Who are Georgia’s Top 10 football players of all time?
Coming up with No. 1 on a list of Georgia's 10 greatest players is easy. But it gets increasingly hard as you move down the list and can produce arguments what will last into the night. (AP Photo)
So as I mentioned on social media yesterday, I’ve been working on a summer project for the AJC in which one of the assignments was to name the 10 “most memorable players” in Georgia football history. Do you have any idea what a maddening and pretty much impossible task that is?
You can say a lot of things about the Bulldogs, but they have produced a lot of great players in their 120-year football history. And I don’t use the term “great” lightly. In all, they’ve had 68 All-Americans and 12 Bulldogs have been inducted in the College Football Hall of Game.
It was so hard to limit to just 10 players that I finally turned to Facebook and Twitter and just kind of threw it out there to get the opinions of Georgia fans. As is usually the case when you present something to the Bulldog Nation, the response was overwhelming and passionate. In the end, the feedback helped me finally whittle down the last few choices. But in other ways it made the whole exercise even more confusing as a couple of names came flying in that I hadn’t considered.
The reality is, when you’re thinking of “great” and “memorable” Georgia football players, you could easily list two dozen without batting an eyelid. But the assignment called for 10, not 24, so here’s what I finally went with:
- Herschel Walker, TB (1980-82): Every conversation about great Georgia players begins and ends with the “Goal-line Stalker” from Wrightsville. All Walker did was come in as a true freshman and rush for 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns and lead the Bulldogs to their first consensus national championship since 1942. Walker went on to become a three-time consensus All-American and finally won the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 1982. He finished his career with 5,259 yards in just 33 games, an average of 159.4 per contest.
- Charley Trippi, TB (1942, ‘45-46): Trippi is still regarded by many as the greatest all-around athlete to ever play for the Bulldogs. As a senior he led the SEC in scoring and total offense and won the Maxwell Award as the country’s best back and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. A member of both the pro and college halls of fame, he is one of only four UGA players to have his number (62) retired.
- David Pollack, DE (2001-04): After being recruited to Georgia as a fullback, Pollack became a three-time All-American as a defensive end. His most famous play is a caused-fumble and one-handed, mid-air scoop-and-score against South Carolina in the 2002 SEC championship season. He owns the Bulldogs’ record for career sacks.
- Jake Scott, S (1967-68): Though he played for the Bulldogs only two seasons, Scott proved to be one of their most explosive play-makers of all time. He led the SEC in interceptions both seasons and led the league in punt return yardage in 1968. He still holds the UGA record for career interceptions (16) and interception return yardage (315). He went on to a long and productive career with the Miami Dolphins and was named Super Bowl MVP in 1972.
- Champ Bailey, CB/WR (1996-98): Bailey proved to be one of the Bulldogs’ most versatile athletes ever. His junior season he played on both offense and defense while also playing special teams. He logged more than 100 plays in seven games and played more than 1,000 snaps that season. Was named an All-American and won the Bronko Nagurski Award in 1998.
- Garrison Hearst, TB (1990-92): Hearst led the Bulldogs in rushing each of his three seasons, including 1992 when he ran for 1,547 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. His 1,910 all-purpose yards that season was second-best in school history, won him the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best back and led to a third-place finish in Heisman voting.
- Frank Sinkwich (1940-42): Georgia’s first Heisman Trophy recipient (1942) led the Bulldogs to wins in the Orange and Rose bowls and the 1942 national championship. A member of the college football hall of fame, he rushed for 2,771 yards, passed for 2,331 yards and accounted for 60 TDs – 30 rushing and 30 passing in his career. You can’t leave off a Heisman winner.
- Bill Stanfill, DT (1966-68): Stanfill led Georgia to a 25-6-2 record and two SEC championships in his three seasons on the field for the Bulldogs and was team captain, All-American and Academic All-American in 1968. That same year he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman. He went on to a highly-decorated NFL career with the Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins.
- Hines Ward, ATH (1994-97): Ward proved to be one of the most versatile offensive players of all times. During his career, he started at quarterback, tailback and wide receiver while also serving as a kick returner. He set the Georgia bowl record with 469 yards total offense (413 passing) in the 1995 Peach Bowl. He finished his career with 4,788 all-purpose yards (1,965 receiving, 1,063 rushing, 918 passing and 842 in returns).
- Terry Hoage, ROV (1980-83): Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley called Hoage the best defensive player he’s ever coached and “maybe the best I’ve ever seen.” The two-time All-American finished fifth in the 1983 Heisman Trophy balloting. He led the nation with 12 interceptions in 1982 and blocked a field goal against Notre Dame in Georgia’s national championship-clinching Sugar Bowl victory.
A few qualifiers: The numbers don’t reflect a ranking. It’s merely to enumerate and actually reflects the order that I committed to the respective players being on the list; I tried to pay respect to earlier generations of Georgia football but, as you might expect, the list is tilted toward modern football player; and, as you’ll note, there are a lot of truly great players not included.
Here are some that I really struggled with leaving off: CB/PR Scott Woerner, WR A.J. Green, TB Knowshon Moreno, FS Thomas Davis, QB Eric Zeier, QB David Greene, PK Kevin Butler, QB Fran Tarkenton.
So, for better or worse, that’s the list I came up with. I’d love to hear what you guys might have done differently or who you might replace with whom. And who knows, nothing is in print yet. If you can offer a convincing enough argument I might just see if we can get it changed.
Thanks for your input.
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401 comments Add your comment
bham dawg
July 11th, 2012
11:37 am
@Bama Boy… give us your list and we will compare
ARdawg
July 11th, 2012
11:40 am
Fordheim is a Tech troll…pay him no mind
bravesfan79
July 11th, 2012
11:41 am
I liked Terrell Davis alot.
The Bear
July 11th, 2012
11:43 am
Better yet list the top five at each position then you would get a better picture. I would be interested to see what would develop from a list like that. The big guys in the trenches get over looked at just a all time top 10 list.
909
July 11th, 2012
11:43 am
Poor Chip.
He’ll try any old BS piece of literary tripe…to take the focus off the
growing list of…arrests, suspensions, and expulsions in Athens.
ROTFLMAO
Vic Payback
July 11th, 2012
11:45 am
2 great centers for honorable mention: Len Hauss and Ray Donaldson. They both had outstanding careers at UGA and in the NFL.
Motocross Survivor
July 11th, 2012
11:45 am
Herschel likes to beat people up now.
Rap Music in Sanford Stadium
July 11th, 2012
11:47 am
The REAL top 10…
Quincy Carter
Blake Barnes
Jasper Sanks
Joe Tereshinski
Jonathan Kilgo
Chase Vasser
Joe “the leader” Cox
JT Wall
Jermaine Phillips
Gordon Ely-Kelso
SweatDawg
July 11th, 2012
11:48 am
what no Josh Bagby?
SweatDawg
July 11th, 2012
11:49 am
No Merc Jerd? This list is BS!
Smartest Bulldog
July 11th, 2012
11:49 am
What do you really know about these guys? http://www.smartestbulldog.com
Ted Striker
July 11th, 2012
11:51 am
Good list. Thanks for the article.
Dr. John Trotter
July 11th, 2012
11:53 am
@ ARdawg: OK, a Tech troll. I didn’t know. I just couldn’t imagine what problem any UGA fan could possibly have with A. J. Green, such a nice person.
When I was a grad student at UGA, I used to tutor the athletes in the Mandatory Study Hall at night at McWhorter Hall. (By the way, I wish that they still had all of the athletes in one dorm with the Mandatory Study Hall. I think that then you wouldn’t have all of the incidents taking place downtown. Coach Kasay was on top of the situation at McWhorter back in those days. But, I think that some NCAA rule made them spead the athletes out into other dorms on campus.) So many of the players were so nice. Very good kids (really, they are kids right out of high school), and yet many times the fans talk about them like they are just commodities. Not just at UGA but at other big time universities too. I remember working with several of the football players. All of the freshmen and sophomore athletes had to attend the study hall. Herschel was there. He was quiet and minded his own business, but one night he got into an argument with Guy McIntyre and everyone shut up to listen to the two big guys argue a political point. It was quite funny. Charlie Dean, Mike (Jumbo) Weaver, and Dominique were some of my favorite athletes who were such gentlemen.
Let’s try to be a little nicer to our UGA players, past and present. By the way, I used to always cheer for Jasper Sanks and Odell Thurman the loudest (and naturally for D. J. Shockley)! I know that Jasper stayed in the Dawg House a lot, but I was always hollering at the games: “Put Jasper in!” Same thing for D. J. “Put D. J. in!” D. J. Shockley, Co-Player of the Year in the SEC. Another complete gentleman.
Fan of the Game
July 11th, 2012
11:54 am
So many times we forget about linemen when we talk about the best players. I don’t know if you can pick the top 10. I do know that Herschel would have to be the best. I always thought Hines Ward was a hell of a player, so versitle. The one that I really feel bad for was Trenton Sturdivent. I really think he could have been one of the best offensive lineman of all time. Not just at UGA but in the country. But I have to agree with the top ten listed above. And I think about all the kickers and linebackers we have had. They all played with so much heart.
Elmo C. Groga
July 11th, 2012
11:54 am
They saddled you with an unfair, indeed unanswerable question. Which are the two most important legs on a four-legged card table?
Big Dawg
July 11th, 2012
11:55 am
Greatness isn’t always measured by how many Yards you gained, threw for, how many TDs you scored, tackles, interceptions etc. but by what your team did and what kind of difference you made while in the game or sometimes on the sidelines and locker room. I think most everybody if not all agree Herschal, Stanfill, Sinkwich, Trippi, Scott and Hoage belong on this list. The fact Georgia has had so many great players speak volumes about the program. Fran Tarkenton was one of the greatest players to ever put on a football uniform, Mike Wilson, Smith,and Pat Dye were great offensive linemen, Champ Bailey- truly great player as was Robert Edwards, Hines Ward, David Pollack, Scott Woerner, Kevin Butler and the list goes on and on.
Go Dawgs
E Rock
July 11th, 2012
11:56 am
Champ Bailey behind Jake Scott …David Pollack 3rd ….he was hype before the injury…who did this poll UGa’s Basketball Coach?
or Stevie Wonder ….I am so glad my squad is in the ACC…..LOL
Kenneth Smith
July 11th, 2012
11:56 am
where in the “H” is Odell Thurman
wesley
July 11th, 2012
11:57 am
I think Richard Seymour would have to be considered. Although not as flashy as other picks, he was a stud!!
RxDawg
July 11th, 2012
11:57 am
“Fordheim is a Tech troll…pay him no mind”
This is truth
“I liked Terrell Davis alot.”
So your a Denver Broncos fan?
T from 31005
July 11th, 2012
11:57 am
Hey Tarkenton fans. Look at his UGA stats and see if you still think he warrants being in the top 10.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/fran-tarkenton-1.html
BUZZ
July 11th, 2012
12:00 pm
Isiah Crowell
Jasper Sanks
Atlas Buchannan
Bill Goldberg
AJ Green
Pimp Baccardi
Junior Heasrt
Jan Kemp
Billy Idol
Who gives a crap Dave
Vic Payback
July 11th, 2012
12:03 pm
What about Bob Tucker and Montego Powers? :^]
t_height
July 11th, 2012
12:04 pm
David Pollack was a very good player but not top ten. He just had a very high motor. Champ Bailey, Terry Hoage and Hines Ward should be moved up higher.
Really?
July 11th, 2012
12:05 pm
Crowell should be on this list
Who Cares!?!?!
July 11th, 2012
12:06 pm
Who Cares!?!@?!
A little know tid bit
July 11th, 2012
12:07 pm
Didn’t Hines Ward also kick a field goal in his career?
Atlanta Native
July 11th, 2012
12:08 pm
If being rude, arrogant and belittling were a criteria for getting into the top 10 UGA player list, I would vote for Tarkenton as no 1. I have had the “privilege” of meeting him 3 different times in my life. Once when I was in high school and he was with the Vikings, once in my late 20’s and once again at a restaurant in NY. On each occasion he was the most disrespectful, classes person I have every been around. He was disrespectful to each person with him and continuously put them down….
To Tell the Truth
July 11th, 2012
12:10 pm
Funny that all GA does is live in the past since they have not won JACK in 30+ years!!!!
LMFAO!!!!
Doodaddy
July 11th, 2012
12:10 pm
How about a list of Tech’s top ten? Oh wait…never mind.
Remember the little guy
July 11th, 2012
12:15 pm
Thad Parker
Chris
July 11th, 2012
12:19 pm
To bdawg. He didn’t say Pollack’s play was during the “SEC Championship game”…He said during the “SEC Championship Season”
jokurone
July 11th, 2012
12:19 pm
Bham Dawg, My list is for the top ten jail bird dawgs.
'94 UGA Alumnus
July 11th, 2012
12:19 pm
It’s a good list but Scott Woerner and Theron Sapp should be on there somehwere.
DocC
July 11th, 2012
12:22 pm
The most underated player to ever play for Georgia is missing from the list…Richard Seymour. It was not until after he left UGA and went on to win multiple super bowls and All Pro selections did one fully appreciate just how awesome Seymour was at UGA….his presence in the middle (playing nose tackled) required other teams to double and triple him which allowed his teamates to make tons of tackles and get the glory and accolades….without Seymour this never happened. The void he left on the defensive line has never been filled until now with the potential of our current nose tackles.
I had no problem with the list, just felt like UGA alumni need to recognize Seymour more oftern for the impact player he was at UGA.
Dawg Tired
July 11th, 2012
12:23 pm
K483 – Buzzy, once again, has been caught too far inside on the sweep and is now trying to catch the guy with the football. Don’t worry, he won’t catch him.
Chip – Pretty hard to leave AJ Green off the list, but your list is hard to argue with. Some pretty good linemen did not make your list such as Edgar Chandler, Moon Pie Wilson (those two could block anybody), and others, but with only 10 spots, not every one can be on it. Somewhat surprised great d-linemen (other than Stanfill – he is clearly deserving byw)) not on the list. Good job.
David Wilson
July 11th, 2012
12:28 pm
Misspelled “Verron” Haynes name .. forgive the error, please
bham dawg
July 11th, 2012
12:29 pm
@jokurone…why is tavarres king on your list?
Randall "Pink" Floyd
July 11th, 2012
12:30 pm
Anyone who doesn’t think Pollack deserves his ranking is crazy. The best defensive player to ever suit up for Georgia.
And, in case you didn’t know, he had a motor that wouldn’t quit…
Realistic fan
July 11th, 2012
12:31 pm
Tfrom 31005; You have to consider an SEC championship and Orange Bowl victory in Tarkenton’s stats which not many QB’s at Ga can do. Plus consider he was at UGA being coached by Johnny Griffith his last season and that didn’t help him or the team. What he did there was amazing and even got better in the Pro’s
suwanee dawg
July 11th, 2012
12:31 pm
There will always be debates on judgmental lists. Overall a good one. It is a shame Robert Edwards did not stay healthly or Goff realizing his talent at RB when he was younger. His breakout game at tailback in a heartbreaking loss at Tennessee is often forgetten but legendary.
Milton County will happen
July 11th, 2012
12:32 pm
WOW! What a history of nothingness…LSU, BAMA, and Florida could easily trot out much better top 10’s. Kinda sad UGA has been around so long with so little to show for it’s ime.
Blythedawg
July 11th, 2012
12:35 pm
I would love to see more OL on the list. I think Stafford and AJ need to be on the list. Chip your next task is to do a 3 deep depth chart of all time UGA greats. (Both Sides of the Ball and Special Teams)
bubba4dawgs
July 11th, 2012
12:40 pm
Quite a list, Chip! I have to agree; however, that Fran Tarkenton deserves recognition. Matthew Stafford was (is) mighty good but I believe you’d fill up your list before getting to him! Thanks for the posting of your list!!
Gary
July 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
Hey Buzz? Why do you click on links to read about stuff you don’t care about. I am sure the NYT web page has tons you stuff you don’t like you can read and comment about. Maybe the BBC could peak your interest. Again. You hate the dawgs and the fans but all you do ever is come back. Time to come out of the closet Buzz. Deep inside their is a true dawg fan. Why else would you focus so much of your life on these blogs. You read the list of the ten best Bulldogs and commented how stupid it was. You know you care. You know you love us. You know you want to be us. Somewhere in your moms basement you have a UGA shirt you where when no one else is around. It’s ok to be a Georgia fan. Admit it. We are not the best team but we are usually pretty good. It is a great place to be on Saturday. You know you want to. Try wearing a little read, then some black. Maybe bark at one of your tech buddies. You know you want too.
Gary
July 11th, 2012
12:43 pm
OK a tech grad must have developed the auto correct for this laptop. Really their and where. Bad computer.
tdawg
July 11th, 2012
12:45 pm
What about Scott Woerner and his timely interceptions and unbelievable punt returns? Lest we forget the Clemson game that he single handedly won! maybe not top ten but needs consideration.
Old Dawg
July 11th, 2012
12:47 pm
How about REGGIE BALL…..
TDawg
July 11th, 2012
12:47 pm
Anyone who saw Pollack play live would have to say he belongs just where you put him. 3 time AA and sack record holder. Also ferocious against the run. 2002 game at Tuscaloosa he completely dominated. 2003 in Knoxville UT tried to block him one on one with Munoz Jr. He nearly killed Clausen. Too young to have known skill of Stanfill but this guy top 5 Dawg and best DL I ever saw. Also a good role model at UGA and had he not been injured a certain NFL star
PMac
July 11th, 2012
12:48 pm
Such a tough task, boiling down well over 10,000 players in program history to 10. Like the idea of a two, or three-deep all time team, which would recognize some of the great linemen, and place players by position. As always, ” Sic ‘em! Woof! “