Ten football players among 27 athletes graduating from UGA

ATHENS — I’ll be writing more about this later but I figured I’d go ahead and share the information with you.

Twenty-seven UGA athletes will be graduating with degrees on Friday. Among those will be 10 football players.

To me, their stories are always the best to tell. Some of them are finishing up at the end of their playing careers, like Justin Anderson, Bruce Figgins and Trinton Sturdivant; some have more time to play, like Richard Samuel; and others have been coming back to complete degrees after playing pro ball.

No matter which, they’re all happy endings and I think we all enjoy those.

Like I said, I’ll profile one or two in the next day or so. In the meantime, here are the names of UGA student-athletes getting their sheepskins this week. Congrats to all.

Football players

  • Justin Anderson, Ocilla, Ga., Housing
  • Nic Clemons, Griffin, Ga., Child and Family Development
  • Candler Cook, Atlanta,Ga., Management
  • Eric Elliot, Kennesaw, Ga., Risk Management and Insurance
  • Demetric Evans, Haynesville, La., Child and Family Development
  • Bruce Figgins, Columbus, Ga., Communication Studies
  • Ben Harden, Perry, Ga., Housing
  • Josh Sailors, Athens, Ga., Biology
  • Richard Samuel, Cartersville, Ga., Sport Management
  • Trinton Sturdivant, Wadesboro,N.C., Finance.

Baseball: Justin Earls, Lawrenceville, Ga., Sport Management; Carson Schilling, Macon, Ga., Communication Studies,

Women’s Basketball: Meredith Mitchell, Midfield, Ala., Management.

Equestrian: Amelia Rodgers, Burlington, Vt., Animal Science; Kate Stewart, Dawson, Ga.

Gymnastics: Hilary Mauro, Boston Mass., Communication Studies.

Soccer: Kelli Corless, Acworth, Ga., Exercise and Sport Science; Caroline Simpson, Atlanta, Ga., Finance.

Softball: Taylor Schlopy, West Hills, Calif., Child and Family Development; Megan Wiggins, Snellville, Ga., Sociology.

Swimming and Diving: Lexie Bryant, Duluth, Ga., Art; Lauren Cartwright, Fayetteville, Ga., Exercise and Sport Science; Chelsea Nauta, Tampa, Fla., Biology.

Track and Field: Alesha Asijie, Mesa, Ariz., Child and Family Development; Odeika Bent, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Sociology and Criminal Justice; LaTroya Darrell, Smith’s Parish, Bermuda, Child and Family Development.

Volleyball: Carla Tietz, St. Charles, Ill., Child and Family Development.

190 comments Add your comment

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
11:07 am

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
11:13 am

Yes TampaDawg,

The M-Train is easier then Engineering. It is also one of the top 30 undergraduate business programs in the country and has produced CEO’s of AT&T, Delta, Sears, American Express, and many more. Please tell me the impressive resume of the UGA housing program.

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:13 am

just the truth

December 15th, 2011
11:05 am

Zumadawg, can you give me a number of UGA football players who got their degree in Law? On a side note 6 out of every 10 who graduate from Tech become a millionare.
————————————-
So “truth”, what credible site can you post that can justify that last statement. Because even our top GT grad here is a long way off from that. In fact, even an ivy league school would have a tough time boasting such a claim.

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
11:15 am

GTBob

Your arguments hold no credibility here or anywhere else

You are just a jealous old loser who bashes UGA to make himself feel important.

IF you did go to Tech, you are a disgrace to the fine people i know who have matriculated there.

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:15 am

* Dan Amos, Chairman & CEO of AFLAC
* D.W. Brooks, founder and chairman emeritus of Gold Kist
* Tom Cousins, founder of Cousins Properties
* Julius Curtis Lewis, Jr., President of J.C. Lewis Enterprises and Lewis Broadcasting Corp.
* Frank Hanna III, entrepreneur, philanthropist and merchant banker
* Mason Hawkins, noted value investor and founder of Southeastern Asset Management
* Hala Moddelmog, president of Church’s Chicken and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
* Walter J. Muller, Chief Investment Officer of Bank of America
* Billy Payne, President of Augusta National
* Thomas J. Stanley, New York Times Best-selling Author of The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind
* Brown L. Whatley, Chairman of Arvida Corp., President of Mortgage Bankers Association of America
* David Barnhart, Network Engineer at Hewlett Packard
* Jonathan Gosier, Director at Ushahidi, TED (conference) Senior Fellow
* Gina Drosos, Global Head of Beauty at Procter & Gamble
* David O’Hare, Deloitte Audit Senior, Compiled the Accounting Standards Codification

Making yourself look stupid again Bob ..

Face it, you can’t back up your argument that UGA isn’t a great academic school. And with less than a 50% grad rate for your football team, they obviously can’t even finish in that program so you still don’t have a leg to stand on.

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:18 am

How about this list Bob? Will that help you out?

Economics and finance

* Robert D. McTeer, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (1991–2005)
* Bernard Ramsey, former senior vice president and chairman of the executive committee of Merrill Lynch
* Charles S. Sanford, Jr., Retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bankers Trust
* Harold Kelly, Head of Global Convertible and Derivative Arbitrage, and Executive Managing Director of Och Ziff
* Michael Hamilton, former chief financial officer of Kodak

or maybe these few names ..

* Tomlinson Fort, Jr. – Head of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie-Mellon and Vanderbilt. Provost and Vice President of Cal Poly
* Cynthia Kenyon, professor of biochemistry , biophysics, University of California-San Francisco, member National Academy of Sciences
* Robert D. McTeer, former chancellor of the Texas A&M University System
Crawford W. Long, inventor of anesthesia

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
11:22 am

Hmm, I asked for the impressive resume of the housing program and you bring back the whole school. Way to pay attention.

norris

December 15th, 2011
11:27 am

Congrats to all the Dawgs graduating on Saturday. But I have to give a special shout out to Richard Samuel. He is 20 years old folks and getting his degree!!

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:32 am

Oh, I am sorry, I don’t make it a habit to follow the orders of a blogger. After 14 years in the Army and 15 in corporate America, I am pretty selective of who I follow.

My point in the lists are this. You can say what you want about UGA, but you can’t back any of it up but you keep running your trap anyway. You see, we have never said UGA was a better school but every Dawg will defend it as being a great quality education and in the national rankings, there isn’t much that separates UGA from GT.

roughrider

December 15th, 2011
11:33 am

Tech nerds should only be concerned with winning a bowl game. I think Tech last won a bowl game in 2004.

Hoopster

December 15th, 2011
11:33 am

While congratulations are in order for the accomplishment, some of those degree programs are head-scratchers. Housing? Art? Communications? Exercise Science? A bit on the sad side.

flagboy?

December 15th, 2011
11:39 am

Congrats to all the grads.

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:41 am

@Hoopster “Housing? Art? Communications? Exercise Science?”

Are you a techie too? Listen, none of those listed had a degree in art so that’s out of the way. And don’t be like GTBob who keeps harping on the Housing major not realizing that the Housing program produces life impacting jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities:

Job titles of recent housing graduates include:

Relationship Banker, Branch Banking & Trust Co.
Placement Specialist, Williamson Staffing Services, Inc.
Owner, Hardeman Enterprises (residential building company)
Realtor, Williams Real Estate Company
Property Manager, Parker and Associates
Area Housing Administrator, Athens Regional Office, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Sales Consultant, 2828 Peachtree (an Atlanta condominium)
Community Development Administrator, Athens-Clarke County Human and Economic Development Department
Leasing Consultant, Tara Apartment Homes

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:43 am

And let’s face it, there are many out there who are looking for fitness coaches and personal diet instructors and they are thankful for the exercise science program.

DC

December 15th, 2011
11:45 am

Not trying to be rude..but why didn’t the housing majors just take a major in business management and maybe minor in real estate…

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
11:50 am

Have to ask them I guess. I think the housing program is more all encompassing. Personally, I agree with you especially since that is two of UGA’s more well known majors. Maybe the CURRENT real estate market scares some of the kids, not just athletes, away from it though. Shouldn’t, it will eventually bounce back. Give it a few more years.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
11:52 am

TampaDawg, just admit that UGA has some of the dumbest majors anyone has ever thought of and finding a job related to those majors is going to be near impossible.

IL Jacket

December 15th, 2011
11:56 am

Congratulations to all of the UGA athletes who made the most of their time at the University and are graduating with a degree. Well done, men and women. It will stand you in good stead the rest of your life.

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
12:05 pm

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
11:52 am

TampaDawg, just admit that UGA has some of the dumbest majors anyone has ever thought of and finding a job related to those majors is going to be near impossible.
———————————————–
Just admit that you are being speculative at best. If your college education was all that, you would understand that. And by the way, some of GTs programs (public policy, health systems, paper science and engineering???, music technology) aren’t all that either.

As for a job, you keep thinking that but again, good luck trying to back that statement up.

Speculative – 1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by speculation, contemplation, conjecture, or abstract reasoning: a speculative approach.
2. theoretical, rather than practical: speculative conclusions.

Maybe that will help you out.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
12:18 pm

Is my blow up doll date ready for tonight?

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
12:18 pm

Tampa

Save your fingers and stop responding to him.

Waste of time

You can’t teach class.

1eyedJack

December 15th, 2011
12:32 pm

When does GT start it’s Zombie Culture classes. They should fill up fast.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
12:32 pm

You can’t teach class.

You proved that a long time ago DawginLex. Congrats on being one of the reasons I am on these blogs.

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
12:36 pm

You trying to justify your pathetic posts?

Just confirms what we all already know.

Tass

December 15th, 2011
12:37 pm

Josh Sailor has been the under appreciated player this yr. He gets my vote as MVP

KB

December 15th, 2011
12:47 pm

Congrat to Jarvis and Rambo 1st team Ap All American.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
12:48 pm

You trying to justify your pathetic posts?

Nope. I don’t care in the least bit what you or anyone else on here thinks about me. But if you and some others choose to act a certain way there are repercussions. Take it as a life lesson.

I-DOG

December 15th, 2011
12:51 pm

GT Man:

Travis Best, Kenny Anderson, Josh Nesbitt etc… were all somehow able to handle the incredibly hard course load for athletes at tech, chuckle chuckle.

I’m sure they are all Mensa members.

Congrats to these Dawgs for getting their degrees.

Is the AJC going to report on UGA siging the JUCO offensive lineman? My guess is that he will be on the two deep if he can get on campus and get into the conditioning program ASAP unless some of the young un’s beat him out for the spot. Thought that would be newsworthy?

I-DOG

December 15th, 2011
12:53 pm

John Gault.

Love the name you are posting under. Regards to Dagney Taggart. Wish I had thought of that. Who is John Gualt?

Alex

December 15th, 2011
12:53 pm

what is 91? the percent UGA has whipped the nerds the past 11 years.

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
12:55 pm

GTBob

you teaching me a life lesson?

That’s a joke

I know 5 year olds more mature than you

DawginLex

December 15th, 2011
12:56 pm

Later boys

To the TROLLS, the boss has left the building.

You may now continue with your spitball fighting

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
1:16 pm

I know 5 year olds more mature than you

That’s a good strategy. Keep feeding me. Then it will get better.

Gorilla Biscuit

December 15th, 2011
1:19 pm

GTBob, you’re a pimple on the ass of football fandom.

RedandBlackDAWG

December 15th, 2011
1:33 pm

GT BOB,

Are you going to answer my question to you earlier? HOW MANY FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE PURSUING AN ENGINEERING DEGREE? 1 maybe, or would it be 2? Your crap excuse about high academics requirements means absolutely nothing, if you are talking football and referring to their academic requirements. How many of your football team, are special admissions? You will not answer, because then all of your petty crap you post on here, would be as invalid as you are. If the attitude you display is typical of the average tech. fan, I can understand why folks don’t flock to play football at Tech.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
1:49 pm

RedandBlackDAWG, I am not sure of the majors of the entire football team. I looked for a good list but there was none and im not googling every football player just to answer your question.

As for special admissions do you really want to go there when UGA is one of the worst in the country in that regard at a whopping 73.5%? How many UGA football players have been named one of the 20 smartest athletes in sports? How many of your football players left early because of a job offer from Microsoft? When was the last time your football players led the nation in SAT scores?

Gorilla Biscuit

December 15th, 2011
1:50 pm

“If the attitude you display is typical of the average tech. fan, I can understand why folks don’t flock to play football at Tech.”

could be why the predators stalking that campus feel they’re easy pickings.

flagboy?

December 15th, 2011
2:12 pm

GT Man

December 14th, 2011
7:28 pm
Glad to see an individual graduate, now if only Tech could add Housing, Communication Studies and Child and Family Developement to our curriculum, then we might could field a Football team to compete with Georgia.
_________________________________

yeah, Child and Family Development. . . . what a joke. Who needs teachers, right?

wut?

December 15th, 2011
2:23 pm

Housing? HOUSING?

RedandBlackDAWG

December 15th, 2011
2:57 pm

GT Bob,

Yep, sat scores make you a better football player no doubt. Do you honestly think that the most sought after high school athletes, consider academics when they accept a schools offer, tech. or otherwise? As for how many football players have been named the twenty smartest kids in football. They are smart enough that they will make millions and guess what, they will not have engineering degrees from Tech. You need to get into the real world. Like I said, I knew you couldn’t or wouldn’t answer the engineering degree question. The reason is, you know, very few, if any of them will get a degree, in engineering. I’ll see if I can’t come up with the answer for you. As for special admission, look at the above. Football players, that are of the caliber to go to the next level, aren’t for the most part going to be scholars. If there were some type of minor leagues for the NFL, the majority of them would bypass the colleges and universities all together, tech. players included. I think also, you would be hard pressed to find a NFL coach, owner or scout that is worried about a persons SAT scores. All you need do, is take a look at the test they have to take, to measure their intelligence.
Using the education requirements excuse just doesn’t ride. If your football players were so intelligent, wouldn’t you think, that they could find a way to beat UGA more than once every ten or so years? I believe there is also a article circulated around the papers that said, GT. had one of the poorer graduation rates for football players, in the ACC. Of course, your excuse would be, “It is harder to get a degree”, at tech, which further proves my point about your football players. They are no smarter than any other teams football players and the sooner you acknowledge that, instead of saying your institute has such high standards, you will be a more believable person. It simply does not apply to your players, anymore than it does ours. Only 85 scholarships are given out maximum for any team, so I think, that’s a pretty small percentage of the student body. It is even a lower percentage when you compare the size of student bodies of each school. Man up and admit, that you are just jealous. It only hurts for a while and might even help your mental state.

timthebrave

December 15th, 2011
3:03 pm

Congratulations. DGD…All of them

Smokewagon

December 15th, 2011
3:08 pm

Tech and UGA recruit a lot of the same players so it is hilarious when the Tech people declare that the one’s they got are smarter just because they sign with Tech. I’m sure the whole world sees beyond that bull.

WDE

December 15th, 2011
3:08 pm

Sad to see supposed adults berating young people that have just finished their academic careers successfully. It hard to get a degree period its a lot harder if you have to add the increased pressure and responsibility of being a college athlete on top of that. Hats off to all the recent grads !

CPJ-WET HIS PANTS DURING GAMES

December 15th, 2011
3:15 pm

GTBob what was Reggie Balls degree in?

TampaDawg

December 15th, 2011
3:22 pm

GTBob “Nope. I don’t care in the least bit what you or anyone else on here thinks about me. But if you and some others choose to act a certain way there are repercussions. Take it as a life lesson.”

Listen clown, no one on here that you are conversing with has “acted” any certain way except for responding to your low level, tasteless, classless, baseless insults of UGA. That’s it. You come on here, you bring it out first and YOU KNOW IT!

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
3:24 pm

Gotta go, my husband will be home soon.

GTBob

December 15th, 2011
3:34 pm

TampaDawg, im not talking about today. This started a while ago. Your fan base acted a little too trashy for my tastes for about the 1000th time so this is the result. Yes, I start most things now, and no im not apologetic about it at all and I will continue to do so.

CPJ-WET HIS PANTS DURING GAMES

December 15th, 2011
3:47 pm

From Oct 26, 2011

http://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/looking-at-georgia-tech-1210059.html

fyi Ga Tech Graduation rate for Football players 55%. For UGA it’s 65%
.

headley lamar

December 15th, 2011
3:54 pm

Glad to see an individual graduate, now if only Tech could add Housing, Communication Studies and Child and Family Developement to our curriculum, then we might could field a Football team to compete with Georgia.

You do. Its called ahem …. ” Management ”

98 percent of the football team is majoring in it.

Wonder why? LOL

headley lamar

December 15th, 2011
3:57 pm

fyi Ga Tech Graduation rate for Football players 55%. For UGA it’s 65%

Thats the other funny thing.

Look up Stanford’s graduation rates for football players.

Now there is a academic school which also excels on the field.

Tech does neither.

Tech wants to be a football factory. They offer a ” Management ” major so they can get football players.

And they recruit the same people who end up at Georgia and Alabama.

They just aren’t very good at it so they use the whole Academics thing as a crutch.

Which is sad. Because Tech academics aren’t really anything special.