Has NFL-caliber talent underperformed at UGA?
UGA certainly didn't get the championships it expected out of Matthew Stafford's time in Athens. (Associated Press)
In anticipation of Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft, Rivals.com came up with a Top 10 for total draft picks since 2000 and UGA placed fourth with 61 behind Ohio State (73), Southern Cal (69) and Miami (67) and just ahead of Tennessee, which had 60.
The rest of the Top 10 was rounded out by Florida and FSU (both with 59), LSU (55), Virginia Tech (52) and Michigan and Oklahoma (both with 49).
When it came to having the most first-round picks, the Dogs were ninth, with 11, including the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 with Matthew Stafford. UGA trailed Miami (26), Ohio State (16), Southern Cal (15), FSU and Texas (14), and Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee (12). Penn State followed Georgia with 10.
As a Georgia fan, there are two ways of looking at this.
On the one hand, Georgia’s consistent status as a producer of NFL players no doubt was a factor in Mark Richt landing this year’s Dream Team, and is likely to continue drawing talent to Athens.
But while the Dogs won two SEC championships during the period this listing covers, and finished as high as No. 2 in the country, the most recent conference title was in 2005 and the Dogs brought home no BCS championship.
So you could argue that all that NFL-caliber talent underperformed while at UGA. That argument would be particularly on the mark for the Stafford-Knowshon Moreno era.
Richt got the Dream Team to Athens. But now he’s got to show he can do more with that talent than simply produce future pro players.
Johnathan Taylor (University of Georgia)
JT AT THE TED!
It was fantastic seeing the big smile on the face of Johnathan Taylor in the dugout with the Diamond Dogs Tuesday night as they beat Georgia Tech 6-4 before a crowd of 18,156 at Turner Field in the Spring Baseball Classic for Kids.
It was JT’s first time being reunited with the full team since breaking his neck in a game against Florida State in early March, and it no doubt helped spur the Dogs on to the win over the No. 9-ranked Jackets.
Go JT! Go Dogs!
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— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
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231 comments Add your comment
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
3:23 pm
red and silver,
and how many have you won?
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
3:25 pm
Ralph
What do you expect the guy’s high school coach to say? You never hear a coach bad mouth one of his players publicly. He would never say the guy is dumb as a bag of rocks, is pure hell to try to coach, and will probably be in prison befores he gets his high school diploma.
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
3:30 pm
Buckeye
If Cam Newton will not take the $1,000,000 lie detector challenge, how about getting Tressel to take the challenge. Instead of the money, he could try to win Kmart sweater vests, Pat Boone records, and tattoos.
1eyedJack
April 27th, 2011
3:35 pm
Poor Ralph, it appears the “smart” twin spontaneously aborted himself.
RxDawg
April 27th, 2011
3:40 pm
edumacted, it means that we had a few bad players too. And injuries, numerous and important injuries. And game changing bad calls. And an out of his league D- coordinator. And some terrific, national championship caliber, competetion to go against. And not the right chemistry. And…. do I really need to go on? It might make you feel better to make Richt a scapegoat for all our woes (which has only been for 3 years by the way) but sooner or later your going to have to realize that your incorrect.
SOUTHGADAWG88
April 27th, 2011
3:43 pm
Moreno was a good college player that”s all….good not great.He is an average back in the NFL.Folks needto get off the Knowshon coulda woulda crap…….he was no Hershel
mcdaviddawg
April 27th, 2011
3:44 pm
Many want to say Richt’s problem are disappointing recruits and not enough talent. This kind of figure says the problems are all coaching. The talent is there, the coaching is not. All the top recruiting classes should produce this kind of result and most have done well in the NFL.
and the beat goes...
April 27th, 2011
3:46 pm
Overrated.. tap tap…tap tap tap.. Overrated….
JOE
April 27th, 2011
3:47 pm
Bill, why don’t you compare stats on the last 5 yrs rather than go all the way back to ‘00/’01? Then we would have a better comparison. Then, you should also ask the question, “have these UGA/NFL players of recent been productive in the NFL?? I think Stafford was over-rated at UGA & I think he’s over-rated as a 1st round-1st pick talent. Moreno is OK when he’s healthy, but his lack of speed shows more in the Pros. Bottom line is just because you ‘produce’ NFL picks doesn;t mean they are starting on good teams & playing on SUN. Has UGA under-preformed? Yes they have.
WDE
April 27th, 2011
3:52 pm
Buckeye I never said OSU suxs I just said they sux against the SEC..but hey you won once right?
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
3:56 pm
WDE
Has Auburn started recruiting the dope smoking Florida CB yet. He would seem to be a great fit for Awbarn.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
Clinch,
Ya. OK.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
See the shift ended, eh?
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
4:02 pm
Buckeye
Taking the day off. My chainsaw is acting up.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:09 pm
Good day for a Dilly Bar, Clinch. But I guess every day is a good day for a Dilly Bar.
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
4:13 pm
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
3:23 pm
red and silver,
and how many have you won?
Ok,ok! You got me. UGA has only won one NC in 31 years…Do you know who also has one in 31 years?Yep you guessed it..The Ohio State Buckeyes!
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
4:15 pm
Buckeye
The three main things in Homerville are logging, blogging, and dilly bars. A perfect romantic evening in Clinch County ends with sitting on the courthouse steps sharing a dilly bar watching the traffic light change colors.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:21 pm
red and silver,
You said BCS championships. Don’t change the rules as you go.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:23 pm
Clinch,
Sounds peaceful. Just don’t let the chocolate drip on your clean t-shirt.
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
4:35 pm
Buckeye,
Just following your lead. I originally responded to your sarcastic comment on the Big Ten sucking. My response was yes and, the BCS Championships reflect that.
Franklin
April 27th, 2011
4:35 pm
I’ve always thought the QB as the leader, makes the team better or worse.
I put the blame on Murray & Joe Cox for the last 2 seasons.
NotaDawg, but...
April 27th, 2011
4:36 pm
Canton, I’m with ya, bud. Some people have been spouting opinions for so long, they don’t know that they’re not speaking with facts. Sheesh…
KJ
April 27th, 2011
4:36 pm
Murray just can’t lead, got to agree with my man Franklin. Got to do something other than beat Vanderbilt.
Mossy Oaked
April 27th, 2011
4:37 pm
Let’s go huntin.
So true boyz.
It’s the QB, it’s the QB, it’s the QB.
tRANE
April 27th, 2011
4:39 pm
You do look to the quarterback for leadership, so yes, if the team plays badly, it’s on Joe Cox, or last year, that was Aaron Murray.
6-7 isn’t good, no matter how you look at it. Murray brought the talent development down.
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
4:43 pm
QB doesn’t play defense. ESPN Classic is showing an excellent example of that right now.
Clinch Panther
April 27th, 2011
4:43 pm
Bill give me a break. Every time you guys need something to fill space you come up with something negative. Maybe the best thing for you to do is take a break like tony b did. i sure didnt miss him and recently with your crap i don’t think i’ll miss you either.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 27th, 2011
4:44 pm
Bill King
I guess you finally have read and researched my post on this very subject that I have posted numerous times
You just need to foot the blame on the coach
A couple of years of top NFL talent, ok you might could blame the players
But a DECADE
SORRY BUT THATS THE COACH
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:44 pm
red and silver,
Re-read the article and look up the word sarcasm.
Your name reminds me of one of Munson’s favorite words…………..britches.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:45 pm
Clinch,
That’s a good word for you too.
Britches.
Terry
April 27th, 2011
4:46 pm
As the QB does against rteams, so goes the season.
Murray went 0-6 for 5 td’s.
Got to play big, and get teammates to play big, against the big teams.
Vince
April 27th, 2011
4:47 pm
Tired of Rihct letting QB’s continue to start when they tank. Win or sit the bench.
Vince
April 27th, 2011
4:47 pm
Defense doesn’t play QB, good point guys.
WW4
April 27th, 2011
4:48 pm
Last time I checked, it’s leadership.
You got to the top to figure it out.
Murray touches the ball more than anyone, and team stunk last year.
If the cleats fit, wear em’.
Lil K
April 27th, 2011
4:49 pm
I like Lemay, pure & simple.
Lil K
April 27th, 2011
4:49 pm
Mason would be 2nd choice, Murray last.
Lil K
April 27th, 2011
4:50 pm
Need a guy with poise, then the team plays with poise.
Cam Newton.
Christian Lemay.
