His career statistics from 1982 through 1986 at Georgia are far from staggering: a 51 percent completion percentage, less than 1,200 yards passing, six touchdowns, and nearly 400 yards rushing, while only starting nine games (5-3-1 record as a starter). Still, quarterback Todd Williams perhaps had the most unique, up-and-down (or more like, down-up-and-down) tenure like no other signal-caller before him, or since, at Georgia. Yet, he certainly had a Bulldog career of note.
Williams’ father, Dale, played quarterback and defensive back at Georgia (1959-1961) and would go onto to become an accomplished head high school coach in the state, winning 230 games from 1964 through 1995 at Dodge County, Baker, Waycross, and Ware County. It was while Dale was at Waycross that Todd quarterbacked the Bulldogs as a senior in 1981 to a Class 3-A state championship capped by a 46-13 rout of Columbia High School in the final.
Although the state’s 3-A Back of the Year in 1981, Williams was hardly recruited. Listed at 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds as a college freshman, he was more like 5-foot-10, according to Todd, and 175 pounds at most. The small-sized quarterback was offered few scholarships, but including one from Georgia, where he was one of five signal-callers signed by the Bulldogs in 1982—and the least touted of all five.
Given little chance to ever see the field, Williams not only accomplished as much, but much, much more—and not long after his arrival, starting games in 1983 and 1984 whereby he led the Bulldogs to a number of distinguished victories. However, as successful as Williams’ Georgia career had started, the latter portion of his tenure consisted primarily of injuries and misfortune.
UGASports recently caught up with Williams from his home in Waycross (at least, that’s what “everybody else calls it”):
UGASports: Being from the state of Georgia, and your dad having played at UGA, we’re guessing you grew up a Bulldogs fan?
Williams: “We’ve been die-hard Georgia fans since, well, that’s all I knew. Any jersey I wore, if it wasn’t the high school team my dad was coaching, it was Georgia.”
UGASports: How was it playing for your dad, who already had a celebrated coaching career by the time you were in high school—and as his quarterback?
Williams: “As a junior, my best friend (Mike Cuneo) was a senior and our starting quarterback, while I kind of played whatever position they needed someone at. We’d get way ahead in games, and my dad would throw me in at quarterback and I wouldn’t play very well. My footwork wasn’t any good because it wasn’t anything I was practicing. I finally told him that if he was going to play me at quarterback during games, I was going to have to practice as a quarterback. My dad and I kind of butted heads. As [the 1980] season went on, I began practicing as a quarterback and Mike and I started switching off series in games. Although my 11th grade year was probably the hardest year I ever had as far as athletics, my 12th grade year was the greatest year I ever had since we were able to win the state championship. My dad being the head coach and me being his son at quarterback, it was kind of a storybook ending.”
UGASports: Tell us about your recruitment to play at the college level.
Williams: “There’s not much to tell. It wasn’t like I was highly recruited. Valdosta State and Georgia Southern were fixing to start their programs, and each talked to me about coming there. I did have a sit-down with a representative from the U.S. Military Academy (Army), but that just didn’t sound like me when I talked to them. South Carolina had offered me a scholarship but as a defensive back, and I knew I couldn’t hit anybody (laughing). But Georgia had offered me and, one day, my dad approached me and said, ‘There’s only one thing I’m going to tell you: If you go to Athens, even if you never set foot on the field, you’ll have the time of your life.’ With Georgia, I really think it was that they could sign 30 guys. And, this guy (Williams) may never step on the field, but he’s a good student, his dad played here, so let’s give him the 30th scholarship. That was it.”
UGASports: As fall camp of 1982 opened, Georgia had eight quarterbacks—three already in place, and five signees. And it was said that you were No. 8 on the depth chart. But, by the start of the season, you had worked your way up to No. 4. How did that happen?
Williams: “Well, it helped when one of the signees could also punt, so he was moved over with the punters. Another signee, John Little, he was moved to defense. And, one of the guys in place quit playing to be more like a graduate assistant. In practice, I started off slow, but then I started running the scout team. My dad’s system in high school had been such a diverse offense that my footwork while running Georgia’s plays came naturally. And, I could run the plays pretty well, so I just kind of let things go. I wasn’t worried about a coach jumping down my back saying I was doing something wrong. After a scrimmage about a week before the 1982 opener, I got called into an office and was told, I believe it was by George Haffner (offensive coordinator), that I had moved up to fourth-string. Now, at the time, being the No. 4 quarterback was rather significant because it was the lowest quarterback on the depth chart that could dress out for games and be given season tickets.”
UGASports: What’s more, just a couple of weeks later, you’re suddenly the No. 2 quarterback behind junior starter John Lastinger. Did you ever imagine it?
Williams: “My whole thought process going into playing for Georgia was that I’ll get up there, spend a few years where maybe I first make it to the sideline, and then maybe play some towards the end of my career. But, it was more like, suddenly, boom-boom, I’m backing up John for basically my entire first year. And, although I didn’t play a whole lot (four games), when I did get in there, I felt like we had success.”
UGASports: You had been so impressive in the preseason of 1983 that head coach Vince Dooley had you direct the offense the second and fourth quarters of the first two games (Lastinger the first and third quarters). After you had a really good game in a win over UCLA, you entered the game at Clemson in the final quarter trailing, 16-6. A loss, especially having to face that Tiger defense, was seemingly a certainty. Still, what was it like to engineer two long drives versus Clemson, resulting in a touchdown and a field goal, to pull off the most improbable of ties?
Williams: “At Clemson, I remember just being so tired during that game, and it must have shown. At one point late, John [Lastinger] came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got to stay in the game! You’re hot!’ Being able to stay in and finish the game out made me feel good, but I still should have never gotten that tired. I don’t know what it was—maybe a combination of the heat that afternoon along with the intensity of playing at that stadium. I never, ever felt that exhausted. I remember having to ride on the floor of the bus back home.”
UGASports: You might have also been that tired because you completed 8 of 14 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter alone, all while playing in that run-oriented offense. The final-quarter performance won you the starting job against South Carolina the next week.
Williams: “Yeah, after what had happened at Clemson, I felt awesome. And, against South Carolina, I was playing pretty well (5 of 8 for 53 yards, 65 rushing yards on 5 carries) until I got hurt. I’ll never forget the injury. I was on the run and was hit by [USC freshman cornerback] Chris Major from Valdosta. He hit me in the thigh, and I was out for about the next few weeks. When I came back, I saw some action in some games towards the end, but it was not like before (alternating quarters). It was John’s team.”
UGASports: It’s been said that if you’re running the “I” formation, like Georgia was then, you better have a great offensive line and/or a great tailback(s). Entering the 1984 season, the Bulldogs really didn’t have either—and there you were as a first-year starting quarterback. As a junior with only one career start, do you think you were kind of thrown into the fire?
Williams: “Well, offensively, we were kind of handcuffed that year. Pulpwood (Andre “Pulpwood” Smith) had his moments at fullback, but we never got consistent play from our tailback position. I really don’t think we were well prepared when Herschel [Walker] left [after the 1982 season], and it caught up with us in ’84. As far as the offensive line, it was actually playing well by the end of the season. But, as I’ve told people before, our 1983 offensive line was absolutely dominant (starters Guy McIntyre, Winford Hood—both All-SEC—James Brown, Warren Gray, and Keith Johnson; backup Jimmy Harper was a two-time All-SEC; of the six, only Johnson returned in 1984). I swear, without that offensive line in ’83, we probably lose five games that year (team went 10-1-1).”
UGASports: Yet, you and the team got off to a good start in 1984. In the season opener against Southern Miss, you had one of your better games (12 of 16 passing for 123 yards, 38 rushing yards), and then you rallied Georgia to a comeback win over No. 2-ranked Clemson. The Dogs would next lose in Columbia to a South Carolina team which would eventually be ranked No. 2 in the country, but then you led Georgia to an upset win over Alabama in Birmingham. However, game five against Ole Miss wasn’t too kind to you.
Williams: “Yep, I separated my shoulder (replaced by David Dukes in a win over the Rebels) and, again, I would miss several games because of an injury. In getting hurt, it obviously knocks you down physically, but you can get over that. But, an injury sometimes knocks you down even more so as far as the mental aspect of it. It can be tougher to get that mental confidence back. And, I don’t think I ever totally regained that on-field confidence after my injury against Ole Miss.”
UGASports: But, you came back to start the final three games of the ’84 season until getting injured early in the Citrus Bowl. Then, just when it appeared you would be Georgia’s No. 2 quarterback as a senior in 1985, you were injured again. What do you remember about that?
Williams: “In the Citrus Bowl, I suffered like a big toe-knee injury when I landed wrong on my right leg after being slung around by [Florida State] linebacker Fred Jones. Entering the next season, it was either the last or the next-to-last scrimmage, and I basically went the wrong way. When I turned to go the other way, I got my knee caught up under me again. It was one of those things where the top of the leg went one way, the bottom goes the other. Coach Dooley, who was standing behind the play, later came up to me and said, ‘You must have the best ligaments in the world because I thought you tore the whole thing (knee) up.’”
UGASports: After being redshirted in 1985, you entered your fifth-year senior season of 1986 as the No. 2 quarterback. And, you got to play a little in the opener against Duke, completing your only pass for nine yards. But, that would be it—right? You became essentially the No. 3 quarterback, and didn’t see any action after that. But, the team still kind of created a role for you, correct?
Williams: “I was a fifth-year senior and Wayne Johnson (No. 3-turned-No. 2 quarterback) was just a sophomore, so Wayne needed to play. Against Duke, I was in for only two or three plays, and my pass completion was just a little screen pass. I asked if I could play wide receiver, and I dabbled in that for a little bit in practice. But, when it looked like I was done playing quarterback, they let me flash in the offensive signals (before then, receivers coach Charley Whittemore flashed in the signals from the sideline before he was moved up to the booth). In doing that, I felt like I was helping coach a little versus me just standing there holding my hat. From a playing perspective, it maybe wasn’t the best way to end things. But, as far as the whole experience I had, I absolutely wouldn’t trade it for the world. And, I did get to go on five different bowl trips (Sugar, Cotton, Citrus, Sun, and Hall of Fame Bowls), and there’s not many players out there who can say that. I will say, it was after the Hall of Fame Bowl—my last game—when it hit me: I had been playing football for so long—since I was a kid—but I realized that I would never put on a football uniform again. It was a real surreal moment.”
UGASports: Since graduating from UGA, what have you done professionally? Like your dad, did you ever coach football?
Williams: “After getting my business education degree at UGA, I got a sales position with Georgia Crown. While doing that, I helped my dad [coaching Waycross High School] for about two-three years as a community coach, where I’d attend practices and games. But, for me, things had changed too much in high school football, so I was pushed away from the profession. I’ve bounced around professionally. I’ve been in the car business, insurance business, banking business… I eventually started driving to and attending Valdosta State where I got an accounting degree. Then, I worked in Atlanta for a few years before moving back to Waycross, where I’ve been now for a little over a decade. I currently do the accounting work for two different companies.”
UGASports: What about your family?
Williams: “I have two boys. Justin is 30, married with a son and recently had a daughter. He’s in the Navy. My youngest, Jake, is 24 years old, graduated from Kennesaw State, and works for a pharmaceutical company in Atlanta in their accounting firm. While I lived in Atlanta, I met who’s my fiancé now, Jane. She went to UGA the exact same five years I did, but we never met. We live in Blackshear, although everybody else calls it Waycross (with a chuckle).”
UGASports: Do you have any sort of association with the current UGA football program?
Williams: “Yes, I went back to Athens when my friend, John Little, was inducted into the Circle of Honor. A few years ago, Daniel Dooley (Vince Dooley’s oldest son, a former walk-on player, and one-time roommate of Williams), who was coaching, forced me to play in the alumni flag football game before G-Day. In 2016, I came back because I wanted to be part of the 90,000-plus, and to see [Jacob] Eason play. I got a space at the football lettermen’s parking lot over at the cemetery (near Sanford Stadium), and we get back to three or four games a year. I go to the alumni golf tournament pretty much every year before the spring game. I’ve really enjoy that, especially getting to meet former players I wouldn’t get to otherwise. I still stay close with a number of old teammates, like Daniel [Dooley], [John] Little, John Lastinger, and Pete Anderson to name a few.”
UGASports: Finally, looking back on it, after all you endured the latter part of your football career, was going to Georgia the right decision for you?
Williams: “You know, I’ll admit, I have sat and thought to myself, what if I had gone and played for Coach [Erk] Russell at Georgia Southern or for Valdosta College? But then, it hits me: If I had gone elsewhere, I wouldn’t have met this guy, or that guy, or this guy, etc. I made the right decision in going to Georgia and, in doing so, made some life-long friends.”
