Fan talk: UGA doesn’t need Isaiah Crowell to be the next Herschel Walker
Let’s answer some Junkyard Mail …
Like all UGA tailbacks, Isaiah Crowell must operate in someone's shadow. (Jason Getz / AJC)
JerryDawg writes: After all the build-up, I’m getting awfully concerned that Isaiah Crowell is going to be another tailback bust for the Dawgs. I’ve heard and read all kinds of reports that he showed up in Athens with an attitude, skipped some workouts and had to have some of his teammates sit him down and try to get his head on straight. Are you worried, Bill?
I think Mark Richt said it best: “We don’t expect Isaiah to save the program. We don’t expect Isaiah to put the team on his back. We expect Isaiah to learn what to do and to do things the Georgia way and to try to do anything he can to help the team win as a freshman. We’ll see how far that goes.”
As for the rumors, I don’t put that much stock in anonymous reports on the Internet. But more importantly, can we let the kid have his first official practice as a Georgia Bulldog before we start worrying about his attitude or work ethic? That’s one of the downsides of today’s 24/7 media environment: Players are constantly being scrutinized. Can you imagine what it would have been like had the blogosphere and social media existed when Herschel Walker first hit Athens? He didn’t exactly tear it up in preseason practice his freshman year, with Vince Dooley famously fretting that he was concerned No. 34 was going to wind up being just another “big, stiff fullback.” We found out differently once it was for real.
What would the blogosphere have made of worries Herschel Walker would be just a big, stuff fullback? (AJC file)
I’m not saying that Crowell will be the next Herschel Walker. Or even the next Knowshon Moreno. Heck, after the past couple of seasons, I’d settle for him being the next Musa Smith.
(And, by the way, if you haven’t yet watched the trailer for the upcoming ESPNU “Storied” documentary on Herschel, check it out. As a friend said, it’ll give you chill bumps.)
Thomas Vaiden writes: Do you know what number Isaiah Crowell will be wearing this season? Thanks. !GO DAWGS!
After the G-Day game, Richt said Crowell will wear No. 1, the same jersey number worn by cornerback (and occasional offensive player) Branden Smith. “We’ve just got to make sure they’re not in the game at the same time,” Richt said.
Garrett Kee writes: Hey Bill, this is Garrett Kee from Columbus, Ga., hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the new Nike Pro-Combat uniforms Georgia will be wearing against Boise in the opener. I have seen these combat unis on Florida, Oregon, LSU, Virginia Tech, etc. and have to admit I’m a little worried. They seem to change the uniforms with “radical” color schemes and crazy helmets (look at LSU and Boise). Are you worried that our good ole traditional red jerseys, red helmets and silver britches are going to be altered much? I know I am tired of these uniform “outfits” we have sported the last couple of years and just want to see hard-nosed football being played without worrying how good we look. Yet, I know that we have a pretty big contract with Nike and are almost obliged to do this sooner or later. Go Dawgs!
Garrett, I haven’t been a big fan of Nike’s special uniforms up to now, but I thought the ones they trotted out during bowl season were a slight improvement. I’ve no idea how drastic a reworking it will be, though again we’ve got lots of supposedly insider reports circulating. Take your pick: I’ve heard the helmets will be red. Or silver. Or white with a red stripe. The one thing we do know is that the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game folks say Georgia will be wearing red jerseys and Boise State will be wearing blue. There’s a lot of speculation Georgia might wear red britches as well, but that’s all it is — speculation. Still, it’s only for one game and both teams will be wearing the Pro Combats and the players are excited, so I don’t see any real harm in it. If anything, the uniforms contribute to the feeling of this being a special game.
By the way, Patrick Garbin’s always interesting historical blog has a nice overview of Georgia’s football uniforms.
Ron Sweat writes: DOES ANYONE THINK THAT RECRUITING AT UGA IS HANDLED OR DIRECTED LIKE IT SHOULD? Bill, how do we handle recruiting at UGA? Do we call all the recruits for the next 4 years every day or once a week or month and does an assistant make the call or a coach or [recruiting coordinator Rodney] Garner?
Ron, I gather you aren’t entirely satisfied with the way recruiting is being handled at UGA. Let me say up front, I’m not a recruitnik and don’t follow it that closely until we get closer to signing day. I will admit I was disappointed by some recruiting trends in recent years in Athens (such as the now abandoned reliance on fast but short cornerbacks), but I find it difficult to condemn a recruiting program that could produce this year’s Dream Team.
Anyway, I put your question to our recruiting blogger, Michael Carvell, and here’s what he said: “If they are asking about the quality of UGA’s recruiting efforts, you can only base on it on the finished efforts of last year, which was the ‘Dream Team.’ We’re still a long way from National Signing Day 2012. As far as how recruiting is handled, I’m sure the appropriate UGA coaches call during the NCAA contact periods.”
GET TO KNOW YOUR SEC COACHES
Here’s a fun feature from ESPN in which they put a bunch of questions (not necessarily about football) to the SEC head coaches. Some sound like guys you’d want to hang out with. And then there’s Bobby Petrino.
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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322 comments Add your comment
slydog
July 30th, 2011
1:38 pm
IF IC has Cam’s ego, then good, cause that type of ego wins championships and fights till the last whistle.
AdMan
July 30th, 2011
1:40 pm
SSIgator…so because you used to live in Athens that makes you an authority on the Dawgs?….What kind of logic is that?…I’m still throwing the BS flag on you…your posts on this blog are always half truths and made up lies…..who cares if the gators had a better year last year…they will be a disappointment to their fans this year…Weis couldn’t get it done at Notre Dame with stud athletes and great facilities….he’ll fail at Florida…he and Muschamp can’t co-exist…and it won’t take long for the team to emplode because of it.
slydog
July 30th, 2011
1:42 pm
Heck, here is an even better suggestion: Thomas Brown for RB coach.
slydog
July 30th, 2011
1:54 pm
Truthfully,tension between a HC and his coordinators canbe a good thing. Mike Tomlin and Dick Lebeau didn’t get along at first. But Tomlin can’t do without him. Look at Dikta and Buddy Ryan. The tension brings about accountability. Don’t we all think BoBo feels a little “too” secure in his position? Even though I was just learning how to color in between the lines in the late 70’s/ early 80’s, I’m willing to bet Vince and Erk were not drinking buddies.
Spokesman for the SEC East
July 30th, 2011
1:58 pm
AdMan, even Zook owned the humpers fool.
ga gator
July 30th, 2011
1:58 pm
No but Hershel is a good role model for Crowell to emulate.
Dawg Tired
July 30th, 2011
2:03 pm
The last time CMR talked about a player just doing things the “Georgia Way” he wound up somewhere in Alabama’s backwoods.
heeldawg
July 30th, 2011
2:06 pm
@tOSU: Ignorance is not attractive.
So HW was a one-season wonder? Failed at everything else in life?
He set an NCAA freshman single-season rushing record his first year and led the team to a national title. He played 3/4 of the national title game with a separated shoulder against Notre Dame and had 150 yards rushing against a Notre Dame team that had not allowed 100 yards rushing to any team all year. He still hold the all-time SEC career rushing record with nearly 5300 yards and 52 TDs despite only playing three seasons. He won the Heisman as a junior and turned pro afterward, playing with the New Jersey Generals and setting a professional single-season rushing record with over 2411 yards rushing. He rushed for 5562 yards in three USFL seasons. He then moved on to the NFL, where he had career totals of 8225 yards rushing and 61 rushing TDs, 4859 receiving yards and 21 receiving TDs as well as 5082 kickoff return yards and 2 return TDs. His NFL total offense yardage of 18,168 yards (with 84 NFL touchdowns) is eighth all-time in the NFL among running backs. His combined rushing yardage of 13,787 yards for both the USFL and NFL would rank him fifth all-time in professional football history. He is a fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo, has raced with the U.S. Olympic bobsled team, danced with the Dallas ballet and has won both of his MMA bouts thus far by TKO. In addition, he is a millionaire businessman, with ProSports training facilities and a food distributorship. He’s in the college football Hall of Fame and was recently selected by ESPN is the greatest college running back of all time. He was also selected by the Associated Press as the greatest college football player at any position of the past half century.