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:50 pm
red and silver,
for the record, excluding the draft picks, is the most BCS appearances, the most BCS wins and yes, a BCS championship – interferance call or not.
I recall a ratings bonanza in the Sugar Bowl against June Jones an Hawaaii. Was that you?
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:51 pm
red and silver,
Go plug in your 1980 hightlights CD. Have they converted it to HD yet?
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
4:54 pm
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
2:48 pm
# 1 in draft picks……vs. # 4 in draft picks.
A lot of you must be right, the Big 10 sucks.
Right..No sarcasm here! BTW you really don’t want to go with the name calling.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 27th, 2011
4:54 pm
You people blaming Murry are the same ones blaming Stafford
Give me a break
2-7 against FL yet more players in the NFL than FL
A losing record against top 10 teams
13-12 in the SEC EAST since 2006
30+ ARRESTS in 4 yrs
11 ARRESTS last yr
Put friendship ahead of the program in refusing to fire Martinez
Has lost 2 times to KY once to Vanderbilt in the last 5 yrs
You people blaming Murry (who I might add broke most of the FR passing records last yr) have no clue
Keep drinking the KRYPTONITE KOOL-AID
What flavor is the DREAM TEAM KOOL-AID your drinking now
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
5:02 pm
Buckeye,
For the record I am from Columbus,OH so, please spare me with the Ohio State stats…I referred to the Big Ten sucks part. I don’t live in the past I live in the present and, honestly your program is no more relevant than mines at this point.
red&silver
April 27th, 2011
5:06 pm
Buckeye
April 27th, 2011
4:50 pm
red and silver,
for the record, excluding the draft picks, is the most BCS appearances, the most BCS wins and yes, a BCS championship – interferance call or not.
I recall a ratings bonanza in the Sugar Bowl against June Jones an Hawaaii. Was that you?
You might want to get somebody to with a 5th grade education to look over your comments before you post.
ClinchCountyDawg
April 27th, 2011
5:13 pm
Buckeye
The only guy in Homerville that wears sweater vests is a 65 year old never married piano teacher that has four poodles and 17 cats. All the kids pedal their bikes faster when they pass his house. I’ll bet that he is a closet Buckeye.
GTBob
April 27th, 2011
5:17 pm
If you look at the top 10 list they have certainly underperformed. Outside of Tennessee and Michigan, UGA hasn’t had anywhere near the success of the other teams on there. They had more NFL players then Fla, LSU, and Oklahoma and look at what those programs have accomplished. Ive never understood the praise for Mark Richt when he consistently under performs in relation to other big name coaches out there.
Snoop Dawg
April 27th, 2011
5:29 pm
It is obvious to the casual observer that UGA’s problem lies with its poor coaching.
Don’t expect any trends to change until the coach is changed.
UGADawg83
April 27th, 2011
5:39 pm
“But now he’s got to show he can do more with that talent than simply produce future pro players.” thus sayeth Bill King. Bill how can you see Richt has not produced or have you forgotten the Goff an Donnan years. AJC—-please get us a better representative of UGA to write this blog.
??
April 27th, 2011
5:49 pm
JB that’s wishful thinking on your part brother if you think Tech is going to be bad with Johnson on the helm. Gailey only had one good recruiting effort. Tech wasn’t suppose to beat GA last year moron. Tech will only get better. But you keep that mind set all you want
Nice try JB
April 27th, 2011
5:57 pm
” Tech Football………..Most schools hire a coach to improve what they just fired. Johnson took a group of very good athletes that Gailey left on both sides of the ball and won some games. Bad news for Tech. They are gone. Recruiting other than a plum or two has been lackluster. Feasting on Duke etc is about it. They couldn’t beat a crummy Georgia team two years in a row The Johnson Era is over at Tech”.
That may be the most idiodic statement JB has ever made. And there have been some doozies. The Johnson era hasn’t even scratched the surface at Tech. It will only get better. I don’t know what fantasy you are living in JB but wake up son! What exactly has ga done the last 3 years? Nothing! Even with those so called 5 star recruits. Yea you should beat Tech every year with those players, no excuse! Tech didn’t have any business winning against ga last year and yet hung 500 yards on that awful defense. Can’t wait to prove you wrong once again
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 27th, 2011
6:12 pm
UGADawg83
What has he produced with that caliber of talent?