"Terrible Terry" Was First Class

R.I.P., Joe T

I'm currently with my family on vacation, where I had sworn off posting for a week or so unless I really felt compelled to do so.  Needless to say, I instantly felt obligated to do so after hearing of the recent passing of 89-year-old Joe Tereshinski -- an All-SEC end at Georgia during the 1940s.

 

Most Bulldog followers of today are familiar with Tereshinski as the first of three generations of Georgia football players; sons Joe Jr. and Wally played during the mid-1970s, and grandson, Joe Tereshinski III, played during the mid-2000s.  Notably, each of the four Tereshinskis were members of at least one SEC championship team.  

 

Like many of Coach Wally Butts' early recruits, Tereshinski hailed from up North.  Upon his arrival to UGA in 1941, the Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania native was greeted by the southern football program with, of all things, a name change.  According to a recent article, historian Dan Magill says Tereshinski's name was changed to "Joe Terry" in game programs and nearly in university records because Butts curiously "received grief about recruiting players with long last names instead of boys from Georgia."  Nevertheless, by midseason of his sophomore campaign of 1942, Joe was back to rightfully being acknowledged as Tereshinski, although his temporary last name left a nickname lasting throughout his Bulldog playing days.

 

Deemed "Terrible Terry" because of the smashing end's outstanding blocking and tackling skills, Tereshinski was a top substitute in 1942 and upon his return from military service in 1945.  However, soon after the start of his junior year, Tereshinski became a full-time starter at right end, where he remained through Georgia's 1946 championship season.  All-Americans John Rauch, Herb St. John, Dan Edwards, and most prominently, Charley Trippi, might be the names mostly associated with Georgia's undefeated campaign of 1946.  However, if it wasn't for "Terrible Terry," the Bulldogs' perfect season might have ceased in just the third game of the year.

 

In an era when it wasn't unusual for Georgia to host early-season opponents on a Friday night, the Bulldogs welcomed 19th-ranked and undefeated Kentucky and its 32-year-old head coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant, to Sanford Stadium for a weekday night affair in mid-October.  The Wildcats, who were considered only slight underdogs, scored a touchdown on the game's opening drive and then promptly blocked a Trippi punt.  Possessing the ball 1st and 10 on Georgia's 22-yard line, Kentucky looked to take an early two-touchdown lead before encountering arguably the greatest defensive series by an individual player in UGA football history.

 

Action from the '46 Kentucky game, where "Terrible Terry"
and his teammates broke the hearts of the 'Cats and their "Bear." 
 

The Wildcats ran four plays, and on every one, Tereshinski made a "smashing" tackle at the line of scrimmage, netting a combined loss of two yards.  A few plays later, Tereshinski came through on the offensive end, catching a pass from Rauch for a gain of more than 20 yards inside the Kentucky 10-yard line.  Soon afterwards, Georgia tied the game, 7-7.  Resulting just mere minutes into the contest, Tereshinski's four consecutive defensive stops were considered what likely "turned the ballgame around" of an eventual 28-13 Georgia victory, keeping the Bulldogs' winning streak intact at eight games of what would eventually extend to 17 consecutive victories. 

The day after what was called "the best game of his career," Tereshinski made "it a full weekend," reported The Red and Black, by marrying college sweetheart and cheerleader Martha Walraven.  Following the season, he would begin an eight-year NFL career, playing offensive end, defensive end, and linebacker for the Washington Redskins.  Notably, of the first 45 Bulldogs, including Tereshinski, to play in the NFL from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s, only one -- Hall-of-Famer Charley Trippi -- played in the league (9 seasons) longer than "Terrible Terry."

I just got off the phone with a former Bulldog player, who informed me that the terror on the field was all heart and as first class as they come off the field.  This player, who played for Georgia in the mid-1970s with Joe Jr. and Wally, was chosen in the NFL Draft following his senior year, but would be cut by the team that selected him.  A year later, believing his chances for a professional football career had already been dashed, the player received a phone call that the Redskins wanted to give him a tryout.

"'Mr. T' (Tereshinski) set up a meeting where I met Washington's GM, Bobby Bethard," the player says.  "Bethard said I would have to time 4.5 in the 40 to get signed.  I ran only a 4.65, which wasn't good enough to get invited to camp." 

A month later, this same player unexpectedly received another phone call from the Redskins, inviting him back for a second tryout.  "Mr. T was the ONLY reason the Redskins gave me a second chance to get timed," he says.  "Mr. T stuck his neck out and put in a good word for me.  He obviously had some clout with Bethard, and I will always appreciate him for trying to help me out."

The former Bulldog concludes, "Mr. T was a first class gentleman, while his two sons, Joe and Wally, are a testimony to the type of man he was for they both have always been first-class people, as well."

Perhaps more so than his play on the field while at Georgia and for the Redskins, Tereshinski will be remembered for being a first-class individual, continuing to give his loyalty and heart to a program and its players long after his playing days had finished.   

Painting the Town Red



Staying with a thorough-thrashing-of-Clemson theme...

 

I was looking through some old photos on my PC over the weekend and discovered the above sent to me by Ken Helms several months ago.  The photo depicts some offensive line play during Georgia's 35-7 rout of Clemson in 1975.  Playing center for the Bulldogs, Helms (No. 53) is joined by guard Hugh Hendrix (No. 64) and tackle Steve Wilson (No. 75).     

 

Upon receiving the photo, I recalled a story I once read regarding the lead up to the '75 Clemson game.  The Wednesday night prior to the contest, a group of UGA students ventured to Clemson and painted a good portion of the campus red.  Not to be outdone, several Tiger students returned the next night and retaliated -- and how. 

 

Tiger paws, "Clemson," and "Tigers" were painted in orange all across our beautiful campus.  The orange paint job was so thorough, UGA's Physical Plant had to resort to sandblasting the paint off instead of using customary steaming equipment.  The plant estimated it would take a whopping 200 man hours to remove all the paint.

