Emptying the UGA notebook, from Travis Jones to ‘The Hit Man’ to Travis Leslie
– Add to the long list of Super Bowl XLIV connections to Georgia: Former UGA player Travis Jones, roundly rumored recently as a candidate for a spot on the Bulldogs’ coaching staff, is New Orleans’ assistant defensive line coach. Jones is in his second season with the Saints after previously coaching under Nick Saban with LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Jones’ coaching career began in 1997 as a graduate assistant at UGA, where he played on the defensive line (1990-94). A lot of Bulldogs fans would love to see him fill the UGA staff’s remaining opening for a linebackers coach (he worked with the outside linebackers in Miami for a couple of years, by the way.)
– Happy to hear that ex-Dog Sundiata Gaines, after working under a couple of 10-day contracts, has been signed for the rest of the season by the Utah Jazz.
– His nickname preceded him to Athens: “The Hit Man.” Safety Jakar Hamilton enrolled at UGA this month from Georgia Military College and joined off-season workouts with the football team. “Living up to ‘Hit Man,’ a lot of people expect me to come here and be like [former hard-hitting UGA safeties] Greg Blue and Thomas Davis,” Hamilton said. “And that’s what I’m trying to do, trying to work hard and get bigger and hit harder just like those two guys so that when I leave everybody will know that I was ‘The Hit Man.’”
– Hamilton heeds new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s call for an aggressive, attacking defense. “Especially on defense, you got to be aggressive,” Hamilton said. “I’ll throw my whole body. Even if I have to break something to do it, I’ll do it. If I have to catch a concussion, I’ll do it.”
– If you missed it, this definitely merits noticing: UGA sophomore sprinter Torrin Lawrence set a new collegiate record in the 300-meter dash at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va., last weekend. His time of 32.32 broke the collegiate record set 23 years ago. It also was the fifth-fastest time in the world ever, less than a half-second off the fastest.
– Last I checked, Mark Richt’s one-handed, behind-the-back trick shot in Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday morning had been viewed more than 22,000 times on YouTube. Click here if you haven’t seen it yet.
– Georgia plays two basketball games on the road this week –- at Florida on Wednesday and at South Carolina on Saturday. For whatever it’s worth, 12 of 27 SEC games have been won by the road team so far this season.
– UGA had its first basketball sellout in almost three years on Saturday. It’ll have another in early March, if not before. UGA said Monday that the March 3 game against Kentucky in Stegeman Coliseum is sold out except for student tickets.
– If Travis Leslie, the SEC’s Player of the Week, had gotten one more rebound and three more assists against Tennessee on Saturday, he’d have posted the first triple-double in the history of Georgia’s basketball program.
And please follow me on Twitter for the latest UGA news and notes.
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98 comments Add your comment
patrick
January 26th, 2010
2:35 pm
How about that messenger?
patrick
January 26th, 2010
2:36 pm
Coach Mark Richt in seasons at UGA:
6 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
90-27 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage (one of only 7 in the history of college ball to have ever accomplished this)
4 str8 bowl wins
7-2 in bowls (big games)
Mark Richt coached QB coach for Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke = 2 Heismans; Head Coach for David Greene = all time winningest college QB until Colt McCoy this year); and coached Matthew Stafford = very rich #1 draft pick)
No Probations
He has my respect. Period.
champdawg
January 26th, 2010
2:38 pm
Messenger !!!! Crawl back into Mama’s bed before you piss your pants.You need to call CVS and get your meds refilled ……
AltamahaDawg
January 26th, 2010
4:00 pm
There also exist the option of ignoring him.
Bill Stanfill
January 26th, 2010
4:01 pm
Messenger, You need to a life, or at least a job, or a girlfriend or a hobby or something. You’ve got way too much free time on your hands.
Patrick
January 26th, 2010
4:39 pm
Alls I asked was if he wanted cheese on that.
Brian
January 26th, 2010
5:06 pm
I really hope we can get Travis Jones. He’s a great recruiter and position coach.
