Happy Hour: Herschel vs. Knowshon

I thought we’d head into the weekend with one of those imponderable but nevertheless fun discussions that come up so often over a few beers, matching up two great teams from different eras and arguing about who would win.

Part of the problem in doing this, of course, is that modern era players are much bigger and faster than those from decades ago. So the 1942 national champion Georgia team probably would get killed by an average team from today, despite having Frank Sinkwich and Charley Trippi in the backfield. 

Even the 1980 national championship Dogs technically would be at a weight and speed disadvantage against a 21st century team. But then they did have Herschel and a helluva defense, which might be the equalizer.

In this game for the ages, I’d put them up against the 2007 Dogs, a team that lost a couple of games (one badly) but finished the season as a juggernaut. 

Think about the possibilities: The 1980 SEC and national champs with Walker, Buck Belue, Lindsay Scott, Jimmy Payne, Eddie Weaver, Scott Woerner and company against a team that didn’t win its division but finished No. 2 in the nation, thanks to Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Mohamed Massaquoi, Marcus Howard, Jeff Owens,  Kelin Johnson and others.

The first inclination would be to favor the 2007 team just because you’d figure that even with Herschel, Vince Dooley’s 1980 offense couldn’t keep up with Mark Richt’s 2007 scoring machine. But then I start wondering whether the 2007 defense really could stop Walker. And whether that stout 1980 defense might not be able to shut down Stafford. 

It would be a great game either way. Who do you think would win?

187 comments Add your comment

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:02 pm

No doubt the 1980 team wins.

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:08 pm

And Freshman Terry Hoague blocks Brandon Coutou’s field goal as time runs out in the fourth quarter to send it into overtime. 1980-24 2007-21.

Gen Neyland

June 26th, 2009
4:15 pm

I agree with the bus driver…

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:16 pm

Herschel Walker seperates his collar bone on the first play of the 1980 teams opening drive and still manages to rush for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Knowshon makes some good runs into the red zone then takes himself out of the game for a breather.

bushwacker

June 26th, 2009
4:27 pm

Yes they would not be able to stop Herschel and yes it was the DEFENSE that won the National Championship.

I saw every game Herschel played in Athens and every road game was on tv, NOBODY could stop Herschel, he could go around you, thru you or over you.

People don’t realize he played the entire national champioship game with a seperated shoulder that happened on the first play.

But the biggest weapon they had was DC Erk Russell, one of those guys you’d literally run thru a brick wall for!!!

No comparison, I’d take that team with that defense against any national champion before or since!!!

southgadawg88

June 26th, 2009
4:28 pm

….Second that opinion.

jimmy

June 26th, 2009
4:37 pm

who covers green and mas

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:38 pm

Sorry. should have been seperated shoulder for Herschel.

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:44 pm

Green was not on the 2007 team.

Scott Woerner, Jeff Sanchez, Jeff Hipp-3 int in one game, Terry Hoague 3 interceptions in one game also. I think this is a pretty good cover group of DB’s.

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
4:56 pm

Whoops, I messed up again. Oldtimers has got me. Sanchez was not on the 1980 team. He came to us from junior college in 1982.

The DAWG

June 26th, 2009
4:59 pm

While Knowshon was terrific, there really is no comparison. Herschel literally ran over people rather than around them, and was much faster. Think about it – who would you rather tackle, Knowshon with his shiftiness or Herschel with those huge thighs running high coming straight at you. Which tackle would you prefer to try and make? Yea, me too!
Glad they both wore the “G”, and left us with many great memories. I just don’t think there will ever be another Herschel with that hard-as-a-rock build. GO DAWGS

The DAWG

June 26th, 2009
5:03 pm

I forgot to say that I would have to go with the ‘80 team.

Ben

June 26th, 2009
5:07 pm

It would be a good game, no doubt. I think the 2007 team wins barely. The speed of the game has gotten so much faster. That doesn’t mean Hershel wouldn’t still run for over 200 yds. I say 2007 wins it late in the air.

