All-time ‘Junkyard Dawg’ defense?
Dating back to Erk Russell’s arrival in Athens, defense generally has been the name of the game at UGA, with only a few exceptions (last year, unfortunately, being one of them), and the Dogs have produced many individual defensive standouts.
To honor that tradition, the Georgia Sports Dawg blog has assembled what it calls Georgia’s Greatest “Junkyard Dawg” Defense of All Time, and the resulting lineup truly is formidable:
Defensive end: David Pollack (2001-2004)
Defensive tackle: Bill Stanfill (1966-1968)
Defensive tackle: Richard Seymour (1997-2000)
Defensive end: Freddie Gilbert (1980-1983)
Outside linebacker: Jimmy Payne (1979-1982)
Middle linebacker: Ben Zambiasi (1974 to 1977)
Outside linebacker: Tommy Thurson (1980-1983)
Cornerback: Scott Woerner (1977-1980)
Cornerback: Champ Bailey (1996-1998)
Free safety: Jake Scott (1966 to 1968)
Strong safety: Terry Hoage (1980-1983)
Loading ...Who would I put in his place? “Gooooooldberg!” Bill Goldberg (1986-1989), later an idol to my then junior-high age son as a pro wrestler, ranks ninth on Georgia’s career tackle list and was an All-American playing more of a nose guard position.
There are other names that you could argue for, though, with a particular glut at linebacker. Like Greg Bright (1994-1997), who ranks second on the career tackle list behind Zambiasi and just ahead of Thurman and had the most primary tackles in UGA history. Or Randall Godfrey (1992-1995), third on the Dogs’ career primary tackle list behind Bright and Zambiasi. Then there’s Knox Culpepper (1981-1984), sixth in total career tackles and holder of both first and second place for single-season total tackles. And don’t forget Mo Lewis (1987-1990), 12th on the career tackles list. Or Richard Tardits (1985-1988), the French rugby player who became an honorable mention All-American and held UGA’s career sack record with 29 for years until he was surpassed by Pollack’s 36. He ranks ahead of Payne (who had 28 sacks) on that list.
So who would you add to the all-time defensive lineup? Maybe you’d swap out one of the safeties (though no one’s come close to them in interceptions since Hoage’s days except Ben Smith in 1989). Perhaps the fact that Bill Stanfill (who went on to win a Super Bowl on the Dolphins along with Jake Scott) was Georgia’s only winner of the Outland Award for most outstanding lineman in the country doesn’t impress you. Or maybe you want to remind us of a defensive great who predates the Junkyard Dawg era.
Vote in our Question of the Day poll or feel free to mention still other names in the comments.
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129 comments Add your comment
paul in J-ville
July 10th, 2009
7:24 am
What about our bad a$$ safety’s ala Thomas Davis, Jermain Phillips, Greg Blue…..may not have had the “numbers” persay, but 2 of the 3 are fantastic pros and had stellar college play
Can't really argue...
July 10th, 2009
7:35 am
…with the list as is – While Thomas Davis was a fine player, I cannot argue at all with both Terry Hoague and Jake Scott being the safeties on this list. Us old timers KNOW what kind of players they were, while the younger readers only have Davis and Blue from which to choose – and, I agree, Richard Seymour may be a stretch since he did not really blossom until the NFL.
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
7:37 am
Ben Smith was an excellent DB.I also have to include Eddie “meat clever” Weaver.
Michael Scharff
July 10th, 2009
7:37 am
I also think that “Bluuuuuue!” deserves at least an honorable mention…
biggerthanbigdawg
July 10th, 2009
7:39 am
Rennie Curran deserves to be on this list as well. He is gonna shatter the primary tackle record by end of his Sr. season.
Oh, jeez....
July 10th, 2009
7:46 am
…Rennie Curran has played one year on probably the worst defense UGA has ever had (not that he was not good – but please!). Give all of us a freakin’ break and go back to bed!
MADDAWG55
July 10th, 2009
8:01 am
My vote would be for Thomas Davis! Maybe not the numbers as a saftey you would like to see..But he was in on every tackle and you can bet the other team’s running back knew where he was at all times!!! Hoage was a ball hawk…But Davis was a frieght train!!! Also, I thought Godfrey was the best LB I ever saw to this day at UGA!!
DawgJones
July 10th, 2009
8:04 am
How in the world in Golden Mark Richt era is there not an all time defensive player… by the way Pollack came in under Donnan! Either we aren’t recruiting better athletes on that side of the ball or not developing them…no wonder the defense continues to slip.
Mr. Skynyrd
July 10th, 2009
8:06 am
Personally I liked the 2008 squad. I hope you have more just like it.
Go Willie!