Brian
January 26th, 2010
5:08 pm
We need another David Greene at qb. I think Aaron Murray will be that guy.
shannon1776
January 26th, 2010
5:52 pm
Jakar Ham-ilton should be called “Jack Hammer”. But, let’s wait and see if he actually does anything first. GO DAWGS.
patrick
January 26th, 2010
5:53 pm
2001 uga #22
2002 UGA #3
2003 UGA #7
2004 UGA #7
2005 UGA #10
2006 UGA #23
2007 UGA #2
2009 UGA #10
Ummmm Messenger??? thats 6 times ranked top ten (5 AP and in 2008 10th in coaches poll)
please list the other SEC team that has more top ten finishes….I will wait
NewnanDawg
January 26th, 2010
6:52 pm
Altamaha – love that – Rambo & Hit man. We already have new tailgate drinks, the “Bacardi Rambo” & “Jakar and Coke.” Or, for those of us that are a little old for that, just a little “Gentleman Jakar hittin’ the rocks.”
Go Dawgs!
Tebow Struggles Continue...
January 26th, 2010
7:01 pm
Poor Tebow, they’re now saying 3rd or 4th round. He had a terrible day today.
Gotta hurt Florida’s recruiting to see a spread guy struggle so bad in the NFL again.
Watch the video form the Senior Bowl Practice and hear comments:
http://www.nfl.com/seniorbowl/story?id=09000d5d815f9058&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Looking for Louie
January 26th, 2010
7:04 pm
Louie, my dearest Louie, where art thou? Working because Best Buy/Geek Squad has got you working overtime explaining to the little old lady how her remote control works?
Miss you XOXOXO
Aaron Murray 30% Better Than John Brantley
January 26th, 2010
7:19 pm
Murray was the #3 ranked QB in the Nation.
Murray threw for over 4000 yards his best year, Brantley, 2800.
Murray threw for 51 tds, Brantely 41 td’s.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Aaron-Murray-66179
Louie
January 26th, 2010
7:28 pm
Well, where do I start.
Oh yes my absolutely gay friend( se above-”Looking for Louie”) , aka geek squad d.a.
Go back to your double (excuse me , single wide) trailer, turn on Andy Griffin reruns and drink a PBR.
You flatter me by looking for me everyday. You know I will check on you mutts, don’t you son.
Now, about ‘Hit Man’. Don’t you think you better see if he can qualify for school BEFORE you label him an ‘All American.’
Just hate to see you dissapointed.
Louie
January 26th, 2010
7:29 pm
STILL… L M F A O
Flatulance
January 26th, 2010
7:31 pm
Glad to see LOUIE bow up.
he can handle ignorance, apparently.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
January 26th, 2010
7:35 pm
It’s in the hole.. It’s in the hole…
Louie
January 26th, 2010
7:36 pm
Last response to foolish posts.
Mutts are really hoping in one hand, oooozing in the other.
It really is comical.
Has anyone heard from Jackhammer?
JADEN
January 26th, 2010
7:39 pm
WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD BE KNOWN AS ‘FLATULANCE?
Hank Williams Jr.
January 26th, 2010
7:43 pm
if this is the promise land,ive had all I can stand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BOOGIES THE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
January 26th, 2010
7:44 pm
JADEN—- poopie
BOOGIES THE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
January 26th, 2010
7:55 pm
SEE WHERE tek LOST IT’S #1 RECRUITER TO CHAN G. IN BUFFALO……………
DID’NT KNOW THEY EVER HAD ONE……………..
Looking for Louie
January 26th, 2010
8:05 pm
Oh Louie! You are way too easy to play. I have fun toying with you.
Meow!
buzzDawg
January 26th, 2010
8:12 pm
We need to make an exception to the old adage, “don’t kill the messenger.” It appears that messenger is on methamphetamines – he puts out a lot of gibberish that makes no sense.
