2011 Recruiting Wrap Up: Assessing the Depth Chart - DL and Linebacker

The combination recruits and the return of players from redshirt should mean that the defensive line and linebackers will look a lot different than they did last fall. For the purposes of the depth charts below, I am listing Ray Drew as an outside linebacker and Sterling Bailey at defensive end.


Depth Chart - Defensive End
1. Deangelo Tyson, Senior
2. Abry Jones, Junior
3. Derrick Lott, Sophomore
4. Garrison Smith, Sophomore
5. Sterling Bailey, Freshman

Analysis
With John Jenkins manning the nose guard position, Deangelo Tyson will be able to move back to his natural position of defensive end. When we go to a four down linemen set, he will shift back into a D tackle role. Tyson and Jones should be solid at DE, both having played significantly since their freshman seasons. Derrick Lott showed some flashes last season and Garrison Smith should see the field alot this fall. I think Sterling Bailey may be able to crack the rotation, particularly in pass situations opposite a linebacker playing up on the line.

Depth Chart - DT
1. John Jenkins, Junior
2. Kwame Geathers, Sophomore

Analysis
Jenkins will fit perfectly into Grantham's 3-4. Hoepfully Geathers has continued to develop in the off-season. Freshman Chris Mayes is also expected to play the nose guard position, but i have heard rumors that he may not qualify and be headed to GMC.

Depth Chart - OLB
1. Cornelius Washington, Junior
2. Ray Drew, Freshman
3. TJ Stripling, Sophomore
4. Reuben Faloughi, Sophomore
5. Dexter Morant, Redshirt Freshman

Analysis
I expect that Jarvis Jones may also see significant playing time at outside linebacker. I expect Ray Drew to take a starting spot in camp this summer and Cornelius Washington to be the beast we thought he could be. TJ Stripling is coming off that horrendous knee injury, but if healthy, could be in for a breakout season.

Depth Chart - ILB
1. Christian Robinson, Junior
2. Jarvis Jones, Redshirt Sophomore
3. Richard Samuel, Redshirt Junior
4. Mike Gilliard, Junior
5. Amarlo Herrera, Freshman

Analysis
The departure of Marcus Dowtin has opened up a spot in the starting lineup for Jarvis Jones (he may have taken it anyway). After sitting out a year healing from a neck injury, the former five star recruit could really make an impact in the SEC this fall. Christian Robinson was solid last year and will only get better. I am also excited to finally see Richard Samuel where he belongs. Most Georgia fans have never seen him on defense, but let me say that you are in for a treat. Amarlo Herrera and Kent Turene could also see the field this fall.

The Countdown 2010: 2 Days to Go

2: David Pollack, Defensive End #47 (2001 – 2004)

In 2001, a two-star fullback from Snellville followed his good friend David Greene to Georgia to play for new coach Mark Richt. During summer practice, David Pollack was in contention for the starting fullback spot when injuries depleted the depth chart along the defensive line. At the request of Coach Richt, he switched sides of the ball and began making an immediate impact. In 2001, Pollack played primarily defensive tackle under coordinator Brian Van Gorder. He made 5 starts and earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team, but few expected the amazing season Pollack would have the next fall.

2002 was a magical year for the Georgia Bulldogs and David Pollack was leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Few people across the country knew who Pollack was, until Georgia traveled to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks. With Georgia struggling on offense, Pollack took things into his own hands (literally) and put the Dawgs on the score board:

From that point on, everyone knew about Pollack. The only problem was that no one could stop him. Georgia won its first SEC Championship in 20 years and Pollack was named the SEC Player of the Year (the first defensive player to win the award since 1988). He recorded a Georgia record 14 sacks and led the SEC in tackles for a loss with 23. He was also first team All-SEC and named an All-American.

While he may have been an obscure sophomore in 2002, every team knew who Pollack was by 2003. Despite facing constant double teams, Pollack had another great season on his way to a second straight All-American honor. He had 92 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 32 quarterback pressures. He was once again first team All-SEC and won the Tom Hendricks Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive end. After deciding to return for his senior season, Pollack capped his career with a banner year in ’04. He had 52 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for a loss, and 41 quarterback pressures. In his final game (the Outback Bowl) against Wisconsin, Pollack made a play similar to the one that put him on the national map. With Georgia holding a lead in the fourth quarter, he forced and recovered a fumble in midair to help seal the Georgia victory. He become only the second Georgia player to be named a three-time All American and was awarded the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman), Hendricks trophy, and the Bednarik Trophy (nation’s best defensive player).


David Pollack will forever be remembered for his effort and performance on the field. His motor never quit moving and he could always be seen doing jumping jacks to try and fire up the Georgia faithful. He is Georgia’s all-time leader in sacks with 36 (the third highest total in NCAA history) and tackles for a loss with 58. He also had 283 tackles and 4 interceptions in 50 games (44 as a starter). He was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. After a promising rookie season, Pollack’s football career was ended in early 2006. He suffered a broken neck in a game against the Browns and was unable to return to the playing field. After retiring from football, he found a home as a radio personality in Atlanta, teaming with Mike Bell on 790 the Zone. He can also be seen this fall calling college football games for ESPN.

The Countdown 2010: 9 Days to Go

9: Bill Stanfill, DT/DE #77 (1966-1968)

The only Outland Trophy winner in Georgia history, Cairo native Bill Stanfill is known for famously harassing Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier and the Gators in Spurrier's Heisman season. The Bulldogs went 26-6-2 and captured two SEC championships in Stanfill's three-year stretch.

In 1966, Spurrier had basically wrapped up the Heisman Trophy with a game-winning kick (yes, kick) against Auburn. The Gators led Georgia 10-3 at halftime and were closing in on their first SEC championship. However, the Bulldogs turned them back in the second half, winning 27-10, and Georgia and Alabama shared the SEC championship that season.

The most athletic lineman in Georgia history in the minds of many old-time Bulldogs, Stanfill reeked havoc in Florida's backfield all day, and in What It Means to be a Bulldog, he states "in the second half, we took that boy [Spurrier] to the woodshed."

In 1968*, as Georgia was marching to its second SEC championship in three years, the Bulldogs dismantled the Gators 51-0 and Dooley inserted Stanfill at quarterback to finish the game, which didn't sit well with the Gator faithful.

Stanfill was drafted 11th overall by the Miami Dolphins in 1969 and would star on Miami's 1972 undefeated team as an All-Pro with former Georgia teammate Jake Scott on Dolphins' "No Name Defense." Stanfill retired early due to injuries at age 29 with four Pro Bowls to his credit, holding the Dolphins' single-season record for sacks with 18.5 in 14 games (1973).

The 1968 All-American and Outland Trophy winner was selected to the 50th Anniversary All-SEC team and the 1960s All-SEC team. He was also elected to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.



*The Litkenhous poll recognized the 8-1-2 Bulldogs as National Champions in 1968, while most other polls recognized Ohio State. That's what we call "an Alabama national championship" for the Dawgs.






*The following Palm Beach Post article is from 2008

Original sack artist Bill Stanfill is now Dolphins' forgotten man

By BRIAN BIGGANE

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, December 13, 2008

DAVIE — When Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter was asked recently what he knew about Bill Stanfill, he shook his head and raised his palms in the air as if to say, "Nothing."

Porter is not alone. Stanfill, a former Dolphins defensive end, played only eight seasons in the NFL and retired in 1976, a year before Porter was born. While other members of the "No-Name Defense," such as Dick Anderson and Nick Buoniconti, have maintained a local and even national presence, Stanfill has all but disappeared from memory.

But this was some player - a four-time Pro Bowler who, despite being forced into retirement at 29 by neck and back injuries, amassed 671/2 career sacks, a team record that lasted more than 35 years before being broken by Jason Taylor.

Stanfill's biggest achievement might be the Dolphins' single-season record of 181/2 sacks that Porter, who has 161/2, has in his sights. Not only did Stanfill achieve that mark in a 14-game season in 1973, but he did it at a time when the passing game was almost an afterthought for many teams.

"One of the best I ever saw," said former defensive line coach Mike Scarry, a member of coach Don Shula's staff for 16 years.

"Probably the most underrated member of our defense," Anderson added.

Manny Fernandez, who played alongside Stanfill at nose tackle, compared him to Hall of Fame member Dwight Stephenson, a Dolphins center who played only eight years.

"The fact he's never even been nominated for the Hall of Fame is a real miscarriage of justice," Fernandez said of Stanfill. "He had a short career, but so did Gale Sayers."

Vern Den Herder, who played at right defensive end on the line with Stanfill and Fernandez, said Stanfill's achievements were especially impressive because he was part of a three-man front.

"That meant more double-teaming," Den Herder said. "We played a lot of 2-gap defense, meaning we lined up head up on the tackles. Nowadays, most defensive ends line up on the outside shoulder of the tackle and get penetration every play."

Stanfill, who was born in Cairo, Ga., was a superb all-around athlete who was recruited in 1966 by legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley. Dooley recalled "having to play referee" with four of his assistant coaches, all of whom saw Stanfill (6-foot-5 and 248 pounds) as the answer to their prayers.