 

On the field, the game was won by the Bulldogs primarily because of their play in the trenches.  Georgia's offensive line paved the way for 366 rushing yards, including rare 100-yard individual performances by teammates.  Bulldog backs Kevin McLee (23-103) and Glynn Harrison (16-107) each passed the century mark on the ground.  Sophomore McLee, who tied a school single-game record with four touchdowns in just his fourth varsity game, declared, "You got to give 100 percent credit to those lineman."

 

Georgia's big guys up front were handed the ultimate compliment when offensive line coach Jimmy Vickers was given the game ball following the victory.  Pessimistic Coach Dooley added, "I was honestly surprised at the way our offensive line handled Clemson."

 

As far as the painting efforts by the students of the two schools, the Bulldogs would prevail in that aspect, as well.  The UGA students who painted the Clemson campus red were never caught.  On the contrary, the Tiger painters -- four males between the ages of 20 and 22 -- would eventually be arrested for not only criminal damage to property, but also defacing an auto tag. 

 

Following their painting, the Clemson quartet was apparently heading out of town back home, when they were stopped at a road block on the edge of Athens for the tape which remain covered over their car's license plate.  Ah, the value of a good Clemson education...

You Never Forget Your First Time



Chas McCarthy, Threatt Moore, Richard Von Gammon,
and the rest of the 1897 Red and Black had an easy time
with Clemson the first time the two schools ever faced off.

First off, Happy Memorial Day!  Secondly, I apologize for the infrequent posts of late, but I recently started on a new endeavor, which has taken up a good portion of my time.  For what it's worth, my new project could very well eventually involve you -- the readers of this blog -- and should launch by the end of July.  More on that at a later date...

 

Besides what's important, like remembering the men and women who served and sacrificed for our country, Memorial Day is also an annual reminder to me that the opening of another college football season is just around the corner.  Reminded early this morning, I began thinking of Georgia's upcoming season opener while pondering the series history with the team the Bulldogs will be facing. 

 

About five weeks ago, I discussed Georgia's favorable-turned-equal-turned-favorable-again series with Clemson over the last century.  Although I detailed the single game which would forever change the rivalry, I didn't mention arguably the most historic game between the two schools -- the teams' very first meeting in 1897. 

 

In a time when the Bulldogs were simply known as the "Red and Black" and the Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina had formerly opened just four years earlier, Georgia and Clemson's initial meeting on a gridiron was a "first" which should be distinguished and celebrated (especially since we absolutely whipped "the Clemsons" as labeled by the Atlanta Constitution).

 

By both teams' season opener 116 years ago, football was still very much in its infancy at the two schools.  Still, having completed only five football seasons, Georgia was fresh off an S.I.A.A. championship the year before and a two-year tenure of eventual coaching legend, Glenn "Pop" Warner. 

Clemson had played in only three football games in its history and didn't even have a home field to play on.  In fact, the Tigers would not host their first game until more than a year later.  Additionally, they would host just two opponents -- perennial powers Bingham and Davidson -- in their first 23 games through 1900.  On the contrary, Georgia had what was regarded as one of the best athletic fields in the South -- Alumni Athletic Field, also known as Herty Field.  And, because they had little alternative to play elsewhere, the two teams met there for the 1897 season opener on October 10th in front of what was described as one of the city of Athens' largest gathered crowds, which primarily sat in the field's newly erected bleachers. 

Around 4 p.m., the Georgia-Clemson series commenced with the Red and Black's Richard Von Gammon kicking off to the visitors.  From there, the game would unfold much like the rivalry has over the last century-plus -- rather one-sided.  On a 110-yard field, for a game lasting just two 15-minute halves, in a sport featuring no passing, and the scoring team not kicking off, but actually receiving the kickoff, Georgia ran rampant over Clemson.  The Red and Black were victorious over the Tigers, 24-0, scoring four touchdowns (worth four points each at the time) while converting all four conversions (worth two points).

Looking more like Dracula than a football coach,
McCarthy had been one of the nation's best fullbacks 
before becoming an undervalued UGA head coach. 

In the initial Georgia-Clemson game, a number of notable firsts resulted worthy of mention.  First, with the return of "Pop" Warner to his alma mater of Cornell, the 1897 Clemson game announced the arrival of Charles (or Chas) McCarthy to UGA.  McCarthy had been a standout fullback for four seasons and a one-year assistant at Brown University before becoming Georgia's head coach at just 24 years of age.  The northerner from Brockton, Mass., quickly won over the Georgia people, who promptly moved on with their fondness of Warner.  It was reported that "of the numerous coaches that [UGA has] had in the past, there has been none to win, so easily, the student-body" as McCarthy.

Initially, McCarthy planned to stay at UGA for just one season while attending law school before enrolling at Johns Hopkins University.  Instead, he coached the Red and Black for two years, compiling a 6-3 overall record.  Notably, McCarthy's two seasons and .667 winning percentage rank tied for first and third, respectively, amongst Georgia's first 13 head coaches during a time when the program had a difficult time winning consistently while keeping its coach.  McCarthy would eventually enroll at the University of Wisconsin and would experience probably the most intriguing non-football, post-coaching career of any Bulldog head coach in history.

The 1897 Clemson game also signified, at least from the evidence I've discovered, Georgia's first individual 200-yard rushing performance in history.  Halfback Jonathan "Threatt" Moore carried the ball only nine times against the Tigers, however, it was good enough to gain 212 yards, including 70 and 40-yard touchdown jaunts.  What makes Moore's unofficial 200-yard rushing game even more impressive is that McCarthy gave him (and the Clemson defense) a rest with seven minutes remaining in the game.  In other words, Moore's 212 yards resulted in only 23 minutes of game play.

In a day when a skirmish would often, if not always, break out during a football game, the first contest versus Clemson might have also been the first time the two sides involved in a Georgia game were actually civil to one another (which seems ironic when speaking of the Georgia-Clemson rivalry).  "No case of slugging being noted," declared a newspaper the day following the game.   

 

Finally, I mentioned Richard Von Gammon...  He and George Price scored the game's other two touchdowns.  For fullback Gammon, who had been the starting quarterback on the 1896 championship team, it was his first touchdown at Georgia, and would be his last.  As many of you are likely aware, Gammon would be tragically killed three weeks later against Virginia, ending Georgia's 1897 season and nearly the sport permanently in the state.

Sandwiched between the initial Clemson game and the fatal Virginia contest was another noteworthy first in UGA football history: the first victory ever against what would become another hated rival, Georgia Tech.  Like the Clemson game before, the victory over Tech was also a shutout (28-0) at Herty Field.  And, just like the meeting with the Tigers, Georgia and its intrastate opponent established in 1897 a series that too would transpire over time into a rather one-sided rivalry.

UGA Should Retire a 5th Football Jersey



Bob McWhorter -- my opinion of UGA's
most valuable football player of all time.

Unless its fully warranted, I'm not a big fan of the retirement of jersey numbers.  I personally feel a particular player should have been the best of the very best during his time in order for a college program or professional organization to retire his number.

 

Primarily because of a single drought-breaking performance against Georgia Tech in 1957, Theron Sapp's jersey No. 40 was retired by Georgia a few months following the end of a respectable collegiate career.  However, besides Sapp's curious retirement, the Bulldogs have upheld a tradition of retiring the jerseys of only the very best players in their storied history: Frank Sinkwich (No. 21), Charley Trippi (No. 62), and Herschel Walker (No. 34).  

Fairly recently, even the jerseys of the NCAA's all-time winningest quarterback (David Greene) and Georgia's most decorated defensive player of all time (David Pollack) have remained active, and rightfully so in accordance to the program's seemingly lofty standard for retirement.  Still, there is a jersey from long ago that has been wrongly omitted from joining the program's elite, although no player was likely more valuable to a Georgia team before or has been since.

A number of years ago, I only knew of halfback Bob McWhorter as Georgia's first All-American, the first UGA player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (along with Sinkwich in 1954), and the would-be career record holder for touchdowns scored at Georgia if the school considered statistics prior to the 1940s as official.  However, upon conducting research for my first book, I soon discovered the extraordinary back whose value to Georgia, as a sportswriter declared a century ago, "cannot be fully expressed in mere words or even figures."  But, I'm going to make an attempt at it.

To help understand Bob McWhorter's impact, you first have to be somewhat aware of the state of UGA football prior to his arrival.  From 1899 through 1909, the Red and Black won only about one-third of their games (26 of 76).  As horrifying, during the same 11-season span, Georgia averaged just 7.2 points per game.  However, UGA hired the Gordon Institute's Alex Cunningham in 1910, and the head coach brought with him from Barnesville to Athens his star halfback.  And, just like that, a struggling football program instantly turned into one of the more prominent ones in the South.

With McWhorter lining up at right halfback from 1910 through 1913, Georgia achieved a remarkable 25-6-3 combined record while averaging 24.2 points per game.  In 1914, with McWhorter having departed, the Red and Black relapsed, recording just a 3-5-1 mark while being shutout in four of nine games.

As I pointed out in October of 2010, McWhorter should be the school's single-game record holder for the most touchdowns scored...and the second-most, and the fourth-most.  For his career, crossing the opposition's goal line in nearly every conceivable way offensively, defensively, and returning kicks, McWhorter tallied 61 touchdowns in 34 games (he was also regarded as the team's best passer and threw for a number of touchdowns).  Herschel Walker, Georgia's official touchdown record holder, scored four fewer touchdowns playing in two additional games. 

Notably, during their legendary careers, McWhorter and Walker both scored 45.2 percent of their teams' total touchdowns, which rank as the highest amongst Georgia players to have their jerseys retired:

Pct. of Team Touchdowns (Career TDs of # of Teams' TDs)*
45.2- Walker (57 of 126)

45.2- McWhorter (61 of 135)

23.4- Trippi (32 of 137)**

22.6- Sinkwich (30 of 133)

13.7- Sapp (7 of 51)
* Number of touchdowns include those from bowl games played in by Walker, Trippi and Sinkwich, and their teams. 
**Since Trippi missed first four games of '45 season because of military service, touchdowns scored by Georgia in those games aren't figured into team touchdown total. 

Carrying the ball, which is circled, and wearing the jersey
which should be retired, McWhorter runs vs. Auburn
in Atlanta in 1913 during his final game at Georgia.

Besides scoring records, McWhorter would undoubtedly also hold school rushing marks if sufficient documentation was available.  In the season opener of 1913 against Alabama Presbyterian, it was reported he had SIX rushes of 50 yards or more.  Besides likely gaining more like 400, if not 500 yards, what makes McWhorter's individual 300-yard rushing performance—the would-be only one in the history of UGA football—even more astonishing is that it was achieved with him playing in only two quarters of the game.

In all but a few of his 34 games, McWhorter played the entire 60 minutes of each contest.  This included the 1912 season opener against Chattanooga when McWhorter scored three touchdowns while playing the entire game despite suffering with a heavy cold, and get this, malaria!   Including the '13 Alabama Presbyterian game, McWhorter was taken out on occasion during a Red and Black blowout victory; however, just once in four seasons was he relieved during a game because of injury (Alabama, 1912).

To cap a brilliant career, McWhorter was named first-team All-American in 1913 by Parke H. Davis, selecting for The New York Herald.  In an era when southern football and its players were hardly recognized by the mainstream media, the recognition was much more of an accomplishment than simply becoming Georgia's first All-American.  Consider the following: McWhorter was only the third first-team All-American ever selected from a southern school and, of the 54 players in 1913 named first, second, or third-team All-American by recognized selectors, remarkably, 53—all but McWhorter—played for schools in the Northeast or Midwest.

In 1913, McWhorter was also selected first-team all-conference for the fourth consecutive season—the only Georgia player to accomplish such a feat—back in a time when only 11 players were picked to a squad and more than 20 schools were part of the Red and Black's "conference" (the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association).  McWhorter, who was also an All-Southern center fielder, nearly signed a contract out of college to play for the Class-C Augusta Tourists before spurning baseball to attend law school at the University of Virginia.  McWhorter eventually made his way back to Athens, where he entered business, taught at UGA's Law School, and later served as the city's mayor.

In 1960, McWhorter passed away at 68 years of age on what was called "one of Athens' saddest days."

I've read before there is no way to actually retire Bob McWhorter's Georgia football jersey number because players didn't have numbers on their jerseys in McWhorter's day.  However, UGA football doesn't retire numbers; the program retires "jerseys." 

There are plenty examples of retired jerseys in sports where the retiree didn't actually wear his retired number.  Examples include number "85" for Gussie Busch of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball club, which retired that particular number since the former owner was 85 years old when his retirement ceremony was held.  Also, the NBA's New York Knicks have retired "613" for Red Holzman because that's the number of games he won as a head coach.  And, several jerseys have been retired honoring athletes who predated uniform numbers, but were given the equivalent of a retired number ceremony.  Something similar should have been done, or should be, to honor Georgia's McWhorter.

I recently brought this subject up to a fellow enthusiast of Georgia football history, who responded with "But, McWhorter is already inducted into UGA's Circle of Honor."  Yes, he most certainly is along with more than 20 other Bulldog football players, including Sinkwich and Trippi.  The Circle of Honor is obviously quite an honor; however, Bob McWhorter also belongs amongst the best of the very best of Georgia football. 

The Bulldogs have retired the No. 21 jersey for their first Heisman winner, No. 62 for the school's greatest athlete, No. 34 for its all-time most outstanding player, and even No. 40 for an individual performance during about an eight-minute span of time in the third quarter of the '57 Tech game.  Accordingly, Georgia should also retire the football jersey of the most valuable player in the program's history.

As far as an actual Bob McWhorter-worn jersey that could be displayed during a retirement ceremony, I assume that particular piece of uniform  would be rather difficult to locate after a century.  However, as far as what numbered jersey should be retired in his honor, I have a suggestion.  McWhorter's number "100" could be retired during this upcoming season, signifying how many years since the completion of a brilliant Georgia football career, and how long it actually took to recognize someone who should have been honored so much longer ago. 

Big TEAM, Little trippi



Charley recently with his Rose
Bowl Player of the Game Award

I was catching up on some reading when I discovered an article that appeared in USA Today just prior to the NFL Draft on Charley Trippi. Charley, the oldest living No. 1 pick, is apparently not interested in the modern-day draft, where "big money" has made the annual event less interesting to the living legend. And, that makes perfect sense to me.

 

Not long before Charley's interview with USA Today, I happened to interview him at his home for my current book project. His "game of his life" while at Georgia was the 9-0 blanking of UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl.

 

Charley revealed very little to me regarding his individual play against the Bruins—a game MVP performance that included 130 rushing yards on 27 carries, nearly 100 passing yards, an interception on defense, and a 49.5-yard punting average by the sophomore halfback. I had to pry any individual game details out of him. Instead, Charley wanted to discuss the team's eye-opening trip to Pasadena and nearby Hollywood, and most importantly, the tribute the Bulldogs gave during the game to the sport's best player that season.

 

Prior to the interview, I was aware that Charley's extraordinary Rose Bowl performance did not include him scoring. The game's lone touchdown resulted on a short run by Heisman-winning Frank Sinkwich, who was limited during the game because of injuries. Playing on two injured ankles, Sinkwich threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, and gained only 20 rushing yards on 10 carries. Nevertheless, what would be his final carry as a Bulldog was the ultimate way to end a career, and the ultimate tribute a team could give its wounded leader.

 

Coach Wally Butts was big on scrimmaging, so much so he made the team scrimmage during its trip by train to California. "[Butts] was not about to go two or three days without a practice," Charley informed me. "We stopped, scrimmaged, got back on the train to spend the night, and then went on to California." Upon arrival, the Bulldogs began scrimmaging again and quite often, while rather intensely.

"After a scrimmage in California, Coach Butts approached me and said that Frank had been injured; one ankle was hurt rather badly while the other was swollen," Charley said. "Butts told me that Frank would be limited and I would 'have to go all the way'--carry the load of the team's carries and maybe play the entire game." However, the head coach, his sophomore sensation, and the rest of the team's offense (minus Sinkwich) agreed that if the team ever got close to UCLA's goal line, even if it was on multiple occasions, the injured Sinkwich would be handed the ball for an opportunity to score a touchdown.

 

On the final play of the third quarter during a scoreless tie, Sinkwich was given his first chance from the opponent's one-yard line, but lost a fumble recovered by UCLA's Albert Izmirian. In an era when teams often punted prior to facing fourth down, the Bruins punted on the very next play and had it blocked out of the end zone, scoring a safety for Georgia. After a couple of changes of possessions, the Bulldogs began a drive from UCLA's 25-yard line after an interception by Clyde Ehrhardt.

 

"Following one play, Frank got up hobbling so badly that we tried to send him to the sideline, but he refused to leave the game," Trippi said of Georgia's touchdown drive. "On the next play, he was given the ball, but then handed it to me on a reverse for a gain of about six or seven yards. Finally, facing second down and goal from the one-yard line, we called timeout."

 

For what Charley believes was the only play he missed the entire game offensively or defensively, he went to the sideline as Sinkwich was inserted at left halfback. Sinkwich was then given another chance, running at right tackle before being spun sideways by a Bruin defender. He just got over the goal line, scoring the game’s only touchdown with about seven-and-a-half minutes remaining.

 

Ehrhardt's interception, Sinkwich's touchdown, and fans tear down the goal posts following Georgia's 9-0 victory:

Charley concluded his memory of the Rose Bowl with the following: "We wanted to pay tribute to Frank for the great career he had at Georgia and he delivered by scoring a touchdown in the Rose Bowl.  In the sport’s greatest game, what a way for Frank Sinkwich to complete his college career!"

 

Remember, Charley was asked to describe the game of his life...

 

I've known Charley for about five or six years and of all former Georgia players, I've probably interviewed him more than any other.  I can honestly say he is one of the most gracious and selfless people I know.  Reading that the Bulldog great has no interest in an annual showcase filled with glitz, instant millionaires, and individualism makes perfect sense to me. 

 

The ultimate team player, who was part of perhaps the ultimate tribute to a teammate in UGA football history, continues to believe in a "Big team, Little me" approach.

Should Kwame Have Come Back?

Early departures for '13: Jones, Ogletree, & Geathers
-- first rounder, first rounder, & no rounder.
 