Louie
January 26th, 2010
8:15 pm
….
Louie
January 26th, 2010
8:16 pm
Gone for the night,mutts to you .
Louie
January 26th, 2010
8:17 pm
STILL L M F A O
Looking for Louie
January 26th, 2010
8:20 pm
See? Bawa ha ha ha ha. Oh Louie! Bye bye my little GT clown.
BT
January 26th, 2010
8:34 pm
Messenger is sitting in his mama’s basement right now thinking of how he will avenge her good name. Once he finishes that he plans to go woka woka woka in the corner with a nice clean sock!
LOWNDES COUNTY
January 26th, 2010
8:36 pm
BUT I HAVE SEEN A FEW SQUIRRELS AND ONE PORCUPINE!
SAVE THE CONFEDERATE FLAG AND I HOPE HIT MAN TAKES OUT THEM GAYTORS AND YANKS
PowerDawg
January 26th, 2010
9:43 pm
Hey Dawgs-
I admit I did not read all of the posts to this article because…I don’t know why I just didn’t!
At the risk of echoing someone else, I believe the reason we have heard nothing about the coaching vacancy is because it has been filled already.
I believe Travis Jones will be coming back to Athens after the Super Bowl. I could be wrong but I think it’s a done deal.
I know that he and CMR have talked. And I think CTG has been in contact with him, too.
Otherwise, they would have more than likely tried to fill that slot in a more timely manner. Just like with CSL. And certainly before NSD, if possible.
CMR and CTG probably had only 1-2 specific people in mind that they wanted to talk to. I think TJ was at the top of both of their lists from the very start.
As the Saints advanced, any chances for bringing him in before February 3rd became more and more unrealistic.
We shall see.
athdog
January 27th, 2010
12:56 am
Man, my head hurts reading all of the vitriol between messenger and patrick. guys, swap email addy’s so you can do this between yourselves, the rest of us don’t want to see it….even if patrick is correct.
Messenger, you are a cornhole.
FL fan
January 27th, 2010
3:25 am
“Aaron Murray 30% Better Than John Brantley”
on paper yeah. Most of ga’s recruits the last 20 years have better resumes, But you know what? The game is not played on paper. You gotta coach too.
((((( 17 of 20 ))))) hahahahahahahaha
MESSENGER
January 27th, 2010
4:16 am
Around here, the postseason definitely takes a back-seat to the regular season because we have not beat a top-ranked team in a bowl game in 9 consecutive years now.
Talent Smalent. UGA Bulldogs Football program has been down 3 of the last 4 years because we have stockpiled players at some positions wasting scholarships needed at other positions and because our “coaching staff” in its entirety sucks, especially on Offense. We’ve had plenty of talent. Just too much at one position and not enough at glaring holes elsewhere with a coaching staff that just doesn’t get it. And, who certainly has wasted the talent handed to them, not getting the best playmakers on the field while we play favorites instead.
Why do we need to sign 6 Offensive Linemen in 1 class and go all the other 4 classes with 2 ? Coach Richt has allowed his recruiting coordinator to have this same bubble of being behind the 8-ball on OL since the day he got here on campus. You would think we would smooth that out after 10 years now for Coach Richt, but no that is too much to ask.
Why do we need to sign 4 Defensive Ends this season ? We have 2 Senior DE, a Junior DE, and 3 Sophomore DE. Obviously, we need 4 more half-hearted DE in a recruiting class that only has 19 openings as it is. This is going to be the very worst recruiting class we have had in 10 years of the Coach Richt Era. It stands about 15th best in the nation when we have had far better recruiting classes every other year. Seriously, Dexter Morant at 4.85 in the 40-yard dash is going to play DE in The SEC ? I know better than that. Jalen Fields is exactly the same; so why do we need 4 DE with Dexter Morant too ? TJ Stripling at DE, I can see that. Good one. But, Brandon Burroughs DE too ? Come on. Just by the numbers, these guys should drop out 4 DE in one class. There are 6 DE here already and we need 4 more DE ? We do not.
