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
Fair n Balanced
July 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Hard to leave Tarkenton off this list. Just think though, if Crowell had any character, he might could make this list in a few years.
Milton County will happen
July 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
and he countdown to the “kingdaddy” persona is on.
Atlanta Dawg
July 11th, 2012
2:53 pm
Chip Wisdom was UGA’s greatest linebacker. He also coaches on Natty Title squad!
vanman
July 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
Most of you never saw Trippi play. I saw him score 5 touchdowns against Okla A&M (now Okla. St) in Sanford in 1946. Bob Fenimore was the great QB for A&M (he was first NFL draft choice in 1947). Fenimore dropped back to throw a pass right over the middle at mid field late in the third qtr. Trippi was playing in the MLB position on defense (in addition to playing offense the whole game). Trippi jumped as high as he could at about the 50 yard lne, tip the ball, it rolled down into his arms AND surrounded by just about the whole A&M team, he zigged and zagged, sidesteped, stiff armed and ran for his 5th touchdown.
He was a great pro player so don’t vote for just the present day heroes. I would put him right next to Herschel.
Bo Jax, Marcus Dupree>Walker
July 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
Where is the Blair Miss Project on this list?
Mr Don Shula
July 11th, 2012
2:58 pm
Scott and Walker with Scott being the better Pro.. Also Scott is a little more legendary with folklore galore. Not that I can argue against Herschel. Tarkenton, Stanfill and Pollard followed by Hines ward.
lawzoo
July 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
Isahiah Crowell ! He would have been the next Hershall Walker !
Smokey Joe
July 11th, 2012
3:14 pm
Good list. The only change that should be made is to take David Pollack off and replace him with Robert Edwards.
m. simpson
July 11th, 2012
3:23 pm
What do Fran Tarkenton, Jake Scott, and Andy Johnson all have in common? They were all raised in Athens and were taught how to play football by Coburn Kelly at the YMCA.
LoyalDog
July 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
No Fran Tarkenton. He did not do much in college, he did not lead a team to a championship and he did not lead his Vikings to championships. Seems like he just wants to criticize the bulldogs. A bitter man. Sorry shape to be in. David Green would be worthy. Tough to keep it at 10. Tarkenton is not worthy and he knows it. That is why he is so bitter. He thinks he is more deserving of honor from the University. Well, if you were more grateful, then the honor would be upon you. Service is really important.
Flan Fan
July 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
Hi, Anthony “Tony” Flanagan- a great QB, but UGA did not utilize his talents! What an awesome player! Thanks
mayor of simpleton
July 11th, 2012
3:32 pm
go to have guy mcintyre…i agree with some of the others….overall, randall godfrey was better than thomas davis
mike
July 11th, 2012
3:36 pm
To JB: Good one. I’m a Tech fan but posting Reggie Ball as a top 10 Bulldog is priceless.
Smoooov Daddy
July 11th, 2012
3:38 pm
How about Hiawatha Berry or Pulpwood Smith?
Dville dawg
July 11th, 2012
3:45 pm
What about Joe T III??
Jim
July 11th, 2012
4:21 pm
Chip I would put Billy Henderson near the top of the greastest players at UGA. Coach Henderson brings a different meaning to winning and losing. Anyone who has ever met him knows well where I am coming from. His time at Georgia was from 1946-1949 and he backed up Charley Trippi. are as I once heard him say was he pounded the ball down so Charley could score. At Ga he was on three SEC championship teams and also lettered in Baseball. The following is from an interview about his professional baseball days
Billy, I know you have a story and I would like for you to share it again about being in the baseball game in New York and Babe Ruth being your coach and something that transpired between you and Babe Ruth.
That is an interested story and I remember some of my teammates like Red Wilson, Claude Lewis and there’s so many people I could mention. But I got on a train with a sports writer from the Atlanta Journal. His name was O B Keeler and I’d never been out of Macon, Georgia much less to New York and some of my buddies said when I got to New York I was looking up at those tall buildings and got my tonsils sunburned but the very first night there we go in this hotel in New York and we sit at this table at a banquet and I’m sitting next to this guy that has on a pen stripe suite and he is dressed to the hilt and he is a real articulate gentlemen. I mean a gentlemen in the truest sense and because I was from Georgia, he took and interest in me and we talked and we talked and I’m still shy today but when I was 17 eyars old, I was very shy. But he brought out the conversation in me and we talked about Macon and this and that and the other and when the banquet is over, I asked one of my teammates who that fellow was. He said that was Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb was coaching the West and in my mind through out my little boy days Ty Cobb was the ruthless, vicious, dirty baseball player but here I’m sitting next to a gentlemen. Now he is like Pete Rose on the field. I mean he is a competitor, he wants to win. Babe Ruth in my mind was pictured as a guy you wanted to ideolize and follow. It was just the opposite. I had a coach at Georgia who was suppposly mean but Babe Ruth passed him in every way and I believe you wanted me to tell you about the incident on the baseball field. There were 25,000 people in the stands and in the 6th inning Kurt Simmons, who later played for the Cardinals was on the mound. The count was 3 and 2 on the batter and there were two outs and I knew better but I got caught in the moment and the baserunners were running with the pitch because they have two outs, the ball was thrown. I don’t hear the umpire say ball 4 and I got that ball and my coach H P Bell and Lem Clark said when you throw one away, throw it away good and son I threw it away and the ball hit the left field fence and the left fielder got it and hit the back stop with it. The guy who walked scored and later I told my friends I made the most valuable player for the East. But the very next inning, I’m warming up the pitcher and I throw to second and I hear the loudest, meaness, vicious voice I’ve ever heard from Babe Ruth saying give me another (some kind of catcher) we can’t say it on the air. So at that moment and this had a lasting effect on my entire coaching career but I kneel down to take off the shin guards and chest protector off and I can still see tears,( it makes me want to cry a little bit right )now falling in the dirt in the Polo Grounds in New York. I defy any of my coaches to hollowor shout at my players for making physical errors. No body wants to fummel, no body wants to throw an interception and no one wants to hit the left field wall from the catchers spot in baseball. It’s okay to hollow when they make mental errors when they don’t give 100% but I thought that’s very interesting in how we perceive people. Babe Ruth being the idol and Tye Cobb being vicious. It’s just reverse
You should do a story on him.
Old Dawg
July 11th, 2012
4:29 pm
It’s a great list, Chip. Very difficult to make these picks, though I wish there were some O-lineman.
Thanks for keeping the football fires burning in July.
nobody
July 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
until he broke his foot at Tennessee, Robert Edwards had 150 yards rushing in second quarter…a truly outstanding halfback….one of the best we ever had….not to take away from anyone else…Rodney Hampton was outstanding….agree with all on your list….love Pollak but don’t think he’s in the top 10….David Greene should be…Pollak was more like a Bill Krug….just an outstanding playmaker….best defensive backs ever were Jake Scott and Terry Hoage…outstanding…if Hershel is not at the top, Jake or Terry should be….
David
July 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
The only name I would have changed would be David Greene for Bill Stanfill. Hard to leave off the guy who not only turned the program around but at the time he graduated, had won more college games than anyone in history.
LET THE BIG DAWG EAT!
July 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
Never has a better quarterback worn the red and black than David Greene. Head and shoulders above all the rest.
Bama Boy
July 11th, 2012
4:57 pm
Nobody mentions Zeke Bartkowski you dawgs dont even know your own team!
Sam
July 11th, 2012
4:59 pm
So glad Terry Hoage is on the list. While Herschel may be the greatest dawg of all, he was my favorite player. Part of that came from having a couple of classes with him and the fact that he was not highly recruited. The fact that he is involved in the wine business now just adds to my admiration of him!
Bama Boy
July 11th, 2012
4:59 pm
scuse me thats Bratkowski got him mixed up witha real all star
larry
July 11th, 2012
5:10 pm
Can’t disagree with the list although I would move both Sinkwich and Stanfilll in front of Hearst. Hard, though, to leave off people like Catfish Smith, Bob McWhorter, Billy Payne, Edgar Chandler, Tommy Lyons, Buzzy Rosenberg, Thomas Davis, etc. Tough job, but good list overall.
FLORIDA DAWG
July 11th, 2012
5:13 pm
What about Pete Case, Len Hauss, Royce Smith, several other great linemen.
GT4Life (the Original)
July 11th, 2012
5:30 pm
1. Herschel Walker (personality #3)
2. Herschel Waker (personality #8)
3. Herschel Walker (personality #1)
4. Herschel Walker (personality #6)
5. Garrison Hearst
6. Herschel Walker (personality #4)
7. Champ Bailey
8. David Pollack
9. Kevin Butler
10. Herschel Walker (personality #9)
Don’t be mad, Dawgs…just a little good-natured fun
wandldawg
July 11th, 2012
5:31 pm
Walker, Hoage, Tarkenton, Stafford, Green, F. Sinkwich, C. Bailey, J. Scott, C. Trippe, Butler
ARdawg
July 11th, 2012
5:40 pm
GT4life
It’s actually quite funny. But, I’m not sure #3 or #6 actually contributed anything to the team/program
Douglas
July 11th, 2012
5:46 pm
Fran Tarketon over David Greene for me — he not only represented UGA well, he represented UGA well in the Pros. I can’t believe some fan said Tarkenton does not deserve to be on there because he lost 3 Superbowls — heck, there are a lot of people who never even played in a Superbowl!
coondawg69
July 11th, 2012
5:46 pm
Wow, only 4 players have had their number retired…. and all 4 are not on the list.
Interesting.
Todd Wade
July 11th, 2012
5:46 pm
David Green won 42 games as a QB. An NCAA record at the time. He beat Peyton Manning’s record by 3 (39). First QB to win SEC since Buck Belue. I’d Say that qualifies a top 10. Beating Tennessee in 2001 (Hobbed nail boot) , Green to Johnson at Auburn 2002 to name a few.
GT4Life (the Original)
July 11th, 2012
6:03 pm
ARdawg
Glad I could provide some humor…now back to the GT pages before I am labeled a “troll”…good luck Dawgs – except Thanksgiving weekend
mark r.
July 11th, 2012
6:03 pm
hey now….what about my ALL CRIMINAL TOP TEN TEAM???
Ron Gilliam
July 11th, 2012
6:41 pm
D. J. Shockley, the most underrated of all UGA players. Didn’t he lead UGA to an SEC championship? How many recent QB’s accomplished such a feat? Had he decided to transfer to another school he would have gotten the recognition he deserved and undoubtedly a lucrative NFL contract.
GT Man
July 11th, 2012
6:46 pm
Dont forget about Reggie Ball, he was GA’s best player against my Jackets.
doggydo
July 11th, 2012
6:49 pm
What about John “Dog” Dillinger?
harooki2
July 11th, 2012
6:59 pm
Tarkenton was just a good football player in college. He became great in the pros.
Warnell Dawg
July 11th, 2012
7:12 pm
No Reggie Ball? He helped us go 4-0 against Tech while he was playing…
Nate the Great
July 11th, 2012
7:25 pm
Reggie Ball!! He was a GREAT player for UGA!!
The Nature Boy
July 11th, 2012
7:35 pm
Robert Edwards..a country boy from Washington County..TOOK OVER the Florida game…and we beat a really good Gators team that year….I include Robert just for that…..
Obomaisajoke
July 11th, 2012
7:43 pm
David Pollack in the top ten? Is this a joke? Where is the candid camera?
Vince Dooley
July 11th, 2012
8:12 pm
Chad Chosewood and Mike Fredenburg
UGA1976
July 11th, 2012
8:14 pm
No way Hines Ward is in the top 10. I love him to death but you seem to have forgot Greene, Matt Stinchcomb, Tarkenton, Kevin Butler, oh and how could you even forget Bob McWhorter? all these players were better at the college than Ward was.
The Nature Boy
July 11th, 2012
8:30 pm
Superbowl MVP…2 dawgs made the list…..why not Terrell Davis..??
NC Dawg
July 11th, 2012
8:46 pm
what is wrong with you people who doubt Pollack should be on the list? Most dominant defense player ever at Georgia. I don’t get what is wrong with some of you.
ZinoDawg
July 11th, 2012
8:55 pm
Reggie Ball should be on the list!! LOL!
Elementary My Dear Watson
July 11th, 2012
9:03 pm
You struggled with A.J. Green to be on the list? You have got to be kidding me. He should have never ever been considered. What planet are you living on?
JRHD
July 11th, 2012
9:05 pm
I can’t believe only one person has mentioned Le Sac, Richard Tardits. He held the career sack record until David Pollack broke it. Surely someone like him, battlefield promoted, deserves to be on the list. He is my kind of football player. “Eez eet foootbul?” “I woold like that very much.”
GaDawg4Life
July 11th, 2012
9:09 pm
Seriously Aj Green made the honorable mention list? Has everyone forgot about the great Terrance Edwards or even Fred Gibson. Those men will show Aj Green what a real recieving career is about.
Buzz 2011
July 11th, 2012
9:12 pm
I. Crowell stands out! Great back for two series per game. n addition he was a great student with a high grade point average. In second place Caleb King…