It is Super Bowl week and four Bulldogs have a chance of playing. This is the 21st consecutive Super Bowl in which a Bulldog will be on at least one of the rosters. That 21 is the most by any school.
After 12 seasons going nowhere with the Lions, quarterback Matthew Stafford, in his first season with the Rams, will lead his team into the big game. Running back Sony Michel will make his second trip the Super Bowl in four seasons. Ironically, the last time Michel played on this stage was against the Rams (with the Patriots). Linebacker Leonard Floyd joins those two on the defensive side for Los Angeles. On the Bengals, rookie offensive lineman Trey Hill is the Bengals lone Bulldog.
In addition, a few familiar faces will also be on the sideline. A pair of Ram coaches are also former Dawgs. Running Back coach Thomas Brown and Offensive Line assistant Nick Jones will try to help bring the Rams their second Super Bowl title.
The Bengals also have Lamont Gaillard and Elijah Holyfield on the practice squad.
Michel is the only one of these Bulldogs with Super Bowl experience. He is looking for his second title. If the Rams win, Michel will be the second former Dawg to win for multiple teams. Dannell Ellerbe won for both the Ravens and Eagles. He will join this list of Bulldogs who have won multiple Super Bowl titles including Richard Seymour who was just announced that he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Stafford has had a very good season for the Rams. His 41 touchdown passes were second in the NFL behind Tom Brady and tied for his best ever. His 67.2 completion percentage was just percentage points behind his best season ever. The 4,886 yards passing left him with 49,995 for his career and just five yards shy of 50,000. This past season Stafford climbed many of the career charts and will soon be in the top ten of all of these.
Prior to this season, one thing the critics complained about Stafford (right or wrong) was winning playoff games. Check out his numbers game-by-game in the postseason.
Stafford will try to be the first quarterback to be selected first overall in a NFL draft to win a Super Bowl since Peyton Manning led the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. As for Bulldog, he will be the second one to start as signal caller and will be the third one (unless a trick play) to throw a pass. Here are the two Dawgs to throw a pass in the Super Bowl.
Like Stafford, Michel is playing in his first season with the Rams. The running back played three seasons with New England before heading west to Los Angeles. Statistically, he has up-and-down season as you can see by this graphic.
Michel is already second on the list of the Dawgs in terms of yards rushing in a Super Bowl and is one of three Georgia players with a rushing touchdown. Here is a list of ball carrriers for the Bulldogs in the big game.
In today's NFL offenses, there is a good chance for Michel to catch the ball. Here are the reception leaders for Bulldogs in a Super Bowl.
Hastings is one of 13 different players to have at least ten receptions in one Super Bowl.
On the defensive side, Leonard Floyd has had a very good career so far. In six NFL seasons, the linebacker has registered 38.5 sacks. He has played with the Rams over the last two seasons and is among the league leaders in sacks as you can see below.
If he records a sack, Floyd will be just the fifth different Bulldog to have a sack in the Super Bowl since 1982.
Trey Hill was a sixth round pick in last season's draft, but has made the most of it. He started three games this season for the Bengals (two as center and one as the right guard). He is currently listed as the backup center for Cincinnati this week.
With a quarterback and running back in the game, the Bulldogs have a good chance to have a player win the Super Bowl MVP. Georgia was the first school to have three different Super Bowl MVPs (Jake Scott, Terrell Davis and Hines Ward). USC is the only other school to have three different Pete Rozelle Trophy winners.
Johnny Rauch was the head coach of Super Bowl II when the Raiders fell to the Packers.
One of the most recent Bulldogs, signee Earnest Greene's father played for the Chargers when they played the 49ers in 1994.
