Time to revise your vote for UGA’s greatest receiver?
A.J. Green makes a leaping catch for a first down in the 2009 game against South Carolina in Athens. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Amid speculation A.J. Green might be the top pick in this year’s NFL draft, our enterprising Web folks put up a photo gallery looking at candidates for the honor of best receiver in UGA history.
That’s a subject we’ve dealt with here before. Just before Christmas, I wrote that A.J. is, hands down, the best receiver I’ve ever seen play for Georgia, thanks to those circus catches, his running after the catch and, most importantly, his ability to go up high in double or triple coverage and still snag the ball in a clutch situation.
A couple of years ago, I raised the question of who was the Dogs’ all-time best receiver and threw out quite a few names, including Jimmy Orr from the Wally Butts era, Pat Hodgson, Charlie Whittemore and Lindsay Scott from the Vince Dooley years, Andre Hastings and Brice Hunter from Ray Goff’s tenure, Hines Ward from the Jim Donnan years, Terrence Edwards under Donnan and Mark Richt, and Reggie Brown, Mohamed Massaquoi and Green from the Richt era.
Do Blawg readers still think Hines Ward is UGA's all-time best? (Associated Press)
At the time, I said if I had to narrow that list down, I’d have Orr, Hastings, Ward, Edwards (even with that infamous drop against Florida), Scott (for the most important reception in Bulldog history) and Massaquoi, and based on just his freshman year at the time I said I thought Green probably would top the list before his career was done.
In a poll at that time, 46 percent of Junkyard Blawg readers voted Ward the all-time best receiver, followed by Scott (13 percent), Edwards (11 percent), Hastings (10 percent), young A.J. (10 percent), Orr (7 percent) and Massaquoi (3 percent).
Loading ...Vote in the poll and also feel free to sound off in the comments on Green’s place among the Dogs’ all-time greats.
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192 comments Add your comment
Brucerugby79
February 19th, 2011
6:11 pm
5150uoad I thought a pee-can was what a truck driver had on floorboard
Tweenthehedges93
February 19th, 2011
6:43 pm
I don’t think we have to worry about AJ being the top pick in the draft.
Dawg Tired
February 19th, 2011
7:14 pm
Not only did Lindsey Scott make one of the best plays in UGA football history in the Florida game in 1980, he a;so returned the second half kickoff against LSU in Baton Rouge (’78 or ‘79) for a touchdown that turned that game around for a great Dawg victory against a Top 5 team on the road. AJ just didn’t accomplish nearly as much as Scott. I’m thinking most folks voting here are doing one of two things (possibly both): (1) they weren’t alive when Lindsey Scott played – thereby ignoring a truly great receiver; and or, (2) they are basing their vote solely on physical ability instead of accomplishment on the field in really, really big games under unbelievable pressure given the circumstances at the moment the play was made.
Dawg Tired
February 19th, 2011
7:24 pm
AUBURN MAN – I guess you are aware that there is medication for people with your condition.
dawglasville
February 19th, 2011
7:30 pm
Hines Ward may or may not be the greatest receiver in UGA history. I think is. I definitely think he is one of the greatest Dawgs ever. If I was starting a NFL franchise, and Hines was in his prime, I would start my team with him. I believe he is a hall of fame lock.
Texas Dawg
February 19th, 2011
7:31 pm
YOU ARE COMPLETE IDIOT IF YOU THINK GREEN IS THE BEST Revicer EVER AT UGA…hers why! most talented i agree…..no way is he the best
1. He leaves leaves for the draft with one year left…me first then team. selleing jersey is prime example….and yes I would have left for the money as well….
2. He never did it on the big stage against the better teams…..look at his stats against winning teams…….
3. Never won a championship of any kind…….drops in big games….he could have been the best ever…..Most talented i agree….
Texas Dawg
February 19th, 2011
7:31 pm
YOU ARE COMPLETE IDIOT IF YOU THINK GREEN IS THE BEST Revicer EVER AT UGA…hers why! most talented i agree…..no way is he the best
1. He leaves leaves for the draft with one year left…me first then team. selleing jersey is prime example….and yes I would have left for the money as well….
2. He never did it on the big stage against the better teams…..look at his stats against winning teams…….
3. Never won a championship of any kind…….drops in big games….he could have been the best ever…..Most talented i agree….
fastdawg
February 19th, 2011
7:49 pm
It just makes me wonder, why an offensive coordinater wouldn’t just throw the ball in AJ’s area any time it was 3rd down. Oh I forgot we don’t have a legit OC.
oldschooldog
February 19th, 2011
8:22 pm
There’s no question A.J. is UGA’s “best” receiver ever. But if you’re talking UGA’s “greatest” receiver ever, he’s behind Terrence and Hines for sure, and very likely Lindsay and Brice.
Rodney Dangerfield
February 19th, 2011
9:13 pm
AJ Green is overrated. I’m not a dawg fan but have seen quite a few dawg games. I have seen AJ make spectacular catches and have good games. But it seems like he disappears in the big games and I question is determination and work ethic. The dude took it out of bounds about three yards short of a Tech defender but could have stretched for the first down this year. That is when I knew AJ Green was going pro.
Rodney Dangerfield
February 19th, 2011
9:15 pm
And when I say overrated…. Yes AJ Green is loaded with talent, but does he use that talent 80% of the time? I would guess maybe 50% if AJ feels up to it.
SEC FAN
February 19th, 2011
9:15 pm
The reason why UGA will never win another Championship, is because you guys are unappreciative of your players. AJ was a great player for your team and did alot of wonderful things. He was suspended for 4 games and still had a monster season. Yall’s offensive line was crap this year. If there’s any player that’s contemplating on attending UGA in the future…first read AJC football blogs before making your decisions. Not all fans on here are ungrateful…just the one’s with their racist remarks…SEC RULES!!!
Rodney Dangerfield
February 19th, 2011
9:16 pm
I think Terence Edwards had more of an impact than AJ Green. Too bad he dropped that pass against UF or he would have been immortalized instead of remembered for dropping the pass.
Jay
February 19th, 2011
9:24 pm
Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott.
george
February 19th, 2011
9:41 pm
some commenter above thought aj is the best player ever at georgia? nice thought but he should ask his parents about hershel walker. doh.
Fire Mark Richt
February 19th, 2011
9:51 pm
Lindsay Scott was the best to me because he was a game-breaker: the 99-yard KO return against LSU in ‘78 and The Play in ‘80. When you consider what an impact he had playing for an I-formation, run-oriented team, I think Scott maximized his opportunities like no one else I’ve seen at UGA.
ugaclassof2004
February 19th, 2011
10:12 pm
AJ Green is by far the best WR that UGA has had! Not even close. AJ has the ability to carry an entire offense on his back! Not since Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson have I seen that on the college level, and AJ did it while catching passes from 3 different QB’s. When a big play is needed, AJ makes it. He did so vs. LSU in 2009 and he did it again vs. Florida this year to send the game to OT. Its not his fault that the defense can’t hold up their end of the bargain in either of those games.
Hines Ward was very good too, but I think Hines is one of those guys that willed himself to be great at the next level. He was good at UGA, but I don’t think Hines really became great until he had been in the NFL for the 3-5 years. Hines , while good, was no where near the impact player in college that AJ has been the last 3 years. With that being said, AJ would be lucky to have 1/3 of the career that Hines Ward has had in the NFL. You can’t go wrong with either one, both are talented and tough minded guys.
ugaclassof2004
February 19th, 2011
10:15 pm
Rodney Dangerfield:
Name 1 WR who is better than AJ Green right now.
Mark
February 19th, 2011
10:39 pm
Hines Ward hands down. He is just a baller, and clutch!!!
Mark
February 19th, 2011
10:42 pm
AJ had the potential to be the best UGA ever had, but when was he clutch??? I’m sorry but I never saw him carry the team to any big wins. Where was he during the UCF game? A time to shine before he went pro and he got shut down by one guy.
cootabrown
February 19th, 2011
10:44 pm
I thought this should be based on what they did in college AJ was a great WR but how can you lead thr SEC which is the toughest conference in all of college football in yards and be the 4th best in school history production speaks for itself AJ would have caught Edwards if he stayed all 4 years the stats Edwards stats throughout his 4 years dont compare to others look at the history of players in SEC history the production speaks for itself
BIG JOE
February 19th, 2011
10:56 pm
AJ was the BEST true talent UGA ever had at WR. It’s just a shame he wasn’t integrated into the offense more often. Not trying to through stones at Bobo but how (why) the heck he didn’t get the ball to AJ more (see: Colorado) is beyond me. We’ll see once AJ gets to the NFL how he stacks up against the Pro Defenses, but if he does well it will show just how inept Bobo really is.
RabidDawgFan
February 19th, 2011
10:57 pm
Terrence Mathis, Fred Gibson, or Reggie Brown. Don’t forget Sean Bailey.
RabidDawgFan
February 19th, 2011
10:57 pm
Terrence Edwards I meant
BIG JOE
February 19th, 2011
11:07 pm
Also, ask yourself this: How many other WR’s have yoiu seen catch as many one-handers than AJ? Yes, he got shut-down against UCF –by his QB Murray –not the UCF Defense. Murray did have a bad game (he carried the team at times in 2010) but he doesn’t have the arm to consistantly get the ball where it needs to be. In the last several years it has been WR’s dropping passes; Now it seems the QB is either throwing the ball at the ground, which Murray did a bunch in 2010, -OR- the ball is consistantly thrown behind guys or at their knees. Bottom line: WR’s are doing better now at UGA than in years past but now the QB can’t seem to put the ball where it needs to be, consistantly.
BIG JOE
February 19th, 2011
11:15 pm
5150 UOAD, AJ didn’t get the ball in the entire 1st qr in the Colo game, and he came out late in the 3rd for cramps. You’re right that he should have been prepared though. Had Bobo actually taken advantage of AJ in the 1st qr & had AJ drank plenty of electrolites 2-3 days before the game the outcome would have been different I’m sure.
Bobo’s problem is I’m sure he thought that Colo would be keying on AJ since it was his 1st game back, so Bobo being Bobo thought he would out-smart everyone & run plays w/o AJ. Just like when he tries to out-smart the opposing D by running the ball w/ the 3rd string RB at mid-field on 3rd & 9. But as for true talent, AJ is the best.
we ruin this stait
February 19th, 2011
11:53 pm
kris durham
chazzo
February 20th, 2011
12:08 am
C’mon folks. AJ was not the greatest receiver at UGA. Hands down, he was the most talented, but not the best. The best implies most productive. Though it may not be all of his own fault, AJ did not produce to his full potential and wasn’t a part of a winning situation. Terrence Edwards is the man. BTW, where’s the love for Fred Gibson?
Tom E. Gunn
February 20th, 2011
4:25 am
He may not have been marque, but kris Durham made some big catches for UGA/
Dawg in Malta
February 20th, 2011
5:30 am
AJ as a receiver @ UGA no doubt…but Hines Ward was the most versatile athelete while @ UGA. You have to remember Hines played quarterback, flanker, running back, & receiver @ UGA. He did not play receiver (as his only position) until he was in the NFL. Good luck to AJ as a future NFL receiver and hopefully he will continue to make UGA pround like Hines has the past 13 years.
On another UGA player…I watched Hershel Walker in person @ UGA, no doubt the best football player ever in college football history!!
swhite
February 20th, 2011
7:24 am
I just want to get these ground rules down perfectly – if the other players on the team don’t do what they’re supposed to do and your team doesn’t win a national championship, that automatically disqualifies you from being the best player at a certain position. Is that right? Man, we’ve got a very long list of players who aren’t the best at their positions. That means Lindsey Scott, regardless of any dropped passes, bone-headed moves, or missed assignments that led to interceptions during his career, is hands down the greatest receiver in Georgia history. That also makes Buck Belue the greatest quarterback ever at Georgia, beating out Fran Tarkenton. I’ll give you Kevin Butler, because he may be the greatest kicker ever at Georgia. I guess, as a matter of fact, that all of the members of that UGA Nationa Championship team, by this reasoning, have to be the greatest players at their positions! They led UGA to a National Championship, hence they’re the greatest. Methinks that those of you who use this reasoning must surely see that fatal flaw in it. Or perhaps you don’t.
chazzo
February 20th, 2011
8:03 am
Terrence Edwards is #1 in career receiving yards, yards per season, career TD catches. Check the stats. Edwards is the best. AJ and Ward are phenomenal athletes. AJ is hands down the most talented receiver, but Edwards is pretty much in the top three of every statistical category and #1 in the big ones. Did his career receiving yards SEC record get broken? It is still listed in the stats on georgiadogs. com.
chazzo
February 20th, 2011
8:12 am
Aj had 2619 career receiving yards. Edwards had 3093. AJ never had a 1000 yd. season. Edwards has 1004.
Again AJ is obviously the most talented receiver at UGA ever. When you say best, though, it encompasses more than raw talent. I don’t mean to be glib, but Edwards never sold his jersey and got suspended. It matters in my mind if you are trying to quantify who is best based on something other than raw talent.
chazzo
February 20th, 2011
8:16 am
PS. Just to clarify: AJ is phenomenal. I have never seen a single player have such a dramatic effect on a team. I am not knocking him in anyway. I think he is freakishly good, and he seems like a good guy. I just think there are broader criteria when we are talking “best,” and you have to look at the stats.