"He was the best lineman athlete I ever coached," Dooley said. "This is a guy who never threw the discus in his life, picked it up at a state meet and set a record that lasted 30 or 40 years."

Dooley said Stanfill could have played tight end or fullback but wanted to play defensive end. Good choice: He won the Outland Trophy and was named SEC Lineman of the Year in 1968. Two years earlier, he helped end Steve Spurrier's hopes for a national championship in his senior season at Florida when the Bulldogs beat the previously undefeated Gators 27-10.

Drafted 11th overall in 1969, Stanfill and the Dolphins endured a 3-10-1 season before Shula arrived in 1970. Miami went 10-4 that season and was on its way.

"We had a brief players' strike that first year that ended a week or two prior to the season, and then we did four-a-days," Stanfill said. That, he admitted, was "quite a change" from the previous coach, George Wilson.

Playing injured in those days was much more the norm than it is now. But Stanfill literally left his hospital bed to play in the 1973 opener against San Francisco at the Orange Bowl.

"I'd been in Mercy Hospital for 10 days with a lacerated liver, and early that morning, the team doctor (Herbert Virgin) came to see me and said my white blood count was too high, he couldn't let me out," Stanfill recalled.

"Then at 12:15, the nurse walks in and said, 'Dr. Virgin is going to be calling.' He did and said, 'Bill, do you have your car? Drive on down to the Orange Bowl.' I went down, the team was on the field, I got taped and went out and played 18 snaps.

"We won the game and when I was cutting my tape off, I noticed I still had my hospital bracelet on, so I walked into the training room and told Dr. Virgin, 'I'll give you the honor of cutting this off.' He said, 'No, you're going back to the hospital.' I spent three more days there."

Three weeks later, Stanfill sacked the New York Jets' Joe Namath five times in a game. He also had five sacks against Buffalo in 1974; among Dolphins, only Den Herder has matched that number.

In 1975, the injury problems that would end his career began. Nearly paralyzed by a neck injury in the first exhibition game, he missed the rest of the pre-season but returned for the opener. He needed cortisone shots before nearly every game that season.

"After the '76 season I got Shula's permission to see two outside doctors in Ann Arbor, Mich., and both told me I'd be risking paralysis if I played again. Shula said he'd make the announcement that I'd be retiring at mini-camp, but then I took the physical and Dr. Virgin said I was able to play."

Stanfill said his contract was guaranteed through 1979, and that then-owner Joe Robbie didn't want to pay him unless he played. Stanfill retired and successfully sued to get paid.

He has had a succession of surgeries since, mostly to his neck and hips, though none since 2001. Doctors have told him the hip problems are mostly a result of the multitude of cortisone injections he took to keep playing.

Stanfill has returned to rural Georgia and sells real estate, earlier this year selling some property to Fernandez, who looks forward to the two former linemates heading out in search of ducks and birds just as they did after practice in what was then a much less populated Dade County.

Stanfill admits he keeps tabs on Porter's pursuit of his record but feels Porter must catch or pass him in today's game against San Francisco for the mark to count. Both will have then played in 14 games.

"Otherwise they ought to put an asterisk by it," Stanfill said. "It's only fair."

The Countdown 2010: 29 Days to Go

29: Freddie Gilbert, Defensive Tackle #90 (1980 – 1983)

After playing both offense and defense during his high school days in Griffin, Freddie Gilbert only wanted to play on the defensive line after coming to Georgia in 1980. Despite his size (only 185 pounds), he earned a starting position as a freshman that fall. Georgia would be on its way to a national championship, but without a key play by Gilbert, they may have never made it.

Georgia was undefeated and looking to wrap up a perfect SEC season with a victory over the Tigers. Auburn came out wearing orange jerseys and was able to keep up with the top ranked Bulldogs until the second half. Instead of Herschel Walker, it was another freshman making a big play that day for the Dawgs:

Georgia would go onto win the game, 31-21. For the season, Freddie Gilbert had two sacks and returned to Athens to help Georgia defend its national championship the next fall.

For his sophomore season, Gilbert increased his weight from 185 to 215, but was able to keep his speed. He became a force on the Georgia line, constantly putting pressure on the opponent’s quarterback. He increased his sack total to 6 and Georgia won its second consecutive SEC Championship. 1982 would see Gilbert once again increase his sack total but also become one of the leading tacklers on the team. In addition to 7 sacks he also had 77 tackles and was named to the first team All-SEC. After the departure of Herschel Walker, Georgia failed to win the SEC for the first time in three years in 1983, but Freddie Gilbert still lead a Georgia squad that was able to defeat Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Gilbert was named the permanent captain and led the team in sacks with 11. He also finished third on the team in tackles with 100 for the season and was once again named to the All-SEC team. Following the season, he was named an All-American at defensive tackle.

