Dawgs Leaving Early Under Richt – Part 2

From 2005 until 2009, the Georgia Bulldogs have seen 8 players forgo their remaining eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Here is a look at those who left early during the second half of Richt’s first decade in Athens.

2005

Leonard Pope – 3rd Round by Arizona – Pope left Georgia following the SEC Championship season and was drafted by a pass happy Arizona Cardinals team. And while receivers like Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald put up huge numbers catching passes, Pope never really took off. He has played the last 2 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Pope’s size was amazing, but one more year in Athens could have really helped hone his skills. He has not lived up to the success that former Georgia tight ends Randy McMichael and Ben Watson had.

2006

Danny Ware – Undrafted – Ware bounced around before finally finding a home with the New York Giants. Ware has become an important special teams player for the Giants and earned a Super Bowl ring in 2008. Now going by DJ, Ware’s career has lasted longer than the backs he was behind at Georgia.
Verdict – Good Decision – With Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin, and Knowshon Moreno on the roster, Ware would have seen very few carries in 2007. He went undrafted, but has made a nice place for himself on the Giants.

Charles Johnson – 3rd Round by Carolina – Johnson has gradually earned more playing time for the Panthers and this year took over for the departed Julius Peppers at defensive end. His career is on an uptick, even if the Panthers are horrible.
Verdict – Good Decision – Johnson was a beast and after watching teammate Quentin Moses struggle after returning for his senior season, Johnson leaving early was a no-brainer.

2008

Asher Allen – 3rd Round by Minnesota – Allen struggled to see the field much during his rookie season for the Vikings, but continued to improve. He earned a starting role this fall, totaling 57 tackles and 2 interceptions.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Allen could have increased his draft status in 2009 by returning to school. He was good, but not great.

Knowshon Moreno – 1st Round (#12 overall) by Denver – Moreno has struggled with injuries for much of his first two seasons, but has managed to put up 1,100+ yards both years. In 2010, he solidified his role as Denver’s starting tailback and has also become a weapon catching passes.
Verdict – Good Decision – He was the first back taken and has had two relatively successful seasons despite injuries. Coming back for an additional year would have done nothing but add wear and tear to his body.

Matthew Stafford – 1st Round (#1 overall) by Detroit – Going to a horrible Lions team, Stafford expected to get hit. He has been hit so much that he has failed to stay healthy, ending both of his first two seasons on IR. He has shown promise in the 13 games he has played in.
Verdict – Good Decision – There is an argument that going to the NFL to get pummeled and constantly being injured was a bad decision. But Stafford most likely would not have been the #1 pick in 2009, meaning he would not have gotten the $40+ million from Detroit. Plus, he would not have done this:


2009

Rennie Curran – 3rd Round by Tennessee – Curran played sparingly during his rookie season, though his play time increased as the season progressed.
Verdict – Good Decision – As Curran stated when he made his decision, he was not going to get any taller by staying another year in Athens. The only way he would earn a starting role in the NFL is by playing his way up the later. Starting as soon as possible was the right move for him.

Reshad Jones – 5th Round by Miami – Jones appeared in 13 of the Dolphins’ 16 games this fall, recording 21 tackles. His best game of the year came when he recorded both his first career sack and interception on November 20 against Tennessee.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Jones had an amazing combination of both size and talent. He improved each year he was at Georgia and one more season could have improved his draft status significantly.


All told, there have been 16 players that have left Georgia early for the Draft during the Richt era. AJ Green’s decision is a no brainer, but hope players like Justin Houston and Brandon Boykin consider the past experiences of these Georgia pl

The Countdown 2010: 40 Days to Go

40: Matthew Stafford, Quarterback #7 (2006 – 2008)

Before Matthew Stafford enrolled early at Georgia in January of 2006, the expectations for the Dallas native were already off the charts. The strong-armed quarterback from Texas came to Athens as one of the biggest recruits since Herschel and only increased expectations on his first pass in Sanford Stadium. During G-Day, Stafford entered the game to a standing ovation from the Georgia faithful and found Mikey Henderson for a 67 yard touchdown pass. The bar had been set extremely high but Stafford would answer most of those expectations in the next three seasons.

Joe Tereshinski won the starting job to begin the 2006 season, but everyone knew it was a only a matter of time before Stafford became the starter. In the season opener against Western Kentucky, Stafford came into the game in the second half and led the Dawgs on a scoring drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to tight end Coleman Watson. The next week, Joe T was injured at South Carolina and Stafford came in. While he was not brilliant (throwing three interceptions) he showed flashes of what he could do. He made his first start against UAB the following week. As Georgia struggled through the ’06 season, Stafford too dealt with pains of being a freshman starter in the SEC. following the loss against Tennessee, Stafford was made the permanent starter and against Auburn a few weeks later, he proved what the hype was all about. In a game dubbed the Massacre on the Plains, Stafford led Georgia to an upset victory over the #5 ranked Tigers. Stafford would help the Dawgs close the season with two more victories over ranked teams (Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech). For the season, he threw for 1,749 yards on 52.1% completion for 7 touchdowns.

In 2007, Georgia had an amazing season that ended with a Sugar Bowl victory and #2 overall ranking. Stafford’s development into the potential he showed coming into college was one of the main reasons. The season opened with a solid win over Oklahoma State, but the season really got going against Alabama. With the Dawgs down 3 in overtime, Stafford threw a perfect touch pass to Mikey Henderson for a touchdown, giving the Dawgs a 26-23 victory over the Tide. A few weeks later in Jacksonville, Stafford passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a rousing victory over Florida. He continued his solid play in the Blackout victory over Auburn and the beat down of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Stafford finished his sophomore season with 2,533 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his first full season as starter, he reduced his interceptions from 13 to 10 and improved his completion percentage to almost 56%.

Georgia entered the 2008 season with a preseason #1 ranking and a lot of hype on the duo of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. While the Dawgs failed to live up to the national championship aspirations many of us had, Stafford did turn in one of the best single seasons by a quarterback in Georgia history. After a great game in the desert in Arizona State and a solid effort in the loss to Alabama, Stafford earned his first career 300 yard game on 25 of 36 passing performance (69%) against Tennessee. He then threw for 376 yards and three scores, including the game winning touchdown in the final minutes, in the victory at Kentucky. In his final home game at Georgia, Stafford had his finest game throwing for 407 yards and five touchdowns against Georgia Tech. He capped his career with an MVP performance in the Capital One Bowl victory over Michigan State. He finished the season with 3,459 yards (second highest single season total in Georgia history) with Georgia record 25 touchdowns on 62% completion and was named second team All-SEC. Here are some highlights from the 2008 season:


For his career, Stafford threw for 7,731 yards (third all-time) and 51 touchdowns (also third all-time). He also ran for 6 career touchdowns and had a record of 6-3 against Georgia’s rivals (Auburn, Florida, and Tech). Matthew Stafford became the third player in Georgia history to be drafted #1 overall in the NFL draft when he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft. While he struggled as part of a horrible Lions squad, he did turn in one of the most amazing moments ever caught on NFL Films (according to Steve Sabol, the President of NFL Films):

Retrovideo: Stafford vs. Snead

I randomly ran across this video yesterday. It features a Texas high school game between two players who would enjoy great SEC careers: Matt Stafford and Jevan Snead. The video is fun to watch because it is clear to see that both of these two players are far better than most of the others on the field. It is a back and forth battle, with each player making play after play.

Stafford is #7 for the team in blue (Highland Park). Snead is #4 in white (Stephenville). Highland Park won the game on a last minute touchdown pass by Stafford.


Look for the countdown feature on Stafford in the next week. Go Dawgs!!!