Seems a rather ridiculous question considering the early departure wasn't even selected in the recent NFL Draft, huh?  Still, after receiving an email from a reader wondering if any other early-entrant Bulldogs besides Geathers went undrafted in the past, I suddenly felt compelled to reexamine the case for Kwame.

 

Updating a post of mine from a year ago when I questioned the early departure of Orson Charles, Georgia has now had 31 players declare early for the draft following the departures of Jones, Ogletree, and Geathers.  Kwame was just the third of these players not to be drafted.  The Bulldogs' early-departed-but-not-drafted percentage of less than 10 percent is rather remarkable considering of the roughly 1,200 early entrants from 1990 through 2013 in all of college football, approximately 36 percent were not taken in the draft (including 21 of 73 in 2013).

 

Although former Bulldogs who leave early are rarely left empty handed, the notion the UGA football program under Coach Richt is treated by most super-talented players as merely a stepping stone to the NFL continues.  In the 12 NFL Drafts from 1990 through 2001, there was an average of 42.3 early entrants compared to 55.8 in the last 12, or a 31.7 percent increase.  However, at Georgia, five players declared early from 1990 through 2001, compared to 24 from 2002 through 2013, or an increase of nearly FIVE times than before and an average of two early departees annually during the Coach Richt era.

 

Feeling kind of sorry for Geathers, who signed as a free agent with San Diego immediately following the draft, and especially for a Georgia defensive line (in which two of the three projected starters for 2013 have totaled only a combined three career tackles!), I soon noticed the claim at DawgBark.net that only 4% of players drafted in the 7th Round or signed as undrafted free agents make it in the NFL for more than 2 years.  Further thinking things didn't look too promising for Kwame, I then recalled that of Georgia's late-round picks to undrafted free agents—at least the ones who departed the program early—most had actually "made" it, so to speak, in the NFL.

A decade ago, Georgia had a similar case to Geathers in linebacker Chris Clemons.  After a respectable junior season of 2002, Clemons was expected to be the lone returning starting linebacker for the Bulldogs in '03.  Instead, he unexpectedly turned pro early.  Although a fourth or fifth-round projected pick by many so-called experts, like Geathers, Clemons wound up not being drafted in the end.  However, he was signed by Washington as a free agent and recently completed his eighth year in the NFL.  What's more, Clemons has been a starting defensive end for the Seahawks the last three seasons and was recently featured online in Seattle as part of a trade from three years ago "that looks more and more like a steal."  Not bad for an undrafted free agent.

A decade ago, Chris Clemons left the Dawgs early and
went undrafted, but he has had a fine NFL career.

Besides Clemons and Geathers, the other Georgia undrafted early entrant was D.J. "don't call me Danny" Ware, who actually had little choice but to leave early following the 2006 season with the return of Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin and emergence of Knowshon Moreno.  For Ware, it was either declare early for the '07 Draft or likely be the Bulldogs' fourth-string tailback as a senior.  In six seasons in the NFL, Ware has been a dependable back, started a couple of games while being on the cusp of becoming a full-time starter, and been part of two Super Bowl-winning teams.

Including these two undrafted free agents, and excluding Orson Charles since he has only one pro season under his belt, I examined the NFL careers of every previous early entrant from Georgia.  I discovered that of the six Bulldogs drafted in the fourth round and lower or not at all, FOUR—Clemons, Reshad Jones, Randy McMichael, and, ironically, Kwame's older brother Robert Geathers—all started for 2-plus seasons in the NFL in at least half of their teams' games.  For the two Bulldogs that weren't starters for 2+ seasons, Ware, as mentioned, has had a serviceable pro career while Terreal Bierria likely would have so if not for getting in a little trouble with the law.

On further examination, 9 of the 14 early-entrant Bulldogs drafted in the third round and lower or not drafted at all became starters in the NFL for at least two seasons.  In comparison and for what it's worth, nearly the same proportion (9 of 13) of the early-entrant Georgia players drafted in the 1st and 2nd rounds became starters in the NFL for at least two seasons.

Ten years ago, Georgia's Chris Clemons surprised much of the Bulldog Nation, including his head coach, by declaring early for the NFL Draft.  "I'm somewhat disappointed and I'm not sure it was the wisest decision in this case," Coach Richt said at the time, "but time will tell."  Clemons went undrafted but, in time, was one of the best defenders on arguably the NFL's best defense a year ago.

I wish Kwame Geathers had stayed with the Bulldogs for his final season and it was probably an unwise decision for him to come out early.  However, based on his 6-6, 350-pound frame, incredible NFL bloodlines, and the fact that early departees from Georgia seem to buck the early-entrant trends of other college programs, don't be surprised if Geathers "makes it" in the NFL and does just fine.

Georgia's Path to the Draft

Well, at least he could recruit
high NFL Draft picks...

I was watching TV with a few friends last week when the news broke that Coach Donnan had been indicted for his part in the much-publicized Ponzi scheme. 

 

"Crook!" a friend shouted.  "What an embarrassment," said another.  "'Big Head D' should be ashamed," mumbled a friend, adding his long-time nickname for the former Bulldog coach.  And, finally and humorously (I think), "Well, at least he could recruit..."

Someone must have quickly shot my last friend a curious remember-the-Donnan-regime-took-Jasper-Sanks-over-Jamal-Lewis look because he promptly clarified his remark, "Donnan could recruit!  At least as far as players that eventually would be picked high in the NFL Draft."

 

I soon flashed back to an article I had written for a magazine about a month ago regarding Georgia's 1980 team.  In my research, I was shocked to discover only one player from the national title squad was ever picked in the first OR second round of an NFL Draft (Lindsay Scott).  I'm not just talking about the NFL Draft immediately following the championship season in April of 1981, but any player from that team chosen in the first two rounds of any of the subsequent drafts.  What's even more remarkable is in the final 16 NFL Drafts of the Coach Dooley era (1973-1988), Scott was the only Bulldog selected in the first round.  (Granted, if it wasn't for the USFL, Herschel would have been a first-round pick, as well, but even just two first rounders in 16 years is mighty hard to fathom.)  In comparison, and let's say Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree are chosen tonight, Georgia would have had 16 first-round selections in the last 16 NFL Drafts (1998-2013).

