Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Dawgs Report For Fall Camp

FOOTBALL

Tuesday marked the official reporting day for 105 University of Georgia football student-athletes back to campus.

The contingent included 17 members of Georgia’s most recent recruiting class that signed this past February. On Wednesday, the team will have a series of meetings and testing, and then the Dawgs will hit the field Thursday for the first time. Georgia coach Mark Richt is in his 12th season at the helm. The Dawgs went 10-4 last year including winning the SEC Eastern Division title.

Due to the NCAA's five-day "acclimatization period," a measure adopted for preseason football practices for all Division I-A teams since 2003, the Dawgs will be in shorts and helmets for their first few practices and eventually be in full pads next week.

Classes resume at UGA on Monday, August 13th. The annual Fans' Picture Day will be Saturday, August 18th in Sanford Stadium. The season opener against Buffalo is September 1st, and kickoff is set for 12:21 p.m. ET (SEC Network).

Sunday, July 29, 2012

NCAA Got It Right This Time

FOOTBALL

The NCAA got it right this time. After missing the target entirely during the Cam Newton ordeal, they moved quickly and correctly on the Penn State scandal.

Joe Paterno had no equal in power at Penn State University and he knew that children were being molested in the football facilities for over fourteen years. Not only did he fail to make an effort to stop it, he led the cover-up. Paterno’s ego would not allow Penn State University to be embarrassed; the team slogan was “Win With Integrity.”

As the years passed and Sandusky maintained access to all the facilities, even taking his victims to Penn State football games, the holy grail of coaching records slowly became attainable for Paterno. The all time record for victories stood at 408 wins by Eddie Robinson. On October 29, 2011 at the age of 84 Paterno won his 409th game. To even the most casual football fan it was obvious that having the record had driven him to coach into his mid 80’s. On November 4, 2011, less than a week after Paterno reached the milestone, Sandusky was arrested and on November 9th Paterno was fired.

Is there really anyone naive enough to think the timing is simply coincidental?

There is no doubt that the cover-up evolved from protecting Penn State to obtaining the coaching record. Vacating all of Paterno’s wins from 1998 to 2011 was the only way that the NCAA could effectively punish Paterno for his involvement in covering up Sandusky’s criminal acts.

Penn State officials were powerless to stop the march to 409. The president, vice-president and athletic director knew that Sandusky was guilty but were afraid of the public backlash if Paterno was denied the opportunity to break the record. They had known of the abuse for years and thus the university and indirectly the rabid fan base that created the fear became complicit in addition to the individuals.

Winning football games generates tens of millions of dollars in income; the money drives the entire athletic department. The only effective way to punish a program or university is to dramatically impact their ability to win thus reducing the amount of money the program makes. Reducing the number of scholarships and instituting a bowl ban is the only way the NCAA can impact a program’s ability to win, it was the correct punishment.

The current coaches, players, students, faculty and fans didn’t have anything to do with the scandal but they are part of the Penn State program and by punishing the university, they will unfortunately feel the effects. The impact would have been the same if the punishment would have been handed down ten years ago or ten years from now, it’s unavoidable.

Penn State’s endowment is over 1.75 billion dollars, the sixty million dollar fine will have minimal financial impact, and it is more of a public relations gesture to aid victims of sexual abuse.

The culture of win at all cost permeates college football today and the NCAA is correct to call for a change although it is likely too late to do so. The problem lies in their inability to sanction those directly involved, the coaches. Too many times a coach has defied the rules and simply changed jobs. To correct the problem, university presidents should allow the NCAA to begin certifying coaches. If a coach breaks a rule or commits a recruiting violation, his certification would be revoked. The revocation would vary in length according to the seriousness of the infraction, during that time, the coach would not be allowed on campus or have any contact with a player, recruit or any other staff member. Their pay would be suspended during the revocation and another university would not be allowed to hire a suspended coach. A program should be established to work with recruits in setting up sting operations to catch coaches and boosters offering illegal inducements.

The NCAA must make the consequences of cheating greater than the reward to get their attention or achieve a cultural change.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Picture Day

FOOTBALL

The annual University of Georgia Fans' Picture Day will be held Saturday, August 18th, in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature coach Mark Richt, players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams and interim mascot "Russ."

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Russ and Coach Richt. Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 8 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

The Georgia cheerleaders and Hairy Dawg will be available from 1-5 p.m. Russ and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 1-3 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for photos and autographs from 3-5 p.m. in Reed Plaza on the north side of the stadium between Gates 2 and 4. Coach Richt will also be available from 3-5 p.m. for those with ticket coupons.

Fans will be able to enter Reed Plaza through Gate 2 in the northwest corner of the stadium across from the Tate Student Center and Gate 4 through the East Campus Road entry into Reed Plaza. Both gates open at 1 p.m. Parking is available to the general public in all campus lots surrounding the stadium. Handicapped parking will be available in the Tate Center lots.

Concessions will be available in several areas of Reed Plaza. Fans can purchase UGA merchandise at the UGA Bookstore located in the Tate Center. The bookstore will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature all of the 2012 Nike sideline gear and the 2012 official UGA Spirit Shirt.

Due to public issues surrounding student-athlete autographs across the country, no outside items may be brought to Picture Day. The Georgia Athletic Association will provide each fan with two free schedule posters to be signed by the players and Coach Richt. No other items will be permitted.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Murray On Davey O’Brien Watch List

FOOTBALL

DSC_6919Georgia junior quarterback Aaron Murray has been selected as one of 34 quarterbacks nationwide for the 2012 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List, according to announcements on Wednesday.

Murray has also been nominated for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

The Davey O’Brien Award is given to the nation’s best college quarterback. Quarterbacks from all 124 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools are eligible for the award until the field is narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Monday, October 22nd. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Monday, November 19th.

The 2012 Davey O’Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 6th. The 36th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner will be held February 18, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas.

A Tampa, Florida, native, Murray finished the 2011 season with a school record 35 touchdown passes and set a school record for touchdown responsibility by a quarterback in a season with 37 (two rushing). Murray is the SEC’s leading active player in total offensive yards (6,476), completions (447), touchdown responsibility (65), touchdown passes (59) and passing yards (6,198). He also graduated in May 2012 and is now in graduate school.

Murray, who has also been named to the Maxwell and Manning award watch lists, is one of six quarterbacks from the SEC included on the Davey O’Brien list.

In addition, Murray is among 117 nominees who have been nominated for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The award, which is administered by the American Football Coaches Association, has recognized a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities.

Murray's lengthy list of community service projects includes volunteering with the Special Olympics, Extra Special People, the Wheelchair Football Championships, Healing Place Of Athens, Camp Sunshine and Dawgs Battling Breast Cancer, as well as taking part in reading and after school programs at local elementary schools and visiting patients at several hospitals.

Georgia leads the nation with 13 Good Works team honorees since the award's inception in 1992. The Dawgs' previous honorees are Alec Millen in 1992, Travis Jones in 1993, Brian Smith in 1995, Matt Stinchcomb in 1997 and 1998, Brett Millican in 2000, Jon Stinchcomb in 2001, David Greene in 2003, D.J. Shockley in 2005, Quentin Moses in 2006, Kelin Johnson in 2007, Jeff Owens in 2009 and Aron White in 2011.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tavarres King Named To Biletnikoff Award Watch List

FOOTBALL

Georgia senior receiver Tavarres King is one of 11 players from the Southeastern Conference named to the 2012 Biletnikoff Award Watch List, according to an announcement on Tuesday.

The Biletnikoff Award is given annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. will announce the 10 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on November 12th following the vote by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared following another vote on November 19th.

The 2012 winner will be presented live on December 6th on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast on ESPN. The winner will receive his trophy before 600 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., on Saturday, February 9, 2013.

King, a native of Mount Airy, posted team highs in receptions (47), yards (705) and touchdowns (eight) during the 2011 season. Starting 13 of 14 games, King highlighted last year by registering a school record 205 yards receiving, including an 80-yard scoring catch, versus No. 12 Michigan State in the 2012 Outback Bowl.

King finished eighth in the SEC in both receiving yards per game (50.4) and receptions per game (3.4).

Monday, July 16, 2012

Kickoff & TV Announced For First Three Games

FOOTBALL

The first three games of the 2012 Georgia football season will be televised by the SEC Network, ESPN2, and CSS according to a league-wide scheduled released Monday by the Southeastern Conference office.

The schedule for the first three weeks of the season will feature the Dawgs playing in the September 1st opener against Buffalo on the SEC Network at 12:21 p.m. ET, September 8th at Missouri on ESPN2 at 7:45 p.m. ET, and September 15th against Florida Atlantic at 7:30 p.m. ET on CSS.

The October 27th game with Florida in Jacksonville has already been scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS. Other games will be determined on the usual 12 days in advance procedure.

48 UGA Student-Athletes Named to SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

Forty-eight student-athletes from the University of Georgia have been named to the 2011-2012 Southeastern Conference First-Year Academic Honor Roll, according to an announcement this week by the SEC office.

In order to qualify for the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll, each student-athlete must: have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher at the nominating institution; be on scholarship or a letter winner; have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.

The following UGA students received first-year honors:

Baseball:
Justin Bryan, Lavonia, Ga., Business; Hunter Cole, Moore, S.C., Biology; Pete Nagel, Metter, Ga., Sport Management; DJ Smith, Woodstock, Ga., Criminal Justice; John Taylor, Carnesville, Ga., Business.

Equestrian:
Kylee Arbuckle, Torrance, Calif., Business; Samantha Belcher, Carbondale, Colo., Animal Science; Madi Berger, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Animal Science; Madi Clark, Brighton, Mich., Animal Health; Morgan Justiss, Alpharetta, Ga., Business; Megan Southam, Langley, B.C., Biology; Paige Stawicki, Argyle, Texas, Genetics; Lauren Tieche, Jamestown, N.Y., Business.

Football:
David Andrews, Johns Creek, Ga., Agribusiness; Chris Conley, Dallas, Ga., Journalism; Watts Dantzler, Dalton, Ga., Health & Physical Education.

Men’s Golf:
Nicholas Reach, Moscow, Pa., Business.

Soccer:
Kathleen Eastman, Jackson Hole, Wyo., English; Jenna Owens, Highlands Ranch, Colo., Exercise & Sport Science.

Softball:
Gracie Goulder, Scottsdale, Ariz., Special Education; Niaja Griffin, Orlando, Fla., Recreation & Leisure Studies.

Men’s Swimming & Diving:
Nic Fink, Morristown, N.J., Agriculture Engineering; Derek Onken, Marietta, Ga., Mathematics; Luke Upchurch, Duluth, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science.

Women’s Swimming & Diving:
Olivia Boggs, Smyrna, Ga., Business; Sommers Creed, Braselton, Ga., Unspecified; Lauren Harrington, Memphis, Tenn., Journalism; Maddie Locus, Sugarland, Texas, Mathematics; Jordan Mattern, Aurora, Colo., Biology; Amber McDermott, Mill Creek, Wash., Journalism; Anna Neumeister, Marietta, Ga., Business; Darcie O’Brien, Lawrenceville, Ga., Journalism; Shannon O’Malley, Marietta, Ga., Unspecified.

Women’s Tennis:
Lauren Herring, Greenville, N.C., International Affairs.

Men’s Track & Field:
Brendan Hoban, Duluth, Ga., Turfgrass Management; Cameron Meyer, Lake Charles, La., Sport Management; Zach Sims, McDonough, Ga., Mathematics; Austin Ulich, Alpharetta, Ga., Business.

Women’s Track & Field:
Anna Bowles, Evans, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science; Quintunya Chapman, Hinesville, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science; Rachel Gibson, Marietta, Ga., Sport Management; Carly Hamilton, Springboro, Ohio, Business; Taylor Hollingsworth, Columbus, Ga., Nutrition Science; Brooke Koblitz, Alpharetta, Ga., Mathematics Education; Morgann Leleux, New Iberia, La., Journalism; Sarah Perry, Lawrenceville, Ga., Biology; Allison Updike, Nesquehoning, Pa., Sport Management.

Volleyball:
Gaby Smiley, Alpharetta, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science.

Four More Dawgs Named To 2012 Preseason Watch Lists

FOOTBALL

Another four Georgia football players have been named to three national preseason watch lists, according to announcements on Monday.

Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones has been selected to represent the Dawgs on both the 2012 Butkus Award list and the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award list. Jones has also been recognized by the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy during this year’s preseason.

In addition, senior defensive end Cornelius Washington was included on the Butkus list and senior nose John Jenkins was one of the players selected nationwide to be on the Lombardi list.

Junior quarterback Aaron Murray was also one of 25 quarterbacks across the country named to the 2012 Manning Award Watch List.

A native of Columbus, Jones was a unanimous First Team All-American following the 2011 season after he led the SEC in both sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). Last year marked his first season playing for the Dawgs after he transferred from USC and then redshirted the 2010 campaign.

Washington, a native of Hephzibah, started six games and played in 12 last season. He registered 17 tackles, including 5.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss. Washington is preparing to cross-train at defensive end in 2012 after recording three tackles, including a sack, versus #1 LSU in the 2011 SEC Championship Game.

The 28th-annual Butkus Award selection honors the nation’s best linebacker. The watch list contains 51 candidates, honoring the now-retired professional jersey number of Dick Butkus, who is regarded as the best defensive player in football history.

Candidates in addition to those appearing on the watch list may be considered for the Butkus Award. Semifinalists will be named October 22nd, finalists November 20th and winners will be notified on or before December 4th.

Jones was a finalist for the 2011 Butkus Award after also earning the College Football Performance Awards Elite Linebacker Trophy last year. The Dawgs have never had a Butkus Award winner since the first one was picked in 1985.

Jenkins, a native of Meriden, Connecticut, made an immediate impact for Georgia in 2011 during his first season in Athens. The 6-3, 351-pound Jenkins played in all 14 games, including starting seven of the last nine, and tallied 28 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception from his spot in the middle of the Dawg defensive line.

Jenkins is also on the 2012 Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy preseason lists.

The Lombardi Award is given to the nation's top college lineman or linebacker each year. Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to: 1) offensive or defensive end-to-end down linemen who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball and 2) linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

The first round of voting for the Lombardi Award determines the Top 25 quarterfinalists for 2012. The second round of voting will determine the final seven semifinalists. The third round of voting will determine the four finalists. The winner of the 43rd Lombardi Award will be announced on national television live on Wednesday, December 5th at The Hobby Center in Houston, Texas.

Former Dawg David Pollack captured the 2004 Lombardi Award.

A Tampa, Florida, native, Murray finished the 2011 season with a school record 35 touchdown passes and set a school record for touchdown responsibility by a quarterback in a season with 37 (two rushing). Murray is the SEC’s leading active player in total offensive yards (6,476), completions (447), touchdown responsibility (65), touchdown passes (59) and passing yards (6,198). He also graduated in May 2012 and is now in graduate school.

The Manning Award Watch List includes 25 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2012 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans.

The Manning Award Watch List recognizes top quarterbacks in the nation based on previous collegiate performance; however, every quarterback in the nation remains eligible for the honor. Additional quarterbacks may be added to the Watch List after the start of the season. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Monday, November 26th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 9th, 2013.

After naming its first winning in 2005, the Manning Award has selected three quarterbacks from the SEC over the eight-year span of its existence.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Nagurski & Outland Watch List Released

FOOTBALL

Georgia football is represented by a pair of players on the 2012 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List and another on the Outland Trophy Watch List.

Senior nose tackle John Jenkins has been included on both the Nagurski and Outland Trophy preseason lists while junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones also got the nod on the Nagurski list.

The Nagurski Trophy is presented to the National Defensive Player of the Year by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). There are 84 players on the list and players may be added or deleted from the Nagurski Watch List during the season.

For the 12th consecutive season, the FWAA will choose a Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week. If a recipient is not on the Watch List, he will be added. The five finalists will be announced on November 15th. The Nagurski Trophy winner is chosen from five finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The annual Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be December 3rd at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NFL All-Pro Champ Bailey, who was a standout on both sides of the ball for Georgia, was awarded the 1998 Nagurski Trophy.

The Outland Trophy is presented to the nation’s most outstanding interior line­man by the FWAA. Seventy-one players, which include only tackles, guards and centers on both sides of the ball, are included for consideration for the award. Of the players on the watch list, 18 defensive tackles occupied spots. The rest of the linemen were on offense.

The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 25-man team and eventually the three Outland finalists to be named on November 19th. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner.

The winner of the 67th Outland Trophy, named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century, will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 6th on ESPN. The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on January 10, 2013, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Former Bulldog All-American Bill Stanfill was the Outland Trophy winner in 1968.

A native of Columbus, Jones was a unanimous First Team All-American following the 2011 season after he led the SEC in both sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). Last year marked his first season playing for the Dawgs after he transferred from USC and then redshirted the 2010 campaign.

Jenkins, a native of Meriden, Connecticut., made an immediate impact for Georgia in 2011 during his first season in Athens. The 6-3, 351-pound Jenkins played in all 14 games, including starting seven of the last nine, and tallied 28 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception from his spot in the middle of the Dawg defensive line.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Selections

FOOTBALL

Two Georgia football players were named First Team selections to highlight eight Dawgs named to the 2012 Southeastern Conference Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team, according to a league announcement on Thursday.

Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and senior safety Bacarri Rambo, who were both 2011 All-Americans, were two of 12 players named to the First-Team defense.

The Dawgs had one player on offense and a player on defense named to the preseason Second Team. Junior quarterback Aaron Murray, who finished last season on the All-SEC Second-Team, was again named to the squad while senior nose tackle John Jenkins was named to the defense’s Second-Team as the Meriden, Connecticut, native readies for his second UGA season.

Georgia had another four players named to the Third Team. Sophomore receiver Malcolm Mitchell, who will also be lining up in the defensive backfield in 2012, was the Dawgs’ representative on the Third-Team offense.

On defense, senior defensive end Abry Jones, junior inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and senior cornerback Sanders Commings were voted as Third-Team selections. These mark the first preseason or postseason selections on the Coaches All-SEC Team for this trio.

Georgia starts the season with a home matchup against Buffalo on September 1st in Sanford Stadium. The Dawgs’ first SEC opponent will be Missouri on September 8th in Columbia, Missouri.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Jones Named Preseason POY

FOOTBALL

Jarvis JonesGeorgia junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones has been named to the Blue Ribbon Yearbook’s Preseason All-America Team, according to a recent announcement.

Jones is one of eight players from the Southeastern Conference on the 26-man team. The publication has also named Jones its preseason SEC Defensive Player of the Year and picked the Dawgs to win the SEC’s Eastern Division.

A native of Columbus, Jones was a unanimous First Team All-American following the 2011 season after he led the SEC in both sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). Last year marked his first season playing for the Dawgs after he transferred from USC and then redshirted the 2010 campaign.

The Dawgs open against Buffalo in Sanford Stadium on September 1st and begin their SEC slate in an away matchup with Missouri in Columbia on September 8th.

Whittemore & Greene Named To G-F HOF

FOOTBALL

Former University of Georgia football stars Charley Whittemore and David Greene have been named to the Georgia-Florida game Hall of Fame according to an announcement Friday by the City of Jacksonville Sports & Entertainment Office.

These inductees will be recognized at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Friday, October 26, 2012, during the festivities surrounding the long-standing football rivalry between UGA and UF. The ceremony celebrates the talents of the players and the inductees are showcased in the Hall of Fame, located in Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, designed to give fans an opportunity to view the exhibit and pay tribute to these athletes.
The University of Florida inductees are Doug Dickey and John L. Williams.

Charley WhittemoreWhittemore currently serves as UGA’s Assistant Athletic Director in charge of facilities. A native of Douglasville, he was an All-State halfback at Douglass County High School and led his team to the AA state championship. He was an All-SEC selection as a sophomore in 1968, honorable mention All-SEC in 1969 and 1970 and was named to the All-South team in 1970. While leading the Dawgs in receiving for three years, he also set school records for most receptions in a career with 114 and most career receiving yards with a 1,680.

Whittemore set a freshman record in 1967, catching 12 passes for 306 yards, and led his run-oriented team in receiving in 1968 with 40 catches for 608 yards as the Dawgs won the Southeastern Conference championship.

The following season in 1970, Whittemore’s 46 receptions and 10 catches against Kentucky set Georgia single season and school records. He finished his career with 11 touchdowns, and was named permanent offensive captain after the 1970 season. Whittemore was also president of the Georgia chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

After a brief stint as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints, Whittemore began his coaching career at Memphis State in 1972 as a wide receivers coach under Fred Pancoast, who served as Georgia offensive coordinator during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. Whittemore followed Pancoast to Vanderbilt in 1975, then returned to Georgia in 1978 and was the receivers coach for 13 years before joining the UGA Athletic Association administrative staff in 1991.

DSC_7995Greene is currently a Client Executive with Seacrest Partners, a privately held insurance brokerage and consulting firm serving a wide range of clients with complex property-casualty, employee benefit and personal insurance needs. He started 52 consecutive games over four seasons (an NCAA record), led the Dawgs to a 42-10 record during that time, four straight bowl games, three straight national top six finishes, two SEC Eastern Division titles (2002 and '03) and the 2002 SEC championship. In 2004, Greene became the winningest Division 1-A quarterback in NCAA history with 42 career victories breaking the old mark of 39 by Tennessee's Peyton Manning. During that time he also led the Dawgs to a remarkable 15-2 record when playing on the opponents' home field.

When he left Georgia he was the owner of numerous passing records including SEC marks for Career Passing Yards (11,528), Career Total Offense (11,270), Most Consecutive Passes Without an Interception (214 breaking his own old mark of 176) and Ratio of Attempts/Interceptions in a Career (1:45.0l, 32 in 1,440). He also set numerous Georgia career records including Passing Yards (11,528), Total Offense (11,270), Pass Attempts (1,440), TD Passes (72), Pass Efficiency Rating (138.3), and Lowest Interception Percentage (2.22%, 32 in 1,440).

As a senior, in addition to his passing records, Greene was named a semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award which goes annually to the nation's top player, a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Award which goes to the nation's top QB, and a finalist the Bobby Bowden Award, which recognizes the Division I-A football player who epitomizes the student-athlete and who conducts himself as a faith model in the community, in the classroom and on the field.

He was named All-SEC second team and was also selected a recipient of the National Scholar-Athlete Award ($18,000 scholarship) from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was named National Player of the Week by The Sporting News, ESPN Radio, and The Walter Camp Foundation for his performance in the victory over LSU (10x19, 172 yards and school record five TD passes).

During his career he was one of only 11 Division 1-A players named to the 2003 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Good Works Team for commitment to community service. He was also named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year in 2002 after leading Georgia to a 13-1 record, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl victory, and number three final national ranking.

Following his senior season he was elected as the permanent 2004 Team Captain and was drafted in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2005 NFL draft.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Burrows To Transfer

FOOTBALL

University of Georgia redshirt sophomore inside linebacker Brandon Burrows has decided to transfer to another institution seeking an opportunity for more playing time according to an announcement Thursday by coach Mark Richt.

“I came out of high school playing the defensive end position in a 4-3 defense which is what I truly love,” said Burrows. “The coaching change here led to a 3-4 defense. I have worked with that transition but decided that I want to get back to playing defensive end. I think another program may give me the best opportunity to succeed at that. I’m eternally gratefully for the opportunity Coach Richt has given me at UGA and for the fact that he gave me an unconditional release. I know I’ll be hard-pressed to find a group of coaches and players that will develop into the leaders and friends that I have known here in Athens.”

A graduate of Walton High School in Marietta, Burrows was redshirted as a freshman in 2010 and missed the 2011 season due to a shoulder injury.

“Brandon is an outstanding person, student-athlete and has a wonderful family,” said Richt. “We’ve enjoyed having him as part of our program and will provide whatever assistance we can in his transition. I am completely understanding of his decision and wish him nothing but the best.”