Wonderlickin' - Bradford as smart as Stafford, Tebow...not so much

Matt Stafford and Sam Bradford share a lot of things in common:

- Stafford was the top quarterback in his draft class and was drafted # 1 overall. Sam Bradford is the top rated quarterback in this year's class and has a good chance of being drafted # 1 overall by the Rams.

- Both Stafford and Bradford suffered shoulder injuries during the 2009 season and ended the season on the injured list.

- Both are considered ideal NFL quarterback size and have strong right arms.

Another similarity between these two was discovered today with the release of the Wonderlic test scores from the 2010 scouting combine. Last year, Stafford scored an impressive 38 on the test that is supposed to test learning aptitude. Bradford finds himself atop the 2010 QB class with a score of 36, far outdistancing fellow potential NFLers Colt McCoy (25) and Jimmy Clausen (23). And what of the Golden Boy of this year's draft, Tim Tebow? Timmy finished at the bottom with a score of 22. That's very similar to another athletic left handed quarterback who struggled to make the change from a running QB in college to a passer in the NFL:

Vick scored a 20 on his Wonderlic.

At least the team won't have to worry about Tebow running an illegal dog fighting ring.

Georgia vs. LSU: The Importance of Joe Cox

If Georgia is to beat LSU this Saturday in Athens, the Dawgs will most likely need a big game from senior quarterback Joe Cox. In the last three Georgia-LSU matchups (all Georgia victories), the quarterback position has been responsible for 11 total touchdowns (9 passing, 2 rushing).

- David Greene threw for 5 touchdowns in the 2004 victory over LSU in Athens
- DJ Shockley threw for 2 touchdowns and rushed for another in the 2005 SEC Championship game
- Matt Stafford threw 2 touchdowns and ran for one in the 52-38 victory in Baton Rouge last season

If Joe Cox can have a day any where close to these, the Dawgs should be in a good position to upset the #4 ranked Tigers.

The Countdown 2009: 51 Days to Go

51

Career touchdown passes for former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford's first career touchdown came in the 2006 season opener against Western Kentucky and went to tight end Coleman Watson. Stafford's final touchdown pass at Georgia went to Knowshon Moreno in the 2009 Capital One Bowl victory.

The Impact of Stafford Going #1 Overall

After the last few months of speculation, the 2009 NFL draft will commence this Saturday with the Detroit Lions holding the number 1 overall pick. There has been much debate about how the Lions intend to use that pick. Coming off the first 0-16 season, the Lions need help in many areas. Like the Atlanta Falcons taking Matt Ryan with the third overall pick last season to help bring a new face to the franchise, the Detroit Lions are considering drafting Matthew Stafford as the first pick. After watching Stafford play the last three seasons, I have little doubt that he has the tools to become a great pro player and I think the Lions would be making the correct choice if they select Stafford.

What I am unsure of is the impact that Stafford going number one would have on Georgia. While I think I speak for most in the Dawg Nation, we would love to see one of our own go number one, I do question what this message tells future prospects.

Matthew Stafford came to Georgia in 2006 as arguably the highest profile recruit of the Mark Richt era. After throwing a touchdown pass on his first attempt in G-Day that year, the expectations were set high. Georgia struggled through the 2006 season, but both Stafford and the team found their stride by closing with three straight wins over ranked opponents. The 2007 season made Stafford a star, as he helped lead the Dawgs to a number 2 final ranking. And the combination of Stafford and Knowshon Moreno had the entire Georgia fan base excited about a shot at a national title in '08.

As the '08 season played out, Stafford had his best statistical season but the Dawgs dropped games to Alabama and Florida and fell out of the race for the SEC Championship. Despite a great performance from Stafford, the Dawgs lost to Georgia Tech to close the season and I knew that Stafford's career at Georgia was over. He had accomplished what he needed to do to become a top pick (win games on a national stage, display his skills, and improve season to season). For his career at Georgia, Stafford had key wins over LSU, Florida, and Auburn, but he never played for an SEC championship. I can't help but feel that he left with business unfinished.