Greg Blue...
July 10th, 2009
8:16 am
…belongs nowhere near this list. I mean, it was fun to shout his name in the stands, but his numbers weren’t impressive and he caught the ball by pancaking it. Pancaking.
Paul Oliver was the closest we’ve had in terms of talent to Champ… If only he could have stayed academically elligible.
JB
July 10th, 2009
8:20 am
let’s hope some new stars are made this year…..and let’s hope last year was an anomaly.
m
July 10th, 2009
8:24 am
They play defense at ugag….who knew????
45-42…..glad it still hurts so bad.
Dorsey Hill
July 10th, 2009
8:25 am
Dawgjones,
Pollack was a Richt recruit, idiot.
JB
July 10th, 2009
8:26 am
holy pocket protector, nerds came undone yesterday about comments about their three deep roster. Still bragging about getting WR Stephon Hill to sign…wonder how he’ll feel after 2 years and 15-20 catches…….Putting them in pre season top 25 polls have them thinking BCS Bowl…. I reminded them that have 4 or 5 Techies that live on this blog, and they told me i was the problem……winning this year will make most of that go away…..
SoWeGa Dawg
July 10th, 2009
8:31 am
How about John Brantley (1984-1987)? #4 on the Career Total Tackle list with 415. #6 on the Career Primary Tackle list with 193. #3 on the Career Tackle Assist list with 222. #4 and #6 on the Single Season Total Tackle list with 160 (1986) and 154 (1987). #11 and #12 on the Single Season Primary Tackle list with 79 (1986) and 78 (1987) and #8 and #9 on the Single Season Tackle Assist list with 81 (1986) and 76 (1987)
JB
July 10th, 2009
8:35 am
Today’s Question: If Paul Johnson had been hired in Calvin Johnson’s Soph year, would he have transferred……and to where ?
DawginLex
July 10th, 2009
8:36 am
Have they ever played defense at Tech?
1 out of the last 8
8 out of the last 29
1999-2000 wins should be vacated because of the cheating at the joke by coke.
51-7 still a beautiful memory
JaxDawg
July 10th, 2009
8:37 am
How about Kendrell Bell. His career numbers aren’t as big since he was a juco transfer played for a short time (1 or 2 years I think), but the time he did play he put up impressive numbers. Had he been a 3-4 year guy he’d probably make the list.
Greg
July 10th, 2009
8:40 am
Jimmy Paynes as a linebacker??…..no way!! Maybe as a tackle. I know he played linebacker early in his career, but he made his name with his hand on the ground, not at linebacker. Too many good ones before him. You need to re-evaluate that imo.
SC Dawg
July 10th, 2009
8:44 am
Jimmy Payne was mostly a defensive tackle. They tried him at linebacker in 1979 before he got hurt and had to take a medical redshirt the rest of the year. The following year, he was back on the defensive line.
Why not Boss Bailey instead?
N.GA.DAWG
July 10th, 2009
8:44 am
Sean Jones, loved the way he played at UGA. Tim Wansley and JP were not pushovers either. But i cant see one player on the list that I would replace. And by the way THWGT. BEAT DOWN IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
PBR=America in a can
July 10th, 2009
8:46 am
Thomas Davis & Greg Blue should definitely be on the list, they are the only two players that when they got a good hit you could hear it throughout the stadium. But Jake Scott and Terry Hoage are very worthy candidates but they played before my time.
Craig
July 10th, 2009
8:47 am
My friend, Greg “Muddy” Waters is worth remembering here – he would be in a lower tier, though. Champ Bailey was not a better CORNERBACK than Ben Smith or Jeff Hipp. However, Champ should be placed in the “All-purpose” category.
Class of '98
July 10th, 2009
8:48 am
Statistics are overrated, Bill. Seymour may not have made enough tackles to impress you, but what’s the stat for how many times he got double-teamed?
If you had to play ONE GAME and win it, would you rather have Seymour or Goldberg?
That’s what I thought.
JaxDawg
July 10th, 2009
8:49 am
Can’t really argue – I agree with you completely. Phillips, Blue, & Davis all laid the wood, but Hoage was the original hitter, and his hits were downright devestating at times. His hits put players out the game on more than one occassion.
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
8:53 am
Terry hoage was awesome remember him. Jake Scott was way before me. The problem with Davis and Blue is that they were liabilities in coverage. I know that they laid the wood everytime they got a chance but a true JYD was multi-dimensional.
Cuz
July 10th, 2009
9:07 am
I did not get to see Jake Scott, but I was there for every Hoage home game and most of his bowl. He had an instinct to where the ball would be. He was an amazing player. And if you ever saw Freddie “Spider Man” Gilbert play, you would realize why he is teamed with David Pollack. Without Freddie, there would be no “look at the Sugar falling from the skies” by Munson.
Move Jimmy Payne to the line and put Boss Bailey in at LB.
turkey
July 10th, 2009
9:14 am
Have you noticed there are no players from the Martinez era.
Denver Dog
July 10th, 2009
9:17 am
How about Dick Conn, ABB Ansley, Steve Greer, Jermaine Phillips, Jacob Fergusson, Nate Taylor,maybe a reach here, but how about Happy Dicks
Denver Dog
July 10th, 2009
9:19 am
Frank Ros shoul dbe there somewhere too! Will Witherspoon?
dbc
July 10th, 2009
9:31 am
Jimmy Payne was a defensive end. I went to high school with the guy and he was one of the nicest people you could ever know. Pretty good basketball player too. If he were just a half step faster on one play to sack Marino, UGA would have won another National Championship. He belongs on the list somewhere.
A Dawg
July 10th, 2009
9:37 am
Sean Jones and Thomas Davis were the best saftey duo in UGA history and Marcus Stroud deserves some mention for All JYD as well.
don't be a hater
July 10th, 2009
9:38 am
My favorite GA defense was the one that FL played in Athens in 1995, 52 – 17.
GA = FL’s GA TECH (many GA fans probably won’t understand that because it looks like a math equation).
Last 2 decades the series has been a joke 17 – 3
dUmB DAwg
July 10th, 2009
9:52 am
hOw aboUT wiIlLE mARtInEZ
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
9:53 am
turkey-
why is it that some of you insist on bashing martinez? When his career is over rennie curran will probably be on there and who do think coached up blue,davis,sean jones? Randall Godfrey was a great dawg. Does that Marion Campbell was a great DC? Stick to discussing whether you like the red baron pizza or the hotdogs more at Sanford stadium.
SSI gator
July 10th, 2009
9:54 am
don’t be a hater -
I like the defense they had in 1994 at Gainesville. UF 52 – GA 14. And these guys want to do a home and home series?
Danny Ford
July 10th, 2009
9:54 am
Scott Woerner…..
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
9:55 am
dbc-
we didn’t play pitt for the nat’l championship ‘81 (clemson was undefeated-beat us). We played for it ‘82 versus penn state and Todd Blackledge.
Vinnie
July 10th, 2009
9:55 am
Big EDDIE MEAT CLEAVER WEAVER….
Vinnie
July 10th, 2009
9:57 am
Tommy Thurson and Jimmy Payne
Vinnie
July 10th, 2009
9:59 am
BIG KNOX CULPEPPER
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
9:59 am
Bill King-
Could you develop an online basic football knowledge and bulldogs football history test for all those who post on this blog? It should be mandatory before you can exhibit your idiotic ramblings on here.
JaxDawg
July 10th, 2009
9:59 am
Don’t be a hater- The real joke is while it’s been 17-3 in the last 20 your beloved gators still trail the overall series by 9! So even with all the dominance of late the overall series wasn’t even close until now and you’re STILL almost a decade of wins behind.
Silly gator, when will you learn there was football played BEFORE 1990!
Saint Simons
July 10th, 2009
10:00 am
45-42!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Convict Dawg
July 10th, 2009
10:01 am
How about the all time THUG Dawgs for UGA. Odell and others….
Gen Neyland
July 10th, 2009
10:03 am
Speaking of defense, forgive me Dawg Brothers, but I just had to offer up this link …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmZkKznB2gc
SSI gator
July 10th, 2009
10:03 am
JaxDawg -
So ten years from now we won’t have to listen about all of the history of UGA nad the series?
touchmypregnant belly dawg
July 10th, 2009
10:04 am
Them Thugs from last year is on my list….. Big TS who was injured
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
10:05 am
Until we beat the gaytors in back-to-back seasons we should not talk trash. Living in the past (overall series record) makes us look as stupid as your average Bammer (when Bear was here we…..). When we start spanking them on regular basis then we can talk. Right now like it or not we are their Tech. We beat them once in a great while. But with all of that being said, it is still great to be a Gator Hater. Also, if my mom was captured by Taliban and my son was enrolled at UF, I would go rescue my son first!
coachdawg 2000
July 10th, 2009
10:05 am
Until we beat the gaytors in back-to-back seasons we should not talk trash. Living in the past (overall series record) makes us look as stupid as your average Bammer (when Bear was here we…..). When we start spanking them on regular basis then we can talk. Right now like it or not we are their Tech. We beat them once in a great while. But with all of that being said, it is still great to be a Gator Hater. Also, if my mom was captured by Taliban and my son was enrolled at UF, I would go rescue my son first!