In fact, if we do not get Da’ Rick Rogers of Calhoun at Wide Receiver, clearly this entire recruiting class will drop to barely inside the Top 25. That means that there are 25 other schools with a better recruiting class than our “coaching staff” and they have been here for 10 years now to be in this situation including with Da’ Rick Rogers looking around. Does anyone really think that Michael Bennett is going to be a great wide-out for us in The SEC ? I doubt it. So, we have one half-hearted recruit at WR looking everywhere else, and 1 wasted scholarship at WR. And, what do we have at WR ? AJ Green injured a lot of last season and this his last season. And, if you listen to the WR coach, Marlon Brown is a bust with us playing him as a true freshman and he accumulating a grand total 15 yards total all season on just 2 catches both against the vols when we got blitzkrieged by the vols, again.
Why did we sign 2 Tight Ends last year when we had 2 good ones the previous season ? We cannot get a sniff from a TE right now and will be able to for years.
Why did we get 1 Running Back last year and basically none this coming year ? Does anyone really think we needed to waste a scholarship on Alec Ogletree’s twin brother, that he is going to be great in The SEC as a Running Back ? Uh, no. No one thinks that. How can 1 twin be 6’ 3” and the other 5’ 8” ? Look, the only reliable RB we have is Washaun Ealey. You say we are settled at RB. Isn’t he it ? Then, why did he only start 2 games if you are so confident of the Offensive “coaching staff” of Coach Richt’s playing him ? So, we get not a Knowshon Moreno or even a Washaun Ealey, we get a guy generally considered that more than 25 other teams got a better RB than we get this season. I like Ken Malcome but he is not particularly big, strong, or fast. I would have hoped that we would get a really quick ready to go Running Back this season with the struggles we had running the football behind this Offensive Line you think is so great who has been wholly unable to block for the run.
What in the world are we doing with all these quarterbacks on scholarship and now after signing 2 more last year instead of 1, we have commitments from another this coming recruiting signing date a week from tomorrow. 3 Freshmen Quarterbacks. Damn that is stupid.
We need cornerbacks badly. Every year, you can look at our team and see where our holes are. Then, look at the recruits and have nothing to address the obvious glaring holes. Derek Owens at 5’ 10” with 4.66 “speed” in the 40-yard dash is all we get at cornerback right after we graduated the entire secondary ? God Almighty. He did not even get a scholarship offer from FSU or Miami, but we gave him one. If he went to Florida, he would never play. I guess he figures we’ve got to have him. But, what are we doing ?
We only got 5 guys on Offense last year. 5 guys. That’s it for the entire Mike Bob Awesome Offense. What do we get this year ? 7.
How crappy is that ?
Where is our Issue 2010 ? Defense ? Special Teams ? Or, is just perhaps our Offense ? These are 2 crappy Recruiting Classes Back-to-Back for Mike Bobo, now. How many in a row do we have to put up with before we go get us an Offensive Coordinator with 11 years NFL experience ? Or, do we intend to be last year’s Nebraska team who had the Number 1 Defense in all of the NCAA last year but Lost 4 games because they too have issues the world knows about on Offense.
Do you think the recruits are trying to tell us fans anything with 5 last year and only 7 again this year on Offense.
This is not a good recruiting class this year next Wednesday. We are treading water, and it is obvious to the recruits while UGA Bulldog fans write on these blogs about National Championships.
I still say Coach Richt needs to FIRE his entire Coaching Staff, not just 3 on Defense. The offense is in a lot worse shape than the Defense, and frankly was last year too. And, the year before and the year before that and the year before that.
Duh. We are going to win the national championship now that we got rid of Willie Martinez. Coach Richt knows more about a coaching staff than anyone does. Just look at who he has had. Who in the hell hired Todd Grantham ? He certainly does not fit in with the rest of the Coach Richt Coaching Staff.