It scares me that future Bulldog prospects may begin to see the Georgia program as just another stepping stone to the NFL and not as a place to come and win a championship. Having a number one overall pick will be a selling point for Coach Richt and his staff to use to attract the top talent, but will those players come to Georgia to win a championship or just to get to the next level? In some situations, it is a no-brainer that a player will leave early for the draft. There is no better example right now than AJ Green. Barring injury, I see now way that Green is in Athens after the '10 season, but that doesn't mean I hope he leaves early because he will be another top 10 pick for the Georgia program.

I wish Stafford, Knowshon, and Asher the best at the next level but I honestly wish they had returned. I know they will represent us well as high picks in the draft, but if I had it my way, I would take another 7th round draft pick quarterback who leads us to SEC Championships over the #1 pick any day of the week.

Last time I checked, Joey Harrington got cut instead of this guy.

Quick Thoughts

A couple of quick things currently on my mind...

1. The Georgia baseball team swept Tennessee over the weekend and managed to hang on to #1 in 3 of the 4 major polls. Now into its second week, their reign at 1 is now one week longer than Georgia Football's stay at #1 this past fall.

2. We are offering over $2 million a year to try and get Anderson from Missouri to coach the basketball team. Is it just me, or is that sound more like football money than basketball money?

3. Jeremy Longo has been added to the list of injured, meaning we will only have 2 scholarship D-ends for G-Day. Guess we will be seeing a lot of plays made by the likes of Andrew Gully.

4. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach made a player sit on the football field in the snow after practice and study. The Pirate from Lubbock is crazy, but awesome!

5. The 49ers don't want to take Matt Stafford because they think he still has issues with his parents divorce. If anything, the playing field is a good place for him to take out his aggression concerning those issues. As a child of divorce myself, I do not see why this would be an issue.

6. The Braves re-signed Chipper Jones until he is 41, meaning he will most likely retire as a Brave. Thank god they handled this correctly and did not let this turn into another Smoltz situation.

I'll be back later this week with the next entry in the series, Bringing Back Traditions.

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Hey, hey, hey

Goodbye...

Even though we all saw this coming, the Bulldawg Nation held its collective breath in the moments leading up to this afternoon's press conference, clinging to the last glimmer of hope that our co-offensive MVPs would return for another year of Bulldog football. Though we won't get our wish, we wish the best for these two guys. We'll be watching you on Sundays, boys.

Go Dawgs!

SEC vs. Big XII Quarterbacks

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford led the SEC in passing yardage this season with 3209 yards (267 per game) and finished third with 22 touchdown passes. With those kind of stats, do you know which Big XII quarterback Stafford ’s season was most comparable to?

Joe Ganz of Nebraska .

Ganz threw for 3300 yards (6th in the Big XII) and 23 touchdowns (7th in the Big XII).

In the SEC, Stafford was second team All-SEC. In the Big XII, he would be considered nothing more than middle of the road. Just a little more perspective on the differences between the defenses in the SEC and the Big XII.

Georgia-Florida 2008: Final Thoughts

I have little else to say. This game has been analyzed over and over since last year. We keep hearing the same things and we know the big story lines:

1. Emotion will be high - Florida is still upset over the celebration. Hell, Urban wrote about it in his book and Tebow cried.

2. Florida is fast on offense. We know you have Percy Harvin and Jeff Demps and we know they are fast.

3. Stafford vs. Tebow - Who's the better quarterback?

4. Will either defense step up and make a play?

It doesn't get any bigger that this. The SEC East crown is on the line in Jacksonville.

Give 'em hell Dawgs and get the hell out of that god awful state. We'll leave the light on for you.

Will history repeat itself?




GO DAWGS!!!

Weekend Wrap Up: ONE DAY IN THE VALLEY

Week 9 of the college football season has passed. We survived our trip to New Orleans and Baton Rouge and it is now on to face the hated Gators in Jacksonville . Here are my thoughts on the victory over LSU, the Tiger Stadium experience, the other big games from the weekend, and the upcoming clash with the Gators. Welcome to Hate Week 2008.

VICTORY!!!

What an amazing game in Death Valley on Saturday. We arrived at Tiger Stadium expecting to see a hard fought SEC battle that would be won in the trenches. What we got was a shootout that looked a lot like it belonged in the Big XII. Despite the efforts of the Bayou Bengals, the Dawgs kept their focus and left Louisiana with a 52-38 victory.

Georgia 52, LSU 38

- The offensive line played an amazing game. They gave Stafford enough time to stand tall in the pocket and get the ball to open receivers. The boys up front also opened the holes to allow Knowshon Moreno to slash his way to another huge game (163 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.)

- Matthew Stafford may have played his best overall game as a Georgia Bulldog. He made some great throws despite getting hit by the LSU pass rush. The long touchdown pass to AJ Green was a thing of beauty, as Stafford waited just long enough for AJ to get past the coverage and delivered the pass before getting hit hard by the defender.

Stafford also ran in a score from 5 yards out on a third and goal.

- Daryl Gamble is getting better every week. I had a number of people tell me before the game that they thought Gamble would play a big role. Gamble had 13 tackles and returned two Jarrett Lee interceptions for touchdowns. He was awarded SEC defensive player of the week for his efforts.

- Georgia played a great game, however there were definitely some issues. LSU gashed the Georgia defense for over 500 yards and once again the Dawgs failed to deliver the final knock out punch. There were way too many missed tackles and that must be improved before the Florida game.

This was a huge win. The boys were warming up their dance skills for next week.

The Tiger Stadium Experience

- As advertised, a visit to Baton Rouge is everything it is advertised to be. The fans are crazy and definitely make you feel intimidated. If I never have to hear "Tiga' Bait" again, I won't be sad. I also witnessed grown men throwing dog biscuits at us and heard about the LSU cops turning the other way to a man getting beaten on the ground.

- We were on the top row of Tiger Stadium (row FF in section 641) but the view was actually very good. Death Valley is very steep so while you are very high up, you are actually still pretty close to the field.

- The LSU band puts on a great show. It is too bad that their fans seemed to give up on their team in the 3rd quarter. When Georgia took the lead at 38-17, the place began to clear out. The Tigers certainly did not quit, but their fans did.

Other Games

- Penn State defeated Ohio State and has pretty much guaranteed themselves an undefeated season.- The suddenly hot Virginia Cavaliers knocked off the Bees from the North Avenue Trade school . Tech has tough games with Florida State, Miami and Georgia left on their schedule.

- Oklahoma State gave Texas a run for their money but came up short in the end. That trip to Stillwater to open the season in '09 keeps looking tougher and tougher.

- Alabama beat Tennessee in another ugly game for the Volunteers. Is Fulmer's career at UT going to end without being bowl eligible?

Showdown in Jacksonville

- This may be one of the biggest Georgia-Florida matchups in Cocktail Party history. The Dawgs really got under the skin of the entire Gator nation with the celebration and the beatdown in 2007. The tag line for this year's game: "There Will be Blood"

GO DAWGS!!!!

MATTHEW STAFFORD IS THE MAN

Matthew Stafford is awesome. Even with the trouncing we received from Bama, Stafford showed why he is a true leader that still has even greater things to accomplish.

Stafford gave it his all, especially in the second half on Saturday. Given an absolutely flawed game plan in the fourth quarter, Stafford kept us scoring and made some great passes. His poise and determination to salvage something out of this beating was outstanding.

Thank you for your performance and your leadership on the field. I wouldn't want anyone else leading our team into battle.


It is also necessary to give a shout out to the fans, particularly the student section. Even as the game was lost and the clock running out, our student section was almost entirely intact. They stayed until the very end and cheered the team as they left the field.

It's moments like these, in the face of defeat and embarrassment, that I am most proud to be a Georgia Bulldawg.