UGASports.com's Top Four Bulldog Cornerbacks
A year ago, we delivered our “Counting the Days” series (an example with 45 days remaining until the season kicks off). This summer, we explore a topic that has been debated on The Dawgvent for years and years. Twice a week leading into fall camp, we will post the UGA’s Mount Rushmore of… series, whereby we each present our opinion of the top four Bulldogs representing each positional unit. Whether statistics, big plays, championships won, and/or something else, we have our reasons why these quartets of Bulldogs have been chosen.
Do you agree with our Mount Rushmore of UGA Cornerbacks? Who would you put on your list?
Dave McMahon—Twitter @dave_mc_stats
Scott Woerner (1977-80): Georgia’s most recent inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, Scott Woerner recorded 147 tackles and 13 interceptions in his Bulldog career. He led Georgia in interceptions with four as a sophomore, had four more as a junior and five as a senior. In his final collegiate game, Woerner corralled two more interceptions not counting in the stat column. He picked off a pair of passes in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, including one with 2:56 remaining and the Dawgs leading by only a touchdown, helping clinch the National Championship. Earlier in the 1980 season, Woerner had another big interception in a close game against Clemson. In addition, he was just as dangerous as a return man for Georgia (but we’ll save that for another article). For his efforts on the defensive side of the ball, Woerner was named All-American in 1980.
Champ Bailey (1996-98): One of the greatest athletes ever to play for the Dawgs is Roland “Champ” Bailey. Champ did it all for the Bulldogs, especially as a junior when he played offense, defense and special teams (and not a little here, and there, like many players do). He played 100 plays or more seven times during his junior (and last) season alone. Despite being very good at other positions, it was cornerback where Bailey excelled. He had just eight career interceptions, including a pick-six against South Carolina in 1997, mostly due to opposing teams gearing their offenses to the side of the field opposite of Bailey. He was named All-American in 1998, as well as taking home the Nagurski Award that season for being the best defensive player in college football. Bailey also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting as a junior. After being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, Bailey produced 15 outstanding seasons as a pro, and is assuredly a future hall of famer.
Tim Wansley (1998-2001): I went back and forth on this for awhile... Here, do I pick Tim Wansley or Tim Jennings? Both were about the same size, and both made big plays. Despite Jennings having more interceptions than Wansley while at Georgia (10 to 9), I decided on Wansley as my “Tim” of choice. Of the nine interceptions made by “Mighty Mouse,” three were returned for touchdowns, and none bigger than a pick-six against Georgia Tech in 2001. Entering the game, the Dawgs had lost three in a row to the Jackets, but found themselves up by four points with just under nine minutes remaining. Wansley read Tech’s signal-caller George Godsey perfectly, running right in front of the wide receiver, picking off the pass and darting 28 yards for a touchdown. Georgia eventually won the game, followed by seven more consecutively in the series. Wansley also returned interceptions for scores against Vanderbilt in 2000 and Ole Miss in 2001; plus, he had another big game that ended an opposing winning streak. His two interceptions against Tennessee in 2000 help the Dawgs halt a nine-game losing streak to the Vols, beginning a four-game win streak for Georgia in the series. The 5-foot-8 cornerback was named All-SEC in back-to-back seasons to end his Bulldog career.
Paul Oliver (2004-06): Paul Oliver had seven interceptions during his Bulldog career, but he is primarily on my top-four list for what he did against one individual, and one team, as he “owned” one of the best receivers of this generation. Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson never defeated the Bulldogs during Oliver’s reign. In three games against Georgia, “Megatron” was limited to nine receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown, which had a lot to do with Oliver’s defense of the extraordinary wideout. Besides two interceptions against Georgia Tech during his career, Oliver also picked off two passes against South Carolina, two versus Auburn, and one against Ole Miss. Sadly, after a brief NFL career, Oliver was found dead at the age of 29. A few years ago, Oliver’s head college coach, Mark Richt, helped establish the “Paul Oliver Network” to help players adjust to life after football.
Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PatrickGarbin
Claude Hipps (1944, 1949-1951): A Bulldog great likely unrecognized by most Georgia enthusiasts is Claude Hipps—one of the program’s first exceptional defenders when the Bulldogs began experimenting with two-platoon football. As a 160-pound freshman in 1944, Hipps scored three touchdowns from his halfback position, and intercepted a pass as a “sideback,” or what would be considered a cornerback, before he agreed to join the Marines Corps for a lengthy stint in order to serve with his twin brother, Francis. Five years later as a 23-year-old sophomore in 1949, Hipps established himself as one of the premier tacklers and pass defenders in college football. During a time when Georgia foes attempted only about 15 passes per game, Hipps intercepted three and four passes as a sophomore and junior, respectively. He became so popular among students and fans, the UGA cheer section formed the personalized cheer, “Hipps! Hipps! Hooray!” and prominent among his teammates that he was elected permanent team captain prior to his senior season. Despite missing playing time in 1951 with a broken hand, Hipps totaled six interceptions (which ranked tied for second in the SEC with an Auburn sophomore you might have heard of—Vince Dooley), was selected First Team All-SEC, and was chosen the conference’s best defensive back via a vote of the SEC’s 12 head coaches. In all, he totaled 14 career interceptions which should rank tied for third in the annals of Georgia football. However, from the pages of the Bulldogs’ newly-released 2017 media guide (except, of course, my inserted red question mark), Hipps is seemingly unrecognized in the annals of Georgia football itself:
Scott Woerner (1977-1980): Scott Woerner was nicknamed “The Returner,” but his play at cornerback was extraordinary, as was his path to reach that status. The state of Georgia’s No. 1 prospect out of high school, Woerner was initially heading to Texas, and to play quarterback—that is, until Longhorn head coach Darrell Royal decided to retire, and Woerner didn’t want to “get caught up” in a coaching change. Upon his arrival to Georgia, he was asked by Vince Dooley what position he wanted to play, whereby the versatile Woerner declared, “Coach, I just want to play!” (The reply was something the head coach said he had never heard before when he had asked the same question to dozens of incoming quarterbacks who seemingly would be moved to a different position.) As a freshman in 1977, Woerner was used exclusively in the return game before starting at left cornerback to open his sophomore season. He was a major reason why Georgia’s “underdog” ’78 squad was soon distinguished as the “Wonderdogs,” beginning in just the second game, when he tallied three pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a late-game interception in the end zone in the Bulldogs’ 12-0 win over Clemson—what would be the Tigers’ lone defeat of the season. After leading the team that year with four interceptions, Woerner matched that total in 1979 despite playing the entire season with knee and ankle injuries, before finishing off his Georgia career in 1980 with five more interceptions for a total of 13 in his career.
Ben Smith (1987-1989): After a freshman season at Northeast Oklahoma Junior College, it took Ben Smith only one game as a Bulldog to replace the team’s then-starting left cornerback, a senior. Three seasons later, Smith had totaled 222 career tackles, including 10 for loss, 20 pass breakups, 13 interceptions, and seven forced fumbles—which remains a school record for a defensive back. As a sophomore in 1987, he was already recognized by defensive coordinator Bill Lewis as “potentially the best cornerback” he had coached in his eight seasons at Georgia. Still, what Smith possessed that most others had lacked was a physical style of play as a hard—very hard—hitter. As the 1989 Second Team All-American and eventual NFL first-round pick once said while at Georgia, “I like to hit people. I don't see many cornerbacks who like to just give up their body like I do." And, as quarterback Greg Talley reportedly said of Smith to some teammates during a practice—we talking about practice—“Man, he’s going to kill somebody!”
From the LSU game in 1987, an example of one of Smith’s thunderous thumps… And, although this particular hit was rather unsportsmanlike, resulting in a 15-yard penalty on Georgia, of note, it appears after his quarterback is hit, Tigers head coach Mike Archer, in a way, hits back:
Champ Bailey (1996-1998): Champ Bailey, perhaps Georgia’s most versatile player of all time, is also arguably the program’s greatest cornerback. For his career, Bailey totaled 147 career tackles, including nine for loss, eight interceptions, and a staggering 27 passes broken up—a school record upon his departure from Georgia—despite playing in just three seasons, starting for only two. A true “shutdown corner” in every sense of the term, Bailey made the SEC All-Freshman team his first season, followed by twice earning First Team All-SEC honors his final two seasons. In 1998, he was a consensus First Team All-American and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting (It would be another 14 years before another Bulldog placed in the award’s voting.) And, I contend that Bailey suffered in the trophy’s balloting simply because voters didn’t want to consecutively award the Heisman to defenders after Michigan’s Charles Woodson took home the prize in 1997.
Early next week, we will reveal our next in the UGA’s Mount Rushmore of… series. Until then, again, do you agree with UGASports.com’s list? Who would you put on your Mount Rushmore of UGA Cornerbacks?
UGASports.com's Previous UGA Mount Rushmores: