Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Sporting News Names Three Bulldogs Preseason All-Americans

FOOTBALL

Three Georgia football players have been named to the Sporting News’ preseason All-America teams.

Junior flanker A.J. Green and junior punter Drew Butler were both named to the publication’s First Team while senior offensive tackle Clint Boling was named to the Third Team.

No other team from the Southeastern Conference has more than one player represented on the First Team. Alabama leads the way with six players on the three All-America teams and Georgia is second in the league with three.

Green, a Summerville, S.C., native, was a semifinalist for last year’s Biletnikoff after earning All-SEC First Team honors. In just 10 games in 2009, Green hauled in a team-leading 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked second in the league in both receptions per game (5.3) and receiving yards per game (80.8). Green also blocked a field goal against Arizona State last season to help clinch the Dawgs’ win.

Butler, an Alpharetta native, won the 2009 Ray Guy Award for being the nation’s top punter. The consensus First Team All-American posted a national-best 48.1 yards per punt average last season, becoming only the third Dawg in school history to lead the NCAA in punting. In just his first season as a starter, Butler had 24 punts of 50 yards or more, including a career-long 75 yarder versus #9 Oklahoma State.

Both Green and Butler were named to the Playboy and Lindy’s preseason All-America team earlier this preseason.

Boling, also an Alpharetta native, is two-time All-SEC performer at a variety of positions on the offensive line. He started all 13 games for the Dawgs in 2009, including the final six at left tackle. Boling led a Georgia offense that racked up 1,216 yards rushing and 11 rushing touchdowns during the final five games of the year last season.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Three Dawgs Added To Watch List

FOOTBALL

Senior Clint Boling and junior Ben Jones have been named to the Outland Trophy Watch List while junior Justin Houston is listed on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, according to recent announcements from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Boling, an Alpharetta native, and Jones, a Centreville, Ala., native, were two of 63 offensive and defensive tackles, offensive guards and centers named to this year’s Outland Trophy Watch List and two of 11 players from the Southeastern Conference.

The FWAA All-America Committee will select three finalists in late November and eventually the overall winner.

A two-time All-SEC performer at a variety of positions on the offensive line, Boling started all 13 games for the Dawgs in 2009, including the final six at left tackle. He led an offense that racked up 1,216 yards rushing and 11 rushing touchdowns during the final five games of the year last season.

Jones has played in all 26 games at center during his two-year career and has started 23 consecutive contests. The 6-3, 300-pound center was named to the All-SEC Second Team following the 2009 season.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football. The Outland Trophy is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century.

The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9. The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be on Jan. 13 in Omaha, Neb.

Houston, a native of Statesboro, is one of 74 players named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List and one of 12 from the SEC. The 6-3, 260-pound defensive end was named to the All-SEC Second Team after starting all 10 games he played in last year and leading the team with 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Houston is the top returning player in the league in both of those categories.

Each week during the 2010 season, the FWAA will choose a Defensive Player of the Week. If that player is not on the Watch List, he automatically will be added. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 18.

The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 6 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Besides the 2010 winner being announced, the banquet will also celebrate the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award.

Boling and Houston have already been named to the Lombardi Award Watch List while Jones was included on the Rimington Award Watch List.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Teresa Edwards Set For Sixth Hall Of Fame Induction

BASKETBALL

Teresa Edwards, the most-decorated women's basketball player in the history of the sport, has added another distinguished honor to her lengthy resume.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Edwards, the only U.S. basketball player to participate in five Olympic Games and a four-time Gold Medalist, took part in ceremonies Saturday evening along with Leta Andrews, ultra-successful coach at Granbury (Texas) High School; Rebecca Lobo, 1995 National Player of the Year at Connecticut and a teammate of Edwards for the 1996 Olympics; Gloria Ray, president/CEO of the Knoxville Tourism & Sports Commission; Teresa Weatherspoon, a star for Louisiana Tech and in the WNBA who played with Edwards in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics; and Chris Weller, former head coachat the University of Maryland.

After leading the Cairo (Ga.) High Syrup Maids to a state championship as a senior, Edwards was a two-time All-American for the Georgia Lady Dawgs during a spectacular four-year run that made UGA one of the nation's premier programs. Edwards helped lead Georgia to its first-ever Final Four appearance as a freshman in 1983, to an NCAA runner-up finish in 1985 and to SEC Championships in 1983, 1984 and 1986. The Lady Dawgs compiled a 116-7 record during Edwards' four seasons in Athens.

Edwards also began her unparalleled international playing career while still in Athens.
In 1984, the summer following her sophomore year at Georgia, she was the youngest member of the U.S. team that captured a Gold Medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. She was the backbone of virtually every U.S. National Team to enter a major international competition for the rest of the century. She captured additional Gold Medals in 1988, 1996 and 2000, as well as a Bronze in 1992.

In 2000, Edwards co-captained the U.S. to another Gold Medal in Sydney, giving her the unique distinction of being both the youngest and the oldest women's basketball player to earn Olympic Gold.

After graduating from UGA, Edwards also enjoyed an extremely successful professional career with stints in Italy, Japan, Spain, France and Russia. She also played a formative role in the development of professional women's basketball in the U.S.

Edwards was on the board of directors of the ABL, the first league to form after the Atlanta Olympics, and served as player/coach of the league's Atlanta Glory. She wrapped up her playing days in the States with the WNBA's Lynx in 2003 and 2004.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is the sixth Hall of Fame Edwards has been inducted into.

In addition, she was a member of the inaugural class for the University of Georgia's all-sports "Circle of Honor" in 1995, she was elected to the State of Georgia's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, she was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, she was included in the inaugural class for the Grady County (Ga.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and she was enshrined in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame last August.

Edwards will be Georgia's third representative in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Katrina McClain, the 1987 National Player of the Year and herself a four-time Olympian, was inducted in 2006, and coach Andy Landers was enshrined the following year in 2007.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Green, Butler Named To Playboy Preseason All-America Team

FOOTBALL

Juniors A.J. Green and Drew Butler have both been selected to the 2010 Playboy Preseason All-America Team.

Green and Butler had already been named to the 2010 Phil Steele and Lindy’s preseason All-America teams.

Following the 2009 season, Butler was named a First Team All-American by Walter Camp, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) and Sporting News.

Green, a flanker from Summerville, S.C., was a semifinalist for last year’s Biletnikoff Award after earning All-Southeastern Conference First Team honors.

In just 10 games in 2009, Green hauled in a team-leading 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked second in the league in both receptions per game (5.3) and receiving yards per game (80.8). Green also blocked a field goal against Arizona State last season to help clinch the Dawgs’ win.

Butler, a punter from Duluth, won the 2009 Ray Guy Award for being the nation’s top punter.

The consensus First Team All-American posted a national-best 48.1 yards per punt average, becoming only the third Dawg in school history to lead the NCAA in punting. In just his first season as a starter, Butler had 24 punts of 50 yards or more, including a career-long 75 yarder versus #9 Oklahoma State.

Knowshon Moreno was the last Dawg to be named to the Playboy team in 2008.

Sixteen other Dawgs have also been named to the team over the years including: Jon Stinchcomb (2002), Richard Seymour (2000), Matt Stinchcomb (1998), Eric Zeier (1994), Bernard Williams (1993), Jimmy Payne (1982), Terry Hoage (1983), Herschel Walker (1981-82), Rex Robinson (1979-80), Bill Krug (1977), Joel Parrish (1976, Royce Smith (1971), Jake Scott (1968), Bill Stanfill (1968), Lynn Hughes (1966) and Edgar Chandler (1966).

Scott & Stanfill Selected for Dolphins Honor Roll

FOOTBALL

Former Dawg All-Americans Jake Scott and Bill Stanfill will become the 19th and 20th members to be inducted into the Miami Dolphin Honor Roll during halftime ceremonies of the team’s game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday, November 18, at Sun Life Stadium.

“It’s only fitting that Jake and Bill are going in together -- two Dawg teammates and good friends,” said former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Don Shula. “They had great careers with the Dolphins and I’m glad they are being honored on the same day by their induction into the team’s Honor Roll."

"Both Jake and Bill were big play defenders. Jake had a knack of coming up with key interceptions in big games, with none bigger than his two picks in Super Bowl VII, earning him MVP honors in that contest and helping us finish our “Perfect Season” undefeated. Bill became the leading sacker in Dolphin history, and did so despite the fact that many times we only rushed with three linemen. With two more members of the “No-Name Defense” added to the Honor Roll, it gives more recognition to a defense that certainly deserves it.”

Scott was a seventh-round draft choice of the club in 1970 out of Georgia. The safety made an immediate impact in his rookie season where he notched five interceptions for 112 yards and added a touchdown on a punt return. He continued his strong play in his second season, recording seven interceptions and 318 yards on punt returns. Scott was a key member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins undefeated season, and finished that season as MVP of Super Bowl VII, recording two interceptions and 63 return yards in the Dolphins' 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins. Scott also played for the Dolphins in their 24-7 Super Bowl VIII win against the Minnesota Vikings, recording a fumble recovery, 20 punt return yards, and 47 kickoff return yards in that game.

In his six seasons with the Dolphins (1970-75), Scott had 35 interceptions for 425 yards and returned 127 punts for 1,330 yards. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975) and a two-time Associated Press first-team All-Pro selection (1973, 1974).

“The reason I was happy to get named to the Honor Roll was because it really honors our defense of the 70’s and shows just how good we really were now that we have so many guys up there,” said Scott. “It brings attention to our defense that we never got back then. We never got a lot of credit, but you don’t win a couple of Super Bowls if you can’t play defense, and with Bill and I going in, it shows that we had some pretty good players on that side of the ball. It’s also special to go in with Bill for another reason -- he’s my old buddy dating back to our Georgia days. We started off as roommates our freshman year and stayed close ever since. So it’s a great honor to join the Honor Roll along with someone I’ve been friends with forever.”

Stanfill was drafted by Miami one year prior to Scott in the first round of the 1969 draft (11th overall). The defensive end led the team unofficially in sacks with eight in his rookie year and was named to the AFL All-Star game. In 1970, Stanfill, again unofficially led the team in sacks with six. The following season Stanfill was an All-AFC choice and was unofficially third on the team with 6½ sacks. In 1972, Stanfill was unofficially second on the 17-0 Super Bowl winning Dolphins team with 10 sacks and followed it up with a stellar season in 1973 with a team record 18 ½ sacks.

In his eight seasons with the team (1969-76), Stanfill unofficially totaled 67½ career sacks, a team record at the time. He also is unofficially tied for fourth in the Dolphins' playoff record for sacks with four. Stanfill was also a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974)

“It’s an honor to be selected to the Dolphin Honor Roll, especially since I’m going in with Jake Scott, my college roommate my freshman and sophomore years at Georgia,” said Stanfill. “He was an outstanding teammate, and we had some great times both in college and in the pros. We won an SEC Championship at Georgia and we were both lucky to wind up together in Miami, where we played together in three Super Bowls and won two of them. The only thing I regret about my career is that it was cut short because of injury. I just wish I played longer with the Dolphins before injuries knocked me out, because I really enjoyed my time in Miami -- I had some great teammates and coaches. That’s why being named to the Honor Roll means so much -- I’m joining a great group of teammates already enshrined there, and I’m especially thrilled that Jake is going in with me.”

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Kickoff Times Announced

FOOTBALL

Games with South Carolina, Arkansas and Florida this fall will be televised as part of the Southeastern Conference television package announced Thursday.

The Dawg's game at South Carolina on Sept. 11 will kick off at 12:00 noon on either ESPN or ESPN2.

The Sept. 18 game with Arkansas in Athens is also scheduled for a 12:00 noon kickoff also on either ESPN or ESPN 2.

The annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville on Oct. 30 will be televised by CBS with kickoff at 3:30 p.m.

Most other games will be subject to the normal announcement 12 days in advance.

Other SEC television games announced Thursday:

Sept. 2
Southern Miss at South Carolina, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET

Sept. 4
Miami (Ohio) at Florida, ESPN, 12 noon ET
Kentucky at Louisville, ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET
LSU vs. N.C. in Atlanta, ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Sept. 9
Auburn at Miss. State, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET

Sept.11
Penn State at Alabama, ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET
Oregon at Tennessee, ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET
Ole Miss at Tulane, ESPN Classic or ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET

Sept. 18
Alabama at Duke, ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET
Clemson at Auburn, ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET
Florida at Tennessee, CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET

Oct. 2
SEC Doubleheader, TBA, CBS, 3:30 and 8:00 p.m. ET

Nov. 13 SEC Doubleheader, TBA, CBS, 12:00 noon and 3:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 4 SEC Championship Game, Atlanta, CBS, 4:00 p.m. ET