Mr. Phelps
February 20th, 2011
8:59 am
Except for a few not a lot of great talent to choose from.
AltamahaDawg
February 20th, 2011
9:09 am
2004 was that a direct question asking for a clarification of somebodies post there?
AltamahaDawg
February 20th, 2011
9:14 am
The question is asked ” UGA’s greatest receiver”. To me that does not mean the most talented or best skills while they happen to be at UGA. The question is greatest as it relates to UGA specifically.
SickandTired
February 20th, 2011
9:36 am
Saying AJ Green is the best receiver is like saying Matt Stafford is the best QB. Give me a freaking break. They may have talent, but they did nothing for Georgia football. That is not debatable. What a joke.
1eyedJack
February 20th, 2011
9:47 am
If you were recruiting and you were only going to take 1 WR which one of those guys do you take?
YellowJacket
February 20th, 2011
9:50 am
Bill King. Nobody could catch a dawg ball or two like him.
Dave Porno
February 20th, 2011
10:13 am
Gosh our baseball team sux too. In ready for next years dissapointment in football to come to a close so UGA cant get a new coach.
Grandad
February 20th, 2011
10:21 am
No contest in my opinion!
Best blocking WR ever. Ever.
Hines could do it all, from QB to special teams to tailback.
Plus and Still the # 1 All-Time receiver.!
Not only that…My all-time favorite “Dawg” !
3DawgKnight
February 20th, 2011
10:23 am
Hines Baby
David Pole-ax
February 20th, 2011
10:25 am
# 19 says it all.
Dirk Dobber, High School Recruiter
February 20th, 2011
10:38 am
Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! oh well,you had to be there…
UGA man, class of 71 & 73
February 20th, 2011
11:21 am
Terence Edward is one of the top 4 all time. His miss vs Florida at 45 yd line wide open, however, hurt him. That game was dominated by UGA but we lost. He simply dropped the ball in his chest area, softly thrown by Green? and he was wide open and streaking toward the corner.
Brice Hunter ( RIP ) was very consistent but he muffed an opening kick off at HOMECOMING vs Vandy, that UGA LOST!! He caught tons of balls and was ranked # 1 in receptions on bad UGA squads.
Ward simply did not get the ball thrown to him many times per game. He was probably UGA’s best athlete, having played at a high level at QB and receiver, running back, punt returner and kick off man.
These there are my favorites over the last 45 + years.
AJ Green did not IMPACT UGA’s win record. He did nothing to win vs any team of consequence and he will be forgotten within three years. He was often injured and he only really played about 2.0 years out of three years.
‘
Jimmy Shirer of my era in the early 70s was more impactful having defeated GT at the horn in Grant Field. AAAAAAAAHAHHAHA, still remember those sad looking faces on my GT pal’s faces that cold night.
Go Dogs.
cootabrown
February 20th, 2011
12:09 pm
So i ask again are we speaking on what they did while at UGA or what they did in the NFL or where they fall in the draft? It seems we are being based things off of what they did after UGA and where AJ is falling in the draft. He is a great reciever but we never got to see everything from him due to the 4 game suspension & leaving early (which I dont blame him) he is also being compared to guys who ere not natural recievers Hines came in as an athlete & played QB in high school Edwards came in as an athelete & he played QB in high school as well they learned the position when they got to UGA now AJ came in as a WR so he was a natural but you still have the SEC all time leader in recieving yards not UGA history but SEC history and he not be the best reciever in school history again we are speaking of what they did at UGA not what they did in the NFL or where they went in the draft
FlaDawg
February 20th, 2011
1:01 pm
If you look at pure physical talent it has to be Green. If you look at importance to the program it has to be Scott! I’m a program guy so I’ll go with Scott! Go Dawgs!
wreckmaniac
February 20th, 2011
1:33 pm
Anyone who can sell a shirt for $1000 is number one in my book.
AltamahaDawg
February 20th, 2011
3:41 pm
In his day, Hastings had ball skills right up there with AJ. GIbson, Edwards, Brown had bigger roles in success. Other receivers had more legendary efforts. Ward was more valuable to an entire class.
And like other, AJ had some critical mistakes as well. I’ll forever believe his self inflicted fumble early in the 2008 Bama game was the catalyst of that miserable half.
The problem with voting AJ is that given his skills and the very little he accomplished at UGA, he also is comparatively the most disappointing of that list of 5 or 6. Much of that was not his fault, BUT that’s how it goes. His time was his time. His team was his team. If you want to play the game of “if”..what “if” many UGA players were here at a different time. He was not “UGA’s greatest receiver”.