UGASports.com's Top Four Bulldog Safeties and Roverbacks
A year ago, we delivered our “Counting the Days” series—an example. 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 Safeties/Roverbacks? Who would you put on your list?
Dave McMahon—Twitter @dave_mc_stats
Jake Scott (1967-68): Jake Scott played two seasons for Georgia, and they were extremely productive campaigns as he led the SEC in interceptions in both 1967 and 1968 with six and 10 picks, respectively. He was the first Bulldog to total double-digit interceptions in a season, and his 10 as a junior are tied for second all time at Georgia for a single season. Scott is the school record-holder, along with Bacarri Rambo, with 16 career interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns, including two against Kentucky in 1968. His 315 interception return yards in a career remain a school record (although current Bulldog Dominick Sanders is just 19 yards shy of tying him). Scott was also a great return man while at Georgia (more on that in weeks to come), who had a terrific NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, including being part of two Super Bowl-winning teams and capturing a Super Bowl MVP Award.
Terry Hoage (1980-83): Hoage’s former head coach Vince Dooley said it best: Hoage was “the best defensive player I’ve ever coached and maybe the best one I’ve ever seen.” I could probably stop there, but then this article would be too short… Hoage was a two-time All-American and a two-time Academic All-American. He also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting his senior season in a time when defensive players got overlooked. The season before in 1982, he racked up over 100 tackles, including three sacks, and 12 interceptions. The 12 picks are still a Georgia single-season record, as well as an SEC record. Hoage was an excellent special teams player in regards to blocking kicks (but more on that in a future article). For his career, he had 223 tackles, 10 sacks and 14 interceptions, and was part of a National Championship team. In 2000, Hoage was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and, a year later, elected into the UGA Circle of Honor. His winning did not stop at Georgia, as he played 13 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl as a member of the Washington Redskins.
Sean Jones (2001-03): There are a number of Georgia safeties/roverbacks I could have chosen from this era, and while my next two might not be the ones you would pick, they should be in the conversation. My first is Sean Jones (the “good” one, and not the other one, Shawn Jones, who was a quarterback for Georgia Tech). In Sean’s final season at Georgia, he earned All-American honors by notching 111 tackles (despite missing two games due to injury), five interceptions, three blocked kicks, and two fumble recoveries including this one many of you likely recall. Jones’ 92-yard fumble return for a touchdown at Tennessee made nearly 100,000 very orange-clad people very, very sad. For his collegiate career, Jones amassed 250 tackles, including 10 for loss, and seven interceptions. In the NFL, he played in 107 games, racking up 17 interceptions for the Browns, Eagles and Buccaneers.
Thomas Davis (2002-04): Lastly is Thomas Davis (it hurts me not to include Greg Blue as well, but maybe Patrick puts him on his list). A two-time All-SEC safety and a 2004 All-American, Davis led Georgia for two straight seasons in tackles, many of which caused the opposition lots and lots of pain. For his career, Davis had 272 tackles, a Georgia 10th-best 185 of which were primary stops, and 10½ sacks (even more pain). In 2002, he recovered a fumble against South Carolina on the Gamecocks’ final drive to preserve a 13-7 win and, less than a month later, showed that he was “man enough” by picking off a pass against Alabama on its final possession to clinch a 27-25 win. In 2003, Davis recorded 138 total tackles—12th-most ever by a Georgia player—including double-digit totals in eight games, and an interception against Georgia Tech. During his final season of 2004, he saved one of his better games for last as he had eight tackles and two sacks against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Despite enduring three ACL surgeries on the same knee, Davis is currently having an outstanding NFL career, highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance and receiving the 2014 NFL Man of the Year Award.
Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PatrickGarbin
Jake Scott (1967-1968): Jake Scott’s actions (like when he supposedly drove his motorcycle up a ramp to the top of the Georgia Coliseum, and then back down the other side), history, and even whereabouts have seemingly been surrounded by mystery for decades. However, this is for sure: The legendary safety-man had a nose for the football and, once he got his hands on it, he could do wonders with it in tow. Regarding his school-record 16 career interceptions, consider that not only did collegiate teams pass less during his playing days (roughly 25 percent less than recent years), but his total resulted in only 19 games played. On returns during his Bulldog career, Scott averaged more than 23 yards on kickoffs, 12 on punt returns, and nearly 20 on interceptions for 1,155 career return yards and 15.4 yards per touch. For his two-season tenure on Georgia's varsity, he twice earned First Team All-SEC honors, and followed an All-American honorable mention as a mere sophomore by earning consensus All-American recognition in 1968—the first Bulldog defensive back to accomplish as much.
Bill Krug (1975-1977): Perhaps slightly overshadowed by Georgia’s legendary line of roverbacks during the 1980s, Bill Krug was the program’s first distinguished rover after the Bulldogs established the position in their defensive formation in the early 1970s. A standout for the “Junkyard Dogs,” Krug was quick and aggressive—a “big play” man who often came up with a critical interception, sack, fumble recovery, forced fumble, or blocked kick. In his three seasons, official statistics reveal he recorded 233 tackles and five interceptions. And, it’s too bad other official defensive stats weren’t totaled back then, or Krug would assuredly rank near the top in multiple categories even after almost 40 years since he played. Perhaps most impressive, Krug was an All-SEC honoree three times—each of the three seasons he played—and remains the only Georgia defensive back in history to accomplish as much. In addition, as a senior in 1977, he was selected Second Team All-American by both the AP and UPI, missing earning first-team recognition by the former by a single voting point.
Terry Hoage (1980-1983): Building on what Dave said about Terry Hoage, what’s remarkable about his 14 career interceptions from 1980-1983—a total which ranks third in Georgia history—is that 10 of them were corralled in a span of just six games—the first six games of the ’82 campaign. Hoage played in just two regular-season games as a true freshman—against Texas A&M and TCU—and, as he indicated to me in an interview, he was only inserted by coaches at the end of the two blowouts because he was a Texas native. A celebrated blocked field goal of his in the Sugar Bowl that year distinguished Hoage, and he would enter the following campaign as a starter. However, missing three entire games and parts of a few others because of injuries, all while playing a rover position primarily slotted to stop the run, Hoage had no interceptions through two seasons. It was then he adjusted to sniffing out errant passes, resulting in his barrage of picks the first half of his junior season. Yet, then it was the opposition which adjusted by hardly throwing Hoage’s way, which resumed with the start of his final year. Unfortunately, also resuming for Hoage were injuries in 1983. For that season, get this, despite playing out of position at safety on two separate occasions, missing three games in their entirety because of injuries, and starting in just five contests, Hoage still earned the utmost respect of voters by finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, marking one of the very few times—if not the only time—a player who was essentially a backup for a season (i.e., only 5 starts in 11 games) finished in the voting for the coveted award.
Greg Blue (2002-2005): Indeed, as Dave was hoping, I do include Greg Blue. And, yes, it was a difficult choice, as three different Georgia safeties/roverbacks were First Team All-Americans for three consecutive seasons from 2003-2005. Still, of the three, only Blue was a consensus All-American, and as part of an SEC championship team to boot. One of only 11 players to letter on each of the Bulldogs’ 2002 through 2005 teams—a class which achieved a 44-9 overall record—Blue totaled 260 tackles, including seven and a half for loss, 12 passes broken up, 13 quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions for his career. But, what he is likely most remembered for when playing for the Bulldogs doesn’t show up on the stat sheet: bringing his wrath upon opposing ball-carriers as one of the most feared, intimidating “hit men” in Georgia history.
UGASports.com's Previous UGA Mount Rushmores: Quarterbacks; Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers; Tight Ends; Inside Linebackers; Wide Receivers
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 Safeties/Roverbacks?