't ask for a better representative of our school and our community. There's very few kids that get recruited in today's world that don't have some warts or some black eyes or something. This young man has never been a discipline issue, he's never been full of himself, he's never gotten crossways with an authority or a teacher, he's very coachable, he goes about his business, has a great sense of humor and he's just super smart. All he's ever been is all the things you'd want a kid to be." He can play football too, although he could get into UGA's Honors College even if he were 5'-5" and 130 pounds. He was originally a Sam Pittman guy, but made a smooth transition to Matt Luke and, as they say, all's well that ends well. Micah is looking to major in criminal justice at UGA and then shoot for graduate school, although football may interrupt those plans if he's as good as he appears to be. But let's keep the main thing the main thing: He came to UGA because it provided the best combination of sports and academics. "Eventually football will be over. A degree from whatever college you choose to go to is really what you are going to make your money off of and live off of for the rest of your life. A Georgia degree in the state of Georgia really means a lot; even outside of the state it means a lot." Indeed it does. This guy will ride that diploma as far as he can take it, and no doubt will bring honor to family, university, and country.

Kearis Jackson is a remarkable young man. He can really play football. He was also a freak on the Peach County HS track team, winning the state 3A shot put championship and being named the High Point Champion for Class 3A at the state track meet. Shot put? Not bad for a kid just around 200 pounds who was always the fastest, most agile kid on the football field. That speed was evident when he finished the Nike Opening Regional with a second place finish on 4X100 relay team, third place in the 100 meters, fourth place in the discus, and the ran the anchor leg for the relay team that finished first but got disqualified when Kearis tossed the baton on the ground after completing his leg, which apparently is such an offense that his team's win should be erased from the record book. If it was, it was a rare offense in the life of Kearis Jackson, described by his principal as a better person and student than athlete. His recruiting profile shows how wildly unreliable the gurus can be: PrepStar ranked him as the #251 player nationally, while ESPN had him as the #38 prospect at all positions, with others in between. At UGA he's been a stalwart in the WR room, being among the statistical leaders throughout his career when healthy. His character style points are equally impressive, with Kearis having been named one of three student representatives on the UGA Athletics Board of Directors, as UGA's representative at the SEC Football Leadership Council, and as a team captain for several games. Kearis has his sights set on the NFL while majoring in Management with support from the Vickie & Leon Farmer and Joe B. Maxwell Family Scholarships. Indeed, he's a better person and student than athlete, and has an excellent shot at making a living as a football player. That means he's one heck of a terrific person, one I'm looking forward to following no matter where his path takes him.

Chuck Kinnebrew is a historical figure in SEC sports history, one of a small set of African American student-athletes who broke the color line and played football at a historically white university. He attended recently-integrated West Rome HS and starred in three sports, and then played on UGA's defensive line, being named the team's Meanest Mother in the Trench in 1974, his senior year. He came to Athens as a reluctant warrior, preferring not to pioneer the integration of the program given his experiences with racism when he helped broaden the color spectrum in Rome. Eventually he felt accepted by his teammates, no doubt helped by his extraordinary ability. He might have attended Tennessee, but a heavy-drinking coach offended Chuck's deeply religious father, and he ended up at UGA, where his first contact was team chaplain Rev. Claude McBride. He arrived at UGA to find a KKK presence on the team that required Chuck to draw on his straight-arrow upbringing to endure and overcome. He and his Black teammates found support among themselves, and through relationships developed with local Black business owners. After graduating and toying with the idea of filling the great national void in Black coaches at mostly-white universities, and after earning his master's degree, he took a job supervising a team of 30 in a DuPont textile plant in Athens, a position that launched his career in business. Now with Floor & Decor, he's assumed the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a job developed to address racism in the wake of police shootings of unarmed Black men. Married for over 30 years, he's a proud papa of 3 sons and 5 grandchildren. Now toward the end of his work life, he's a proud UGA graduate, a trailblazing figure in race relations, and a Damn Good Dawg for the ages.

Marcus Washington played his high school ball at Burke County HS, where he was a 4-star linebacker prospect and the nation's #186 overall recruit before signing with Mark Richt and UGA. Accompanying him were his parents and his baby boy, Marcus Jr., bouncing around the weight room and hanging with the players. Marcus originally had no plans for college, given the fact that college wasn't a typical destination for people he knew. But when colleges noticed his ability, they began inviting him to campus and college became a real possibility. So did marriage. It's unusual for a teenager who fathers a child to marry the mother. But Marcus and Selecia, friends since fifth grade, started dating as juniors, and when she herself was a three-sport star at Burke County. They got married in college and have lived happily with son MJ, himself now headed for Sanford Stadium, and daughter Mim. Marcus was a terrific player at UGA, earning 4 letters from 2005-2009. He began as an ILB, then shifted to defensive end, a team-oriented move designed to get the most talent on the field at once as possible. Marcus went undrafted after his college eligibility ran out after 5 years on campus, and tried to catch on without success. Life after football began quickly for Marcus, and it led him back to football. He now coaches back at Burke County HS. He now says, "Coaching is my passion and I love the game and the opportunities that this sport provides for many young men across America. Teaching guys how to maximize their athletic performance is only part of the entire coaching process, I also aim to teach these guys how to become great men after the game ends." Indeed he does. He's also a professional photographer, showing that he's got game in many ways. The future is wide open, and we haven't heard the last from Marcus Washington, Sr.

2022

Chris Smith Let's let Hapeville Charter Academy football coach Winston Gordon introduce one of his favorite people, UGA defensive back Chris Smith: "Chris Smith is a phenomenal person, man. Let's get past the athlete part of it. Chris Smith was a leader in the classroom here, graduated in the top 25 percent of his class, made well over a 1,000 on his SAT. So first off you have to applaud his parents because they did a great job of raising him and his brother T.J. He's a great, great human being, first. I keep telling people that. He never had an inkling to leave the University of Georgia and go anywhere else. Not one time has Chris Smith mentioned that he wanted to leave. Not one time. He cut off his recruitment once he committed to Georgia, and he's stuck with it ever since." His last comment refers to the long route that Chris took to the field, playing behind a number of NFL talents until relatively late in his career, when Rich LeCounte's motorbike accident knocked him out of competition, and Chris stepped in. At such a late point in a career, many reserves have long-since bailed to find a team where the reps are more available. Chris stuck it out, and now has a ring that those transfers can only dream about. Chris is most famous for his bookend interceptions in 2021, and they will go down in Dawg lore for their role in bringing home the trophy. He's also used a Teka and John Adams Football Scholarship to pursue his degree in Management, now entering his fifth season of studies. Nice catch, Chris. It won't be your last.

Steve Greer What would you think of someone once called "pound for pound, the greatest athlete I ever coached" by Vince Dooley, and "the toughest player I ever coached" by Erk Russell? What would you think if you learned that he played on the defensive line, and weighed south of 200 pounds? That guy is Steve Greer, who passed away at age 74 from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, shortly after UGA lost its SEC championship game in 2021, but sadly, before they got sweet revenge in January. Steve came to UGA from Greer HS, in South Carolina, where he was great enough to be named to the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame shortly before his death. That makes sense for someone who was the two-time South Carolina Class AA Lineman of the Year, Most Valuable Player in the S.C.-N.C. Shrine All-Star game, Most Valuable Lineman in the S.C. North-South All-Star Game, and high school All-American. As one obituary said, "A first team All-American and All-SEC performer, Greer was elected the permanent team captain in 1969. That year, he won the Atlanta Touchdown Club award as the Most Valuable Lineman in the Southeast and the Sigma Phi Epsilon Georgia Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award. He was also the recipient of the William K. Jenkins Award as the team's Most Valuable Lineman and Most Outstanding Lineman in the Georgia-Georgia Tech game. After his senior season, Greer earned invitations to the American Bowl and Hula Bowl post season all-star games." Steve was all-Dawg, playing between the hedges and briefly for Toronto in the Canadian Football League, before returning as a grad assistant working on a master's degree while serving on the coaching staff. He took a brief detour to coach defense at Auburn, then returned home in 1979, just in time for that other natty of yore. He remained in Athens till he retired in 2009, coaching the defensive line on the Dooley, Goff, and Donnan staffs and finishing his career as recruiting coordinator, administrative assistant, and Director of Football Operations. His lengthy service to UGA was recognized in 2014 with his induction into the UGA Circle of Honor, a worthy honor for a worthy man.

Tykee Smith Sometimes, those ratings guys really get it wrong. Most Dawg fans would scoff at bringing in a 3-star safety ranked #43 at his position and #526 overall. That's how the experts ranked Tykee Smith coming out of Imhotep HS in Philadelphia, on his way to West Virginia. Once on campus, he made Freshman All American. The next year he was an AP third-team All American. By the time he hit the portal to join UGA, he was considered the nation's top safety prospect. Usually, guys who outperform their ratings are intelligent, committed, and practice warriors, and Tykee fits the description well. His HS coach Devon Johnson described one of his attributes is his memory, considered by many psychologists to be a major factor in intelligence: "I think the biggest thing with him is, his memory is amazing. He can sit here and tell you plays like specific plays and coverages and adjustments we made in games going back to his sophomore year in high school. I mean he remembers exactly. He's like a coach out there on the field. He's special. Like that memory of his is amazing. Without a doubt, the greatest tool he has in his arsenal for being a great player is his mind. It really is something. He just gets it. Just a baller, man. This might sound like I am lying but I really just can't say enough good stuff about him." As a HS junior the team's top RB got injured, and Tykee volunteered to learn the position on the team's drive to the game, and proceeded to, as Coach Johnson said, "run for like 250 yards and five touchdowns to send us to the state finals his junior year. That was one of the truly great and special performances we have had in Imhotep football history. Learning and playing the running back position like that three hours before the game and for him to perform like that was amazing." In his short time at UGA, Tykee has been awarded a Rebecca & Leon Farmer III Scholarship to support this studies, underscoring his "film room junkie" reputation as a guy who studies as hard as he plays. We're all excited to see him leave a legacy behind at UGA, as he's done every place he's been.

Nate McBride Nate McBride came to UGA from Vidalia as a much-hyped linebacker with high-end speed and an anticipation that the nation's #6 ranked ILB was a star in the making. In addition to making every All-Everything team in high school, he won four Class AA championships (4x100, 4x400, 100m, 200m) at the state track meet in 2017. He never quite developed into the playmaker that the gurus imagined, mostly being an important contributor to special teams, playing behind a lot of guys now making NFL money. But he never even thought of leaving: "I love it here. I love the guys here. The coaches are awesome. I believe they're the best coaches in the conference and in the nation. Who better to learn from? I also look past football because I know football doesn't last forever and the connections here that I would get, the networking that I would get would set me up for a great job afterwards and the education here is really good. So that's the biggest reason I've stayed besides being who I'm with." How about that: sticking with a program because he loves it, even without breaking into the lineup. In his farewell statement to the team, he wrote, "I wanna thank UGA, coach Smart, and coach Schu for giving me an opportunity to play the game I love on the highest level of college ball. I have made so many friends and close relationship with my teammates and that will never die out!" Well said by a guy whose hustle made him a fan favorite, even with limited opportunities. On his way to graduation with a Marketing major, Nate earned himself a pair of scholarships awarded in the names of Wallace Butts and Erskine "Erk" Russell. That's some damn good company for this DGD to find himself in, and it won't be his last.

Zamir White Zamir White was a zero star recruit in Shanee White's womb, given little likelihood of surviving infancy. He did, only to end up with a cleft palate at birth and kidney problems and a hernia as a toddler. He was raised in one of the least affluent cities in North Carolina, another factor that typically limits life's potential. He almost died in childhood in a mobile home fire, a tragedy that left his family with few possessions. His father was in jail before he was born, and more or less disappeared from his life. He grew into a five-star football prospect, the best back in his class, by the time he finished high school. By then, he'd blown out one knee, and early in his UGA career, blew out the other. It takes a whale of a person to persevere and work his way back into the prospect he had been before the injuries. That would surely describe the man known as Zeus for his god-like abilities on the field. He's also inspiring off the field, with a history of advocacy for families of children born with craniofacial issues through his work with Extra Special People. His work ethic made him exceptional, as attested to by his coach at Scotland HS (NC), Richard Bailey: “I've never had a kid work harder than him. And he never missed a practice, never missed a workout. I've never heard him complain. It's always great when your best player is your hardest worker." It helps when the player just loves the game, as Zamir confirmed: "Football means everything to me. It's just a safe space for me [where] I can get away from everything I've been through. It's just like therapy for me. I love football." His performances caught a lot of people's attention, including a coach building his program in Athens, a Smart fellow who said, "This is a five-star talent, an unbelievable kid, but he has a 10-star character. He's got this undeniable love for the game and just affection for others that we knew this guy was going to be a special part of our program." His position coach at UGA, Dell McGee, attributed his recovery from surgeries to his mental toughness: "I just think it added to his ability to cope with outside factors. It showed a lot of resiliency. Just that mindset of nothing's too big, I can overcome anything, any obstacle. I think all of that from his childhood growing up helped with those issues that he's overcome." Not too many people from Zamir's background end up with a college degree. Zamir earned his in Housing Management & Policy with the help of a Christian Walker Football Scholarship and a Duckworth-Bickley North Carolina Scholarship, along the making the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll and earning the David Jacobs Award for overcoming injury. "I'm fine the way I am," Zamir said. "I know I'm perfect in God's eyes, and that's all that matters to me." Well said, sir. It matters to a lot of us.

Kent Lawrence After earning all-state honors in football and track at Daniel HS in Central, SC, and playing baseball and basketball on the side, Kent Lawrence played for Vince Dooley's Dawgs from 1965-1968, back when freshmen were ineligible. #24 was an early RBU star. He led the team to its 1966 SEC championship from the backfield, earning Cotton Bowl MVP honors while setting a program bowl rushing record of 149 yards that held up for most of the rest of the century. His great game won him induction into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. He also returned punts and kickoffs for TDs and great field position in an era when fair catches and touchbacks were far less common. He was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2003. But RB and return man were just two of his roles. He also caught a lot of passes from receiver positions. No reports on how much popcorn he sold in the stands. He busied himself in the offseason on the track, where he set the Georgia record of 9.5 seconds in the 100-yard dash and placed second in the SEC freshman track meet with a 9.4-second run. After UGA, Kent played with the Falcons and Eagles, flying high until his retirement. At UGA Kent earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education from UGA, then after he retired from the NFL, a law degree from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. His career took him through a position with the UGA police department, a role as investigator for the Western Circuit District Attorney's Office, and an appointment as the first police chief of the newly formed Clarke County Police Department in 1975. He ultimately was named a judge in Athens-Clarke County, where he presided over State Court from 1985 until his retirement in 2011, Kent was the founder of the county's DUI/Drug Court. Kent passed away in 2020 at age 72, The Georgia Athletic Department established the Judge Kent Lawrence Football Scholarship Endowment to honor him and provide a scholarship for a student-athlete pursuing a degree in criminal justice. He brought plenty of honor to UGA in his adult life, and it's great to see his name live on with an endowed scholarship to help others seek justice in the courts.

Trezman Marshall UGA recruits the crème de la crème of high school talent. Today's Good Guy, Trezman Marshall, was among them. Trezman was a 4-star recruit ranked 7th nationally among inside linebackers coming out of Clinch County High School in the great 2019 Dawg class. Getting onto the field has required a grind through an endless series of injuries requiring three shoulder surgeries and a minor knee surgery since arriving in Athens. It's a discouraging thing to watch games in sweatpants from the sidelines, even as breaking into the NFL-heavy LB corps would have been a challenge had he been healthy. That opening to game snaps is now available, if he can stay healthy. Trezman's mental approach has surely helped him endure being out of action: "I just had to get through that, go to rehab and get treatment, and I'd be OK. In my situation, it's just all about being resilient. As long as you can just fight through everything, whatever you're going through, and just make the best choice for your family and the best choice for you, whatever that is. It's just a blessing regardless to be out here playing for UGA and just going to practice. The injuries, I'm not 100 percent, but I mean, I'm out there every day. That's really what I'm doing, cherishing the whole opportunity of being at UGA. I love UGA. I've been injured a few times, but everybody gets injured." What coach or teammate wouldn't love having a guy like this in the locker room and on the field? Trezman has had outstanding mentoring from Nakobe Dean, whose intelligence, preparation, and technique turned his ability into greatness, and whose leadership and exemplary attitude have carried over beyond his ascendence to the NFL. Trezman's work in the classroom as a Communication Studies earned him a Porter Otis Payne Football Scholarship; if the injuries compromise his body, he'll have his mind to carry him on. This is a guy who never gave up, never considered the portal, always learned from the players ahead of him and followed their lofty example. He'll be fine, football or not.

Nate Taylor What would you think of an undersized player with a single scholarship offer coming out of a Georgia high school? And if that offer were from a small JUCO out west? And if that player led his team to a national championship? No, not Stetson Bennett. Nate Taylor, who played at UGA from 1979-1982, had little chance of being a Division 1 football player. He tipped the scales at 195 pounds, hung on a 5'-10" frame. He scorched a 40 yard dash in . . . 5.2 seconds, which would have made him the slowest DL on last year's team behind a bunch of 300+ lb. sun-blockers. Nate spurned his offer from the College of the Canyons to walk on at UGA, the Tift County HS graduate's beloved home state university. Within a year, he was on scholarship and starting at linebacker, much to the delight of Vince Dooley, who called him "the biggest surprise of my coaching career." The Tifton Termite, as Larry Munson nicknamed him, chewed his way through a lot of offenses, who were also no doubt taken by surprise by the wee 4-year starter who averaged nearly 100 tackles a season. According to one account from the era, Nate "was fierce, tough and relentless playing linebacker . . . and one of three former walk-ons . . . to start for the national champions." In 2017 he was named to the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame's 4th class of inductees. Not bad for a guy that nobody thought should even be out there, and who helped UGA win its last national championship before last year's team broke the streak.

Verron Haynes Verron Haynes joins the list of walkons who earned glory between the hedges. After transferring to UGA from Western Kentucky in 1998, he rose from obscurity to be the hero in one of the most celebrated plays in program history, his TD catch against #6 Tennessee that produced Larry Munson's famed "hobnail boot" call. If you've come to the UGA party late, that play ended a painful, long period of Tennessee dominance and helped Mark Richt establish his regime as a SEC power. UGA hadn't won in Knoxville in 21 years; now they own the place, and it began with that play. But Verron's start under Jim Donnan was a slow, hard climb, paralleling his itinerant life that moved him from Trinidad to the Bronx to Mt. Vernon (NY) to Georgia. He had never played football before enrolling at North Springs HS in Atlanta, where he hoped to play basketball. He overcame his initial failures to become a starter at RB and LB, then signed with Western Kentucky, where he played with QB Willie Taggart and was coached by Jack Harbaugh. Once he understood his potential, he decided to walk on at UGA. His first two years he played on special teams and blocked, roles that don't predict the NFL Super Bowl player he became. He moved from fullback to tailback as a senior after injuries sidelined Musa Smith and Jasper Sanks got in Mark Richt's doghouse, and became a team captain and an NFL prospect. How did he develop from barely-recruited fullback to a fifth-round draft pick by Pittsburgh and 8-year NFL back? "Some people say luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Nothing had changed in my mind. Honestly, I was just always preparing myself. I was the guy doing sit-ups and pushups in the corner of a room during a house party. I was always up early in the morning, running by myself. I was the guy just waiting for my opportunity. And lo and behold, that opportunity came. I had no idea when my opportunity would come, if it was to ever come. But I was always prepared for that opportunity." As he did at UGA, Verron came up the hard way, starting on special teams before moving to the RB room in Pittsburgh. Since retiring, the finance major has also done quite well as a real estate developer, earning enough to start the Verron Haynes Foundation, which gives back to underprivileged kids and promotes breast cancer awareness, while feeding the homeless and granting college scholarships. Verron was always a scrapper, exceeding expectations at every stop and leaving every place better than how he found it. We're proud to count him among UGA alums.