CHARLOTTE DAWG

June 26th, 2009
5:09 pm

Folks were different back then. People played hurt and with passion. Players played for the “G” not the NFL paycheck.

I hope to hell that Joe Cox outshines Stafford this year. It would be a good lesson to America’s youth. Hard work, patience, and character still mean something! I hope Joe is the household name 10 years from now, not Stafford! We won’t see Joe in the NFL but I hope we remember him just like we remember Greene.

Cuz

June 26th, 2009
5:17 pm

I hope we remember Joe Cox like we remember DJ. Except without the injury.

turkey

June 26th, 2009
5:18 pm

The 1980 team played DEFENSE, the 2007 team did not. Buck Belue was by far a better leader than Stafford and would have found the holes in Martinez defense.

Mark

June 26th, 2009
5:28 pm

No comparison what-so-ever between Walker and Moreno…Walker is considered the best if not one of the best of all time? Hell I’d take Hearst and Hampton over Moreno any day….never saw them pull themselves out of a ball game! Seemed like UGA was a stepping stone for both Stafford and Moreno to the pro’s….I want to see the fire and heart…bleed UGA!

Georgia’s “D” under Erk left it all on the field…Fight to the death on every play….never saw poor fundamentals under Dooley and ERK….we didn’t have the talent back then like we do now but boy we did have heart! The 1980 D shuts down the 07 offense….our defense nowadays just isn’t the same….Martinez needs to go!

There Goes Herschel

June 26th, 2009
5:30 pm

I’ll take the young man from Wrightsville, GA over the contender from Belford, NJ, All Day Long. Might as well ask our GT brethern “Eddie Lee Ivory or Jonathan Dwyer?”. That’s not a dig; it’s a compliment so give it a rest with the 45-42 crap.

BJohnDawg

June 26th, 2009
5:33 pm

1980 nuff said.

RK

June 26th, 2009
5:35 pm

depends on which personality Herschel shows up with

Otto

June 26th, 2009
5:42 pm

Woerner picks off Stafford. 34 runs all over that battered DL and sorry Renne gets run over too.

Otto

June 26th, 2009
5:45 pm

Players also couldn’t leave early until the USFL changed that so there was no big early payday. 34 took the early payday and IMO for $16mil back then I would too.

CHARLOTTE DAWG

June 26th, 2009
5:47 pm

RK, freaking hilarious. I don’t even care if you are a Techie. That was great! I’m still laughing!

And good post Mark! Couldn’t agree with you more! Moreno and Staff came to Georgia b/c they knew our program would get them in the NFL. Staff considered Texas where he wouldn’t have been as much of a star and might have given way to Colt McCoy. Moreno considered Florida. Doubt he would have been the man there either.

Basically, both of them saw Georgia as a big time market where they knew they would be in the lime light and get noticed by NFL scouts.

And it showed people! Moreno taking himself out all the time. And Staff admitted to us all he knew he was going pro back in November. Think that effected his play against MSU in the bowl game? It took 3 quarters for homeboy to wake up! If MSU had any kind of offense whatsoever, UGA would have been down by two touchdowns b/c Staffy’s head was in the clouds the first two quarters thinking about what kind of car he’d buy first.

Freaking pi$$es me off! Yeah they were good, yeah they gave us some good times, yeah the OL was never that great when Staffy was there…I’ve heard them all. But how can you deny my point that they did not bleed red for UGA and were not good leaders?

I remember Moreno throwing temper tantrums at Tech in 07 when they were shutting him down but Brown was having a great day. It was all about him. The announcer at the recent bowl game said he was just pacing the sidelines swearing obscenities. How bout’ lead your team Knowshon instead of acting like a crazy homeless person?!

If Cox/Gray and RB by committee get it done this year, my point will be proven. We’ll see. God I hope so! And if they do, I hope Richt takes notice and starts recruiting character!

The dawg

June 26th, 2009
5:51 pm

1980 would find a way to win like they did so many time that year..would never bet against the greatest player to put on the shoulder pads..late

Mark

June 26th, 2009
5:57 pm

Walker’s team won the SEC x3 and the NC x 1…..Moreno + Stafford didn’t even win the East??????

Bottom line is that CHAMPOINS have thier names put on the walls!
DJ = Champ Greene=Champ Bulue=Champ…..all leaders….might not have the greatest pro potential….but they WON FOR UGA!

Beware of the bite

June 26th, 2009
5:59 pm

Frank Ros would roll up knowshon..btw-tech: go back to the shallow end…

gatorman770

June 26th, 2009
6:03 pm

I saw both teams play in person and Herschel and the 1980 team wins hands down. Herschel was the best back in the country in 1980. There were a number of backs in the country as good or better than Knowshow in 2007 and 2008. Herschel always “showed up” and will’d the team to win!

Joe Reee

June 26th, 2009
6:05 pm

It would b a good kickers duel between Rex and coutu..two great kickers. Tech fan can go ahead and snatch ur purse now..

CHARLOTTE DAWG

June 26th, 2009
6:09 pm

Better yet Mark, one day you might be watching a bunch of Sunday Football on the NFL network with your buddies all day. You’ll see quite a few games that day. As the day comes to a close, you might see Staff, Moreno, and MoMass on the different games.

One of your buddies will say “gosh, UGA had Staff, Moreno, and MoMass at the same time? They must have been nasty.”

And you’ll reply…”actually no. We didn’t even win our sub-division while they were with us. Their last game in Athens was a loss to their in-state rival.”

Then your friend will say “wow, guess they didn’t care b/c it didn’t stop them from jetting and going to the NFL.”

Now you tell me this! Just hear me out and imagine this scenario. Greene and Pollack are considering going to the NFL after their Junior year. Their junior year’s they both have a horrible day against their biggest rival, the gators, and get trounced as a team. Then they lose to Tech, a team that hasn’t beaten them in 7 years that runs a high school offense and show-bouts after the victory by ripping out hedges and putting them in their mouth.

Think those two boys go to the NFL anyway? I think not! They had character and heart. Pollack would come back straight up commando style for his senior year and simply not allow anything but perfection.

Different people…different times.

DirtyDawg

June 26th, 2009
6:10 pm

Knowshon is a talented, extremely driven young man…Herschel was a freak of nature that should have won the Heisman three years in a row – and four if Jack Manton had kept his greedy mouth shut.

Larry

June 26th, 2009
6:10 pm

1980! Hershal would get the rock 52 times for 310 yards with 4 tds.

Minnesota Dawg

June 26th, 2009
6:23 pm

No GA defense stopped it’s opponents offense at clutch times like Dooley’s 1980-1983 dawgs. You would about have a heart attack when some opponent drove down inside our red zone, but never fail someone (Hoague, Woerner, Sanchez, Payne, etc.) would either intercept or cause a fumble! Then with Belue handing off to Hershel, we always could make the plays when we needed to. They controled the ball! Remember when they played Florida in 1981 and 1982? Haven’t seen a GA team since be able to do that consistently!

Kendawg

June 26th, 2009
7:01 pm

I’ve been a rabid fan of college football since 1959 and I’ve never seen anyone dominate a season like Herschel did. I know I’m biased, but I consider him the greatest college player I’ve ever seen.

Omar Schtankinfanger

June 26th, 2009
7:14 pm

My vote: 1980 Dawgs.

Herschel Talker

June 26th, 2009
7:17 pm

Whom do you think I’d vote for?

SECfan

June 26th, 2009
7:26 pm

I wasn’t even alive in 1980 but I pick Dooley’s Dawgs with the Junkyard Dawg Defense and Buck Belue leading the offense.

AC

June 26th, 2009
7:34 pm

STOP IT! No contest?

Listen, there is no way Herschel tears through the modern day athlete like he did back then. None. Would he be great today, certainly. But there is no way he could take the pounding and grind like he did back then. Defenses are much bigger, faster and stronger. Thus, his impact would be marginalized.

And everyone please stopping knocking on Moreno. Moreno would break the ankles of all the greats that everyone has mentioned on defense from the 1980’s team. There are not many backs that have the unique quickness of Moreno.

I am on of the biggest 1980’s UGA team and Herschel fans of all. If we are comparing the a teams impact in their era, 1980’s hands down, not even close. However, if we are asking what if the 1980’s team played the 2007 team, my heart says 1980’s but I am going to say the 2007 team wins by a large margin.

pricedawg

June 26th, 2009
7:38 pm

1980 would win 10-9. Great D on the 1980 team, while the 2007 team was inconsistant.

Billy Bob

June 26th, 2009
7:38 pm

Who Cares!!!!!!!!!

pricedawg

June 26th, 2009
7:46 pm

AC, you said “no way he could take the pounding and grind”. You have lost your mind. He was the ONLY option UGA had in 1980 and the ONLY offense UGA had in the Sugar Bowl agains Notre Lame. He was bigger, faster, and stronger than Knowshon. For that matter, Hearst was the #2 back of all time at UGA. Knowshon would at least be #4. 1. Herschel, 2. Hearst, 3. Hampton, 4. Worley (if not for playing time at fullback, 5. Knowshon.

eBuzz

June 26th, 2009
7:56 pm

Apologize for butting into a totally UGA blog, but with tribute to 4 outstanding athletes, my money would be on the 1980 Belue and Walker team that had an outstanding defense (I would have given my left nad – or better yet, someone else’s – to have had Erk as the Tech coach)that deservedly won the NC with a TEAM effort.

j.cassell

June 26th, 2009
7:57 pm

07 dogs- third and 7 on their 35 -Staffor drops back and connects to a wide open Woerner at the 48 — Worner scampers down the left sideline just like Florida and Ga.Tech did. Game Over.

AltamahaDawg

June 26th, 2009
8:13 pm

dude, that such a like, freaky question.
thats like. our entire universe could be like, inside a molecule in the pin of a needle……..

Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
8:25 pm

Mike Vick was better than both of these teams.
Obama is my Black President!!!!

Jon

June 26th, 2009
8:33 pm

I’m all about nostalgia, but I think the 07 team wins by 10. By the end of the season Knowshon and Thomas Brown were as good as any two backs in the same backfield that I’ve seen in a while. Including Cadillac and Ronnie. Couple that with Stafford and how well he played after the Florida game and we have ourselves a double digit win folks. Not to mention that 07 defense. It was pretty nasty in its own right. Remember, it led the SEC in sacks with 42 I think, six of them coming against Tebag.

Denver Dog

June 26th, 2009
8:35 pm

68 dogs were pretty good. 76 dogs were great, but that 80 team was majical. The teams that they beat were outstanding, and then they beat Notre Dame to win it all. This was a great team. I actually think the 1982 team was better, but they couldn’t win the last one. I’ll never forget the dropped Clarence Kay TD pass in the endzone.

The thing that the Dooley era teams had that no one else had was Erk. The man flat out could coach. The teams were never quite the same after he left.

1980 wins out based on what it achieved.

Denver Dog

June 26th, 2009
8:39 pm

I remember the Hershel runs, but the one against SC when he beat the tackler with the angle was the greatest long run in UGA history I think. He lined up and ran over people. He could put the whole team on his back and carry them down the field. Knowshon was great, for that matter so was Rodney, Garrison, Tim W. and a lot of other great UGA backs. There was only one Herschel. He is in a class by himself.

W

June 26th, 2009
8:39 pm

RASHEED YOU ARE THE KING IDIOTS.

Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
8:43 pm

“W”???? Are you a follower of our last racist President? The man who single handedly destroyed New Orleans and killed our ecomomy? I see.
Obama is my Black President!

LizDawg

June 26th, 2009
8:44 pm

1980, Herschel would run wild over Slick Willie’s D.

Mark

June 26th, 2009
8:45 pm

AC, I can’t belive that you think Walker in his prime would rip GA defense in 07…What are you looking at? The HT and WT and speed of the players back then compared to now? Walker 240 and a 4.3 forty….Moreno 190 and 4.7 forty? Would the 80’s team give up some weight…yea but not much as far as speed….Linsey Scott was a 4.3 guy….Give me Meat CLeaver at 290 and Payne in the line any day….mean..nasty and never die attitude of that defense….always six or seven guys in on a tackle…THE ONLY player on the 07 d with the heart of the 80 d is Curran….imagine if the current d played with his passion and heart….STATS MEAN NOTHING…..TEAMWORK AND HEART will defeat larger and faster…just ask that ND TEAM in 80….they were faster and were 40 pound heavier on average….80 TEAM beats 07 team hands down

Dawgcrew34

June 26th, 2009
8:45 pm

I would rather see the 1980 team play the 2002 team that finished 13-1 and beat FSU in the Sugar Bowl. They didn’t have as much offense, but could you imagine Pollack and Walker two 3 time all americans playing against each other! Heart vs Heart!

Rasheed Willis, Jr.

June 26th, 2009
8:46 pm

Rasheed! Don’t you know me? I’m your son! Obama maybe your black president but your black butt never paid my child support! Get a job, fool! You like a teacher on vacation; no class! Youknowwhatimsayin’?

superDawg

June 26th, 2009
8:46 pm

Herschel was well Herschel.Knowshon was a great RB,but he could not touch Walker on speed,power,or impose his will on any D.

Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
8:53 pm

I will not stand for this racism. Just becuase I’m black does not mean I dont pay child support.

Obama is my Black President!!

Mrs. Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
8:54 pm

Rasheed! Not another abandoned son! Your worse than your brother Ray Nagan when it comes to abandoning people!

Rasheed Willis, Jr.

June 26th, 2009
8:56 pm

I don’t care about racisim, I just want you to accept me, Daddy!

superDawg

June 26th, 2009
8:56 pm

Rasheed you need to catch a bus on out of here.Your boy obama has already caused more harm to this country than all others combined.He is on his way to bankrupting this country which is the way of most DEMS.I see him as one and done.GOD HELP US UNTIL THEN!

Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
8:59 pm

Whitey you better sit down. I’m about to get mad, real mad, Joe Jackson.

Obama is my Black President!

Rasheed Willis

June 26th, 2009
9:01 pm

Ray Nagin is a hero to Black people, just as Mayor Bill Campell was. Obama is spreading the wealth, it is about time becuase we deserve it.

Rasheed Willis, Jr.

June 26th, 2009
9:01 pm

Daddy, I know what you mean by “RACISM.” It stands for Rasheed Isn’t Confident In Supporting Me. Now send me some coins or I’m gonna get Obama to get on TV and call you out! He may be your black President but he’s my enforcer! You dig?!

Rasheed Willis, Jr.

June 26th, 2009
9:02 pm

Daddy, I know what you mean by “RACISM.” It stands for Rasheed Isn’tConfident In Supporting Me. Now send me some coins or I’m gonna get Obama to get on TV and call you out! He may be your black President but he’s my enforcer! You dig?!

KD

June 26th, 2009
9:04 pm

This is a no brainer. My vote would be for the Herschel Walker led team. Without Herschel Walker, UGA does not win a national title. Also, I do not see Georgia winning another football national championship no time soon. Georgia will always have an extraordinary football season but they always come up with “snakes eyes” when it comes to football national championships. I am not a Georgia Tech fan, but I would place my money on Tech winning a football championship before Georgia.

McDonough Dawg

June 26th, 2009
9:06 pm

Imagine a Willie Martinez defense trying to tackle Herschel. 1980 team 77 2007 team 10

Juan Willis

June 26th, 2009
9:17 pm

Then how did we come to exist?

larrymunsonthe3rd

June 26th, 2009
9:18 pm

Herschel by 14

Rasheed Willis, Jr.

June 26th, 2009
9:18 pm

I’m sorry I ever logged onto this site. Dad, you are an embarrasement. Do me a favor: keep the checks and stay out of my life.

byron hinson

June 26th, 2009
9:20 pm

All about HEART, 1980

tech man

June 26th, 2009
9:25 pm

I doubt whether hershal and noshon could have done what 2 Tech backs did last year in athens. 408 yards rushing!

Spike

June 26th, 2009
9:28 pm

I have seen both play. No doubt about it. The 1980 team would spank these guys.

Juan Willis

June 26th, 2009
9:34 pm

Tech Man! Be careful! You could soon find yourself filling in for the role of my popi, Rasheed Willis.

Buddy El

June 26th, 2009
9:38 pm

Each of Herschel’s personalities would score and put the game away early

Hawkinsville Dawg

June 26th, 2009
9:44 pm

There is no comparison. The 2007 team had talent and potential. The 1980 team had little preconceived potential, but they just won when they had to win. May God bless Knowshon, but he is not in the same galaxy as Hershel Walker. I recently saw Hershel, and he can probably still play.

Lets be honest

June 26th, 2009
9:45 pm

Tech man – I doubt whether GT will EVER have the longest winning streak in the UGA/GT rivalry. 7 straight. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! And own the overall winning record. LOL. Now go cry in the shower while you rock back and forth. BEOTCH!!

Hawkinsville Dawg

June 26th, 2009
9:48 pm

The 1980 team had an attitude. If you should be fortunate enough to meet some of the 1980 team members, they still have a swagger. It is an attitude with results air about it. They refused to lose, and always managed to find a way to win.

tech man

June 26th, 2009
9:51 pm

hershal + noshon = Dwyer

tech man

June 26th, 2009
9:53 pm

1942 + 1980 = 1990

tech man

June 26th, 2009
9:55 pm

Terence Moore + Lee Corso = Bill King

Hawkinsville Dawg

June 26th, 2009
9:55 pm

Jonathan Dwyer is an excellent football player and a fine person. His mom is and should be prod of him. However, he would sit on the bench an play third team behind Hershal and Knowshon

yellow fuzz

June 26th, 2009
9:59 pm

WTF?? + Cuz = scene from Deliverence

ghost dawg

June 26th, 2009
10:03 pm

Alec ogletree is a dawg, gotta love it

Gt fan four evur

June 26th, 2009
10:08 pm

I like Hershey bars….

D.Ellis

June 26th, 2009
10:19 pm

2 more recruits coming in. D. Rogers…..and the NUMBER 1 or 2 S in the country!

Welcome OGLETREE AND ROGERS!

the dawg

June 26th, 2009
10:19 pm

Not a problem…Meat cleaver weaver would sharpen his teeth on Stafford. Moreno is good..However Herschel walker would injure you if you considered getting in his general vicinity. The confrence has not seen the likes of a Bombastic punisher like him since and will never in the future. Lindsey could catch and Belue had heart and accuracy.Terry hoage would ride green like sea biscuit!!

And I’m done

the dawg

June 26th, 2009
10:25 pm

Rasheed,

It is obvious you did not investigate “Your black President”before you voted . If you think you got it rough now..Try and hold on to your wallet and your freedoms there coming for ya…and guess who is leadin the way..Yep you guessed it”your black president”

Steve

June 26th, 2009
10:29 pm

Well, at least Herschel doesn’t have a stupid and fugged-up name like, Knowshon . . .

Dog Nation

June 26th, 2009
10:37 pm

PEOPLE, There is no comparison here. The 80 team went UNDEFEATED and won a CHAMPIONSHIP. They didn’t lose to 2 inferior teams, then get “motivated”, or “hungry”, or “focused”, whatever the loser excuse was. The 80 team went out from the first day of off-season workouts willing to pay the price for greatness. The 07 team did not. And as far as Herschel vs Knowshon? Come on, Walker was the greatest college football player ever. Knowshon was good (up there with G. Hearst) but not in Herschel’s class.

will

June 26th, 2009
10:38 pm

1980 team in a blowout 56-14

benadawg

June 26th, 2009
10:43 pm

if you answered 2007 you are an idiot

GT.....Seriously, WTF????

June 26th, 2009
10:56 pm

Ogletree just comitted to the DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELL YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

pcoleman

June 26th, 2009
10:59 pm

Doggone Bill, this blog’s been out since 4PM. Are you asleep at the wheel? You are the most prolific columist/blogger in captivity. Keep ‘em coming!

b/t/w – 1980 Dogs Rule!

Zane

June 26th, 2009
11:01 pm

To paraphrase Lloyd Benson who referred to John Kennedy and Dan Quayle, “I’ve seen Herschel Walker, and Moreno is no Herschel Walker.” I kept a diary of score and yardage for Herschel’s freshman year – between 100 and 200yds per game. Consistent. Crowning game was not sugar bowl vs Notre Dame, but the second 26-21 Florida game. No big pass play like Lindsay Scott in prior Florida game. Time dictated final 80yd drive was win or lose. Almost every play a run with Herschel. Herschel had carried ball a slew already. Ground it out. Amazing drive, amazing running, amazing will to win, amazing stamina, amazing 4th quarter drive and victory. Moreno may have had the ability to do so, but he never showed, on the field, what Herschel showed.

Zane

June 26th, 2009
11:14 pm

Rasheed, Obama is not YOUR black President, Obama is HIS black President. It’s all about him. Obama is a narcissist.

Bishopbulldawg

June 26th, 2009
11:23 pm

Zane hit the nail on the head. That second 26-21 win over the gaytors was Herschel at his greatest. No words can fully capture the heart of that OL and that team as they huddled in front of their end zone and committed themselves to winning and not being denied. I haven’t seen that kind of resolve in along time!

JM

June 26th, 2009
11:31 pm

You must be hosing me…Nat Champs vs over-rated losers???

Coach D

June 26th, 2009
11:34 pm

In terms of athleticism, Knowshon and Stafford are comparable to Herschel. But the thing that separates Herschel from those guys is a concept called Kokoro, which is a mental attitude that Korean Martial artists call ” indomitable spirit” or a refusal to lose. Herschel besides being a phenomenal football player was also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and understood the concept of Kokoro well. It is a triumphant spirit that we all have inside us, we just have to dig deep to find it.

There is a story about a 19th century karate master in Okinawa who was challenged to a duel. The two met at dawn, each expecting a fight to the death. The master, approached the scene relaxed with his hands by his side. As the master came within fighting range, the challenger suddenly felt ill, and his knees nearly buckled. He excused himself to regain his composure. After several minutes, the challenger returned, and once again felt ill after looking into the master’s firm gaze. Finally, the challenger said ” Sir I withdraw my challenge and apologize. I can see I am no match for you, and fighting would surely cost me my life”.

This story illustrates the difference between someone with athletic prowess and a master who is in touch with his Kokoro. Herschel like a great players, would often beat opponents before he would even step onto the field, because they could sense his spirit. You think this idea sounds far fetched but it isn’t. When the Dawgs rushed the field in 2007, they displayed Kokoro or “a fighting spirit” that refused to except defeat. The Gators were probably more talented than UGA that year, but they sensed the Dawgs will and were scared, you could see it in their eyes. The reverse was true in 2008 when the Gators had Kokoro on their side. The Dawgs were literally scared to hit and be hit by the Gators.

So you ask me, which team displayed more Kokoro? 1980 UGA or 2007 UGA? 2007 displayed it at the end of the year, but 1980 UGA had it the entire year. So who would win between the two? I’m putting my money on the masters of 1980 over the advanced pupils of 2007.

Larry

June 27th, 2009
12:35 am

Shallow end tech…u know ur role son..

Beware of the junkyard dawg

June 27th, 2009
1:44 am

Ocheltree is a junkyard dawg..come 2 Athens and smoke fools and clip straight busters in the secondary…Fear the bulldawg bite in the near future weaklings..yes, I am also talking to the purse carrying, wine sipping, shallow end swimming ticket holder @ grant field with ur gold high heels….u will always be the afterthought in the peach state. Go dawgs

SoCal Dawg

June 27th, 2009
1:57 am

Randy Freeman

June 27th, 2009
5:02 am

them Dogs of 1980 where the best ever

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