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?
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
268 comments Add your comment
PTCDawg
January 25th, 2011
4:15 pm
If you remember after Pat Dye recovered the Auburn fumble, Fran The Man calmly hit Arron Box in the corner for TD & SEC Championship know, Fran is an all time cool Dawg!
GO DAWGS!!!!
PHIL
January 25th, 2011
4:18 pm
Fran Tarkenton shouldn’t even be allowed to wear the color red. Sissy.
Bulldawg Pride
January 25th, 2011
4:18 pm
Couldn’t ask for a better representive for the bulldawgs than Johnny Isner. The kid shows heart everytime he plays (not only in his marathon match) and the love he throws UGA by wearing the uga gear around is awesome. Go Johnny!
gj
January 25th, 2011
4:20 pm
old school – Jiggy Smaha, Happy Dicks, Edgar Chandler
shankit
January 25th, 2011
4:21 pm
Congrats to Auburn for your NC and SEC championship.
Congrats to Cam for winning the Heisman.
Congrats to Cam for studying hard at this proud university
and achieving 6 credits. Auburn the Harvard of Alabama.
Pulpwood Smith
January 25th, 2011
4:23 pm
What about ole PULPWOOD? Any one remember my stellar academic career at UGA?
shankit
January 25th, 2011
4:24 pm
Word out in the Birmingham News is War Eagles
are accusing Saban of “hoarding all the recruits, we
will sort them out later.” Word out is recruits’ mommas are
having less confidence in Saban’s trustworthiness,
and relying more on Pat Dye, Louder and MacGregor
for guiding their sons.
Bulldoggy
January 25th, 2011
4:25 pm
TONY COLE (everybody will remember that name)
DAWG
January 25th, 2011
4:25 pm
David Pollack, Andy Johnson, Jon England, Dick Conn, Bruce Sills, Robert Honeycutt, Garrison Hearst!
C U Later
January 25th, 2011
4:26 pm
How about Ray Jeffords, the only UGA basketball player ever drafted to the NFL by the Atlanta Falcons?
shankit
January 25th, 2011
4:27 pm
I vote in golf for Chip Beck and his “59″.
blord
January 25th, 2011
4:30 pm
JAN KEMP
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:30 pm
Reggie Ball don’t forget him…
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:32 pm
Golberg, meaner than a copper head snake and very cool.
Dirty Dawg
January 25th, 2011
4:32 pm
Zeke Bratowski…Theron Sapp…Durwood Pennington…Bill Godfrey (’Folks sure are nice to you when you win.’)…and I don’t know if Jake was dumb or smart, but word had it that he ace-bandaged himself before every game, cause nobody else would do it.
blord
January 25th, 2011
4:34 pm
Strange nobody has mentioned Quincey Carter
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:34 pm
Pollack has to be on the list.
AltamahaDawg
January 25th, 2011
4:34 pm
Hands down it was a 7th yr senior fraternity brother bartender at Papa Joes.
Geechee Dawg
January 25th, 2011
4:36 pm
One night I was coming out of Revoltin Bolton Dining Hall when running back Cleveland Gary walked up to me and asked, “Can you help me? My car ran out of gas.” I said, “Sure, I can help you. You see that place across the street? It’s a gas station.”
Cleveland Gary later transferred to Miami, played on a national championship team, and became a running back for the L.A. Rams.
Pulpwood Smith
January 25th, 2011
4:36 pm
David Polelock,Ray Goof,Mike Bozo,Noshow Moreno,Bill Oldberg.Cedric Henderson.Tony Cole,Jim Harrick,Jim Donnan,Scott(they are cheatin)Howard,Kevin Buttler.Dont forget my favorite Jasper The Fumbler.
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:37 pm
LOL
MDdawgfan
January 25th, 2011
4:37 pm
Ben Smith — one of the nicest and coolest guys off the field I ever met, but on the field he was an assassin. Injury derailed what should have been a long and productive pro career … but he lived to kill people on the field.
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:40 pm
Max Jean Giles used to come to the Dawg Walk in full gear Helment included. He is the only player I can remember ever doing this. He would even be taped up ready for the game as well.
AltamahaDawg
January 25th, 2011
4:44 pm
What I wouldn’t give to have a Bolton Dining Hall around the corner again. Cheeseburgers and co-eds after the 4:15.
marseilles mutt
January 25th, 2011
4:45 pm
…Bill Cromartie, for writing the book that coined the phrase “Clean Old Fashioned Hate”…
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:46 pm
Amen
Dawg
January 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
don’t forget Andre Pulpwood Smith
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
Coolest name, Mudcat Gilmore or Pulpwood Smith?
marseilles mutt
January 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
The last name of the gentleman who headed the aborted rescue attempt in “Blackhawk Down” was Beckwith and that’s the best I can do. Pllayed for Coach Butts, I think…
FLA DAWG
January 25th, 2011
4:50 pm
Ben Zambisi was the coolest……..
Hobnail Boot
January 25th, 2011
4:51 pm
Loren Smith once ask Charles Grant after the game and I quote, “Being from South Ga you must like Boiled Peanuts.
Techismybee-otch
January 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
Buzzy Rosenberg
Ben Zambiasi
Glidin’ Glynn Harrison
Techismybee-otch
January 25th, 2011
4:58 pm
Definitely Theron Sapp…..jersey is retired….he broke the drought!
RAID
January 25th, 2011
5:19 pm
How about HIAWATHA BERRY!……If for nothing else just the name……..Or, Greg (Muddy) Waters……lol
bill
January 25th, 2011
5:21 pm
Rabbit Smith who went on to win an NFL championship with the Chicago Cardinals (honestly). A true gentleman who I believe still holds some UGA rushing records.
bill
January 25th, 2011
5:21 pm
Where’s Herb White?
bill
January 25th, 2011
5:25 pm
Quincy Carter? Yeah, cracks me up.
Athens = Prison Country
January 25th, 2011
5:37 pm
B5
What I understand that UGA sucks at everything but women’s gymnastics. Gym dawgs pretty much sums up the entire team. WOOF!
Jeremy
January 25th, 2011
5:43 pm
You can’t leave Frank Sinkwich off the list. He won the 1942 heismen and is one of the greatest bulldogs of all time.
WayxDog
January 25th, 2011
5:49 pm
Ray Goff with mesh cap
ca dawg
January 25th, 2011
5:50 pm
tron jackson. his name was tron.
puppydawg
January 25th, 2011
5:59 pm
Pulpwood Smith!
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:06 pm
David Pollack. 3 time All American. Loved his attitude, and he backed it up. Don’t know if anyone ever loved to be a Bulldog more than Pollack.
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:07 pm
Ealey. Mettenberger.
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:08 pm
Buck Belue. He’s just cool. Period.
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:09 pm
Currently love Ealey’s swagger, and he backs it up, so it ain’t braggin. Need more guys like him.
Mett was the funniest guy ever in interviews. Miss him. A lot.
KeepDreaming
January 25th, 2011
6:11 pm
Athens = God’s Country
Amen brother! Spent many a drunkin night in there! And as a freshman, we used to go to Sky’s other bar: Sky’s Place in the Days’ Inn!!! We would walk over from Creswell and I used to get in with a black guy’s fake ID!!! LOL!!! Good times, good times!!
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:13 pm
Current Bulldogs ain’t got much personality, Ealey, Boykin, Cuff, Tavarres King, Charles, Rambo….
Some of the new recruits are pretty cool….Lemay….Drew (we hope)…
I like to see a team with SWAG.
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:15 pm
Jay Rome’s a cool guy…
Ain’t much for lookign back…it’s about da future….
Mincy
January 25th, 2011
6:18 pm
Deion Sanders….wait, he was FSU….who cares…..the dude was the coolest…ever….