So what’s Archie Griffin doing right about now? And how are things at that rancid, vermin-infested program in Columbus?
dd
July 30th, 2011
2:11 pm
“we’ve got to make sure they’re not in the game at the same time”
Great, that makes me feel better.
Evidently, our coaching staff doesn’t feel the need to be any more creative than last year if we already know that we won’t have (supposedly) 2 of our best athletes on the field at the same time at any point because they wear the same number..
Prepare for a long year boys if we don’t improve on stopping the other team on 3rd down.
I’m quickly losing faith in our coaching staff and the ability to adapt on the run and react to what the other team is doing on offense.
PRAY
Dawg Tired
July 30th, 2011
2:25 pm
heeldawg – Good job of setting the record straight on the best player I ever saw play in college. However, when dealing with someone as obviously challenged as @tOSU is, I think you are wasting your time.
The rest of the SEC
July 30th, 2011
2:31 pm
I remember Bryce Brown the no. 1 tailback recruit from 2 years ago. Complete and total bust at UT who ended up transferring. Turns out the kid seemed to have an attitude and was used to being treated like a prima donna all his life. Got to college, realized he wasn’t so great after all, and now he is a nobody.
Darrell Scott the no. 1 rated running back the year before eventually signed with Colorado amid much hoopla. He got beat out for the tailback position by a 3 star tailback recruit who took the job and kept it. Scott I believe never amounted to more than 3rd team.
Half of these great tb recruits turn out to be the real deal. Half of them- the ones with overblown egos, a sense of entitlement, and attitude, always turn out to be busts. Which character traits seem to typify how Mr. Crowell will turn out?
UGAgrad71
July 30th, 2011
2:34 pm
Think UGA has a RB coach coaching the receivers and a Receivers coach coaching the RB’s. Backwards?
The rest of the SEC
July 30th, 2011
2:36 pm
Weis couldn’t get it done at Notre Dame with stud athletes and great facilities- Adman
Adman,
I’m sorry but you’re just not very bright. ND has not had great caliber athletes all over the field in a long time due to the stringent academic requirements. Weiss’s offenses did fantastic. The problem was on defense, especially with a slow secondary and slow linebackers and D-lineman, where you must have premier athletes and lots of them. ND just didn’t have them. Florida does.
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
2:38 pm
Granthams’ Junkyard DDD EEEEEE will win turnovers/force punts… kicking game will win field position…GO dawgs !!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
July 30th, 2011
2:45 pm
Ohio State all way- to the r
What happened to Ron Dayne when he met a middle of the road UGA team in the Outback Bowl
Oh yea 36 yds. Tough opponents they play in the Big Joke 10 conference
Spike 80DF
July 30th, 2011
2:53 pm
the best part is that Slowhio State is still winless vs the SEC after their vacated Sugar Bowl…..
Beast from the East
July 30th, 2011
3:03 pm
“Weis couldn’t get it done at Notre Dame with stud athletes and great facilities….he’ll fail at Florida…he and Muschamp can’t co-exist…and it won’t take long for the team to emplode because of it.”
Adboy,
I call BS on you. How do you know they can’t co-exist? You don’t.
Keep hoping that UF steps back far enough for the Dawgs to catch up because your team will not beat UF at their best. We’ve seen enougn of that to know it’s the truth. Keep hoping.
dawg4ever
July 30th, 2011
3:05 pm
Doesn’t matter what I.C. can do. Watched him in state playoffs last year, and saw him get a personal foul penalty and pout on the sidelines when he couldn’t find any lanes to run. Can’t wait to see him running behind the O.L. uga will have this fall. Besides, the idiot boobo will never give him a chance to succeed. Fact the facts, if the kid from florda hadn’t of committed to Bama earlier, I.C. would be at Bama now. Poor guy, should have gone to bama anyway, because the other kid has already torn his knee up, and he is out for the year. Richt& his Dreamteam was still the 3rd best class in the SEC, and it wasn’t even the best rated class Richt has had at UGA, IT was nothing more than a ploy by this clown to save his ass for one more year. I hope to GOD McGarity has the balls to get rid of this clown and his pathetic staff after this year. Because every UGA fan will want his ass gone after the 1st 2 games. Richt,BooBoo&Grantham=the 3 stooges!!
dwh
July 30th, 2011
3:22 pm
dawg4ever, I think you speak for a lot of folks.
But, as we all know, it’s put up or shut up for CMR. 2011 is it.
Our new AD doesn’t need balls and can talk all he wants about stability and whatnot, but big money donors are already restless and fed up.
6 & 7 again and see what happens.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 30th, 2011
3:22 pm
Still at the Bar,
You might want to read the AJC article about a team mate of IC’s. He seems to differ with your opinion and the facebook messages you say some of his team mates have written about him.
UGADawg83
July 30th, 2011
3:29 pm
I’m glad Bill says that Isaiah doesn’t have to be the next #34. Bill certainly isn’t the next Tony Barnhart or Furman Bisher.
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
3:34 pm
RedandBlackDAWG
I read the article. I am saying there are other players that do not hold that same opinion.
Dawg Tell
July 30th, 2011
3:37 pm
@dwh- You are right.7or less,he’s gone.8 wins he stays one more year.9 or more ,he will get an extension to his contract. It is all up to him this year. Go Dawgs.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 30th, 2011
3:48 pm
The young man will do just fine. Nobody expects him to be the next HW. They kind of broke the mold after he went pro. IC just needed to get a little reality training form some of his team mates and a few coaches and he will be fine now. It is hard for any super athlete from high school to transition to a college team at first, because in high school, his talents were superior to most of the player on his and opposing teams. In the college game, there are a lot of super athletes and just like in high school, he will have to prove himself once again. The young man is immensely talented and has all the skills to be a top back in the country. I think he has now tasted some humble pie, and the UGA team leaders have talked to him, so once he gets his feet under him and is fully disseminated into the game plan, teams had better watch out. The only thing that can slow him down, once he gets going this season will be injuries and hopefully, he will steer clear of them.
T-DAWG
July 30th, 2011
3:50 pm
We just need the OL to open up some holes and it will not matter who is carrying that rock. It would be nice to have a game changer but having a solid back with a good OL will win plenty of games. We just need to win the battle up front on D and O and we will be fine.
wes
July 30th, 2011
3:55 pm
this season is going to be hilarious.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 30th, 2011
3:57 pm
Rest of the SEC -
Demetrius Summers the man Lou Holtz brought in as the savior to Carolina football. Another flash in the pan. You are right, you simply never know.
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
3:59 pm
Can’t wait !!
jerry
July 30th, 2011
4:07 pm
Bill King, what is wrong with UGA fans wanting a real Superstar? Hell yes, we want him to be as good OR better than Walker.
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
4:26 pm
I thought A. Murray was the next Herschel Walker. He is the Best Freshman player since Walker right? Murray is the New GOD at UGA. He will be in the running for the Heisman right?
No
July 30th, 2011
4:26 pm
No uniform changes EVER again. Didn’t we stop this crap after the AL debacle?
huffsleeper
July 30th, 2011
4:28 pm
Richt lost control of this team years ago. Don’t appease this kid and hope he turns around. Appeasement never works. Discipline remains absent from Georgia. The downward spirial continues
No
July 30th, 2011
4:32 pm
We are not, nor do we desire to be U of Nike or Oregon.
We should dump Phil Knight and his sleazy company ASAP.
Nike has been disgusting since kids were getting killed over their sneakers..
Overpriced and market to and with ghetto trash
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
4:36 pm
It looks like the NFL is getting a little better. Cam Newton still will get $5+ Million a year for 4 years. That is still better than the $78 million over 6 years for Sam Bradford last year.
Now if the NFL will just pee test all the players every month. That would be great.
Maybe the Luck kid from Sanford did the best thing staying in college for his Senior year.
Make Speech class mandatory
July 30th, 2011
4:36 pm
All students in high school should be required to take speech as part of core curriculum.
Maybe we wouldn’t cringe as much when athletes are interviewed.
I swear, are they attempting English at times?
It can only help all students for future job interviews at a mininum.
Common Sense
July 30th, 2011
4:37 pm
#34 happened one time. He was the perfect back that fit the mentality of VD. The game has changed way too much for people to keep hoping for the next #34. When was the last time a team competed for the NC by handing the rock to its tailback 30 times a game? Wishing for that to happen again demonstrates a lack of confidence in the state of Georgia football.
Columbus kids are hit or miss
July 30th, 2011
4:39 pm
ask Jasper Sanks
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
4:40 pm
@NO you don’t snuggest going to the ACC founded Under Armor do you? Guys from University of Maryland started Under Armor.
Speaking of
July 30th, 2011
4:42 pm
Was Jasper the last RB, recruited in a class without any other RB’s?
Just like Isaiah…hmmmm
papadawg
July 30th, 2011
4:42 pm
Cmon don’t put pressure on a kid like this. Fans have ruined backs in the past with the same expectation. Herchels running worked in the 80’s but this is a new day
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
4:44 pm
Still@theBAR….. on here all day ???? No JOB ??? NO girl friend/wife ???? No Life !!!! I can’t imagine ???
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
4:50 pm
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
10:51 am
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
11:09 am
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
11:33 am
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
2:38 pm
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
3:59 pm
Destin Dawg
July 30th, 2011
4:44 pm
Still@theBAR….. on here all day ???? No JOB ??? NO girl friend/wife ???? No Life !!!! I can’t imagine ???
Looks like the same could be said for you. I have done a few thing today actually. I have just come back to see what is being posted. I was hoping for more news on the Falcons making some moves or the Braves.
Paddy
July 30th, 2011
5:02 pm
What professional journalist would want to ask Bobby Petrino any kind of question! He is a non-factor when discussing SEC coaches. He just does not exsist. And what player or parent would consider EVER playing for that coward!
Ohio state all the way
July 30th, 2011
5:06 pm
HW will help the team in any way he can. Oh yeah let’s see bail them out, find them another school to play for, help them in school. That’s a good one. Your a joke.
Ohio state all the way
July 30th, 2011
5:12 pm
@heel maybe if you looked like you did for the loser you would see what both have done. But no just like the rest of the SEC punks you don’t think to look outside your mentally challenged brain.
UGA
July 30th, 2011
5:17 pm
Hope he is better then the other flops they brought in.
slydog
July 30th, 2011
5:19 pm
Overall, Griffin rushed for 5,589 yards on 924 carries in his four seasons with the Buckeyes (1972-1975), then an NCAA record. He had 6,559 all-purpose yards and scored 26 touchdowns. Overall, Griffin rushed for 5,589 yards on 924 carries in his four seasons with the Buckeyes (1972-1975), then an NCAA record. He had 6,559 all-purpose yards and scored 26 touchdowns.
Although he won two Heisman’s, those numbers pale in comparison to Herschel Walker
AGU
July 30th, 2011
5:20 pm
Come on you really think to compare him to HW. You have got to be kidding me the kid has yet to take a hand off in college life. He another King a big fat disappointment send him packing. Going to get hurt his first game.
UGA
July 30th, 2011
5:22 pm
Griffin was a better back, the Heisman’s prove it. Looks like we suck it up and take it.
Still@theBAR
July 30th, 2011
5:31 pm
Herschel Walker’s College football statistics
Rushing Receiving
YEAR ATT YDS AVG LP TD NO. YDS TD
1980 274 1,616 5.9 76 15 7 70 0
1981 385 1,891 4.9 32 18 14 84 2
1982 335 1,752 5.2 59 16 5 89 1
How big was Herschel in college? He is 6-1. What was his weight?
Crowell is 5-11 210 lbs. Walker was bigger than some of the linebackers he played against. Crowell will not be bigger than most Linebackers.