The Countdown 2010: 6 Days To Go, Terry Hoage

6: Terry Hoage, DB #14 (1980-1983)

"The best defensive player I've ever coached and maybe the best one I've ever seen," is what Vince Dooley said about Terry Hoage at an Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction. Such is fitting for a superior athlete that dominated on the field, in the class room (graduating with a 3.85 GPA), and helped Georgia dominate college football in the early 1980s.

Hoage came to the Georgia Bulldogs from Huntsville, Texas and as a freshman he was responsible for a blocked field goal in the 1981 Sugar Bowl that secured the 1980 National Championship for the Bulldogs.


Go to the 38 second mark in this video to see Hoage's blocked FG

His next three seasons saw him perform at a legendary level, as he helped guide the Bulldogs (as one of the team’s essential playmakers), in an era of Georgia football that would claim a national championship, three SEC championships, and go 43-4-1. In that time, Hoage would display his talents through such achievements as claiming the SEC record for interceptions in a season with 12 during the 1982 season, and finishing his career 3rd all time at Georgia in career interceptions.

Hoage’s college career was filled with a plethora of honors and accolades: Two time consensus All-American, two time Academic All-American, two time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 1984 SEC Athlete of the Year Award, and also being awarded the 1984 Top V Award that is given to the country’s top student athletes. Hoage also finished 5th in the balloting for the 1983 Heisman Trophy, gaining more votes than any other defensive back had ever received up to that time.

His post-career honors continue his legend with his inductions into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, UGA’s Circle of Honor, the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame, Academic All-American Hall of Fame, and being named to the Walter Camp All Century Team.

Hoage would go on to be drafted in the 3rd round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Hoage’s professional career would last 13 seasons, where he would play for 6 teams and win a Super Bowl Championship with the 1991 Washington Redskins.

Hoage currently lives in California where he and his wife operate Terry Hoage Vineyards. As is typical with Hoage’s football career, Wine Spectator Magazine named the Hoage’s the Top New California Wine Producers for 2008.

Terry "Superman" Hoage pic courtesy of DawgBone

The Countdown 2010: 37 Days to Go

Knox Culpepper, LB #48 (1981-1984)

Like many Dawgs before him, Knox Culpepper will enter the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame this year. For his career, Culpepper finished with 383 tackles, ranking sixth on Georgia's all-time list. But most importantly, he finished 3-1 against the Gators.

Culpepper remembers "the smell of liquor coming from the stands as we ran onto the field [in Jacksonville]. There was no atmosphere quite like it."

The early '80s linebacker followed in his father's footsteps, who played linebacker for Wally Butts' Dawgs in the '50s and was team captain in 1956. He also accepted the challenge of wearing linebacker Frank Ros' number, the senior captain of the 1980 National Championship team.

An All-State linebacker from The Lovett School, Culpepper was a second-team All-American, an All-SEC performer and the team captain himself by his senior season with the Dawgs in 1984. He set the Georgia record for total tackles in one season with 170 in his junior year of 1983, a record still held today.

What did he do for an encore? Only 166 total tackles in 1984, still good for second on the single season list. He earned the Coffee County Hustle Award both seasons.

Culpepper also still ranks #1 and #2 on Georgia's single game tackles list. In 1983, he racked up 25 tackles versus Auburn in a 13-7 loss, breaking the school's record. However, that record only stood through the bye week as Culpepper marked up 26 tackles against the NATS in a 27-24 win.

In "What It Means to be a Bulldog," Culpepper references the "immortal" words of Lewis Grizzard, who wrote that "The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity."

The Countdown 2010: 60 Days to Go

60: Lars Tate, RB #32 (1984-1987)

Lars Tate shared the Georgia backfield with some quality running mates. Rodney Hampton, Tim Worley, Keith Henderson and of course, Pulpwood. But none of those backs ran for more career yards than Tate.

Lars Tate shared a backfield with #38 and #7.

The Indianapolis native left Athens with more than 3,000 yards rushing, which at the time was good for second place behind Herschel on Georgia's career rushing list. Tate still holds the #2 spot on UGA's career touchdown list with 36, thirteen behind Walker. The workhorse back of that mid-80s stable, Tate is also second all-time on Georgia's carries list with 615.

Named All-SEC as a junior, he posted 17 touchdowns in 1986, tying a then school record with four vs. Richmond - a feat he tied again vs. Oregon State the next season.

Lars garnered his second All-SEC team selection in 1987 as only one of two UGA seniors to ever rush for more than 1,000 yards, scampering for 1,016. Only senior tailback Willie McClendon of the 1978 Wonder Dawgs ran for more.

He was drafted 53rd overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1988. Twenty one years later, his son Donovan beat him by 50 spots, being drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres.