D.J. Shockley signs with UFL’s Nighthawks
Quarterback DJ Shockley, a former Georgia standout, was a seventh-round draft choice by the Falcons in 2006. He will have to beat out 40-year-old Jeff Garcia in the UFL. Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com
Quarterback D.J. Shockley, who was waived by the Falcons on July 9, has signed with the Omaha Nighthawks, the newest team in the United Football League, the league announced.
Shockley attended the team’s minicamp in July.
Shockley, the former Georgia and North Clayton High standout, was a seventh-round pick of the Falcons in 2006. He never played a regular-season game for the team.
“When you play quarterback, it’s hard to get into somebody’s [NFL] camp, especially this late,” Shockley said a few weeks after his release. “Then you’ve got to learn the system. … Hopefully, this is a little better situation where I get a chance to compete and all of that kind of stuff. Right now, it seems like the best option.”
The Nighthawks are coached by former Falcons assistant Jeff Jagodzinski, who also coached Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan at Boston College.
Shockley was the emergency quarterback for all 16 games in 2006 and 2008. He sat out the 2007 season after suffering a preseason knee injury, missing an opportunity to play when Michael Vick was convicted of dog-fighting and the team used three different starting quarterbacks.
Shockley will compete for playing time against former Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia, who’s now 40. Also, former Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli is on the roster.
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80 comments Add your comment
rekingball
August 23rd, 2010
9:38 am
I hope he does good.
Topp Dogg
August 23rd, 2010
9:45 am
Soon Dwyer will join DJ in the Nighthawks backfield ,hide and watch.
Walk like Bobby Cox
August 23rd, 2010
9:45 am
Omaha is cold in the winter.
82Dawg
August 23rd, 2010
10:06 am
Good luck D.J.
DJ Shockley signs with UFL’s Nighthawks – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Book A Dj Now
August 23rd, 2010
10:07 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Ben Ben Right
August 23rd, 2010
10:09 am
Time to see what he can do with the Nighthawks’s first team unit.
BIRDDAWG
August 23rd, 2010
10:12 am
Good luck DJ, maybe you can come back next year with more experience and help the Falcons or some other NFL team. I hope you have put some money away.
Stay focused and make us proud!
Kit
August 23rd, 2010
10:23 am
A lot of former UGA players are playing on that Omaha team DE Nic Clemons and OT George Foster.
Rogeriter
August 23rd, 2010
10:25 am
Good luck to a damn good dog!
Marzha
August 23rd, 2010
10:30 am
Another former dawgturd who can’t make the grade in the NFL.
Hey, you have to be able to read to understand a playbook!
tony
August 23rd, 2010
10:31 am
Keep your head up DJ and believe in yourself.
Clay
August 23rd, 2010
10:31 am
Aw, to hell with the Falcons, BIRDDAWG, they never gave DJ a real chance to play after he came back from the knee injury. Maybe another team will give him a legitimate chance, and he will bite the Falcons in the butt some day. Stronger arm and still faster than 90% of QBs in the league. John Parker Wilson – jeez, he can probably throw the ball 35 yards . . .
Narnia
August 23rd, 2010
10:32 am
Maybe he didn’t earn enough street creds at UGAy to impress the other thugs in the NFL.
Clay
August 23rd, 2010
10:32 am
Yeah, those Tech geniuses like Reggie Ball just dominate in the NFL!!!
Mike Jay
August 23rd, 2010
10:37 am
Clay,
Strong Arm and faster does not automotacially = good QB. Falcons gave him plenty of chances but he just couldn’t cut it. No shame in that.
wow Jeff Garcia? Figured he was playing backup for somebody in the NFL.
birdbrain
August 23rd, 2010
10:38 am
Who cares about DJ except Doggie fans???? Another wasted effort by Orlando.
what a joke
August 23rd, 2010
10:38 am
Clay—-He stayed with the falcons a lot longer than he should have.
Sho-Dawg of Harlem
August 23rd, 2010
10:39 am
It’s a shame he never got a chance to showcase his tallents on the NFL field. Much love DJ!!!
Go DAWGS!!!!!
Clay
August 23rd, 2010
10:44 am
Fitting name, “what a joke”.
McDawg
August 23rd, 2010
11:00 am
best move for Shockley-he just needs to get on the field
Valerie
August 23rd, 2010
11:02 am
I wish you the BEST !
david
August 23rd, 2010
11:04 am
Thats right Clay….Reggie stayed on a NFL roster about as long as David Green. Big difference…even Reggie got some education
Native Georgian
August 23rd, 2010
11:10 am
Shockley’s career can be summed up by the timing of that knee injury! It was his job to lose after we were clamoring for a new hero in the dogfight aftermath.
Instead, he never sees the field and winds up in the UFL. I wish him luck there.
(BTW, diehard Tech fan here but I like to see my native Georgia products do well at the next level too).
Bubba
August 23rd, 2010
11:13 am
Is that the David Gree that hung half a hundred on the nerds?
GIVE ME A BREAK
August 23rd, 2010
11:16 am
The few UGA players that are in the NFL think their coaches should go swimming with them.
Clay
August 23rd, 2010
11:23 am
David, you wanna bet on which of those two has the better job now, huh?
Reggie
August 23rd, 2010
11:24 am
I wish the Falcon can pull off a trade with the Nighthawks and get DJ for John Parker Wilson!
Clay
August 23rd, 2010
11:26 am
I don’t think a backflip off the 10 meter platform is actually classed as “swimming” dummy.
Erin
August 23rd, 2010
11:26 am
@David Because David Greene clearly did not get edumacated while at UGA. He received his BBA in in Risk Management 2004 and opened an Atlanta office of Seacrest Partners. Why don’t you take 2 seconds to google him before you act like you know what the heck you are talking about.
Focus on the football people.
Ryan
August 23rd, 2010
11:36 am
And to think, we had to listen for two years to all the idiot Dawg fans tell us that Shockley deserved a chnace to start for the Falcons. If he is so good how come no one wanted to sign him?
ejj
August 23rd, 2010
11:44 am
Good luck DJ, need live reps, will have another opportunity to return to NFL.
TEE OFF
August 23rd, 2010
11:46 am
WOW!! ERIN JUST CRUSHED DAVID!! OUCH DAVID. TIME TO SIGN OFF AND GO AWAY NOW!! HA!!
Keith
August 23rd, 2010
11:49 am
There are several NFL teams that have quarterbacks on their rosters who are not half as good as DJ.The Bears really need QB help!
spectator
August 23rd, 2010
11:52 am
Can this please be the last thing we have to hear about DJ? The guy doesn’t now and never did have NFL talent and ability. He had more chance than he deserved with the Falcons, and that was just because they wanted a “token” dog around. Bet he gets cut from this minor league team also.
Statick
August 23rd, 2010
12:17 pm
To hell with the Falcons? Regarding DJ? Really, I’m a Dawg fan, but my loyalty for former UGA players stop when they leave campus. If they don’t play for the Falcons then they’re the enemy in my book. As for DJ, I’m happy he got a job somewhere.
DawginLex
August 23rd, 2010
12:21 pm
Marzha and narnia,
You stay classy now.
Jealous much?
Who is your team?
A team from a school where men are nerds and sheep are afraid?
Coach O'Liar
August 23rd, 2010
12:23 pm
Uh David Wasn’t it Reggie who could not play in his last game due to grades. By the way wasn’t if Reggie who couldn’t count to 4?
Question
August 23rd, 2010
12:27 pm
Is Reggie Ball playing pro ball anywhere or is he still working through the concept of 4 downs?
jack row
August 23rd, 2010
12:33 pm
WOW! Erin really did annhilate David! He signed off,and is over in a corner making “simpering” noises,licking his wounds! You go girl!
Time
August 23rd, 2010
12:34 pm
Good luck to DJ. A player who has to be the unluckiest player I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. Comes to UGA as a top recruit, then David Greene comes out of nowhere essentially and blocks him from a chance at starting till his senior year. Wins the SEC in that year. Goes to the NFL, bides his time waiting for a shot, Vick goes stupid and gets thrown in jail setting DJ up to be the hero. Plays well in a couple preseason games and shows some promise…then gets hurt and never gets a shot again.
With a little luck he’s a 3 year starter at UGA. With 3 years at that level he is a high draft pick and actually gets a chance. He’s got all the tools. Won’t surprise me in the least if he wins MVP of the UFL.
Question
August 23rd, 2010
12:36 pm
David is crying like a little beotch.
m915
August 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm
Someone used the term “Thugs” in the nfl, is thug a code word you people think others dont know what you really mean?
Paul The Vol
August 23rd, 2010
12:49 pm
Good luck to him. He is a classy guy who stayed loyal and played behind Greene when it probably would have helped his career to go elsewhere and play. I hope he does well.
jasont13
August 23rd, 2010
12:52 pm
I find it funny how people submit posts bashing a kid who is trying to live his life long dream. He was lucky enough to be on the Falcons roster for three years. You have Tech fans bashing him but gues what? He was 4-0 against Tech. How come the AJC lets you posts comments about this article but will not let you posts comments about a former Tech player who was supposed to be a 1st round draft pick who now may not make the team.
Dawg Man
August 23rd, 2010
12:52 pm
Good luck DJ, you were always one of my favorite Dawgs!
Go DJ Now that's my DJ
August 23rd, 2010
1:12 pm
Loyal Team Member.
Loyal to GA behind a better than average college QB.
Loyal to the Falcons, He’s trying to get reps to prepare himself for the backup spot next year.
He doesn’t want to play for another team, he want’s to play at home first.
If he signed somewhere else he would be lost forever and still wouldn’t play past pre-season this year.
BG
August 23rd, 2010
1:27 pm
Good for Shock! Good Luck!!
dagnabit
August 23rd, 2010
1:37 pm
Dawg-Lex: a junior football offense that is one-and-one against the mighty bulldawgs.
Joshua
August 23rd, 2010
3:14 pm
Ok Lets deal with the real here. I like DJ Shockley. I think he would be an excellent quarterback. I do. The reason no one has ever moved on him is because he is not a proven quarterback in the NFL (1). Besides that he also tore his ACL which also made him a liability(2). And because of the torn ACL his ability to perform at the NFL level would always be in question (3). So he has had and still has a lot to overcome. If he can get footage of proven ability of play then maybe he will be able to get back in the league. But the final thing that he has working against him is time. If he can get back into the league in the next two years then that will be good. After 30 he will have the age factor as an extra liability (4). I wish him well and I hope that he can overcome all of these things and excel.
TXDawg
August 23rd, 2010
3:23 pm
David….another example of someone who opens their piehole without knowing what the F he’s talking about. Not that David Greene did anything in the NFL, but the mere fact that he was on the roster for two different teams (that I know of) says more about what NFL teams thought about any potential he might have had. AND, I might add, he was not on their roster as a QB like Reggie “can’t get the WR a” Ball.
TXDawg
August 23rd, 2010
3:23 pm
*not on their roster as a WR like Reggie Ball*
forewarnin
August 23rd, 2010
3:30 pm
Dont bend over to pick up the soap around Garcia—-jus sayin
tech 4life
August 23rd, 2010
3:33 pm
Come to Tech—dont need the NFL…You dont need the dang NFL. Just come to tech……..You can be a college star..
ASHCAN.
August 23rd, 2010
3:51 pm
Sounds like a bumble bee doggie fight(GT/GA)going on here.I like both teams and also like DJ.Can we all just get along? there’s too much stinging and biting here!
Deezy
August 23rd, 2010
3:53 pm
He wasted to time and experience sitting behind Greene at Georgia. Tech could of used him. He is a whole lot better than Reggie Ball. I still think he is capable of being a backup or having a job in the NFL at QB. The Falcons gave him an opportunity and he let John Parker Wilson beat him out who I didnt think have a chance at making the team. John Parker has looked good this preseason might I add.
G-Man
August 23rd, 2010
4:15 pm
Good LUCK D.J MATT RYAN SURE IS NOT GETTING IT DONE. THEY SHOULD HAVE KEPT YOU. FALCONS WILL NEVER GO PASS THE FIRST ROUND IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH HIM AT QUARTERBACK. THAT SCHOOL HE CAME FROM DID NOT TEACH HIM MUCH. THUG PLAYER HE IS.
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August 23rd, 2010
4:26 pm
[...] [...]
Rod
August 23rd, 2010
4:31 pm
Good luck Shockley but the starting QB position is not open to competition. The nighthawks are going to start Garcia because of name recognition. Maybe if the AJC will have someone cover the nighthawks and help promote the team DJ may get a chance. It would be great to see him play but as Shockleys luck would have it again he gets stuck right in the middle of a another marketing business decision.
NFL bust???really???
August 23rd, 2010
4:40 pm
Marzha, nice spelling, by the way, are you serious with your comment about ‘another’ NFL bust from the Dawg nation? Really? That is such an obnoxiously stupid statement you can only be a fan of the wearers of yellow. It matches the stripes down your backs. 30-24. 8 of 9. 17 of 20.
Josh Nesbitt
August 23rd, 2010
4:53 pm
Someday I’ll be taking handoffs from DJ as the Omaha Nighthawks starting fullback
Cousin Curtis
August 23rd, 2010
5:12 pm
You da man, DJ!!!!!
Hope you light up the UFL, and make it back to the big show soon…
aps
August 23rd, 2010
5:13 pm
DJ is a class act.
PTC DAWG
August 23rd, 2010
5:58 pm
GATA DJ.
Anyone knocking him is a loser of highest regard.
Tweets that mention D.J. Shockley signs with UFL’s Nighthawks | Atlanta Falcons -- Topsy.com
August 23rd, 2010
6:31 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ajc sports editor, Marquis C. Reynolds, Nicholas Martin, D. Orlando Ledbetter, D. Orlando Ledbetter and others. D. Orlando Ledbetter said: Former #Falcons and #Bulldog D.J. Shockley signs with the Omaha NIghthawks of the UFL. http://bit.ly/a16l9z [...]