 

It's certainly no secret Donnan was able to land high school talent that eventually would become high NFL Draft picks (signed 6 of those 16 first rounders), as has Richt (8 of the 16).  But, what about previous Georgia head coaches, and what if the selections were extended to what is currently the first two days of the draft — rounds 1 through 3, or the first 96 picks?

 

From Wally Butts' first NFL Draft as head coach (1940) through 2012, the following is a ranking of the Bulldogs' last six head coaches according to the number of top-96 NFL draftees each had previously signed for the Bulldogs:

Kendrell Bell was one of the whopping 16 top-
three round picks signed by Donnan (and apparently 
one of the ex-coach's eventual Ponzi victims). 

33- Butts

21- Dooley

17- Richt

16- Donnan

10- Goff

  2- Griffith

 

On second thought, I thought a better comparison would be each coach's number of high draft picks divided by the number of seasons they coached at Georgia:

 

3.20- Donnan (16 in 5 years)

1.50- Butts (33 in 22)

1.43- Goff (10 in 7)

1.42- Richt (17 in 12)

0.84- Dooley (21 in 25)

0.67- Griffith (2 in 3)

 

Disregarding the abbreviated Griffith tenure, there's an intriguing trend concerning Georgia head coaches and their yearly average of high draft picks: Richt, Goff, and Butts all averaged around one-and-a-half top-three round picks per year, which was roughly TWICE as many as Dooley averaged, and less than HALF as many as Donnan averaged.

 

Notably, of the five coaches who signed at least 10 eventual top-three round picks, Dooley had the lowest yearly top-96 average by far, yet was arguably the most successful of the five.  For this reason, should Dooley be even more celebrated for doing, as they say, a lot with little (i.e., having tremendous success with inferior NFL talent)?  Or, should the hall-of-fame head coach be criticized for not signing the top NFL talent that was landed by Georgia coaches both before (Butts) and after his tenure (Goff, Donnan, and Richt)?

 

Likewise, should the Jim Donnan coaching regime be more heralded because of its signing of numerous eventual high NFL draftees in such a short period of time?  Or, considering all of that NFL talent, yet Donnan was likely just the fourth most successful of the five head coaches, is it shameful his coaching tenure was only satisfactory?  Regardless, whether Donnan was a Bulldog signee's "path to the Draft," or more so produced little with a lot, he currently has much, much bigger fish to fry.

Trip to Clemson Can Bring Unexpected

In '74, Georgia had some difficulty stopping a Clemson ground attack, 
the Bulldogs were unexpectedly defeated, & a rivalry was established.

Last week, I was on the campus of Clemson University for the first time in nearly 30 years.  I believe it was during the summer of 1985 when somehow through a friend of my father's, I unexpectedly got to walk out on the field of Death Valley — a pretty cool experience for a 10 year old.  For my recent trip, I was conducting a couple of interviews for a story I'm writing on the namesake of the same field — Clemson's legendary Frank Howard.  Although I bleed red and black, I'm a huge enthusiast of the history of college football, on the whole, plus this freelance writer has bills to pay.  Therefore, I welcomed the opportunity to put together a piece on Howard for a Clemson football yearbook due out this summer.

 

The last time I had been at Clemson, the Bulldogs and Tigers bitter rivalry was in its heyday.  At the time, in my opinion, there was likely no opponent the majority of the Bulldog Nation hated more than Clemson.  This time on campus, I saw a sign in their bookstore promoting the upcoming August 31st meeting as a "Rivalry Renewed."  It got me thinking...  If the approaching game is renewing a rivalry, when did the Georgia-Clemson football game actually become a rivalry?

 

For a series featuring more than 60 games, the results of the meetings over the years have been rather one-sided to say the least and, thus collectively, could be argued as hardly a rivalry at all.  Georgia won the first three meetings between the two schools played prior to 1900.  In turn, Clemson promptly defeated the Red and Black seven consecutive times from 1900 through 1906, outscoring them 184 to 10 in the process.  From there, Georgia went on a tear, recording a remarkable 26-3-3 mark in 32 games from 1907 to 1973.  Currently, the Bulldogs are on a five-game winning streak against the Tigers, taking each game played since 1991.  However, there was a time when Georgia-Clemson was indeed a real rivalry, and one of the more balanced matchups in all of college football.

 

Many, including myself, have pointed to the 1977 game as to when the rivalry was really established.  Georgia was coming off consecutive seasons of major bowl appearances, while Clemson had been sub-par to awful for quite some time.  Having not defeated the Bulldogs away from Clemson in 18 tries since 1914, the Tigers pulled a 7-6 upset in Athens.  From then through 1987, the 11 Georgia-Clemson games were decided by an average of less than five points per contest.

 

As I recently sat with a retired Clemson professor and current campus historian, after discussing Coach Howard, I brought up the one-time bitter rivalry between the Bulldogs and Tigers.  Notably, he first informed me of a time when the two sides, you could say, got along quite well.

 

"Whenever the Tigers played in Athens when Howard was head coach, he was worried about the well being of the college girls that followed the Clemson team down to Georgia," the historian told me.  "So, the girls were placed on a separate campus away from the UGA male students.  (I must have looked confused at this point.)  And good thing, Howard believed the girls would be fornicating with the UGA males under those hedges y'all got down there," he added with a laugh.

 

Talk of Georgia and Clemson "relations" soon changed to the schools' football rivalry, and the historian suggested that their meeting in 1974 in Death Valley was when the series changed forever.


No, it's not Herschel... This No. 34 -- 
Andy "Breezy" Reid -- actually scored
a touchdown against Clemson.

The Tigers were fresh off an upset win over Georgia Tech after an 0-2 start to their '74 campaign.  The Bulldogs entered with a 2-1 record, as 10-point favorites on the road, and having not lost to the Tigers in 10 consecutive games over a period of nearly 20 years (1955).

 

For most of the game, Georgia's offense was rather effective, scoring three touchdowns on the ground: two by Horace King and a third from Andy "Breezy" Reid.  In addition, quarterback Matt Robinson averaged almost 15 yards per pass attempt.  Nevertheless, the Bulldogs had some serious issues on defense throughout the 1974 season, and particularly on this afternoon.  Even Erk Russell's recent switch from a five- to a six-man front to slow opposing ground games couldn't hold back the Tigers.  Two Clemson quarterbacks — Mark Fellers and Mike O'Cain — were each responsible for two touchdowns while directing the Tigers' Veer offense to more than 300 yards rushing in a 28-24 upset victory in the Valley.

 

Granted, Georgia would whip Clemson by a combined 76 to 7 score in wins over the Tigers the next two seasons.  However, beginning in 1974 to Georgia's current run of five straight wins, the Bulldogs and Tigers battled to an even 7-7-1 series record.

 

Finally, my second interview while at Clemson was with Jimmy Howard — a pretty cool experience for this 38 year old.  The only son of the late Frank Howard, Jimmy played for the Tigers in the early-60s.  Instead of on campus, he chose to be interviewed from a bar — his bar, in fact, located in downtown Clemson.  Jimmy had little to add about the rivalry between the Bulldogs and Tigers.  However, while chewing on a wad of tobacco and drinking a beer  (yes, at the same time), he was filled with charisma, quick wit, and some entertaining stories a tad too crude to reveal here (including a classic about his father, an opposing coach, General Douglas MacArthur, and a glass of urine).

 

Recently, I was reminded that Georgia's most hated rivalry at one time was being renewed.  Also, including for the Bulldogs in '74, me as a youngster, or again just last week, I was reminded that a trip to Clemson often brings the unexpected. 

A Lingering Tall Gator Tale

In '66, it was obviously (L to R) Varnado, Patton, & Stanfill
who drank Gatorade, and not Florida's Superman.

Yesterday, I saw a Gatorade commercial for the first time -- a supposed "true story" -- once again depicting the sports drink's association with Florida Gators football of the mid-1960s.  And, as I've desired for quite some time of the Gatorade-Gators  connection, I just wish everyone would be on the up and up...

 

Several years ago, I discovered that the account of the drink practically turning around the Gators' program was somewhat exaggerated to say the least.  When I was asked to write I Love Georgia/I Hate Florida, I finally got to expose Florida's fabricating ways.  For anyone who isn't aware, or even cares, I hate to burst your bubble, but the only thing worse than a Gator is an embellishing Gator.  From my book:

 

Thank goodness for the 1965 Florida football team and a few of the university’s researchers from the time.  Because of them, there have been far fewer athletes affected by the heat and heat-related illnesses; these much appreciated Gators are the reason for the acclaimed sports drink of Gatorade.

 

In the spring of 1965, an assistant coach approached Dr. Robert Cade, the university’s kidney disease specialist, asking the reason why so many Gator players were “wilting” towards the end of games in the Florida heat.  In response, Cade and other researchers formulated a new beverage to help counteract the players’ debilitating dehydration better than just plain drinking water.

The new drink, Gatorade, was presented to head coach Ray Graves, who agreed that the researchers could try out the concoction on his Gators, but only the freshman team. Legend has it, the first on-the-field tests of Gatorade came in a scrimmage between the freshman squad, or the "guinea pigs," against the superior Gators' B team.

“At the end of the first half, the B team was ahead 13-0. They pushed the freshmen around pretty good,” Cade says. “In the third period, the freshmen, who had been given the solution, came out and began pushing the B team around. They scored two or three touchdowns in the third period and five or six more in the fourth period.”

Coach Graves was instantly sold on Gatorade and asked the researchers if they could supply enough for the entire Florida varsity to use in its upcoming game against heavily-favored LSU.

The very next day, Florida came from behind in the fourth quarter in 102-degree heat in Gainesville to upset the Tigers, 14-7.  Apparently, the Gators had been filled with Gatorade in the second half, whereas LSU had wilted down the stretch.

At that point, according to the drink’s official website, “the Gators began winning… outlasting a number of heavily favored opponents in the withering heat and finishing the season at 7–4.”

With Gatorade in hand, it only got better for the Gators.  In 1966, they achieved a regular-season record of 8-2 while earning the reputation as a second-half team.  Prior to Florida’s first-ever Orange Bowl appearance that season, the Florida Times-Union summed up the Gators’ newly-found success and their secret remedy with the headline: “One Lil’ Swig of That Kickapoo Juice and Biff, Bam, Sock — It’s Gators, 8-2.”

In the Orange Bowl, the Gatorade-filled Gators defeated Georgia Tech, finishing its season with a school-record-tying nine victories.  Word soon spread about the University of Florida’s balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage and how the magic potion brought instant fortune to its football team.

And, as they say, the rest is history: “Orders from other college football programs across the country soon followed, as playing without Gatorade on your sidelines began to be likened to playing with just ten men on the field.”

Let us first start off by saying that your average Bulldog fan does not dislike Gatorade simply because it was created by a group of Gators.  Most of us like the drink, in fact, probably just as much as the next guy.  We’ve even used it once in a while for alternative purposes, like dumping it on our coaches following a big victory.  However, the Gators tend to often exaggerate their football history, while we Bulldogs usually will call a spade a spade.

In 1965, “heavily-favored” LSU was actually just a three-point favorite over the Gators.  Also, Florida did not rally in the fourth quarter to defeat the Tigers as the story goes; the Gators didn’t score a single point in the final quarter and actually never trailed the entire game.

As far as Florida “outlasting a number of heavily favored opponents” that season, in fact, the opposite could actually be said.  Following the victory over LSU, the Gators did not win a single game as a decided underdog while actually losing two games when ranked in the top ten to unranked teams – Auburn and Miami (Fla) – who would both finish their seasons with sub-par records.

The 1965 Florida football team would actually end its season with an overall record that was a little worse than the Gatorade-less Gators from the year before.

Granted, the following season of 1966 was a banner year for Florida.  However, if one was to consider the first three Gator teams that were drinking Gatorade, including the ’66 Orange Bowl champions, and compare them to the three Florida football squads prior to the drink’s creation (1962 to 1964), each group of Gators lost the exact number of combined games – 10 each.

