A.J.’s legacy at UGA: A great player who didn’t go great places (UPDATE: Green Tweets he’s not leaving – at least not yet)
It's no stretch to say he's the best Georgia receiver ever. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
If A.J. Green is indeed gone to the NFL, as two sources close to the Georgia program have told Zach Klein of Channel 2 Action News, he’ll leave a hollow legacy at Georgia. He’s the best-ever Bulldog receiver, and his surpassing has taken Georgia, in chronological order, to the Capital One Bowl, the Independence Bowl and the Liberty Bowl.
Part of this can blamed on circumstance: Green worked with three different starting quarterbacks in his three seasons. Part can be blamed on Green himself: At a time when his team needed him most, he got himself suspended for the silly sin of selling his jersey from a nondescript bowl for $1,000. On cue, the 2010 Bulldogs lost three of the four games he missed, thereby relegating them to yet another nondescript bowl.
There can be no complaints about Green the player. He made big plays, spectacular plays, winning plays. Had he arrived at the beginning of the decade and not its end, he might have been the difference between Georgia coming close to playing for a national championship and actually seizing one. But his first season was 2008, which was the beginning of the slide that has seen the Bulldogs go from 11-2 in 2007 to 6-6 now. He was the right man at the wrong time.
He’ll be a great pro. Of this there’s no doubt. Mel Kiper of ESPN lists him third on his latest Big Board, behind only Andrew Luck of Stanford and Da’Quan Bowers of Clemson. If there’s a difference between Green and Tech’s Calvin Johnson as collegians, it can be measured in Angstrom units. But the great Johnson at least helped lift Tech to an ACC title game in 2006. For all Green’s excellence, Georgia got worse over his time in Athens. Which doesn’t seem fair. But sometimes life just isn’t.
Twitter update: A.J. Green — he’s @ajgreen_uga8 — says he’s not going pro. Or at least not yet.
Tweet at 12:19 a.m. Thursday: “Idk where these ppl got that I’m going pro..this is def not true.”
Tweet at 12:34: “Haven’t even made a decision yet!”
By Mark Bradley
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418 comments Add your comment
TampaGator
December 23rd, 2010
12:41 pm
how2fish….
The media coverage is to blame…why would anyone care if these players received tattos for autographs. Good for them…..let them play some football. This is getting crazy….and you can blame ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, FOX…and all the rest….for their sensationalism news coverage that most 6th grade American thinkers soak up like cheap beer.
toolguy
December 23rd, 2010
12:44 pm
TampaGator if those guys were all that we would never have been able to come back down 14 and tie the game…nice pick one or two plays a game to build a rep on..question either of those guys projected to go higher in the draft than A.J? Just saying…
Coffee Bluff DAWG
December 23rd, 2010
12:45 pm
TampaGator,
The ball to Durham in the end zone was so under thrown that no one could have caught it. I will say that your DB did a very good job on AJ – the best I saw this year.
ATLANTA FALCONS THEME SONG
December 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm
ATLANTA FALCONS SUPER BOWL THEME SONG!!!
ATLANTA FALCONS SUPER BOWL THEME SONG!!!
ATLANTA FALCONS SUPER BOWL THEME SONG!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHlwU2zH6RU
how2fish
December 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm
TampaGator agreed its nuts..a player has to get a receipt for every coke, shoe lace he buys its nuts.
82Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm
@TampaGator …They are no different than A.J. so they should get the punishment. They got something of value for free or a reduced rate. It is against NCAA rules. Green got his, now they get theirs.
TampaGator
December 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm
Ed (The original)…..
Speaking of underachieving teams….last year’s Gators have to be one of the top teams in that category…in college football history. You think of the talent from that team that is now playing in the NFL….many at a very high level….and the players that will soon be going into the NFL from this year’s team….and you have to ask how last year’s Bama team beat the 2009 Gator team. No one should have beat that team.
One solid answer as to why they lost to Bama…..Steve Addazio was in charge of the offensive game plan…not Mullen. Good luck at Temple, Steve, we Gator fans will not miss your stupid and unimaginative offensive play calling.