Dominick Blaylock Dominick Blaylock arrived in Athens from Walton HS as a can't miss prospect, and started his career like a house afire. A wide receiver with NBA bloodlines, he was a superb athlete with a good head on his shoulders. But can't-miss soon became Missing in Action as a series of injuries kept him off the field. Dom has blown out his left ACL twice, a devastating sequence that would leave most people limping off to find a way to spend their time other than engaging in collisions. It takes a special mindset to rehab, especially when prior rehabs have been followed by additional painful injuries and more painful rehab. But Kirby Smart has found his dedication to be impressive: "Dominick has done an incredible job in rehab. He's worked really hard. It's been a tough year for him when you think about what he's been through. He fought all the way back, he re-tears the same ACL and now it's over a year from the time he tore it. It's been 12 months. He's gaining confidence in it. Like today, he was out there running routes. He actually went out with the scout team and did everything against the defense so we could get an even better look against a good wide out over there." What does a former 4-5 star recruit do while working his way back from injuries? "One of my big roles on the team last year, most people probably don't like being on scout but I would go on scout team last year and go have fun down there. I'd try to give [the defense] the best look to help them see what they're going to expect in the national championship or before the Michigan game. I just tried to play a big role in scout team and help the defense." The Consumer Journalism major has earned a Vernon and Patricia Brinson Family Football Scholarship to support his studies, showing that his mental preparation in football has a correlate in the classroom. It doesn't seem to matter which field of play you pick, this guy is a winner.

A.J. Green Somerville, SC native A.J. Green remains among the most electrifying talents to come through Athens. He built on what he developed at UGA to become one of the most feared wide receivers in the NFL, a sure-fire Hall of Famer who not only catches passes, but catches them in and over traffic in highlight-reel fashion. He's also become a heroic supporter of people less fortunate them himself. He was able to play his way out of his rural upbringing to become a wealthy, famous superstar. Plenty of others from his background, but lacking the ticket out, struggle with life's challenges. A.J. has been a consistent supporter of academic opportunities, to the point where he was presented with UGA's 2017 Young Alumni Award for his generosity and public spirit. He has endowed the A.J. Green Family Football Scholarship, presented to a member of the football team who conducts himself “in an outstanding manner in the classroom as an honor student, on the playing field, in the community, and who also demonstrates a commitment to the university and its football program." He has also endowed the A.J. Green Family Scholarships, awarded to fund at least two UGA students who demonstrate financial need, with preference given to honor students from his home state of South Carolina, and second preference to Atlanta metro students. He was inspired by his middle school football and basketball coach, Louis Mulkey, of whom he said, "His big thing was helping kids realize their full potential. He pushed me every day to become the best I could be, on and off the field. Having the opportunity to pay the way for [students] who otherwise couldn't is a great way for me to help them realize their potential. That was very important to me. My time at UGA is still close to my heart. It was definitely important for me to give back while I'm still playing professionally and I'm fortunate that we are able to do that." A.J. further donates to many nonprofits that build youth community centers and scholarship funds for teenagers in his hometown, where he also has invested in academic and athletic resources for his alma mater, and contributes time and money to the A.J. Green Skills Camp, a football camp for high school students in Summerville. His football highlight reel is breathtaking. His community service highlight reel is just as impressive. We're lucky to have had him in Athens, and fortunate that he shows his appreciation in ways that benefit so many others.

Kamari Lassiter Kirby Smith is an old defensive back who recruits great defensive backs and turns them into NFL players. If he speaks admirably about a member of his secondary, you'd be wise to pay attention. Here's his view from last season of then-freshman Dawg DB Kamari Lassiter, recruited out of American Christian Academy program in Tuscaloosa: "Kamari Lassiter . . . has really been a surprise highlight of [fall] camp. He's intentional. He's smart. He cares about special teams. He learns the first time you tell him. Just another evidence that if you go get smart students that can run, they can play." Kamari was a major prospect, a 4-star ranked #18 among national cornerbacks, in the 2021 class. His high school coach Chris Smelley loved him: "One of the things about Kamari is just the way that he competes in everything he does. He's a super competitive kid and so he's not going to miss workouts. When he's in the weight room, he's challenging guys around him. The other thing is the football IQ he brings to the table. He's a 4.0 honor student [taking AP courses] who does really well in the classroom and that translates right over to the football field. He can see things and he's able to use his brain as a way to give him an extra advantage out there in the middle of the game." Kamari explained how an Alabama kid ended up in Athens: "In my heart, I am a Georgia boy. I am from Savannah in Georgia. All my family was rooting for me to go to Georgia in the first place. I take a lot of pride in what I do as a profession. So I am going to take a lot of pride in whatever it takes to play for Georgia. I am going to work my tail off and make sure I make my family proud and my home state proud." Kamari, early in his studies, has been awarded a James E. Farish Football Scholarship, with a biochemical engineering major likely. There's a lot to look forward to in this young man's career and life, and he's got the tools and mental makeup to make the most of his opportunities. He's no longer a surprise to anyone, and is destined to be a leader on and off the field.

Kim Braswell Kim Braswell (UGA 1969-72) was one of the last placekickers to boot the ball straight, rather than soccer-style. The Avondale High School student-athlete was an extraordinary star at the high school level, earning All-State honors in football and baseball and also starring for the school's basketball team. As a HS kicker, he set and held the national prep record for most consecutive extra points with 134, a mark that held up for nearly 4 decades. In HS he made the Sports Illustrated "Faces in the Crowd" feature that highlights lesser-known athletes: Kim Braswell, 17 of Decatur, Ga., a 165-pound senior place-kicker and first-string halfback at Avondale High School, kicked his 129th consecutive extra point, a season-to-season string begun in his freshman year. He also has kicked a 43-yard field goal. He was a big national recruit before recruiting was a national obsession, with Bear Bryant, Ara Parseghian, Shug Jordan, Bobby Dodd, and others begging for his enrollment before he committed to Vince Dooley and the Dawgs. That's all pretty good, but what he overcame to do it was epic. Kim was not only deaf, he was diabetic and relied on insulin injections to maintain his equilibrium. At UGA, he occupied the football offseason by pitching for the baseball team. After graduating from UGA, he went on to coach almost four decades in Georgia high schools, most recently in Morgan County. There's a terrific feature on him that I'll simply link rather than summarize. Give it a read and see how this great Dawg continues to live the good and humble life in service of others.

Jonah Guinn A college football team is large and complex. Most of the glory goes to the scholarship players who are in the Saturday spotlight. But they don't get that good all by themselves. There are guys playing their hearts out without scholarships who make great contributions. Jonah Guinn is one of those guys. He was a scout team stalwart at UGA, and essential to game week preparations. For his efforts he was twice named the Outstanding Special Teams Scout Player of the Year by Mark Richt. Jonah started his college education at Reinhardt University, playing on their football team in 2012 before moving on to Georgia Gwinnett College to knock off some core course requirements. He transferred to finish his UGA degree from 2014-2016, earning it in Human Development and Family Studies with a 3.0 GPA. While at UGA he devoted over 200 hours to Extra Special People and the Special Olympics, stating that "My goal is to gain as much knowledge and experience in a camp-like setting as I possibly can. I am particularly interested in working with middle school and high school students. I consider myself to be dependable in leading those around me in a positive way. I believe it is imperative to lead by example for the younger generations. My long-term career goal is to one day run a camp of my own." He cultivated those interests at UGA with 2 appointments to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll, and also participated in the End It Movement at UGA. People who talk about UGA football typically focus on NFL prospects and Big Money. Jonah shows that there's more to football than Saturday Glory. A lot of young people will benefit from the lessons he's taking from the program and applying them to life beyond the gridiron.

MJ Sherman came in as a 5-star prospect out of Baltimore by way of St. John's College HS in Washington, DC. He was a sure thing, the next Big Thing. He hasn't quite lit up the field the way many people expected. But he's lit up the team with his attitude and team spirit. MJ has mostly been a special teams player, having a hard time playing past the other studly OLBs on the depth chart. But he's a special guy as well as bring a special teams warrior. Coach Smart said that "He's a great kid who does a tremendous job for us. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever been around. He has grown up a lot since he's been here. Really enjoyed his recruitment. He grew up living with his sister and his mom, and (I) got to know them through recruiting. Just a great family and a joy to coach." His father, Varney Sherman, is a Harvard grad and lawyer who returned to Africa as a senator for Grand Cape Mount in Liberia, separating the family. But MJ and his dad have grown closer over time. He says, "The main lesson that I've taken from him goes back to one our core traits that we have right now [at UGA]: resiliency." MJ hasn't found special teams to be a demotion. Rather, he says, "I take it very seriously. Every day we try to fight for opportunities to show that we're capable of doing what we've got to do on the field. So, just as seriously as you take your 9-5 job, that is how seriously I take my special-teams jobs. Basically, I take a lot of pride in fulfilling my job helping the team win. I feel like I try to do that every week." He expects no special treatment based on his HS accolades: "One thing about prayer that always works, if you call on God, he will (answer) one side of the prayer for you, but you've got to do the other side. He's going to work his magic, but you've got to work yours. . . . So, basically, my simple analogy is that God will place a door in front of you, but it's your job to twist the knob and open it. And that's what I've been trying to do." To Coach Smart, MJ "wants to practice hard. He understands discipline and toughness. He's a great culture guy for our program because he sells out on special teams and just does a great job." Kirby has built a culture in this program that values every contribution from every player. And the inevitable result is that everyone comes out a winner in the end.

