UGASports is counting down the days until the Bulldogs’ 2024 season opener. For each day in our countdown, we will reveal our opinion of the best player in Georgia history to wear that particular jersey number.
We select Buck Belue as the best Georgia player to wear jersey No. 8.
#8 BUCK BELUE
Position: Quarterback
Hometown (High School): Valdosta, GA (Valdosta)
Height/Weight: 6-1, 190
Seasons: 1978-1981
Stats: 264-for-484 (54.5 percent), 3,864 yards passing, 32 TD passes, 10 TD rushes
Career: This was a hard call. Georgia had two elite receivers wear No. 8. Still, Buck Belue may not have had the best overall numbers, but he did more than just hand the ball to Herschel Walker. Belue was a standout in both football and baseball at Valdosta in the mid-to-late 1970s. He was a second-round draft pick in baseball in 1978 (four picks prior to Cal Ripken, Jr.) but opted to play both football and baseball at the University of Georgia. He backed up another two-sport star, Jeff Pyburn, under center at first. However, Belue got his big break as a true freshman in the 1978 game against in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs trailed, 20-0, and Belue came off the bench to lead two scoring drives. The Bulldogs also scored on a punt return. The Yellow Jackets regained the lead by seven points before Belue answered with an 85-yard drive that had two successful fourth-down conversions, one of them coming on a touchdown pass to Amp Arnold. Going for the two-point conversion, Belue pitched to Arnold for the Georgia win. In 1980 in Lexington, Belue connected with Arnold once again for a 91-yard touchdown pass. Two weeks later, he passed for another long touchdown, which is still one of the greatest plays in school history. The Bulldogs trailed the Gators with under two minutes remaining and were stuck at their own seven-yard line. Belue found Lindsay Scott in the middle of the field for the go-ahead touchdown. Georgia won the rest of its games that season and the Bulldogs were National Champions. As a senior in 1981, Belue had his best season statistically, passing for over 1,600 yards and 12 scores (not bad when you had Herschel running for almost 1,900 yards). Georgia won the SEC once more and Belue finished his football career in the top five in almost every school passing list.
#8 Honorable Mention: Terrence Edwards, A.J. Green, Paul Oliver, Tony Flack
