The Countdown 2011: 100 Days to Go

Words of Wisdom from Erk Russell

Erk Russell, Georgia’s legendary defensive coordinator from 1964 – 1980, was known as a master at motivating his players. During his 17 year career at Georgia, the Bulldogs’ defense help opponents to 17 points or less in 135 of 192 games. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Russell.

Explanation of a Junkyard Dog:

"By our own definition, a Junkyard Dog is a dog completely dedicated to his task, that of defending his goal line. Further, he is very often a reject (from the offense) or the runt of the litter. Nobody wants him, and he is hungry. We had three walk-ons, four QBs, and three running backs in our original Junkyard Dog starting cast, which averaged 208 pounds across the front. In short, a Junkyard Dog is one who must stretch and strain all of his potential just to survive. Then he can think about being good."

On the once famous Railroad Track people:

"The railroad track crowd. These are my people because they love the Dawgs almost as much as I do...they choke me up!" - Erk Russell

On the impact of the defense:

"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."

And, my personal favorite:

“Run three miles, hate Georgia Tech four times!”