It’s Senior Bowl Week
It’s that time of year when all we have to look forward to is the Super bowl and College All-Star Games like the this past weekends East West Shrine Game and now the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. I was fortunate enough to play in the 1981 Senior Bowl but my how things have changed.
It was considered a golden opportunity to practice and play in front of NFL scouts and coaches and maybe get drafted. There are some that still look at it that way, but many, many players turn down offers to play because it may actually hurt their draft status. The Senior Bowl people have been scrambling to fill out the rosters because of this new attitude.
Georgia is represented by Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens this year. I am pulling for them to make some last minute statements to the assembly of pro football evaluators. In 1981, Scott Woerner, Nat Hudson and I made up the Dawg contingent.
It’s sad that not playing and relying on combines or carefully controlled pro days have replaced an opportunity to meet and play with guys from all over the country. We lost the game but I had a decent game with a 43 yard field goal. Some of you might actually remember that I punted, that’s right Dawg fans, I punted….terribly. It didn’t help that it was cold and windy and I had not punted in a game in 4+ years.
Even so, it was a great time. I hope this year’s Dawgs feel the same.
with Alabama’s E.J. Junior…I know…we cool.
Scott Woerner and our coach Denver’s Red Miller…suck up…
Maryland TE Eric Sievers…not his best moment.
with Alabama’s Byron Braggs…a BIGGEN!
Georgia Lineman, The Fat and the Furious
The line of scrimmage, where it all begins and ends in our game. I feel a special affinity for these guys. I always appreciated the protection they gave me on field goals and extra points; but even more than that, I love ‘em because I was one of them. That’s right, I was a D-Lineman in high school. My retired number 70 jersey hangs in the hallway of Marietta High School today, an ever-present reminder of a fat boy made good. Even in college I was often asked if I was a center or guard when on All-American trips. But my value as a defensive tackle can only be described as minimal, thereby prompting my high school coach Ray Broadaway to suggest I become a specialist my senior year since I was being recruited as a kicker, not a sticker. Even so, I did make a few tackles on kickoffs while at UGA…so there!
Anyhoo, in 2008, when the Dawgs lost Trinton Sturdivant in pre-season and Jeff Owens in the first game to season ending injuries, that was really almost too much to overcome. But overcome they did. Coach Stacy Searels took one of the youngest offensive lines in memory and molded them to perform adequately enough to allow Stafford and Moreno to shine. They will need to improve a great deal to provide protection for Joe Cox and opportunities for our stable of running backs. A shoulder injury during summer work-outs has already eliminated Tanner Strickland from competing in 2009, so once again this unit will have to be flexible and cohesive.
The D-line has the chance to be one of the best in the SEC with Jeff “The Real Deal” Owens back and Geno Atkins attempting to comeback from what some considered a subpar year for him. Kade Weston and DeAngelo Tyson should provide depth and keep the big guys fresh for four quarters.
The irresistable force and the immovable objects…the fat and the furious. They don’t get enough credit in the good times and sometimes too much blame in the bad. Proof positive that there is a fat bias in our society. Descrimination at it’s worst.
Skinny people suck…
Tell me what you really think!