Who are the coolest Bulldog athletes of all time?
Dan Magill, the quintessential Georgia Bulldog. (University of Georgia)
GQ magazine has released its list of the 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time, honoring icons who in addition to their sporting achievements also possessed a certain grace, style or swagger that made them fan favorites.
The list, included in the February issue of GQ, which has nine different covers, includes such names as Muhammad Ali, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Joe Namath, Arnold Palmer, Pele and Ted Turner (as a yachtsman).
This got me to thinking about who would qualify for a list of the coolest Georgia Bulldogs of all time. Here are 15 names I came up with, listed alphabetically:
Champ Bailey. A virtual iron man for the Dogs, playing on offense, defense and special teams and winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player after his junior year at UGA. He’s gone on to be a top NFL defensive player for Washington and Denver.
Teresa Edwards. In addition to starring for the Lady Dogs, she played basketball for the U.S. in an unprecedented four Olympics.
Bill Goldberg. Followed his football days at UGA and in the NFL by becoming practically a household name in pro wrestling.
Terry Hoage. A two-time consensus All-America defensive back who Vince Dooley said was the best defensive player he’d ever coached, but he also graduated from UGA with a 3.86 GPA in genetics. After a pro football career, now has his own vineyard.
John Isner. UGA’s all-time leader in singles and doubles victories, this tennis star earned All-American honors each of his four years and led Georgia to the 2007 NCAA championship. And after outlasting Nicolas Mahut last summer at Wimbledon in the longest ever professional tennis match, he sat down for media interviews wearing a vintage UGA T-shirt. Very cool.
Courtney Kupets. Winner of two Olympic medals and just about every individual collegiate gymnastics honor around during the Gym Dogs’ run of consecutive NCAA titles. Ended up being named the nation’s top female college athlete.
Dan Magill. Established UGA as a tennis powerhouse and made Athens the center of the collegiate tennis universe. And he’s still playing tennis. But the longtime coach also is pretty much the living embodiment of Bulldog spirit and is celebrating his 90th birthday this week. Check out Loran Smith’s tribute to one of UGA’s best.
Johnny Rauch. Starred as a quarterback for UGA and then went on to coach the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl. He’s credited by Bill Walsh with having invented the West Coast offense.
Jake Scott. The UGA All-American defensive back went on to be a four-time All-Pro for the Miami Dolphins during their heyday. Also known as one of the wildest Dogs players ever and the guy who rode a motorcycle over Stegeman Coliseum.
Matt Stinchcomb. Named to UGA’s Circle of Honor, the brainy former offensive lineman is one of the school’s best representatives as founder of the annual Countdown to Kickoff charity event, along with brother Jon and former UGA quarterback David Greene.
Richard Tardits. The French rugby player knew practically nothing about football when he joined the Dogs and ended up setting a school record for QB sacks, eventually broken by David Pollack.
Charley Trippi. Starred in both football and baseball at UGA and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Athens resident is known as a classy gentleman.
Herschel Walker. Hey, when you’re known nationally just by your first name, you’ve got to be cool!
Hines Ward. A Mr. Everything on offense for the Dogs and one of the gutsiest players I’ve ever seen. He’s gone on to a long NFL career, was voted Super Bowl MVP and is back in the Super Bowl again.
Dominique Wilkins. Known in the NBA for his spectacular slam dunks, he’s the only basketball Bulldog to have his jersey retired.
Who else belongs on a list of the coolest Bulldogs ever?
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268 comments Add your comment
AltamahaDawg
January 25th, 2011
12:39 pm
It’s officially the offseason.
tcdawg
January 25th, 2011
12:39 pm
This list should be at least 25.
Garrison hearst
Rodney Hampton
Terrell Davis
Boss Bailey
Thomas Davis
oneloyaldawg
January 25th, 2011
12:40 pm
Player that had the most swagger- Knowshon, and its not even close
Player that best represents UGA- John Isner
Best pure athlete- Hershel Walker. I bet he could still tear up some defenses
Damn Good Dawg- Gordon Beckham
JRHD
January 25th, 2011
12:41 pm
@Jay Stone – I totally agree. Most people on here are missing the point. This isn’t about great athletes; we have had a ton of those over the years. Fran Tarkenton is a great athlete, but he is anything but cool. Lately he has shown himself to be an a$$ho!e of the first order. You can talk about family amongst family, but keep it amongst the family. Dan Magill is as cool as the other side of the pillow, ditto that for Herschel, Spec Towns, Teresa Edwards, Hines, Richard Tardits. Those are some cool folks. Fran – great athlete, greater d-bag.
tcdawg
January 25th, 2011
12:42 pm
And thats just football.
StuDawg
January 25th, 2011
12:42 pm
KNOWSHON MORENO was pretty deggum cool! I enjoyed watching him play football as much as any other person I have seen in a Georgia uniform. (I was 3-5 yrs old when Herschel played.) One of my favorite Georgia players of all time.
Dean Tate
January 25th, 2011
12:43 pm
C’mon guys, you’ve forgotten the undisputed No. 1: Larry Munson.
Murphy
January 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver should get a vote.
Mike “Moonpie” Wilson
John “Mother” Kasay
Murphy
January 25th, 2011
12:45 pm
Dean Tate,
Dang im glad you said that-Of course the best-Larry Munson!!!!
Jeff
January 25th, 2011
12:45 pm
I have to agree with the Gordon Beckham and Kelin Johnson. Jeff Owens is an honorable mention as well.
Bubba
January 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
Wayne “Crazy Legs” Swinford, legendary owner of the Fifth Quarter.
W
January 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
Hines Ward breaks LB’S Jaws!
SCDAWG
January 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
LARRY MUNSON
DAVID POLLOCK
ENOUGH SAID!!!!!!!!!!
YoungDawg
January 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
Jake Scott beacuse he’s his own man who does his own thing & does not care what anyone thinks!
Shaq
January 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
Bubba Watson gets my vote! Me and him kicked Barkley and Kim’s arse!
anotherdawg
January 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
Gotta include Irk Russell. I can still see the blood running down that bald head after head butting his lineman without a helmet. lol
Pat Dye
January 25th, 2011
12:56 pm
How bout me? I don’t think any of these other guys are “man enough” to be cool!
Dawgtards Ahoy
January 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
Since dawgtards seem to love living in the past, how about remembering the Jan Kemp trial, which exposed UGA and Vince Dooley for the jokes that they were. My favorite quote from the trial was this one:
O. Hale Almand Jr., a lawyer for the defense, offered a justification for the favorable treatment accorded the athletes, citing a hypothetical player. “We may not make a university student out of him,” he told the jury, “but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbageman when he gets through with his athletic career.”
The best thing about the trial was that it completely killed Vince Dooley’s shot at Congress, since he was exposed as a fraud and a cheat during the trial. Make no mistake – Dooley knew everything that was going on.
Nothing has changed in the almost three decades since the trial. If anything, the abuses are even worse. Exhibit #1: Jim Harrick and son.
Today the players are even more illiterate and felonious and, well, just plain stupid, as evidenced by their arrest records and record number of penalties. Even Vince Dooley couldn’t have controlled this mob, much less Mark Richt. And now even the AD is a drunk debaucherer.
There’s a reason why UGA is known as The Cesspool of the South.
Rickster
January 25th, 2011
1:02 pm
What about Scott Woerner? “Amp” Arnold? Rex Robinson?
LifeLongDawg
January 25th, 2011
1:08 pm
How ’bout some love for Jimmy Poulous and Michael Pernfors? Any guys with last names like those are cool in my book, plus the former was a great running back for the Dawgs and the latter was a great tennis player.
Shaq
January 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
I’m stickin with Bubba: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVKXeD6Sc7s
Bubba
January 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
What about Reggie Ball?
Mark Gunter
January 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
Herb White!!! Pistol Pete`s roommate their rookie seasons on the Hawks. Herbie would put on a dunking exhibition in warm-ups…along w/the Pistol`s magic show. They were fun to watch at the home games at Alexander Memorial.
GeorgiaDin
January 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
Strongly disagree with Joey. I think most people would agree the manner than Fran handled the radio interview was unprofessional and lacked courtesy. There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things. Embarrassing your HC on the radio – low class. Sounds like a grumpy old man. That’s my impression of the guy. I could care less what he thinks about the current state, same as I could care less about what Hollywood types think. Entitled to your own opinion, but doesn’t mean you’re entitled to show your rear end in communicating said opinion.
Back to the question – Pollack and Fox, especially if/when they win tonight.
SouthSide Dawg
January 25th, 2011
1:21 pm
Knowshon and Brown were very cool Georgia Bulldogs.
Fran Tarkenton
January 25th, 2011
1:24 pm
I know one thing Dawg Nation…that I definitely deserve to be nominated for the biggest A**hole Bulldog Athlete of all-time(can you back me here Bill), I proved myself worthy of this title in my radio interview… wouldn’t you agree? Since that interview, I know nothing of who has committed or care to follow the program, but since I am relevant again and upon Herschel’s shocking news that he thinks he can still play and with Favres retirement, it has motivated me to be fly to Minnesota to get a workout with the team, I know I could start over Jackson right away.
JB
January 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
Lindsey Scott
Ted Striker
January 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
I’d include Mikael Pernors. Back to back singles titles and as cool as could be off court, in the day.
Saw someone mentioned Alec Kessler. Totally agree. Unheralded recruit and turned out to be a fantastic player. Nice a guy as you’d ever know. Gone way too soon.
KB
January 25th, 2011
1:29 pm
Rennie Curran – the embodiment of heart, will-power and grit: traits currently not found in Athens.
jWall
January 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
Jake Scott. Hands down!!!!
KB
January 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
Everybody needs to lay off Fran Trakenton. Fran only gave an honest, truthful analysis of CMR’s comments.
CMR threw himself under the bus with the wierd comments he made. Fran was diplomatic in assessing CMR’s comments, especially compared to the talking-heads on sport’s radio. Fran made no personal attacks or insults.
The PROBLEM is the sorry state of affairs with UGA football and that is not Fran’s fault.
Marshall
January 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
Johnny Carson played in the fifties and I believe was UGA’s last 4 sport letterman. He also went on to a career in the NFL. Sadly he passed away in 2009. Certainly a “Cool Dawg!”
south georgia dawg
January 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
ralph bray, just because he is my 1st cousin. played football and baseball. go dawgs !!!!
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Observation
January 25th, 2011
1:46 pm
Anybody but that brain dead fool Buck Belue.
Lady Dawg
January 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
David Pollack
Mr. Phelps
January 25th, 2011
1:51 pm
Eddie”Meat Cleaver”Weaver
Mr. Dawg
January 25th, 2011
1:54 pm
Does being a punishing tackler make you cool? It does in my book. Thomas Davis.
JE
January 25th, 2011
2:02 pm
Joel “Cowboy” Parrish.
Davis Dawg
January 25th, 2011
2:03 pm
COOTIE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Murphy
January 25th, 2011
2:04 pm
Ill give the second vote for former Dawg Reggie Ball !!! Heeeeeeeee
JT
January 25th, 2011
2:04 pm
Who was the guy that was on the National Championship team that the movie “Black Hawk Down”??? was a Ranger in the real incident???
astrouga
January 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
It seems impossible that you could David Pollack off.
Virginia DAWG
January 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
Fran Trakenton has a right to his opinion…and to voice it. But his timing was terrible. Also, as a successful business person he should understand that a person’s supervisor can have a lot to do with their success or failure. If you are given a goal, but forced to spend time on issues/matters that don’t move you closer to that goal you will more than likely fail. I don’t think Damon Evans had enough experience as a manager to understand some ot these issues. Let’s hope McGarily does.
JT
January 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
What was the guy that was on the National Championship team that was a Hero in the actual situation that the movie “Black Hawk Down” was based on??? He was a really Cool Dawg!!!
2012 FEAR THE END
January 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
Ben Watson
Murphy
January 25th, 2011
2:08 pm
Sam Mervos-What a character!
Joe
January 25th, 2011
2:09 pm
Bill Stanfield
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
2:14 pm
Ray Goff and Jim Donnon.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
2:15 pm
Mike Bobo