Bawney Fwank
August 24th, 2010
1:31 am
DJ was a much better quarterback than David Greene and should have played ahead of David except for the corches keeping him down. DJ would have beat the Gators if he had not had a bobo on his leg and prevented him from winning the Housman Trophy!
Jason
August 24th, 2010
3:28 am
Bawney, sorry, but David Greene’s numbers speak for themselves…no way any college coach would have put DJ in instead.
Jason
August 24th, 2010
3:29 am
On that note, I wish DJ well in his next efforts. I think he is a very talented athlete and this move to the UFL is exactly what was needed for him.
Lonquavius J.
August 24th, 2010
7:38 am
DJ be better than Matt Ryan. Blank don’t won’t him cause he black. If he was the Falcons QB the Falcons would done be won the Supperbowl.
smokemonster
August 24th, 2010
8:15 am
WHO CARES. QUEER EYE!
The Man
August 24th, 2010
9:06 am
Thanks for the entertainment, idiot UGA and GT fans. Your debates about meaningless colleges and players are classic!!!!
Tom
August 24th, 2010
11:06 am
Erin, 2 questions: what exactly is involved in getting a degree in “risk management”? and what or who is “seacrest partners”? would that be ryan’s boy toys? other than fran tarkenton, no qb out of uga has made it big in the nfl. uga has never been known as “quarterback U”. i give stafford 2 more years tops before he is relegated to backup or gone.
Trailer Park Dawg
August 24th, 2010
11:29 am
Can someone tell me which NFL team David Greene is starting for? I Googled his name but nothing comes up associated with the NFL.
Tom
August 24th, 2010
1:16 pm
Lonquavius J.
Wow, your education precedes you! Why would the falcons want to win the “supperbowl”? They had Vick (who happens to be black) and didnt win a “Super Bowl” (two words not one). Shockley couldnt lead a little league team to a championship how could he lead the Falcons? And it has nothing to do with his color. Although, historically speaking, only 1 black QB has led his team to the Super Bowl trophy so…
Rod
August 24th, 2010
4:48 pm
Tom, I guess you are just to thick headed. Lonquavius J. was being sarcastic and basicly being a racist white guy mocking the way alot of blacks talk. What is so funny about that is that DJ has many more white fans than black.
BG
August 24th, 2010
5:00 pm
Good luck DJ! You are a DGD!
John McCall
August 25th, 2010
5:27 pm
Never underestimate Anthony Morelli, by far he’s got the best arm of the bunch.
Spud Webb
August 25th, 2010
10:39 pm
I love how folks STILL say DJ never had a fair shot and this and that!! He’s been a FA for months now and no other team in the NFL signed him. I’m sure someone will post it’s a conspiracy against him!!!!
He was great at UGA and a great guy. Nothign against him at all. Just find it funny that so called “fans” have no idea what they’re talking about.
Spud Webb
August 25th, 2010
10:40 pm
Trailor Park, I believe Dave Green walked away. He had some teams interested in him (as a backup) but before last season decided not to play football any longer.
Erin
August 26th, 2010
1:10 pm
@Tom I’m not exactly sure what your problem is.
I was merely pointing out that @David acted like David Greene did nothing while he was at UGA. He not only played college ball (more than I think any of us can say we did) but graduated with a degree (more than I think many of our comments would demonstrate we did). Might I remind you that while UGA is considered the #1 party school this year, it is also considered the #19 public college in the nation. Just because you didn’t attend the school doesn’t mean it lacks a valuable education. And since you weren’t there taking his courses with him, I don’t think you are in a place to judge the quality of his education or work ethic. I don’t believe I said anything in judgement of Reggie Ball and his life choices in my comment. Just pointed out some facts.
As to your comment about Seacreat Partners, why don’t you try Google on for size as well? It will direct you to the website: http://www.seacrestpartners.com/ where you can learn all about it since you have shown such interest. I’m not pretending to be knowledgeable about what David Greene does or insurance and brokerage at all; however, he is employed and making use of an education he sought.
And I made no comments about UGA football players as pro players so why your UGA QB comment was directed at me, I’m not really sure.
SAM!!!
August 27th, 2010
3:11 pm
My other post was removed because I was hard on D.J. and because I was hard on the racist redneck Bulldog Nation.
GA Rednecks loved D.J. because he was a milquetoast Uncle Tom that played second fiddle to the oh so superior white Q.B…..David Greene.
They even laughed at his confused dumbass when he tried to pull a Michael Vick and run with the ball for the Falcons…but tore his knee up.
White redneck Georgians love D.J. shockley