10-3 maybe 9-4 even with our Great Defense this coming season because we don’t have an offense and have not had 1 in years and years and years and years.
MESSENGER
January 27th, 2010
4:52 am
QUOTE:
patrick
January 26th, 2010 2:30 pm
UGA 43 wins over Fla
.
Fla 36 wins over UGA
.
UGA 14 SEC titles
.
FLA 8 SEC titles
.
UGA has more bowl wins
.
UGA has more over all wins
.
UGA has been to more bowls
.
UGA has been ranked more
.
UGA has all time ranking of 11…Fla has all time ranking of 35
END QUOTE.
patrick really son. You have got to be kidding me you think UGA is better than Florida in football ?
What planet do you live on ?
When were you born ?
14 SEC Championships for UGA. B.S. we have 14 SEC Championships.
Alabama has 22 SEC Championships, and according to you, UGA is better than Alabama too.
You assign to UGA patrick more SEC Championships than the Tennessee vols too, which is also a LIE.
vols have MORE SEC Championships than UGA, patrick. Sorry.
vols have 13 SEC Championships.
That’s more than UGA patrick.
patrick, you like to forget the 27 losses we have under Coach Richt’s coaching staff.
Let’s go back 28 years then and see where UGA is in your lifetime, if you were born in 1983 :
2 SEC Championships UGA 0 NC
3 SEC Championships Alabama 2 NC. 1 SEC & NC in Coach Richt Era
5 SEC Championships Tennessee vols including 1 National Champ.
5 SEC Championships Auburn including 2 shared National Champs.
5 SEC Championships LSU including 3 in Coach Richt Era 2 NC.
8 SEC Championships Florida 3 NC includes 2 in Coach Richt Era NC
We are low man on the totem pole patrick, yet I read your posts daily and get the impression you think we are high man on the totem pole.
No sir. Not only do we have 0 National Championships over these 28 years, but we also have fewer SEC Championships than everyone else here too in The SEC.
In fact, we have not even beat a top-ranked team any year of The Coach Richt Era in a Bowl Game, yet.
MESSENGER
January 27th, 2010
5:12 am
patrick
B.S. our 7-2 are Major Bowl wins vs top-ranked opponent in Final Polls
B.S.
That is why we have 0 NC. You cannot be NC beating # 19 Hawaii in a Sugar Bowl anymore than you can be NC beating # 22 FSU a 5-loss team in a Sugar Bowl. You have to get to such a bowl, have a top-ranked team assigned as your opponent and beat them. So that in the Final Polls, the voters look at your Bowl Opponent, see they are Ranked Number 4 or 5 in the Final Polls and you beat them in the Major Bowl Game.
This is not a knock on Coach Richt.
It is in fact what Coach Richt has NOT DONE ONE SINGLE SEASON.
Throw that in there, and Coach Richt is right there.
Without it, and he is bridesmaid forever – like Chuck Knox.
I do not want to be known as Chuck Knox. Apparently, you think it is great to be Chuck Knox, patrick.
gomdawg
January 27th, 2010
6:18 am
Messenger damn you keep saying we let me tell you something you cannot be a Bulldawg. Get alife ,
and go talke a GOOD SH_T.
Buckhead Bulldog
January 27th, 2010
7:07 am
MESSENGER: I read all of your anti-CMR comments, and I wonder just who you think should be the head coach at UGA? If not CMR, then who do you think could do a better job and why?
If you do not argue an alternative for who should be coaching UGA, then your diatribes/rants are useless and pointless.
AltamahaDawg
January 27th, 2010
9:28 am
“on paper yeah. Most of ga’s recruits the last 20 years have better resumes”. Than UF’s? Really? Really???
What paper do you get?
PowerDawg
January 27th, 2010
9:51 am
Hey Messenger-
Listen, Stupid… quit using the word WE in yours posts. You are not a Dawg fan and we don’t want you to be.
So how about you give everyone a little hint as to where your real loyalties lie and quit hiding behind some anonymous user name, hmm?
As if we didn’t already know.
And one more thing…the next time you feel like you want to write a novel…e-mail your vitriol to RANDOM HOUSE and quit taking up two pages of posting space every time you reply.
bill_in_atl
January 27th, 2010
10:56 am
UGA beat some decent teams in postseason games and the ranking that is relevant is the one BEFORE you beat them because their ranking FALLS after they lose.
2002: Beat #22 Arkansas in the SECC and then #16 FSU
2003: Lost to eventual MNC LSU in SECC and then beat #12 Purdue (with Drew Brees)
2004: Beat #16 Wisconsin
2005: Beat #3 LSU in SECC (but then lost to #11 WVU)
2006: Beat #14 Va Tech
2007: Beat #10 Hawaii
2008: Beat #19 Michigan State
Tron Carter
January 27th, 2010
2:36 pm
Trek still at a #44 recruiting ranking.
Seems like recruits don’t want to play for your high powered (BBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA)
offense.
You are being beat by Powerhouses like Baylor and Maryland.
The triple joke is recruit repellant.
No amount of free hotdogs and cokes will get fans in the stands next year.
Come on up to Athens and see what real fan support is like.
It’s not like you have a large stadium to fill or that you aren’t located in the largest city in the State.
30-24
73-66
Eat It
patrick
January 27th, 2010
3:20 pm
Messenger you were right..UGA does not have 14 titles…they have 15
http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/georgia/championships.php
patrick
January 27th, 2010
3:27 pm
Again…..messenger. UGA has 3rd most SEC titles over all.
In Richt era UGA has 2 in 9 years. ranking them 2nd in the SEC over last 9 years behind only LSU but UGA has been ranked more top ten and has more bowl wins in a row than LSU and more totla bowl wins in 9 years. (UGA is tied with Fla at 2 ea for SEC titles)
The reason UGA didnt get invited to the NC with a SEC title and record of 12-1 like Fla was because during the 2002 season there were 2 un beaten teams ahead of UGA.
.
Fla in 2006 and 2008 had an IDENTICAL 12-1 record but were LUCKY enuff that there were not 2 un beaten teams ahead of them. It looks more like LUCk had more to do with Fla getting more NCs than UGA instead of merit. Oh course you are too stupid to see that. AGAIN
Fact:………UGA was 12-1 in 2002
.
Fact ………Fla was 12-1 in 2006
.
Fact ………Not UGAs fault there were 2 unbeatens that year. “unlucky”
.
Fact……….Not Flas credit that there was only one unbeaten in 2006. “Lucky”
.
Fact:………Luck had more to do with Fla getting invited to the BCS than whether Fla was more deserving to go to a NC with identical records.
.
Fact:………No SEC team has ever lsot a NC game and if UGA would have been invited nothing indicates that it would have been different
.
Fact……….UGA has 2 SEC titles..same as Fla in last 9 years and equal wins over all.
.
Fact……….UGA has been ranked more times top ten in last 9 years than any SEC team.
.
UGA 90 wins in 9 years no other SEC team has more.
.
UGA has 2 SEC titles…same as Fla
.
UGA has won 4 str8 bowls….more than any other SEC team.
.
UGA has won 11 of last 13 bowls…more than any team tied with LSU and more than FLA
patrick
January 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
Eat that…..MESSENGER
GT FlagBoy
January 28th, 2010
8:48 am
We at GA Tech are proud to have contributed so much to Atlanta being named the “Gayest City in America” by Forbes Magazine. It could not have happened without the great influence and activities of the current students and alumni of Georgia Tech. We are an integral part of the downtown/midtown Atlanta scene and we are PROUD of it!
Go Jackets!!!
PS. The Jackets look so hot in those tight shiny gold pants! Yummy!
Win P.
January 30th, 2010
6:11 am
Messanger, One thing for sure you won this blog. What a computer core dump!