In your professional opinion, of all former Dogs, did Hines Ward have greatest NFL career
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Hard to say, but definitely one of my favorites. Brought his lunch pail every day, perfect example of what hard work and talent can do when you work.....he was a warrior
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"
Fran had a great and long career too, but
the nod goes to Hines, imo
the nod goes to Hines, imo
Champ needs some love too
Fran Tarkenton, Jake Scott, Bill Stanfill, Zeke Bratkowski
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Moose Magnificent Rack
Letterman and National Champion
Do y'all remember the dawg game where Hines snapped to Hines, who faked a handoff to Hines, faded back and eluded a sack when Hines picked up a blitzer, and hit Hines 45 yards downfield for the tieing TD with 3 seconds left? Then Hines kicked the PAT and sealed the W?
Who were we playing that weekend?
Who were we playing that weekend?
I guess my first choice would also be Fran Tarkenton. No, he never won a Super Bowl, although he played in several. He was a huge part of why the Vikings were there in the first place. He was definitely one of the top QBs in all of the NFL during his day. Jake Scott also did very well at Miami. Ray McDonald was an All-Pro for the Colts. I kinda lose track of some of the more recent players, as I've disconnected from the NFL so much over the past 25 years or so. Same with MLB. I don't know 99% of the players, these days.
And he was limping when he did it? I remember that.
Moose Magnificent Rack
Letterman and National Champion
And he was limping when he did it? I remember that.
Hines definitely called the right play from the sidelines on 4th and 20!
Hines' last year at UGA really summarizes Ray Goff's head coaching tenure at UGA, in my opinion. I've always thought that Goff gets a really bad rap, unfairly. I'm trying to remember how many different defensive coordinators we had, none of which ever truly got the job done. We were "this close" to doing something really special in the 1992 season. But we had those big losses where we just couldn't stop Tennessee, and lost 34-31, and lost 26-24 to Florida. Those were the only losses of the entire season. It wasn't that we didn't have an offense. We just couldn't make the needed stop when we had to.
The 1995 season really put the cherry on top, though. Before the season began we lost 9 STARTERS on defense. These were to a variety of reasons... injury, academics (we were under the Jan Kemp microscope), even one player just wanted to go home, didn't want to play football any longer. But our defense was decimated even before the season began.
This was Hines' senior year. He had done anything and everything the Dawgs ever asked him to do. He had at one point or another started at QB, RB, WR. He did everything. This year, though, the team was expressly going to put him in a place where he'd get the best look from the NFL, out at WR. But to add to the defensive losses, early in the season (I forget in which game) starting QB Mike Bobo (sophomore) went down with a season-ending injury. In comes backup QB Brian Smith. He only lasted a short while before he, too, went down with injury. The Dawgs had really no choice but to bring Hines Ward back to play QB, which he did, willingly and happily. I think Brian Smith did get clearance to play by season's end. But by that time, Ward was leading the team and was going to finish out the season. He was a better QB, too.
Georgia managed to scrape out a 6-5 record and played Virginia in the Peach Bowl. The entire game Hines Ward was limping. No better picture could have been painted to depict all that had happened to the team that season.... him being at QB, first of all, and limping at that.
Georgia fought and scrapped and battled with Virginia, being behind the entire game, but very late in the fourth quarter, purely on guts alone, came back and tied the game. But, fitting to the picture to the entire season, Virginia took the ensuing kickoff and ran it back for a touchdown. My goodness, it was almost like it was our destiny to lose, in spite of how we fought.
I am glad that Ward got drafted by a great team and enjoyed the success he did in the NFL. He certainly earned it. But I'll always remember him for that 1995 season, and I'll always picture him being on the field, limping, still fighting to win, and doing so for his team. He was definitely a "Big TEAM, Little me" kind of a guy.
It was the Ole Miss game. Brian Smith got his number called, ran one series, probably a 3 and out, and promptly returned to the sideline and threw up. I was at the game with buddies from Ole Miss, and I told them, “Well, y’all just got Ray Goff fired.”
Hines is one of my all time favorite players, based on just what you said above. He played QB with a broken bone on his non-throwing hand/wrist. Doesn’t get much tougher than that.
Ahh, my mistake. My memory thinks it is something other than what it is.
Another factor Hines dealt with was that he... as a young man who was just turning 20, had his absentee dad... who had never had any part in his life (so I understand), all of a sudden start showing up and trying to attach himself to Hines. Hines always spoke so highly of his mother, who immigrated to the U.S. and had to go it alone, raising him and setting an example for him. One has to know that her grit and integrity is what made him to be the man he is. I always felt sorry for him that he had that outside distraction of his dad just up and showing up after he had made a name for himself at UGA. But I also respected him that he didn't let his dad take advantage of him like that. Just more reason to respect the guy, dealing with all of that stuff, and handling it.
With all due respect to Hines, I think you have to go with Fran Tarkenton. When he retired in 1978, he held virtually every meaningful career QB statistical record in NFL history: pass attempts, completions, yardage, touchdowns, rushing yards by a quarterback, and wins by a starting quarterback. Hines holds a lot of Steelers’ receiving records, but Fran held NFL records- big difference.
agree on the bad rap thing, he was a better coach than most gave him credit for. Believe it was the ‘92 season that we were 5 points away from being undefeated that season. I was at the UT game that I believe you are referencing. Miserable....agonizing game. We definitely should have won it. 5 turnovers I believe.
Heath Shuler’s coming out party. I believe that was Fulmer’s first game also.....after he stabbed Johnny Majors in the back.
I believe it was the ‘94 homecoming game against Vandy that got him fired. The team just gave up that day....Vandy ran all over us. I gave up on Goff then too, so did the team and the powers to be imo.
I agree. Tarkenton is one of the all-time greats at QB. He just never got over that final hump to get the big enchilada, the Super Bowl win. I know they played in at least a couple or few of them during his time. Sadly, they lost every one of them.
Moose Magnificent Rack
Letterman and National Champion
Remember when Donnan went to the option and shifted Hines back to qb at JAX in 97? My favorite dawg game of that decade. Maybe the only time the words "brilliant strategy" ever escaped my lips when a dawgs coach was calling plays.
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One Play Away Ray. There were at least a half dozen games that could have been won if we’d made just ONE play. Poor luck.
QB.... Tarkenton
RB......Herschel
OL......McIntyre
TE......Watson
WR.....Ward
DL.......Stanfill
LB.......Roquan
DB......Jake Scott
RB......Herschel
OL......McIntyre
TE......Watson
WR.....Ward
DL.......Stanfill
LB.......Roquan
DB......Jake Scott
1992 season went 10-2, losing both games by a combined total of 5 points. Dang it.
Hines won a Super Bowl MVP and was known as the fiercest blocking WR in the NFL to the point some DBs complained he was too physically.
HW34 is the greatest RB ever at UGA, but Terrell Davis has to be considered our RB with the best Pro Career:
2x Super Bowl champ
Super Bowl MVP
NFL MVP
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year
3x First-Team All Pro
3x Pro Bowl
AFC Player of the Year
NFL Rushing Yard Leader
2x NFL Rushing TD leader
NFL All-Decades Team for the 1990s
2x Super Bowl champ
Super Bowl MVP
NFL MVP
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year
3x First-Team All Pro
3x Pro Bowl
AFC Player of the Year
NFL Rushing Yard Leader
2x NFL Rushing TD leader
NFL All-Decades Team for the 1990s
What’s funny is that Stafford never gets love in these conversations - or from the media when talking about QBs.
Statistically, his career is shaping up to be very similar to Dan Marino’s. But Marino was a more charismatic guy. He ended up playing in Ace Ventura for goodness sake.
Seriously, if only Staff could be on a team in which he had a SB opportunity. You give Staff 1-2 rings and this conversation is much different IMO
Statistically, his career is shaping up to be very similar to Dan Marino’s. But Marino was a more charismatic guy. He ended up playing in Ace Ventura for goodness sake.
Seriously, if only Staff could be on a team in which he had a SB opportunity. You give Staff 1-2 rings and this conversation is much different IMO
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All Dawgs need to remember "one and done"
Last dawg W over our nemesis.
Great post......lots of great names brought up.......Here's some names I didn't see.......Not saying any of these guys were the greatest UGA players in the Pros, but they are certainly worthy of a mention........
Jimmy Orr......All-Pro
Len Hauss......All-Pro
Mack Strong.......played double digit years in the NFL for one team
Bobby Walden......multi year punter for the Steelers
Bobby Walston......Philadelphia Eagles player
Moonpie Wilson........Starting OT on the only Cincinnati Bengal team to make it to Super Bowl
Randy McMichael.......had some great years for Miami Dolphins
I'm sure there are others that played significant roles for multiple seasons.......just didn't want these guys to be left out.....
Jimmy Orr......All-Pro
Len Hauss......All-Pro
Mack Strong.......played double digit years in the NFL for one team
Bobby Walden......multi year punter for the Steelers
Bobby Walston......Philadelphia Eagles player
Moonpie Wilson........Starting OT on the only Cincinnati Bengal team to make it to Super Bowl
Randy McMichael.......had some great years for Miami Dolphins
I'm sure there are others that played significant roles for multiple seasons.......just didn't want these guys to be left out.....
Georgia only school that has produced 3 different Super Bowl MVPs?
Jake Scott, Terrell Davis, Hines Ward.
Jake Scott, Terrell Davis, Hines Ward.
I'm glad you mentioned Mack Strong.
Had a great career at UGA after proving he could play college ball and had very long NFL career.
Underrated and a DGD (from a private school in Columbus)
Thanks rch
Roquan may end up being an all-time great, but he’s played 2 seasons. Don’t disrespect guys like Thomas Davis & Randall Godfrey who had NFL careers of over a decade playing at a very high level. Add Justin Houston to that list as well.
At DL Stanfill was certainly great, but Geno Atkins & Richard Seymour may have vaulted past him at this point. Geno was an All-Decade player for the 2010’s.
At DB, Jake & Champ should be 1A & 1B IMO.
If I remember correctly (I'm having less and less confidence in my memory, these days), wasn't Terrell Davis there at the same time as Garrison Hearst? Davis never did a lot while at UGA, but a lot of that had to do with the guy playing in front of him, IIRC.
As I recall Terrell had a problem with migraines and Corch Goff diagnosed them as goldbricking and limited Davis's opportunities.
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