2023

Devin Willock was the sort of player I always admire. He came out of high school undervalued by just about everyone. His 247 rank was 3 stars, 908 player in the nation, 70th best offensive tackle, #22 player in NJ. He had 2 SEC offers, a few ACC scholarships, a handful of offers from the Big 10, and scholarships to a lot of lesser programs from the East Coast. He came in as one of the lowest-ranked recruits of the Kirby Smart era, and made the OG rotation by his sophomore year, ahead of a lot of players with much bigger incoming reputations. Devin's mindset helps explain how he surpassed so many people's expectations: "I have the size to be an NFL-caliber talent, but I am going to make sure the reason I make the NFL is my work ethic. Not my size." Upon his shocking death right after the championship celebration, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, "Devin was an outstanding young man in every way. He was always smiling, was a great teammate and a joy to coach." Said his high school coach at Paramus Catholic, John Whitehead, "He was all into Georgia. Oh my god was he all into Georgia. He was on the honor roll at Georgia. Again. He gets all A's. He was on the 'Principal's List' [the school's highest track] every quarter. Took all AP classes. Took all honors classes. He got A's in everything." The poignant story of his kindness toward a young fan hours before he died shows that his big heart extended to those from outside the football program. To Nolan Smith, Devin was "a kid that never did anything wrong. He was one of my teammates that I can count on the most. He worked hard and never did anything wrong. Never was late. Never. Not even since the first day he showed up." It's worth quoting his high school coach again: "I've coached for almost 40 years, man. I've never had a kid like this. Before. Or after. And I never will. Never. He was literally the perfect kid, man. That's how odd this whole thing is. He was a perfect kid. He was always walking in the hallways with his books and his notebooks. He didn't run with the crowd. He kind of kept to himself because he didn't hang out." What a loss to the world. We'll miss you Devin. Rest in peace.
This profile borrows heavily from Jeff Sentell's piece on Devin shortly after his death.

Roland "Champ" Bailey came to UGA from Folkston, Georgia's Charlton County HS, down near Okefenokee Swamp. Even growing up amidst gators, he came to Athens to be a Bulldog. In HS Champ played football, basketball, and track, demonstrating the athleticism and speed that made him into an All American between the hedges. Although he graduated from CCHS in 1996, he still owns the school record book, remaining as the school's leader in season rushing yards (1,858), season rushing touchdowns (28), season scoring (180), single-game rushing (417 yards), and single-game rushing touchdowns (tied). As you might recall, he also played defense, taken as the #7 overall player in the 1999 draft and eventually making 12 Pro Bowls, the most ever for a cornerback; being a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer; and being considered the top cornerback of his era and one of the greatest ever. His personal qualities of diligent leadership enabled him to take his athleticism and turn it into a historically great career. Since leaving the NFL in 2013, Champ founded Bailey Companies & Investments, Inc., a family business led by Bailey and made up of his cousins and siblings, with investments in a variety of industries. Said Champ, "I love building a business from scratch and working together as a team. I'm always trying to figure out where I can add value, whether it be in real estate, early-stage start-ups or helping guys be smarter with their money." A great teammate in football, Champ continues to emphasize teamwork as an entrepreneur, adding value wherever he goes and continuing to be a great guy representing his alma mater in the business world.

"Marcus kind of led the whole charge. He got everybody together, and we all kind of spiraled together and the message was, 'It's time to wake up.' There was no more stalling, no more excuses. Basically, it was, we have to have it now." And led by Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, whose name has baffled many a broadcaster, the Dawgs came back from a 14-point deficit to beat Ohio State in the 2023 Peach Bowl. The Pompano Beach native has done that a lot for UGA. Marcus distinguished himself at St. Thomas Aquinas HS, rated in the top 5 or 10 WRs nationally according to every service. At UGA he has not put up flashy stats, like most people in a rotation in which the ball gets ample distribution. But his contributions weren't all about the receptions. Marcus is a ferocious and eager blocker, clearing space on the perimeter for backs clearing the edge and receivers designated for the catch and needing blocks to spring a long gainer. But he's made some big catches too. His first TD came against Florida his freshman year on a play when he injured his ankle and spent the rest of the season in rehab. Injuries the next two season put two of his WR brothers on the bench, and with Pickens and Mitchell watching, Marcus got the job done in every facet of the game. Reports from the summer between the championship seasons described his coaching and mentoring of younger Dawgs, the sort of leadership that Kirby Smart needs among his players. The business major earned himself an Aubrey Cecil Rhodes Sr. Football Scholarship to support his studies, showing leadership and achievement off the field as well. Marcus hasn't rewritten the record book, but he's done a lot more than stats can measure. If you're looking for connection, then you need some glue. That's a quality that not every star player has, and that every team needs. Marcus has been a team leader, and will continue to do so in football and beyond.

What would you think of a cornerback with measurables of 5'-8", 165 pounds? How about a stick of dynamite that size? That would be Glenn Ford coming out of Columbus-Carver HS in 1994, where he earned All American honors playing above his weight. Jim Donnan brought him to Athens on a scholarship, where he lettered for four years and started for three, often lining up alongside safety Kirby Smart. At UGA Ford completed two undergraduate degrees, in Consumer Economics and Housing Development. After graduating he had a shot at playing in the NFL, but injuries led to his retirement and redirection. That direction was coaching and teaching the game, including stints with the Washington Redskins [now Commanders] and Cleveland Browns, aided by his participation in the Bill Walsh Diversity Program. Returning to the Atlanta area, Glenn founded and became CEO of DareU Academy in Atlanta, which specializes in developing young football talent at all positions. DareU seeks to "train and expand the minds of every young person who has the dreams of going to college, and we will develop a game plan to get them towards their aspirations," Ford says. "We have set our sights high and are changing lives. We are so inspired by the courage, hard work, and the determination of our kids that it drives us to take our organization to new heights in support of them." His students have included a number of young men who have taken their talents to Athens, all shaped and advanced through Glenn's tutelage. He's become a highly respected authority among college coaches who rely on his recommendations, and has been considered for assistant coach openings at UGA based on the quality of his work with high school players. Glenn was an asset to UGA, and he is now an important figure in the lives of a lot of young men, whether they play college football or not. Keep it up, big fella. Your inspiration has provided the role model for a lot of young people whose lives have been enriched by your example.

The legend of Stetson Bennett has been told so many times I don't need to repeat the narrative here. His football heroics have been so well chronicled that they have been committed to heart by the Bulldog Nation. What I think matters here are the qualities that enabled this consummate underdog to rise to become the greatest quarterback, and to some the greatest player, in UGA football history. Throughout his time in the program, people doubted him. As a walkon he had to earn his teammates' respect, most famously as a scout team quarterback who tore up the starters in game preparations. He had some in-house boosters, particularly Richard LeCounte, who had been burned by Stetson in high school games and knew how good he was, and how big a heart he has. After returning from a year in JC, this time on scholarship, Stetson was viewed as a safety valve, not a candidate for the starting job, by everyone, including the coaches. But he kept showing out in practices, where jobs are won in Kirby Smart's program, and was the guy who took the field when JT Daniels got injured. Not all fans were pleased; they wanted the blue chippers from the recruiting wars to run the team, not the undersized, undervalued Bennett. But he believed in himself, and had a team full of believers and supporters. By his senior year, there were still fans who doubted him, and a host of media observers who just couldn't accept him as a legitimate QB, much less a Heisman finalist. And he kept playing past their doubts and assumptions, all the way to a second National Championship, where along the way he outplayed QBs who had come out of high school with stars galore. A lot of people out there still underrate him. But those of us who learned to appreciate his talent and moxie know better. Stetson is an inspiration to all of us to outperform our expectations and take our game to another level. Thanks for the example, big guy. You are a better man than any of your detractors.

Richard Tardits is among the most unique players ever to strap on the red helmet with the power G. In 1985 the kid from Biarritz, France was visiting family in Augusta and decided to walk on to the UGA football team as an exchange student, taking his first-ever footstep on a football field. By spring of his freshman year he was on scholarship, ultimately being the namesake for the "Biarritz Blitz" and "Le Sack." During his time in Athens, he set the school sack record while only starting seven games in his career, his senior year in which he was named All-SEC. His preparation for football came in rugby, where he was a French junior national rugby team member and a participant in the Running of the Bulls at Pamplona, Spain. He had a future in both sports, playing in the NFL and ultimately in a series of rugby leagues. While still an NFL player, he stayed in touch with his roots, sponsoring a semipro football team in Biarritz and helping the Mystic River Rugby Club in Massachusetts reach the national finals. Like the high-motor player who eventually broke his sack record, David Pollack, Tardis was known as a relentless defender bent on getting to the quarterback. After graduating with two degrees, Richard was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 5th round of the 1989 NFL draft, playing four seasons with Arizona and New England. He then headed off to Hong Kong to play professional rugby, and ultimately helped the US team win the Rugby World Cup in 1999, one of six seasons he played on the squad. He most recently is France's American football expert. Richard is a great example of how a mix of talent and fierce mental preparation can produce outstanding results. We could all use his example to maximize our potential and make the most of life. No matter what the sport or endeavor, we had a winner in Richard Tardits.

Horace King is a true pioneer. His narrative tells the story of coming out of segregated Burney-Harris High School in Athens, and then the new Clarke Central HS, fashioned from a merger between BHHS and Athens HS. Going to school with white kids who'd never been around African Americans could be a stressful and hostile experience. The integration of the sports teams at Clarke Central resembled the racial tensions in the film Remember the Titans, depicting the same era in recently-integrated Virginia schools. Horace and four classmates broke the color line at UGA in 1971. Horace played running back for the Dawgs, ultimately selected in the 1975 draft by the Detroit Lions, for whom he played from 1975-1983 and led the team in rushing in 1977. Said fellow integrationist Richard Appleby, "I never thought of [playing at Georgia] because everything was black and white." That changed with their arrival on campus, a shift that according to Coach Dooley was enabled by the beginning of integration in the schools. Horace expressed his concerns to Dooley prior to committing, later saying, "[Dooley's] words to me one time was he wouldn't treat me any different than he would treat his own kid. How could I go wrong with that?" A few things did go wrong on a campus where many students resisted integration. King described a hangman noose and a Confederate flag among his first encounters with hostility on campus. Yet he became the consummate team player, setting any indignities aside when it came to his assignments on the field. Horace endured a lot to pave the way for integration in Georgia schools and universities, and did so with honor and grace. His example remains inspiring and consequential. That's something we can all appreciate and try to emulate in our own lives.

Lamont Gaillard was a highly regarded defensive lineman and Under Armour All-American out of Fayetteville, NC, among many honors and recognitions. Lamont signed with the Bulldogs in 2014. He spent his first year as a redshirt and scout team member, during which he made a significant move to the offensive line. He began as a guard, starting for part of his RS-F season and all of his second season. For his junior year he moved once again, this time settling in at the center position, playing well enough to be invited to the 2019 East-West Shrine game. Lamont made the most of the education afforded by a football scholarship. He graduated on time with a major in Sociology, a challenge for young men balancing the rigors of a sport with the demands of the classroom. His studies were impressive enough for him to receive financial support beyond his scholarship allowance through a Quinton Lumpkin Football Scholarship, with his academic work recognized by his appointment to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll. He was also a tireless competitor on the practice field, earning a host of program awards: the Offensive Up Front Award, the Own the Trenches Award, and the team's Most Improved Offensive Player Award. His dedication and performance earned him a shot at the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the sixth round, using the pick acquired in the unusual trade of the rights to head coach Bruce Arians from Tampa Bay. His professional career has been spent on the margins of competition, mainly playing to replace an injured starter. He took a leave of absence when his daughter was born, then was released the next year, to be picked up on waivers by Cincinnati, where he largely moved between the waiver list and the practice squad. Showing remarkable perseverance, Lamont was signed in late 2022 to the Miami Dolphins practice squad before being released just before the playoffs. Lamont may never set the NFL on fire. But he's shown that he can work through a challenge and work toward his goals. Regardless of what he does next, he'll do it well, on or off the field.

Dominick Sanders wasn't the sort of hotshot recruit we've grown accustomed to at UGA. At Tucker HS, he was a medium-grade prospect, in spite of being named Atlanta Journal Constitution 2013 Class AAAAA All-Metro Honorable Mention and Georgia Sports Writers Association 2013 Class AAAAA First Team All-State Defense. Tucker went unbeaten in his senior year in a tough league, losing only in the state finals to Creekside HS. The recruiting gurus weren't impressed, making him a consensus 3-star recruit, perhaps diminished in recognition because some saw him as a WR, some as a cornerback, some as a safety, some as the amorphous ATH. But ESPN's #115 overall prospect in Georgia and 247's #545 player nationally impressed defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt enough to earn a scholarship to the home state school as a safety, where he arrived with low expectations from the fans. But there was Sanders, starting in the opening game as a freshman. Said Coach Richt during his freshman year, "He's very conscientious, and he practices with a purpose. He's kind of a no-nonsense guy and is very teachable. He's had his rough days out there, but what Coach Pruitt likes about him is how he goes about his business every day. If he's making a mistake, he's making it full speed." He learned plenty, ultimately setting the UGA record for career interceptions with 16 and most career interception return yards with 381, and playing his way to the Watch Lists for the 2016 Bednarik Award Watch List, Raycom Jim Thorpe Award, and Senior Bowl. His 54 career starts set the program record for most in history by a non-kicker. Dominick was a highly respected member of the team, being named UGA Newcomer of the Year Award as a freshman, and later earning the Leon Farmer Award and Coaches' Leadership Award. His studious approach to football mirrored what he did in the classroom as a kinesiology major, where he supported his studies with multiple Teka and John Adams Football Scholarships. In spite of this success, he came out of UGA again underrated, going undrafted due to his lack of elite speed. "Bouncing from tryout to tryout," he said, "I wanted to keep going and to know there is a lot of football left to be played, whether it be IFL, NFL, XFL or CFL. Whatever door opens, take that opportunity." That door opened wide for Dominick with the Spokane Shock of the Indoor Football League, his current home. His next opportunity, he hopes, will launch a career in coaching. A guy with his work ethic and resilience, a guy whose lack of measurables required him to excel at mental preparation, will make an outstanding addition to any program. He's a name to watch once he hangs up the cleats and picks up the whistle to teach young men how to play the game right.

Scott Cochran came to UGA as a decorated strength-and-conditioning coach seeking to advance in the coaching ranks with an on-field assignment. The New Orleans native caught on with LSU as a graduate assistant in 2001, became their assistant strength-and-conditioning coach in 2003, held the same position with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA in 2004, and then become the head strength-and-conditioning coach at Alabama from 2007-2019, where he was a tremendous program asset. At Alabama he earned the admiration of Kirby Smart, who brought him to UGA in 2020, this time as an on-field coach running the special teams. Wherever he's been and whatever his assignment has been, Scott has been known as a ball of fire, a passionate and animated warrior who demands the most out of his players. He was called the heart and soul of the Alabama program, and was the object of a 60 Minutes feature while in Tuscaloosa. Scott's effects on his players extended beyond the weight room and practice field, according to Jamaree Salyer: "[His] energy, I'm telling you, it's every day. Forget the practice field. In the hallway, he's energetic. You hear that voice, and it just cracks me up. Where you can find something wrong with a situation, he is going to find a way to get that extra 1% from you." But along the way, Scott developed a problem with alcohol. In 2021 he stepped away from the program for what were called health and personal reasons. He came back clean and sober, using July 4th as his point of recovery. I admire people who can put alcohol dependence behind them. As they say, it's one day at a time for the rest of your life. That takes extraordinary discipline and commitment every day. I'm sure the rest of the staff is looking out for him and helping him maintain his sobriety. But Scott's the one doing the work. Good guys make mistakes, and do something about them. Scott Cochran has been a champion throughout his adult life. Let's stay behind him as he continues to conquer his greatest challenge.

Warren McLendon is a family legacy Georgia Bulldog. Uncle Willie McClendon was a stellar running back between the hedges, and his cousin Bryan "B-Mac" was a terrific WR, now back on staff and considered a head coach candidate down the road. Warren came to UGA from Brunswick with a four-star rating, the #20 OT and 227th prospect overall. Warren was a 280-pound HS player, and ended up at 300, relatively light for both the SEC and the Great Wall of Georgia. But he used his intelligence and commitment to improve to play past more mountainous competitors to hold down the right tackle position for his final three years at UGA. Incredibly, in his career Warren gave up a total of 2 sacks, both in his sophomore year. He never feared the competition, serving as a mentor to younger players, particularly the gargantuan Amarius Mims. That disposition was part of his effort to bond with everyone in the OL room and make the team better by making every individual better. Said Mims, "He's the most technically sound offensive tackle I've ever met in my life. I learn so much from him. I may be bigger than him, but I watch his game more than anybody I know. I ask him for tips, like what can I do to get better. Sit down in the film room together. I've modeled my game after him more. Like that big brother role." Tate Raledge, the guard lining up next to Warren, was unabashed in his admiration, saying, "Warren is a great leader. He doesn't show it as much vocally out in front of everybody but behind the scenes he's really a vocal leader trying to help everybody." Warren never took anything for granted. He said, "My parents have always been there in my ear telling me, you know you haven't made it yet. Whether this stuff has happened yet or not you still have to keep going and keep pushing. All my coaches have instilled into me that no matter what's going on, you can always get better." These lessons paid off in the classroom as well, with Warren taking a major in Sport Management supported by a Joseph S. Espy Football Scholarship and a Doug and Diane Magnus Football Scholarship. Warren's championship celebration ended with the car crash that took the lives of Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy, fortunately sparing him through his use of a seatbelt. But it was a horrific event that undoubtedly will follow him through life. That's a sobering way to leave behind his beloved University of Georgia, and no doubt will motivate him to stay focused on what's important in life. We could all benefit from more of that in our lives.

Jamon Dumas-Johnson was one of those Covid-era athletes whose senior season at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore was eliminated during the shutdown. He was nonetheless among those featured on the HBO documentary The Cost of Winning. 247 rated him as the nation's #198 recruit overall and #22 linebacker with Day 3 draft potential. No doubt those ratings have since been revised. As a freshman, #10 was the first LB on the field following the three upper classmen who went early in the NFL draft after the season, and fans were wondering, Who is this guy? He was everywhere, known as "Pop" based on a childhood nickname bestowed by his mother, but a name easily adapted to the way he plays football. His freshman season, Nolan Smith said, "Every time he's out there, you actually see a pop. Literally he goes in there for two plays, he gets the ball out. He went in for three plays against UAB. He caught a pick-six, ran it back. He gets forced fumbles and sacks within seconds. I love him." Another elder statesman, Chris Smith, noted that even as a freshman on a historically great defense, "He probably gets the most shots on ball than probably anybody, I want to say. Like I say, he wants that ball no matter what. He's keeping that in my mind. To see a guy that young, have that kind of mindset about the ball, the ball, it's definitely exciting to see." By his sophomore year Jamon was established as the main man in the linebacker corps, ultimately being named a Butkus Award finalist ahead of the 21 guys ranked ahead of him in his graduating class. He got this notice without the raging statistics that often drive player evaluations, instead gaining distinction for quarterbacking a ferocious defense and being the primary communicator. That ability to coordinate 11 men into a unit led him to say, "It's a lot of communication [that] goes on, because teams know that if you line straight-up it ain't gonna be good for them. So they try to get us to communicate, motion out, motion in. Just try to see if we can communicate." The orchestrator of a sophisticated defense needs to be intelligent and prepared as well as athletic. What Jamon packs between his ears has plenty of Pop. He is pursuing a Public Health major with support from a William J. MacKenna Football Scholarship. No doubt his work in public health will have to wait while he completes his football career. He's got all the tools to make it work, no matter where he goes.

The news that Sedrick Van Pran would return for the 2023 season was great news for the Dawg Nation. The New Orleans native, after a redshirt freshman season while Trey Hill manned the center position, has now anchored the offensive line for three seasons. He now serves as an important leader in the locker room and throughout the program, as he did in high school as a four-year starter and three-year team captain. The quality of the line has gotten recognition from the Joe Moore Award committee, although not as much as they've earned; and the center position is the quarterback of the front five. Sedrick's performance on and off the field led to his being named the youngest of the four permanent captains for the 2022 national champions, along with Nolan Smith, Chris Smith, and Stetson Bennett. Sedrick's self-evaluation led him to say that "I would like to think I'm pretty good at communicating and changing things based on my football intelligence. I think Coach Monken and Stetson, they trust me enough to give me the freedom to see certain things and go from there. I think I do a pretty good job." Indeed he does, and the results in the box score bear him out. The players are talented, but that's never enough, as Sedrick explained: "All the work that we put in, I feel like it really paid off during the [2022] season. To be a part of one of the only offensive lines ever give up 9.0 sacks in 15 games, it was truly a blessing. We really appreciate all the work people put in and we were able to do something historic." His leadership skills have increased in importance as his seniority has grown. As he put it, "My biggest thing is can I lead my guys, if I'm being honest. Just making sure I put everyone in a good position around me to win, to excel in their position. I'm really not focused on myself." That team orientation matters in a system where the internal competition for snaps is fierce and, in some cases, can undermine the cohesion so valued by Coach Smart. Leaders matter, and Sedrick has advanced from one who leads by example to the guy his teammates listen to when he speaks. Said Stetson Bennett in 2022, "I think Sed is doing a great job stepping up and leading. We talk a ton about protections and watch film together. Making sure me and him are on the same page. That's how it's gotta be and I think he's doing a great job." Jamaree Salyer was one of his models, as Sedrick said: "I probably talk to Jamaree the most about these things. His biggest thing is being more vocal. When you say things, people respect it. So just be more vocal. That's the No. 1 thing I'm trying to work on for myself, is making sure I'm always leading by example but also being more vocal." Sedrick's leadership qualities led him to be named a team media representative for the SEC Media Days in 2022, a position of respect and honor to accompany his achievements on the field. The Art major has earned a Dr. and Mrs. Howard Williams III Football Scholarship to support his studies, although he's got work to do on the gridiron before he puts it to use. His talent, intelligence, and leadership will take him far.

Aulden Bynum was a low-ranked lineman coming out of Valdosta's Valwood School in 2013, the #42 tackle in his class, #51 player in Georgia, and #558 player nationally, in spite of being the best player on an unbeaten team his senior season. At UGA he redshirted, then gradually worked his way onto the field, starting a handful of games during his UGA career, mostly as a blocking tight end. Of the position switch that required on-the-job training, the team-oriented lineman said, "I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help out." He took advantage of his studies, earning four Crosswy-Mackey Families Football Scholarships as an Agriculture and Applied Economics major, awarded his degree on time in 2017. He also found time to do a lot of good-works volunteering, helping with youth development at Camp Sunshine with children with cancer, with the kids at Extra Special People, with disadvantaged youth in the Devoted 2 Youth Quail Hunt, with the Eagle Scout Project of the Boy Scouts helping out homeless people, and as a mission Team member of the First United Methodist Church of Valdosta to . . . . the badlands of the Bahamas. His football prospects ended with his final game at UGA, opening the door to other possibilities. He advanced through a series of positions, including sales rep positions with Atlanta-area companies specializing in medical equipment, including Lima Corporate, HipXpert, Artelon, and MicroPort Orthopedics. Since 2018 Aulden has used his business acumen to own and lead AMB Medical, Inc., a Smyrna-based company that sells medical, dental, and hospital equipment, and that supplies merchant wholesalers with medical merchandise. Aulden's a great example of how a football scholarship can open doors for the vast majority of athletes who don't go pro. Football requires discipline and intelligence, and is often a major character-building experience for those who take its lessons to heart. I expect to see Aulden continue to become prominent in the world of medical supplies and a pillar of the Atlanta-area communities he uplifts through faith and service. We could use a few more good men like him no matter where we live.

2024

The dictionary listing for Damn Good Dawg might just include a picture of Will Muschamp. He not only needs no introduction, he's got one of the most extensive galleries in the Dawgmeister's Separated@Birth feature. How many people are so devoted to the team that he would take a lesser assignment in order to bring a talented new guy on board in his old job? When the coaching staff decided to bring Travaris Robinson in as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, someone had to take a step back voluntarily to create the opening. Will had been the head coach at two major SEC rivals, and coordinator at another, along with coordinating the defense and being head-coach-in-waiting at SEC newcomer Texas. He is one of the most qualified position coaches and coordinators in NCAA football and probably the NFL as well. Often such men have huge egos that produce a hubris that would make such a shift too great a demotion to bear, and be off to the many programs who'd take him in a second. But Will is a Dawg's Dawg, and knew that bringing in a dynamic new coach on the staff was more important than his own feelings of importance. No doubt he'll continue to have a great impact on coaching and recruiting; he's such a fantastic football man and asset to the team. He'll continue to serve his alma mater in ways that will contribute to the winning culture and winning performance of the young men on the field. We should truly cherish his dedication and loyalty, and feel grateful for what he does for UGA, including setting his own ego and interests aside to produce a staff that on the whole is a little bit stronger. Thanks for all you've done, and all you do, Coach. DGD indeed; there aren't any better.

Travon Walker sure can play football. The top pick in the 2022 draft has gone on to anchor the Jaguars' defensive line and help turn around a team that had scraped bottom before he want to Jacksonville. The Thomaston native from Upson-Lee High School was a multi-sport star whose #44 has been retired, and it's hard to keep track of his many accolades from his high school days. Overlooked was his starting role on an ULHS basketball team that won 71 straight games and consecutive Class 4A titles. At UGA he was the best player on a national championship team, and got academic support from a Bill and Susan Robbins Family Football Scholarship. Travon was here and gone in three years, but made progress on a degree in Sport Management. While here he wore a chain with the words “More Than Sports” letting everyone know there was more to him than football. He also plays the trombone, like to hunt, and is a warrior working in the yard. Since going pro, Travon hasn't forgotten his roots. He launched The Travon Walker Foundation to support Upson-Lee high school's athletic department and his college alma mater to boot. He got the ball rolling with five gifts of $44,000 to Upson-Lee and UGA to support their sports programs, and also has returned home to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys to families in the area and has organized backpack fundraisers. It's great to see a guy who is More Than Sports do so much good for his hometown and alma maters. Somebody's mama raised her boy well, and the rest of us are the beneficiaries.

Mekhi Mews left UGA through the portal after the 2023 season, and is the rare guy who left the program yet has been honored as a Good Guy. How could you not love a guy who, at 5'-8" tall, got no respect from college football programs and ended up playing a key role on a national champion? Mekhi was a terrific player at Central Gwinnett High School, and his coach told every recruiter to take a good luck at him. His honors were extensive, even though he played on a team that went 1-9 his senior year: All-Region First Team wide receiver, First Team All-county, All-State First Team Offense, Region 8-AAAAAA Player of the Year, Gwinnett County Wide Receiver of the Year, GCPS 2021 Outstanding Senior Athlete, US Marine Core Distinguished Athlete Award, and in the classroom, Honors Graduate. One program offered him a scholarship: Olivet Nazarene University, an NAIA football program in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He thought he was better than that, and when UGA offered him to be a preferred walk-on, he took it. He didn't get into his state's top university in spite of his grades; he got admitted because of them, and was supported by a Zell Miller Scholarship for his time at UGA. At home he learned compassion through his special-needs brother, of whom Mekhi is protective and supportive. Once on campus, he zigged and zagged past a set of scholarship receivers and into the rotation, and also as the return man on the punt team. He represented the team for UGA's weekly media-day press conference, a sign of leadership and respect rarely extended to a walk-on. To explain his ascent on the depth chart, he said, “You just have to put your head down when you first come here. You just start at the bottom of the depth chart and put your head down and work. If you put in the work, this place gives you an opportunity to work your way up.” He continues to rise, now a scholarship recipient and key contributor at Houston. He's one to watch, and even though he'll graduate from another university, he made his mark here and will always be remembered for his championship character and contributions.

Ladd McConkey is a terrific football player, not that anyone noticed when he was in high school, unless they were among the 4,874 residents of Chatsworth. It turns out that the 165-pound HS quarterback who was too small and too obscure could ball out. Ladd has a combination of good material between the ears, and a body that provides him with lower-body strength powerful enough for high-end speed, small-space quickness, and an ability to break tackles in the open field. Coach Smart described one of his qualities: "He could run himself into the ground because he'll go as hard as he possibly can, every day."" McConkey's status on the team was evident when the coaches identified him as the first player to address media following the deadly accident that took the lives of Chandler LeCroy and Devin Willock. He also managed to graduate in three years while working hard enough at football—including learning a new position in the receiver room—to lead the national champions in receptions while battling injuries. All this after playing on the scout team as a true freshman, and being encouraged by the guys who had to defend him, similar to another little guy who surprised everyone, Stetson Bennett. But there's more to this cat than football. Ladd McConkey was appointed one of 16 members of the 2023 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award team and a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to the college football player who best combines academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. He also made the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Ever modest, Ladd said after a recent honor for off-field excellence, "At the end of the day, we're not just football players. But there's so many other guys that do it with me. We went out to Camp Sunshine and 10 of us went. It's not just me."" And that was before he won the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy for being the sport's most impactful community service leader. We are so fortunate that our coaches took an interest in such an overlooked high school prospect and helped him develop in so many ways. He's the kind of guy every program hopes to cultivate, but so few do.

Daijun Edwards came to UGA as one of the most overlooked 4-star recruits in memory. At Colquitt County HS he was considered by 247 composite to be the #21 running back nationally, the #28 prospect in Georgia, and the #279 prospect nationally, while also being an named to the 2019 All-State Class 7A first team offense by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He led his team in rushing for four years in 7A ball, with 1,000+ yards in his last three seasons, all on a team that held a state #1 ranking and runner-up finish, along with a national rank of #14. But he was still somehow under-rated, with a consensus that he didn't have high-end speed and so was not an elite runner. At UGA that belief was reinforced in his first few years in the program, when he developed his game while waiting for the NFL-bound upperclassmen to get their turn and get the bulk of the carries. When his time came, he revealed himself to be an exceptional runner, able to find holes through a combination of patience and exceptionally quick feet, especially in narrow openings. What really seemed to stand out, though, was his quiet determination and low ego. He waited his turn and got better, good enough to lead the team in rushing even while losing time to injuries. He just seems naturally humble, never drawing attention to himself except when running the ball. Gary Danielson repeatedly emphasized how Daijun just gets football, and understands how to play the game and the RB position. He gets it in the classroom too, with a Housing Management & Policy major and financial aid via the Erskine “Erk” Russell Football Scholarship and the Col. Robert L. Jackson Jr. Family Scholarship. He'll be the last guy to blow his own horn, so I'm happy to blow it for him. Daijun has been a great asset to the program, and will continue to live like a champion as he takes his game higher and lifts those around him.

The UGA football program has established an award honoring the courageous life and career of David Jacobs. An NFL-bound defensive lineman from Atlanta's impoverished Boat Rock community, David had his life take a sharp turn when he suffered a stroke after practice on Nov. 14, 2001, the first year of Mark Richt's tenure. His stroke included a vertebral artery occlusion caused by a blow to the head that made his neck whip violently, damaging the lining in the vertebral artery, leading to the development of a clot that stopped the flow of blood to his brain. The doctors at St. Mary's Hospital who examined him told his family that if his condition worsened, he'd be dead within a day; and that even the surgery only had a 2-3% chance of keeping him alive. Yet he survived, no doubt aided by a steady parade of teammates and coaches to the hospital to comfort and support him. If David worked hard to reach an elite level as a player, he had to double those efforts to recover from his stroke. How many NFL prospects have to spend time arduously re-learning how to simply walk? As reported at the time, Richt views David's journey to a successful adulthood as one of the most impactful stories from time at UGA. David's athletic competitiveness aided his recovery, allowing him to advance through therapy much faster than most, getting him out of his wheelchair within a month of his stroke. In his honor, Coach Richt established the David Jacobs Award for the Georgia football player who "shows courage to overcome adversity and finish the drill." And David was the first recipient of the award recognizing his fortitude. His recovery included speech therapy that left him better than before, when he had lived with a significant speech impediment. David is now a family man, married to his college sweetheart and the father of two sons, one of whom was offered a UGA scholarship as a HS freshman of considerable promise for the class of 2027. David is an account manager with Southeast Mortgage Corporation, where he is beloved and admired for his character and work performance. They just don't come any better than David Jacobs.

We all know of Jalon Walker, the Salisbury, NC linebacker who has made invaluable contributions on the field at both inside and outside linebacker. He was a superstar in high school, rated by the 247 composite as a 4-star prospect, the #3 linebacker nationally, the #2 prospect in North Carolina, and the #44 prospect nationally. He was named the 2020 North Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year, the star of an 11-1 team on both offense and as a tight end on offense. Jalon was a finalist for 2021 High School Butkus Award and was named the Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons, while also being honored with the Big 22 Player of the Year for best player in Charlotte area. He also competed on the school's basketball and track teams, holding, at 6'-2", the school record for blocked shots in a game (7). He was an instant rotation player at UGA and has always been productive. He's not just an exceptional linebacker, however. Jalon has served as the Georgia football representative on the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council, which has met with rules officials and medical advisors to improve the quality of the games in the SEC. This respect for his leadership qualities has come along with his strong academics, through which he received a Michael A. Kahn Family Football Scholarship. The son of a Division 2 coach, Jalon knows the game from a coach's perspective, saying, "I feel like being coachable is a great aspect to have. Being coachable and always following the gameplan is a good way to go." He's also, at his insistence, just another UGA student: "I've developed a relationship with a lot of the student population here, and I feel like I have a very positive relationship with a lot of regular student friends. They always sit there and are like, 'What do you have planned today?' [Laughs] Oh, I have practice, I have meetings, then more meetings and things of that sort." When we watch guys on the field, we often forget how much study they had to do to know what to do, and Jalon is a grinder in the film room. And he's the sharpest dresser on the team, by all accounts. Stay sharp, young man. You've got a lot of greatness ahead of you.

Patrick Beless is not a name that leaps to the top of a Dawg fan's consciousness when recalling players from the past. The Atlanta native was a Dawg placekicker from 2011-2015, when Marshall Morgan held the position, relegating Patrick to a backup role. But every team needs a solid backup in case the front-line kicker gets cramps or can't perform, even if he never gets called to action; he's the insurance policy you hope you never have to cash in. What else might a backup kicker do while not kicking footballs? Plenty, if he's got the right stuff. In the absence of a sports scholarship, Patrick made it through UGA on a variety of academic financial support programs. He was initially a Zell B. Miller Academic Scholarship recipient, awarded for excellence in high school classes with the proviso that they maintain their good grades in college. He sure did that, earning a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, and ultimately being awarded a Christian Walker Football Scholarship, sponsored by Christian's father Hershel to provide a full-ride athletic scholarship to reward excellent performance on the field and in the classroom while being a good steward of the values of UGA. Patrick earned this accolade for his exceptional work ethic, determination, teamwork, and skill. As a senior, Patrick was the team's Senior Scholar Award to accompany his being named to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll. But he also contributed to the football program, if not on Saturdays, then for the rest of the week. To reward his rock-solid citizenship, he received the team's Iron Man Award for displaying excellence in the areas of commitment and performance both on and off the field through perfect attendance at workouts, practices, team meetings, classes, or academic appointments for a calendar year. Since graduating in 2015, Patrick has been making UGA look good in the business world. He is now a Surety Practice Leader and Bond Broker at Brown & Brown Insurance of Tennessee in Brentwood. We may not remember him much for his football play, but he'll continue to score points in other areas of life. Good guys like him are hard to come by.

Daylen Everette came to UGA as a 5-star cornerback from IMG Academy. The Norfolk, Virginia native was a sensational high school player, ranked as the #3 cornerback prospect nationally, the #5 prospect in Florida, and the #26 prospect nationally at any position. There was a bit of a catch to his excellence, however: Nobody threw the ball in his direction. He'd never been the other guy in the defensive backfield, the one that quarterbacks try to pick on. At UGA, he had to adjust. Teammate and fellow defender Zion Logue, a wizened veteran and team leader, took it on himself to provide Daylen with the tough love he needed to realize his potential. Daylen played as a reserve his first year, and then started as a sophomore along with Kamari Lassiter, who was emerging into his own stardom and always took on the opponent's biggest threat. That meant that Daylen, once the superstar that nobody would throw against, was the guy getting targeted by opposing coordinators. It takes a man to stand up to that withering pressure, and Daylen was up to the task and embraced it as part of his job and development. By his sophomore year, Daylen was the one counseling younger players. When the Dawgs were recruiting another IMG stud, Ellis Robinson, Daylen was his counselor and companion: "Daylen is like a big brother to me. Yeah, he is. Definitely. I hang out with him all the time whenever I'm at Georgia. I'm with him 24/7. That's him. JaCorey Thomas. I know a lot of dudes there, but Daylen definitely sticks out. Just the person he is. He's a great dude overall. Just a good dude to talk to about anything. It doesn't even have to be football. He's just a good dude overall. That's what I really like about him."" This really good dude has earned a Roger F. and Michael A. Kahn Football Scholarship to support his Business major, and he's got a bright future whether it's football, business, or looking out for others. Every team needs guys who hold the program together emotionally while also setting a high standard on the field and in the classroom. IMG has delivered UGA a terrific guy, and he's just getting started developing into a success no matter what the field of play.

Zion Logue committed to Georgia as a 3-star DL from Lebanon, TN. He arrived during the greatest era in program history, with a stacked DL full of Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and other NFL-bound players ahead of him. His five years in the program included two national championships when he was an important rotation player, and a senior year where he was the starting nose guard for a team that went unbeaten during the regular season. By his final season, he was also a team spokesman, often put before the media because, as Coach Smart said, Zion is a "max-effort guy [who] epitomizes what the culture of this program is. I don't even know where to begin with Zion. He's been a guy that sat behind the studs we had last year forever." Like a lot of freshmen, Zion played on the scout team, where he went against a slew of future NFL OL in practice, patiently learning how to play with the big boys without thinking of a transfer: "When you look across and you see that line, it's nothing more that can prepare you for SEC football. In my first two years, I tried to make myself into a run-stopper, and I felt like [those practices] built me into who I am today." Zion sounds like a teammate he admires: "It's getting respect from your peers. When you see guys like [Dan] Jackson, who has worked his tail off from Day 1. He was a silent guy who just kept his head down and worked. So, when you see that, it's like, 'I'm gonna depend on him and trust him.'" Zion has always come across as thoughtful and reflective, as one who leads by example more than through hortatory encouragement. Guys like that bring stability and muffle panic when things don't go well. They also tend to be good in the classroom, as Zion has shown in his double major in Communication Studies and Sociology, supported by a Drake Family Football Scholarship and Richard Young Football Scholarship. He's now on his way to new achievements, and will be one to watch as he grows through the next phases of his exemplary life.

Travis Jones played linebacker and defensive tackle for UGA from 1990 to 1992, and after an illness, again in 1994. Dawg fans who tire of ESPN might recall with a certain glee that in the 1993 Citrus Bowl, he recovered a Kirk Herbstreit fumble in the fourth quarter to set up the winning score. Travis was Georgia's top defensive lineman coming into the 1993 season, but just before fall camp he was hospitalized with rhabdonmyolysis, a condition exacerbated by exercise, making football risky to his health. While sidelined he was named to the College Football Association's Good Works Team for his work with Special Olympics and a local homeless shelter. He sat out a season to recover, then returned for the 1994 season, when he served as defensive captain. Travis played pro ball in the Canadian and Arena football leagues, then packed it in and went into coaching. He started as a GA at UGA, then moved to fulltime coaching jobs at Appalachian State (1998-2000), Kansas (2001-2002), LSU (2003-2004, including a national championship), Miami Dolphins (2005-2007), New Orleans Saints (2008-2012, including a Super Bowl), Seattle Seahawks (2013-2017, including a Super Bowl), and Atlanta Falcons (2018-2019). While with the Saints, he made a terrible mistake that lead to his guilty plea in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud in a Texas real estate scam, leading to a suspension by the Saints. Good Guys make mistakes; what happens next is often a sign of their character. Travis has since tried to atone for his bad judgment. Travis has hosted a free one-day youth football camp at Henderson Stadium in Macon, near his home town of Irwinton, where he played for Wilkinson County HS. The camp included a number of Travis's teammates and local coaches, and served 142 children ages 8-15. Travis said, "Giving back to the Middle Georgia community was truly a gift for me as well. I felt that same anticipation and excitement I did as a child opening presents on Christmas morning. My vision for the camp in the future is to provide a safe and structured learning environment for young aspiring athletes, where athletic as well as personal confidence can be developed, enhanced and transferred into daily life skills. We want to instill in these youngsters personal accountability, persistence and perseverance that will enrich their lives and serve as a building block for achievement both on and off the field." Giving back, as Travis says, can be more rewarding than receiving a gift, and I suspect he's not done yet.

Carson Beck originally committed to Alabama coming out of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, where he won a state championship and was named the 2018 Florida Mr. Football while being a camper at the Elite 11 Finals his senior year. He originally attended Providence HS but transferred after 2 years, not to a powerhouse but to a team coming off a 2-8 season, a team with nowhere to go but up. He also excelled as a pitcher on Mandarin's baseball team, with a Florida Gator offer to take the mound in Gainesville. Fortunately, he came to his senses and changed his commitment to UGA after Jim Chaney, who didn't like Carson's throwing motion, left for Tennessee and the new Dawg staff saw a great prospect and went after him. Georgia, he said, "was always the school I wanted to go to ever since eighth grade, seventh grade. I absolutely fell in love with the place." His dad Chris had once been stationed in Athens, and the family felt the vibe and wanted to hum along. A guy with such talent and recognition might easily end up with a big head and exit a crowded QB room shortly after entering it. But Carson knew where he belonged and toughed it out, a competitor all ways. As Coach Smart put it when Carson finally was named the starter in his fourth year on campus, "He's done the best job. We communicated that to the other quarterbacks, and we've kind of been operating that way. The other guys have done a tremendous job in terms of competing, and they're going to continue to do that." Iron sharpens iron, as Coach likes to say. Even back in high school, Carson knew that competition makes for a better player: "I always played with a chip on my shoulder. Sitting behind someone I felt I could have started over freshman and sophomore year [in high school] made me that much better." And then he did it again in college. In an era of swelled egos and social media hype, Carson is a refreshing change, always putting the team first and presenting himself as humble and appreciative of his opportunities. He's supported his Sport Management major with a Carl E. Sanders Football Scholarship and a Loy D. Thompson IV Football Scholarship, showing excellence in the classroom. And he's turned out pretty well in football too. His future is wide open, and he won't need a tight-window throw to navigate it successfully. He's a winner and one we're glad to have in Athens.

Every Dawg fan is familiar—at times, too familiar—with Ron Courson, the UGA Athletic Association's Director of Sports Medicine and Senior Associate Athletic Director, and member of the Georgia Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame. His son John Courson might be less well-known. But he's been an exemplary member of the football program nonetheless. John played high school ball at North Oconee HS, where he was a 2012 8-AAA All-Region honoree. He really made his name in the classroom, however, being named a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, a Northeast Georgia FCA Football Scholar Athlete, a 2013 AAA All-State Academic honors awardee. He was a Summa Cum Laude student with a 4.0 GPA, and an inductee in the Beta Club and National Honor Society, with recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction. John walked on at UGA and contributed to the scout team, an important unit in preparing the starters for the next week's opponent. He also took on a Biology and Psychology major with a Neuroscience Emphasis in the UGA Honors Program, an elite academic program. He did mighty well there, honored at the year-end gala as the winner of the Senior GPA Award with a 4.0 record. Even with such a demanding major, John made the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named a University of Georgia Charter Scholar. John was listed as a long snapper in his Athletic Association bio, a position that nobody notices unless the snap goes awry. Since graduating, John hasn't let up. He's worked in the health care industry, now serving as the Clinic Manager at Mercy Health Center, A Christ-Centered Health Resource Center. It's hard to imagine anything but success for John as he continues to grow in his faith and his career. He might not have scored any touchdowns at UGA, but he is now scoring where it matters most.

Reggie Carter was a 3-star linebacker prospect coming out of South Gwinnett HS; or maybe a 4-star recruit, depending on the service. He had plenty of honors, including being named a PrepStar All-Southeast Region, a 2012 Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State Class AAAAAA first-team defender, and a 2012 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAAAA All-State defender. But recruiting gurus couldn't tell if he was the #16 overall prospect in Georgia, or the #57 player in the state, or something in between. Reggie started a lot of games at UGA while also taking an injury redshirt to recover from a shoulder injury and extend his college career to five years, while also taking time to recover from concussions. #45 was a dependable player, if not quite an NFL prospect. But what a student. Reggie's studies were supported by multiple David C. Cooper Family Football Scholarships and a Harry Leroy Dukes Football Scholarship. He was an SEC Academic Honor Roll appointee and earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll with a major in Sociology, and was the team's representative on the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In the classroom, he was an unstoppable force. More recently, Reggie has returned to UGA in the critical role of advising Bulldogs on how to manage the NIL environment through his appointment to the new post of Athlete Marketing Manager. Reggie's job is to help players maximize their opportunities at the local, state, and national levels with the new Georgia Bulldogs Exchange in partnership with INFLCR, a software service designed to help navigate this new and complex world. Said Josh Brooks, "As a Georgia alum, Reggie offers our current student-athletes a unique perspective when it comes to NIL. He is someone who cares deeply about the student-athlete experience at UGA, and we are thrilled to welcome him home." His job involves a lot of networking, suggesting strong interpersonal skills as he helps to coordinate his office with the Georgia Way network, the Georgia Bulldog Club, Georgia Bulldogs Sports Marketing, and others groups contributing to the NIL pool at UGA. As a player, Reggie was known as quiet and knowledgeable, and not too excitable. Rather, he was diligent and led by example and good decisions. Now he's back helping the young pups make good decisions about how to earn money through college football and manage it well. He's managed his own life pretty well, and it's good to have him showing the way for the next generations of Dawg players.

Tyler Clark came to UGA from the small but productive town of Americus, Georgia, which has produced not only a bunch of NFL players, but some coaches in Dan Reeves and Chan Gailey. Tyler developed into a four-star prospect who came to UGA in the same class as a lot of other outstanding defensive linemen, and was a fine player on a door-slamming defense. Fellow Americus Dawg Leonard Pope thought he was something special, saying, "Tyler is a great kid, man," and took on a mentoring role along with Tyler's dad Tommy. Pope said that Tyler comes from a good family, he's smart, and he listens, each a predictor of success on the field and beyond. He also talked about how Americus produces good people because it's a "great community" that supports its youth, even with the usual social problems affecting U.S. society: "I think the community knows, just like us athletes us know, that it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance. When a child like Tyler gets a chance to succeed and pursue his dream, it's only right for all of us to get together and try to push for that." Small-town values can be forged with simple pastimes; for Tyler, it was football, fishing, and washing his car. At UGA, Tyler was a solid player, and excellent student. For his efforts within the program, he was rewarded with the team's defensive Own the Trenches award and co-winner of Defensive "Up Front" award, given for his hard work and toughness at the line of scrimmage. In the classroom he earned a Griffin Athletic Scholarship, an Atlanta-Greensboro Football Scholarship, and a Dr. & Mrs. Howard Williams III Football Scholarship to support his major in Sport Management. But Tyler wasn't yet done with football. Undrafted in 2020, he has continued playing on the margins of the pro game. He was on the practice squads of the Bengals, Bears, and Chiefs, and also played for the Philadelphia Stars of the revived USFL. He may or may not end up with a pro football career. But he's shown every sign that he'll be a winner wherever his path in life takes him.

2025

Kris Durham came to UGA from Calhoun, GA, where his career was so dominant that he was voted into the Calhoun Gordon County Sports Hall of Fame. At UGA from 2006-2010, the wide receiver emerged as a favorite target of Matthew Stafford during an impressive career hauling in passes between the hedges. He also got a lot of attention when he undertook student teaching as preparation for entering that most noble of professions, middle school social studies teacher. His detour into the NFL sidetracked those plans, and his MBA from LSU-Shreveport took him in a different direction altogether, one that combined football and business acumen. But first, football: Kris developed from a three-star prospect into a fourth-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks, who cut him after training camp. He landed comfortably with his old UGA roommate, Stafford, in Detroit, where he established himself as a reliable receiver. After a few years the Lions released him, after which he bounced from the Titans to the Raiders and ultimately to the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League, with whom he played two seasons, retiring in 2018. Kris used his background to move to NFL Player Marketing for a year, after which he was named Vice President Marketing for Southern Pointe Developments in Hiawassee, Georgia. His interests converged with his return to the Parma Panthers, this time as the team's General Manager. Once again he used one experience to set up the next: Kris is now the Head of Football NFL Academy in the United Kingdom. Undoubtedly his rise through sports administration has only just begun. The lessons he learned at UGA have paid off for him and those he's led, and if football takes off in England, we know whom to thank.