As far as the ’66 Gators earning the reputation as a second-half team, any “reputation” certainly wasn’t earned in Jacksonville, when Florida blew a 10-3 halftime lead to Georgia and was outscored 24-0 in the second half (17-0 in the fourth quarter).  We guess the Gators forgot to drink their Gatorade during the final two quarters, especially the top Gator – quarterback Steve Spurrier, or “Superman” as he was then known as.

Constantly harassed and repeatedly sacked while throwing three interceptions in the second half against the Bulldogs, instead of Gatorade, Superman must have come in contact with some kryptonite.

One Sick Dawg



Rambo was indeed "NASTY" during an MVP
performance in the '87 Liberty Bowl.

With having two young children, I've come to realize that if one of them gets sick, there's a chance I'll become sick as well.  If both are sick, forget about it -- I'm definitely catching something.  So, when my 5-year-old got strep throat and then my 3-year-old came down with a severe cold soon after, I braced myself.  However, little did I know that the bug I was to catch would be more like a bugaboo.

 

Roughly a week after sensing the initial symptoms, I'm just now getting over the flu.  During my illness, since all I really felt like doing was sleeping, there was little time to devote to this blog.  Therefore, for anyone that sent me any blog-related emails or posted a comment hoping for a response, I'll get around to responding soon.

 

During my time of confinement, admittedly, there was a period, or three, of me feeling sorry for myself.  However, besides reminding myself that I still didn't have it nearly as tough as many people in this world, I also realized that there were several Georgia players from the past who were as sick, or even sicker, and actually went out and played in a major-college football game.

 

During a period where I had plenty of time to think -- in fact, too much -- and when it seems like everyone is catching some sort of bug, I came up with the top five "sick" moments in the history of Georgia football.  Notre Dame's Joe Montana might have his "Chicken Soup Game," but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't quite compare to the ill moments of these hard-nosed Bulldogs:

 

#1- JOHN BRANTLEY (1987 Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas)

A bad case of food poison, which would lead to vomiting and diarrhea during the game, was not going to keep John Brantley from his final appearance in a Bulldog uniform.  There's a good reason he was nicknamed "Rambo"...  During the week of the bowl game in Memphis, Brantley didn't practice and didn't go to any team functions, but laid in bed with IVs while taking medicines. 

 

As Brantley recently told me: "I couldn't hold my head up.  I just briefly warmed up right before kickoff after getting shot up with IVs.  At halftime, I got IVs again and they popped my left shoulder that had fallen out back in place, and then I just went back on the field and played again."  Simple as that.  And, by the way, Brantley was named Defensive MVP of Georgia's 20-17 comeback victory over Arkansas.   

 

#2- HERSCHEL WALKER (1982 Florida)

Against the Gators in '82, Herschel had such a bad case of the flu, he wore a girdle under his uniform to keep from shivering in 62-degree Jacksonville weather.  Regardless, no illness, Florida defense, or women's undergarments could stop Herschel that day as he rushed for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns on 35 carries in just over 2½ quarters of play in a 44-0 Georgia victory.

 

When Coach Vince Dooley was asked what would have happened if he had played Herschel a little longer, he said, "he may have gotten 300 yards."  When Herschel was asked about his girdle, he said, "it keeps you warm." 

 

#3- FRAN TARKENTON (1960 Florida)

Damaged, dizzy, and sleep deprived, Tarkenton
(No. 10) completes a pass against Florida in 1960.

The night before the '60 Florida game, Tarkenton had not slept at all while suffering from asthma attacks.  The medication he took, according to the senior quarterback, "made me flighty during the game."  And it showed as Georgia trailed 22-0 in the fourth quarter, but there was no quit in the courageous Tarkenton.

 

First, scrambling as far back as Florida’s 30-yard line before reaching the end zone, Tarkenton scored on a 4-yard touchdown run facing fourth-and-goal.  On the play, he received a vicious hit to his hip by a Gator defender, causing the Bulldog quarterback to limp the rest of the game.  Next, Tarkenton drove Georgia 53 yards to a touchdown in just four plays and the Bulldogs had reduced Florida’s lead to only eight points.  However, with only a few minutes to play and Tarkenton barely able to move, Georgia ran out of steam and was eventually defeated, 22-14.  With no sleep, dizzy from medication, and often limping, Tarkenton completed 14 of 28 passes against the Gators for 145 yards. 

 

#4- BILL STANFILL and DENNIS HUGHES (1968 Ole Miss)

With a much-heralded sophomore signal caller, who in less than a month's time had suddenly taken the Southland by storm, venturing to Athens, it was the worst possible time for both the injury and flu bug to hit a few vital members of the Georgia football team.  Regardless, Bill Stanfill, who was both injured and sick, played and in typical Stanfill style, harassed Archie Manning all afternoon.  The sophomore sensation completed just 10 of 26 passes for 150 yards and was intercepted three times.  It would be the only occasion of three Georgia would defeat Manning and the Rebels.  On offense, the Bulldogs needed little more than end Dennis Hughes.  Recovering from the flu, Hughes caught six passes for 134 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown with just minutes remaining to clinch a 21-7 win.

 

#5- "FATTY" and a FEW OTHERS (1928 Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech was on its way to a perfect 10-0 record and a Rose Bowl win while Georgia was en route to a losing season.  To make matters worse, a flu epidemic had hit the University of Georgia campus, including wiping out nearly the entire football team.  By game time, the Bulldogs were without four of 11 starters, including one of the nation's best tackles, Gene Lautzenhiser.  Others like standouts Harvey Hill, Joe Boland, Frank Dudley, and Vern "Fatty" Bryant started but reportedly were still quite sick and probably shouldn't have played.  However, never count out a team when they feature a player named "Fatty"... 

 

Georgia shockingly held a 6-0 second-quarter lead following a touchdown pass from Bobby Hooks to Herb Maffett -- two backups.  Alas, in the end, the Jackets strength overcame the sick Bulldog bunch by a 20-to-6 score.  Nevertheless, the moral victory was called a "valiant" performance and "the fighting spirit of Georgia was the highlight of the game," while proving that even in defeat to the Techies, the Bulldogs have always stolen the show...