Adam
December 23rd, 2010
12:48 pm
I think if AJ stays and has an excellent year he will have a chance to win the heisman
TampaGator
December 23rd, 2010
12:49 pm
82Dawg…..the penalty against A.J. was unfair and wrong. He should have just received a warning and maybe, a half game suspension. 4 games was just plain wrong…and five for these OSU players is stupid.
82Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
12:50 pm
Guess we could call the half game suspension the Myer suspension…
georgedawg
December 23rd, 2010
12:53 pm
the fact that we’ve had a few disapointing seasons seems to be music to the ears of bradley. georgia academically is tremendusly improved which gives us two major schools in georgis to be proud of. hopefully these top recruits from georgia will start picking the dogs or jackets more often. plus it will improve their carreer opportunities should they want to live in georgia after sports.
bradley be positive every once in a while. georgia will be much better soon, still a lot of good teams to beat to win the sec.
TampaGator
December 23rd, 2010
12:54 pm
toolguy…
Were you watching the game? Janoris Jenkins, when he was covering A.J. Green, never caught a single pass….not one. And Janoris played him one on one most of the day. His catches came when he was doubled by a safety and a LB (one of those times even ended up being an INT in overtime). Jenkins and Haden also shut down A.J. last year as well…with Haden returning one INT that was a game changer. Janoris will be a #1 pick in the NFL draft….and might go before A.J…..depends on the teams picking 1-10….and the need of the team. Jenkins will be a star in the NFL at CB….just like Haden this year for Cleveland. Both are that good.
JDawg
December 23rd, 2010
12:54 pm
AJ, Give us the Christmas present we want the most!! Stay with the team one more year and let’s have a full year of your talent on the field and a championship to boot!!!!! Be the Nike kid…………Just do it!!!
msd
December 23rd, 2010
12:58 pm
Way to go – try to guilt him into staying around. He is an outstanding receiver that is ready for the next level, but you wnat to guilt him into staying another year for a few more touchdowns…. Not exactly looking out for his best interest…
82Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
1:01 pm
msd …..where was his guilt when he sold his jersey? Who’s interest was he looking out for then his or his team?
Potters Clay
December 23rd, 2010
1:08 pm
I liked Jamaica Dawg and Hershell Walker post. Selfishly I hope you stay and help get us a nationial championship and save CMRs and BoBo’s job. If only NFL required 4 years of college again!
Snoop Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
1:11 pm
I am happy to see AJ Green leave. He was talented, but had no dignity or honor. It was all about him, which seems to be rampant among the football team these days. He obviously doesn’t care about a degree, or doing the right thing after screwing the entire Bulldog Nation by selling his jersey for a few sheckels much as Judas sold out Christ. His unethical behavior and flawed character was the biggest single factor in the Dawgs’ disastrous season other than a total absence of leadership or coaching by Mark Wrecked and his overpaid staff. He will be a great Gangsta Thug playing for the legal tender in the NFL. The NFL is so trashy I have actually lost interest in professional football where every player is a millionaire and the average working man cannot afford to take his kids to a game anymore. Good riddance AJ! Leave your Red and Black in Athens and don’t come back. Now all we need to do is get rid of da Preacha Man and his gang of pretenders.
crabapplejoe
December 23rd, 2010
1:18 pm
To all you Georgia fans thinking that Green will actually come back…….bless your hearts and Merry Christmas…..the program will be better off without him….and for those that think he would be a Heisman finalist….pleeez….he wasn’t ever a Biletnikoff finalist. He has to be the most over-hyped WR ever……
how2fish
December 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
Snoop Dawg your really an idiot “no dignity or honor” .What would you know of either?
Potters Clay
December 23rd, 2010
1:32 pm
Certainly Jimmy Carter showed being a follower of Christ does not in itself make one a great leader. We all are flawed however and I think A J coming back would help make up for his letting down Dawg Nation and his team this year and help put him on the right road. As for CMR, he has proven deserves at least one more year and if this is his last, he has his faith to take him to greaer heights whereever Christ leads. I will be praying for both..
Moonpie
December 23rd, 2010
1:35 pm
Why would any college football player sell presish items such as Championship Rings and other memorabila they have earned? Why wouldnt they keep these items for themselves? NCAA has layed down the hammer once again.Looks like you can forget Ohio St next year in any National Championship discussion.
Hmmmmmm-I wondered why we hadnt been graced by postings from Buckeye today? Guess he is laying low uh?
raymond
December 23rd, 2010
1:40 pm
I dont know why people even talk about this, he is going and we all know it. Money talks!
still@the bar
December 23rd, 2010
1:43 pm
Moonpie you need to reread Buckeye has posted a few times.
lawzoo
December 23rd, 2010
1:56 pm
Most overrated least contributing wide receiver ever. He made a bad mistake by going to ga.
Lot of talk but not much to show for it.
clickdawg
December 23rd, 2010
1:57 pm
Scboy, Jeffrey is maybe an inch taller, and indeed a little thicker, but he’s not very good when compared to aj green,Scboy don’t let stats fool you, There’s aj, and then everyone else.
UGA Alum
December 23rd, 2010
2:05 pm
Um, Hines Ward?
AltamahaDawg
December 23rd, 2010
2:16 pm
Owl, the spring game that you speak of that Mett “outplayed everybody” was the year AFTER you claim he might have been ready to start. The Spring game before that (the one you think proved his worth) he was 0-fer, with a pick. Don’t you remember some folks asking if we had wasted a scholarship on him after that game? And what leads you to think Gray was betetr prepared at that point to start? What did you see with your own eyes, (aside from ther fact that a year later he still wasn’t able to beat out a true freshman QB for #2 spot), that leads you to know that? From what I saw with my own 2 eyes, he wasn’t.
oledawg
December 23rd, 2010
2:21 pm
Mr. Bradley- I have just blogged at Junkyard Dawg about the “In your face” media spin that OSU and Tressel have about their 5 players who committed the same transgression as AJ at the SAME TIME that AJ sold his jersey and how their “punishment” will be not playing in the first 5 games NEXT YEAR. The players can go to the NFL and Treesel has a long time to practice and replace them. If the punishment had been timely as with AJ they shouldn’t have played THIS YEAR.
The players were ineligible to play this year; therefore, they forfeit all games in which they played and which they knew that they were ineligible. They should be replaced in the Sugar Bowl by Boise State, the goat team that you media goatherders led out for sacrifice. There should be an instantaneous outcry against this perfidious public performance portayed and pushed upon all players.
Glib is not the word for their (OSU and players) words. By appearing at seasons end and after practices have been held and time has passed to ensure no one else could be substituted for the Sugar Bowl, we the fans of college football and member schools have been duped with the preknowledge possessed by the OSU players and their school.
If the media, conferences, schools, the players and the alumni and fans don’t scream to high heaven and intervene now we will never get another chance. OSU’s actions are so disingenuous with their timing that I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such calumny that we are headed for and portrayed on college football before. Talking about a school and team that think that they are above the rules!! This is an insult to all. They should be taken to task before this day is over!
How about a column from the AJC Sports Dept as a group? Do something for the sport that you proclaim you love. Mr College Football, Mr. SEC; you wanted to be known as such, how about quickly writing a column and tell us why OSU should not be punished RIGHT NOW! Put Boise State in the Sugar Bowl while everyone has time to practice. Don’t let OSU sit on this info all season and try to get away with playing ineligible players ALL YEAR AND FOR A BCS BOWL GAME!!
Unfortunately, I believe that you all are feckless, make bloviated claims about your love of the game and are thinking of all the reasons that you can cover yourselves instead of uncovering this abomination portended upon the future of NCAA rules. If they don’t apply to all then they apply to none.If OSU plays I will not blame any team for breaking rules that don’t apply to everyone in order to play in a BCS game , enjoy the approbation and later tell everyone that you cheated.
Good Luck to us all.
notsofastclickdawg
December 23rd, 2010
2:33 pm
AJ 2542 career yard. Jeffery 2150. 7.5 TD’s for both a year. 17.2 to 16 per catch favor Jeffery. Better blocker, Jeffery. Niether miss a ball. UGA better OL better QB’s. Switch teams Jeffery has the better career. Jeffery is better and will make the best pro. Oh, he is more physical too.
still@the bar
December 23rd, 2010
2:36 pm
Who is the greatest UGA first round pick? I don’ know I will try to look it up. I think most of the UGA 1st Rounders have been a Bust or just OK.
It will be great when Kris Durham is better than AJ Green.
oledawg
December 23rd, 2010
3:34 pm
This OSU picture gets worse and worse. Since when does it count that the school didn’t teach them the NCAA rules correctly? I advocate right now that the Dawgs and the SEC should cease teaching the rules and let that ride as the excuse. This goes back to 2008 folks. Are we all being played for stupid by the arrogance of OSU and the NCAA. Why shouldn’t the kiods say that they fell asleep during classes on NCAA rules and the U take it on the chin for not keeping them awake?
NO! OSU knew the rules and they didn’t report the “Faus pas” the players made? Get outta here! The OSU President, AD, Football Coach(s) and others are responsible for what their players do or don’t do concerning the rules that we all play by and punishment is meted out by the Rules Committee who hold the school responsible for knowing. This punishment does not fit the rules crime that AJ and others have been held to.
Balderdash!! Who are they all kidding? The rest of us sheep , I guess. Since when does the same rule for AJ not apply to these Purveyors of the Glib Tongue? They had to rehearse their media conference to prevent laughing in our face. Doesn’t anyone else discern this put-on by OSU in league with the Big10 Commish and the NCAA? I don’t get it. It’s a slam at AJ, UGA and the SEC.
Pretend that any team in the SEC can come out with this timing and expect to punish players that either won’t be with the team next year and have time to replace the others for those 5 games. What would the college football scene be like if we said,”Well, AJ will be punished severely by not playing the first 5 games for UGA NEXT YEAR!!”. And playing an ineligible player (s) doesn’t count this year because we didn’t give AJ the proper training classes for the rules. BS of the first order. Pom de Rue!!
OSU is guilty of knowingly playing ineligible players this year and will continue into the BCS Bowl series with these ineligible players as well. Wonder who looked up that technicality before announcing at this late date? With NCAA approval? When did the NCAA take the offenses on to be able to agree and add an extra game TO NEXT YEAR’S PUNISHMENT? As slow as they are they must have known during the season and should have warned OSU about playing ineligible players.
If OSU gets away with this poorly contrived technicality and reporting with this NCAA slap on the hand, I will campaign mightily for the SEC to pull out of the NCAA . They should lose scholarships for their complicity. They should be placed on probation.
Any right-thinking college football fan should implore everyone to nor watch the Sugar Bowl this year. Advertisers are getting your dollar for watching an outlaw team. Money paid to the conferences will still be there, but we can show the fan’s disdain for OSU’s repeated illegalities that get swept under the rug every other year by shunning this game. Maybe advertiser pocketbooks can help bring some semblance of fairness and not reward the arrogance of a school’s program that spits in all pur faces.
Snoop Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
3:37 pm
How2Fish-
I’ve forgotten more about dignity and honor than you can comprehend… Go play in the toilet.
mashdog
December 23rd, 2010
3:50 pm
lets look at the brightside… if he goes pro the carolina panthers get him hopefully and then they win there division next year
Berzerk8dawg
December 23rd, 2010
3:54 pm
Good Luck AJ.
and AJ> Calvin Johnson > Julio Jones
He will be a beast in the NFL.
SuperB
December 23rd, 2010
3:59 pm
To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friend.” If there is an NFL lockout, look for Green and QB Luck to stay put next fall.
Both would be wise to wait on the NFL situation before they commit.
still@the bar
December 23rd, 2010
4:07 pm
Follow-up:
Where will AJ rank compared to UGA other 1st Round Draft picks? Many were a bust or just OK.
72 Royce #8
82 Lindsey Scott #13
89 Tim Worley #7
90 Ben Smith #22
Rodney Hampton #24
93 Garrison Hearst #3
94 Bernard Williams #14
98 Robert Edwards #18
99 Champ Bailey #7
Matt Stinchcomb #18
01 Richard Seymour #6
Marcus Stroud #13
02 Charles Grant #25
03 Johnathan Sullivan #6
George Foster #20
04 Ben Watson #32
05 Thomas Davis #14
David Pollack #17
09 Matt Stafford #1
Knoushon Moreno #12
Berzerk8dawg how do you think AJ is even clost to Calvin Johnson’s league? It is grat that since Stafford has been out the Lions are playing better. Matt “THE BROKEN BUST” Stafford was a waste of money. AJ Green is thin and he will be hurt a lot playing with the big boys.
I think ther still be a DRAFT enen if there is a LOCKOUT correct? The Senior players will not have to wait to be drafted in 2011 will they? I believe the DRAFT will be held as usual. If I am wrong will someone please give proof that there will be no Draft in the even of a LOCKOUT.
still@the bar
December 23rd, 2010
4:12 pm
Mashdawg what are you thinking? If Carolina is #1 they will not go WR or they will trade down to let the HUNGRIEST team pick a QB. Carolina needs D players and there is a Clemson and UNC DE that better fit their need.
happy warrior
December 23rd, 2010
4:37 pm
It would not do AJ any good to come back. He is the best receiver to ever play at UGa. However,
he is the only player at UGa ready.
BravesFan79
December 23rd, 2010
5:00 pm
AJ Green is NO Calvin Johnson!!
BravesFan79
December 23rd, 2010
5:04 pm
BTW: I still think Boise State is one of the top 2 teams in the Nation! How many years in a row do you have to go undefeated before you play for a national championship!?? This is why im a bigger Falcons / NFL fan than college. But i still root for GT/ UGA, just feels kinda pointless once u know hey have 0% chance of winning a national title.
BirdDog
December 23rd, 2010
5:23 pm
He’s the best WR to ever barely play at UGA! How’s that?
Big Dawg
December 23rd, 2010
5:44 pm
A.J.
You let the team down once by selling the jersey and missing 4 games**POSSIBLY COSTING ALL THOSE GAMES** So now YOU ARE CONSIDERING LEAVING EARLY for the NFL YEPP!!! Screwed again.
Thanks for the Memories A.J.
DawginTX
December 23rd, 2010
5:54 pm
Calvin Johnson was great. It was a shame he played with Reggie Ball. But for it to be implied that AJ’s college career is “hollow” because Georgia underavhieved during his tenure is rediculous. The team was MUCH better when he played, and he can be thanked for helping us avoid bowl ineligibility. If he were going to take us any further than that, he would have had to play defense.
bamaguy
December 23rd, 2010
6:11 pm
There isn’t a single one of us, no matter which team we are a fan of, that wouldn’t take the money and go. You draft five star players they start as freshmen, play three years then go to the NFL. You could solve the problem by no recruiting such good players. (Ingram, Jones and Darius from Bama will all go as well, along with Cam and Nick from AU).
really mark?
December 23rd, 2010
6:20 pm
Mark,
AJ Green is a great player but why do you have to compare him to Calvin. In my opinion, it shows that you like UGA more than GT at a minimum.
Is AJ Green better than Bebe Thomas?
Your opinion is no more important than anyone else in this state. Why don’t you interview people like Mel Kiper, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herb, and Scott Kennedy and see what they think about a comparison between Calvin Johnson and AJ Green.
This highlights the arrogance of a UGA fan, in my opinion. GT fans need to get more arrogant and start comparing Dwyer to Herschel. At least Dwyer won an ACC Championship and ACC Player of the Year in his college career. So the comparison can be a little closer.
Merry Christmas and good luck trying to convince whoever that AJ Green is the best WR ever to play college football. Remember, Calvin Johnson was voted the best WR ever to play college football in 2007 by the fans on Rivals.com. Champ Bailey was voted the best CB ever to play college football. I’m sure UGA fans agree with the Champ Bailey vote.
Yuck
December 23rd, 2010
7:47 pm
Can’t see AJ staying…given the NCAA penalty. He should have just had his dad pimp him out instead of selling a jersey…or denied any knowledge of the jersey sale…a al Scam Newton.
I’d leave too, if I had to deal with a corrupt institution like the NCAA. AJ will just tear it up in the NFL anyway.
Score Check
December 23rd, 2010
8:13 pm
Mark Bradley’s Blogs are hollow.
Andrew
December 23rd, 2010
8:47 pm
Tampa Gator,
The catch AJ made in the fourth quarter on 3rd and ten which made Verne and Gary go crazy was on Jenkins.
Andrew
December 23rd, 2010
8:49 pm
Also, if you think one on one means two guys within two yards you are not too football smart. UF had a safety over on AJ all day.
mgdawg
December 23rd, 2010
9:26 pm
My only question, why didn’t the NCAA wait to suspend AJ until next year like they did the ohio state players. NCAA you are ridiculous.