During his four-year career as a starter for Georgia, Gilbert racked up 26 career sacks and 233 career tackles. He followed in Herschel Walker’s footsteps by playing in the USFL following college. He eventually played in the NFL and ended his career with the Denver Broncos.

The Countdown 2010: 34 Days to Go

34: Jimmy Payne, Defensive Tackle #87 (1978 – 1982)

Jimmy Payne did not travel far when he chose to attend The University of Georgia to play college football. The Athens native was a three-sport star Cedar Shoals High School and decided to stay home and play for the Dawgs, despite a heavy recruiting battle with the Tennessee Volunteers. Jimmy’s father, James, worked for the university but tried to remain neutral throughout the recruiting process. Jimmy would go on to become the first 5-time letterman in Georgia football history.

As a true freshman in 1978, Jimmy saw his first action under the tutelage of Georgia defensive coordinator Erk Russell. He speed and versatility allowed Payne to play both on the line and at linebacker. During an early game in the 1979 season, Payne injured his knee and would have to miss the remainder of the season, the NCAA granted him a medical redshirt, meaning he would still have three years left for the Georgia defense.

With his knee healthy, Payne returned to the line for the 1980 season and became an All-SEC performer. He led the Dawgs with 7 sacks and finished fourth on the team in tackles with 85. He also had an interception during Georgia’s 41-0 victory over Vanderbilt. Georgia won the SEC and the National Championship and Payne returned to anchor the line again in 1981. Payne once again led the dawgs in sacks, this time with 12. He recorded 62 tackles and was named first team All-SEC for the second consecutive season. During Payne’s senior season in 1982, Georgia won their third straight SEC Championship and Payne made the all-SEC squad for the third straight year. To cap his career, he was named first team All-American, a fitting ending to fine career in Athens.

During his five years on the Georgia line, Payne racked up 256 tackles, including 41 for a loss(5th all-time). His 28 career sacks ranks third at Georgia, although sacks were not officially recorded during his freshman year in 1978. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 1983 NFL Draft. Jimmy Payne died in 1998 after a long struggle with cancer.

The Countdown 2010: 43 Days to Go

43: Richard Seymour, Defensive Tackle #93 (1997 – 2000)

Richard Seymour player all four years at Georgia under Coach Jim Donnan in what may have been the most talented group of defensive linemen the Bulldogs have ever had. Playing alongside the likes of Marcus Stroud, Charles Grant, and Jonathan Sullivan, Seymour was a four year letterman that made 25 career starts at Georgia. The Hopkins, South Carolina native played sparingly during his freshman season in 1997 but finally cracked the top of Bulldogs depth chart in 1998.

Seymour made 4 starts during his sophomore season in ’98. He played in every game that fall, racking up 69 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 14 quarterback pressures. Seymour played a key role in Georgia’s come from behind victory over Virginia in the Peach Bowl. Fully entrenched as a starter for the 1999 season, he once again had a great year in Athens. Seymour led the team in tackles from his right defensive tackle position, tallying 74 total including 10 for a loss. He had 4 quarterback sacks, 7 quarterback pressures, and even had an interception. He was named to the first team All-SEC for the first time.

2000 was Richard’s final year at Georgia (it also marked the end of Coach Donnan’s career as well. He played a key role in the early season victory over Tennessee. For those of you don’t remember, this is what happened at the end of that game:

For the season, Seymour totaled 78 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks. He was named to the first team All-SEC team for the second year in a row and was named a first team All-American.

For his Georgia career Seymour had 233 tackles, 10 sacks, and 26 tackles for a loss. He was drafted in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots where he became a key member of the Patriots’ multiple Super Bowl victories. He has been a 5-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the NFL’s 2000’s All Decade team. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2009 and recently signed a one year contract that will pay him $12.4 million this fall.

The Countdown 2010: 45 Days to Go

45: Wilbur Strozier, Offensive Line/Defensive Tackle #79 (1983 – 1986)

Wilbur Strozier played for two season in the NFL as a tight end for the Seattle Seahawks and the San Diego Chargers. But the road to becoming an NFL tight end began as a highly recruited defensive end from La Grange. Following Georgia’s run of three straight SEC Championships, Strozier joined the Georgia signing class of 1983 along with fellow Georgia greats Jeff Sanchez and John Little. After arriving in Athens, it took a few years for the Georgia coaches to finally figure out what position fit Wilbur the best.Wilbur Strozier began his Georgia career on the defensive line, moving from his high school position of defensive end to defensive tackle. During the next season, he would continue to play defense but also began to see time on offense at tight end.

Entering his junior season in 1985, the coaches finally found a permanent home for him at offensive tackle. Recognized as one of the most consistent tackles in Georgia history, Strozier started all but one game at offensive tackle during his final two seasons. In 1986, he played a key role in the 20-16 victory over the Auburn Tigers. He was recognized as a member of the All-SEC First team and was named an All-American by Football News. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1987 NFL Draft and remains one of the most versatile players in Georgia history.

The Countdown 2010: 61 Days to Go

61: Steve Greer, Defensive Guard #60 (1967-1969)

"Greer is the best lineman I've ever faced." – Ole Miss Quarterback Archie Manning

When Steve Greer arrived in Athens in the fall of 1966, few would have known it was the start of 33 year career in Georgia Athletics. Steve Greer, from Greer, SC, was an undersized defensive guard on Vince Dooley’s Georgia Bulldogs in the late 1960’s. He was a three year starter in Athens and Coach Dooley often called him the best pound for pound lineman he had ever seen.

Greer was a leader on the 1968 Bulldog team that won the SEC Championship. He played a crucial role in the Championship clinching game against the Ole Miss Rebels, intercepting two passing from Archie Manning in the 21-7 victory. Greer was named a permanent captain of the 1969 team, where he once again earned All-SEC honors and was named an All-American.


Greer worked as a graduate assistant at Georgia before taking a coaching job on Shug Jordan’s staff at Auburn in 1972. He returned to Georgia in 1978 as defensive end coach and recruiting coordinator. He was instrumental in helping bring Herschel Walker to Georgia and remained a member of the coaching staff until 1996. He then took over as the director of football operations, where he remained until 2009. Steve’s son Michael also played football for the Dawgs, catching a key 80 yard touchdown pass from Quincy Carter in the victory over Auburn in 1998.

The Countdown 2010: 62 Days to Go

62: George Patton, Defensive Tackle #76 (1963 – 1966)

Today marks the 234th birthday of our great nation and there is not a better Georgia legend to honor than one who shares his name with one of the most famous generals in US History. Appropriately nicknamed “General”, George Patton ended up signing a scholarship with Georgia after attending a recruiting visit with fellow Alabama native Vance Evans. In 1963, Patton played tackle and quarterback for Georgia’s B team. When Vince Dooley became coach the next season, he wanted to get the athletic Patton into the lineup and defensive tackle became his permanent position.

During his sophomore season in 1964, Patton became a force on the Georgia line, earning the first of three straight seasons on the All-SEC squad. After another stellar season in 1965, Patton earned a spot on the All-American team. In 1966, he was named the captain of a team that would bring home Dooley’s first SEC championship. After once again being named to the All-American team, Patton had one last career highlight to make during the 1967 Cotton Bowl against SMU.

Despite playing quarterback on the B team during his freshman season in 1963, Patton had never played a snap at the position under Vince Dooley. Coach Dooley had made Patton a promise that he would be given the opportunity to play quarterback at some point before the end of his career. In the final minute, #76 lined up at quarterback. After throwing three straight incompletions, Patton took off on a 16 yard run on the final play of the game. It was a fitting end to a great career in Athens.

He finished his career as one of the most decorated players in Georgia history. His achievements including being named to the All-SEC team 3 times (’64,’65,’66), twice named All-American (’65,’66), and being named the most outstanding lineman in the country. He played for one season in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

The Countdonw 2010: 63 Days to Go

63: Bill Goldberg, Defensive Tackle/End #95 (1986 – 1989)

Before his days as a professional wrestler and television personality, Bill Goldberg was an excellent defensive lineman for University of Georgia Bulldogs. Goldberg, who hailed from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was recruited to Georgia during the final years of the Vince Dooley era.

A three year starter at Georgia, Bill Goldberg left a long list of accomplishments during his four years in Athens. He was a two time All-SEC selection and led Georgia in tackles in 1989. For his career, Goldberg had 348 total tackles (170 solo, 178 assists) which puts him 9th all-time in school history. He had 12 career sacks, good for 16th all time. Goldberg can be seen in action in the video below from the 1989 game against the Tennessee Volunteers:


Goldberg played in the Japan Bowl in 1990 and was drafted in the 11th round of the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Goldberg ended up playing in the NFL for 3 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, before injuries ended his career. Goldberg moved onto a career in wrestling. He was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
And while I never saw Goldberg play football in the Georgia Dome, I was there the night he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW Championship, as seen below. I have been to Falcons games, Olympic basketball games, and bowl games at the Dome, but I never heard a crowd louder than it was on this night: