Georgia Football: All-Time Bulldogs Team

Earlier this 12 months, Georgia received its third nationwide title. Throughout its 130-year historical past, the Bulldogs have received 15 convention championships and appeared in 59 bowl video games.

If one had been to take the perfect gamers and coaches from all of these groups (based mostly on their stage of success in school and/or the NFL) to place collectively an all-time lineup, Georgia would have a heck of a squad. So let’s do this, however word that I’m specializing in a person’s peak success and the way he would fare as we speak, i.e., no 180-pound linemen or coaches who couldn’t alter previous the one wing.

Coaches

Each teaching employees typically begins with a head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators. Georgia has three distinctive ones to place in every spot.

Head Coach: Vince Dooley (1964-88)
Dooley turned a fledging Georgia program and received two SEC titles in his first 5 seasons. In his 25 seasons with this system, Dooley received a nationwide championship and suffered just one dropping season.

Offensive Coordinator: Mark Richt (2001-15)
Previous to taking up for the Bulldogs, Richt was the offensive coordinator at Florida State, the place the Seminoles had been within the prime 5 in scoring offense in 5 of his seven seasons. In his 15 years in Athens, Georgia went to a bowl recreation and averaged greater than 9 wins a season.

Defensive Coordinator: Kirby Good (2016-present)
After successful 4 nationwide titles as a defensive coordinator at Alabama, Good turned the top coach at Georgia in 2016. Final season, he received a nationwide title on the energy of one of many best defenses in school soccer historical past.

Offense

The Bulldogs’ energy will start within the backfield the place they’ve two Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers and a Heisman Trophy winner.

QB: Fran Tarkenton (1957-60)
Tarkenton ended his Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame profession because the NFL’s all-time main in passing yards in addition to dashing yards for a quarterback. Whereas at Georgia, he led the Bulldogs to an SEC title and earned all-conference honors twice.

RB: Herschel Walker (1980-82)
Georgia has had two Heisman Trophy-winning operating backs in Walker and Frank Sinkwich, however Walker was essentially the most dominant again within the SEC in all three of his seasons in Athens. If he had not left for the USFL after his junior 12 months, he would probably be school soccer’s all-time main rusher.

RB: Terrell Davis (1991-94)
After transferring from Lengthy Seaside State, Davis struggled with accidents whereas at Georgia, however went on to energy the Denver Broncos to 2 Tremendous Bowl wins on his approach to being enshrined in Canton.

WR: Hines Ward (1994-97)
Ward earned All-SEC honors twice whereas taking part in each large receiver and operating again at Georgia. He performed receiver full time for the Pittsburgh Steelers and completed his profession with 1,000 receptions.

WR: Terrence Edwards (1999-2002)
Edwards is the Bulldogs’ all-time chief in catches, receiving yards, and landing receptions.

WR: A.J. Inexperienced (2008-10)
Had Inexperienced stayed for his senior 12 months and remained wholesome, he would probably be Georgia’s all-time receiving chief. As a substitute, he left for the NFL after his junior season and has made seven Professional Bowls.

TE: Richard Appleby (1971-75)
One of many first 5 Black gamers to combine the Georgia soccer program, Appleby caught 48 passes and averaged 18.8 yards per reception in a time when the tight finish was a not a major goal.

T: Matt Stinchcomb (1995-98)
Stinchcomb earned All-American honors in 1997 and was a consensus All-American in ’98. Accidents reduce quick his NFL profession, however he was inducted into the School Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2018.

G: Royce Smith (1967-71)
A 3-year starter in Athens, Smith earned the Jacobs Award because the SEC’s finest blocker and was a consensus All-American in 1971.

C: Ben Jones (2008-11)
Jones began 49 video games for the Bulldogs and was named to Georgia’s Staff of the Decade. He has performed 10 seasons for the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans.

G: Max Jean-Gilles (2002-05)
A key starter for the 2005 SEC championship staff, Jean-Gilles was a consensus first-team All-American and performed 5 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

T: Andrew Thomas (2017-19)
Thomas was a Freshman All-American, a first-team All-American his sophomore 12 months, and a unanimous one his junior season. He handed on his senior 12 months and was chosen by the New York Giants with the fourth general decide, the place he’s the beginning left deal with.

Protection

The 2021 squad included an Outland Trophy winner in Jordan Davis and Butkus Award recipient in Nakobe Dean. Nevertheless, their success within the NFL will decide in the event that they make the Bulldogs’ all-time finest protection.

DE: David Pollack (2001-04)
Pollack and Herschel Walker are the one two Bulldogs to earn first-team All-American honors 3 times and his 36 sacks are a Georgia report. A neck harm within the second recreation of his second season reduce his NFL profession quick.

DT: Richard Seymour (1997-2000)
A primary-team All-American for the Bulldogs, Seymour went on to have a Corridor of Fame profession and win three Tremendous Bowls with the New England Patriots.

DT: Invoice Stanfill (1965-68)
Stanfill received two SEC titles and was awarded the Outland Trophy earlier than being drafted by the Miami Dolphins within the first spherical of the 1969 NFL Draft. There, he received two Tremendous Bowls earlier than retiring because the Dolphins’ “unofficial” profession sacks chief (Sacks weren’t an official statistic till 1982).

DT: Geno Atkins (2006-09)
After an excellent profession at Georgia the place he earned All-SEC honors twice, Atkins was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals within the fourth spherical. He flourished within the NFL, making eight Professional Bowls and recording 75.5 sacks.

DE: Freddie Gilbert (1980-83)
Gilbert received a nationwide championship and recorded 26 sacks throughout his profession in Athens. His 5 sacks towards Temple in 1983 are a college report. He went on to play within the USFL and for the Denver Broncos.

LB: Ben Zambiasi (1974-77)
Georgia’s all-time chief in tackles with 467 earned All-American honors in 1976. He went on to be an All-Star eight occasions within the CFL the place he was additionally named rookie of the 12 months and defensive participant of the 12 months.

LB: Boss Bailey (1998-2002)
Champ Bailey’s little brother had six sacks and 114 tackles and blocked three kicks in 2002 when he was additionally named a first-team All-American. He went on to start out 51 video games within the NFL.

LB: Roquan Smith (2015-17)
The primary Bulldog to win the Butkus award, Smith received recorded 14 tackles for a loss in 2017 as Georgia made the nationwide title recreation. He has since earned second-team All-Professional honors twice with the Chicago Bears.

LB: Jarvis Jones (2010-12)
Jones transferred from USC and needed to sit out the 2010 season per NCAA guidelines on the time. In his two seasons in Athens, Jones earned first-team All-American honors each seasons and recorded 28 sacks.

DB: Terry Hoage (1980-83)
Hoage blocked a subject aim towards Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl to assist Georgia safe the 1980 nationwide championship and his 12 interceptions are an SEC report. After incomes consensus All-American honors twice, he performed 13 seasons within the NFL earlier than being inducted into the School Soccer Corridor of Fame.

DB: Jake Scott (1966-68)
The Tremendous Bowl VII MVP led the SEC in interceptions in 1967 and ’68 and is Georgia’s all-time chief in picks with 16. Had he not left after his junior season to play for the CFL’s BC Lions earlier than being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, he would be the SEC’s profession chief.

DB: Deandre Baker (2015-18)
Baker solely gave up one landing in his 4 seasons with the Bulldogs. In 2018, he allowed solely 175 passing yards on his approach to successful the Jim Thorpe Award.

DB: Champ Bailey (1996-98)
A primary-ballot Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer, Bailey was a risk on protection, offense, and particular groups throughout his time in Athens. In three seasons on the defensive facet of the ball, he recorded 147 whole tackles, two fumble recoveries, one compelled fumble, eight interceptions, and 27 passes defended.

Particular Groups

Ok: Kevin Butler (1981-84)
The primary kicker to be inducted into the School Soccer Corridor of Fame, Butler is Georgia’s all-time scoring chief with 353 factors. He performed 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals and regularly made the All-Madden staff for his toughness throughout kickoffs.

P: Drew Butler (2007-11)
The son of Kevin Butler received the Ray Man Award in 2009 and was a two-time first-team All-American. In 5 seasons within the NFL, he averaged 42.8 yards a punt.

KR: Brandon Boykin (2008-11)
Boykin’s 4 kick returns for a landing are tied for an SEC report and he was named the recipient of the Paul Hornung Award as school soccer’s most versatile participant in 2011. His NFL profession was performed totally on protection.

PR: Isaiah McKenzie (2014-16)
McKenzie took 5 punts to the home, a Georgia report, and averaged 11.7 yards per return.

— Written by Aaron Tallent, who’s a part of the Athlon Contributor Community. Tallent is a author whose articles have appeared in The Candy Science, FOX Sports activities’ Outkick the Protection, Liberty Island and The Washington Submit. Comply with him on Twitter at @AaronTallent.