Georgia All-Decade team capsules capsules

By David Hale

dhale@macon.com

PLAYER OF THE DECADE:

David Pollack, Defensive End

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: One of the most decorated athletes in Georgia history, Pollack was a three-time All-American, who holds the school records for sacks with 36 and was named the SEC’s player of the year in 2004. In his career, he had 58 tackles for a loss, made 283 total tackles, holds the single-season record for sacks with 14 in 2002. His high-energy style made him a fan favorite and his impact on the football field was unparalleled by any Bulldogs player during the past decade.

Highlight: His interception of South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins in the end zone in a 13-7 win remains one of the signature plays of the decade and helped propel the Bulldogs to an SEC title.

They say: “I think he’s the most decorated defensive player to play here and he set the standard for us. Everybody tries to continue that on, but he set the bar real high.” — defensive end Rod Battle.

“Pollack was one of those rare guys that you find who is really a game- changer. He played with such energy and the things he would do would really change the whole outcome of a game. He could swing the whole momentum of games.” — Pollack’s former teammate David Greene.

“What made David different was his relentless pursuit. Something inside of him made him go hard on every practice, every rep in the game and every mat drill every single year. He could not help it. That’s just what made him great. Another thing about David was he didn’t care what you thought or what you said about him. He was going to do exactly what he wanted to do against you.” — head coach Mark Richt.

Greene, Quarterback

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Until Texas’ Colt McCoy broke the mark this season, Greene held the NCAA record for most victories by a starting quarterback with 42 in four seasons. His career began as a redshirt freshman the same season Richt arrived in Athens, and he was as much a part of Georgia’s resurgence as anyone. He holds the SEC record with 214 pass attempts without an interception and won the 2002 SEC title, earning three straight All-SEC nods. He holds the school record for completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns and ranks third all-time in completion percentage.

Highlight: Call it what you want — the “Hobnail Boot” play, “P-44 Haynes” or simply, “the play,” Greene’s screen pass with 44 seconds left to beat Tennessee in 2001 was the signature play of the decade and perhaps the biggest score of the Mark Richt era.

They say: “You could just watch him make his reads with such precision early on, you just knew he was going to be a great one. He was everything you want in a quarterback.” — Richt.

Knowshon Moreno, Running Back

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Moreno burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007, rushing for 1,334 yards and was a freshman All-American and an All-SEC selection. In 2008, he was a full-fledged starter and turned in an All-America performance, rushing for 1,400 yards (fifth-best in Georgia history) and 16 touchdowns (fourth-best in school history). His 5.49 yards per carry average was the seventh-best mark of any running back in a career at Georgia, and his 19.2 carries per game average was the second best. He is one of just two tailbacks in school history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Highlight: Getting the bulk of the load on offense, Moreno ran 33 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Florida — just the second time during the Richt era that the Bulldogs topped the Gators.

They say: “It didn’t matter what was going on, he was going to give it his all on every play. That’s what I tried to pick up from him. He played every play like it was his last.” — Georgia running back Caleb King.

Brannan Southerland, Fullback

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Earned his stripes as a freshman on Georgia’s 2005 SEC championship team, scoring three touchdowns. A year later, he was Georgia’s primary short-yardage runner and the first fullback to lead the Bulldogs in scoring in 49 years, tallying 10 touchdowns on the year. As a junior, his role as a runner decreased but he still scored six touchdowns and helped lead the way for Knowshon Moreno to total 1,334 yards — the most at Georgia in 15 years.

Highlight: Scored twice on the ground — the only points of the game — in a 14-9 win over Ole Miss in 2006 to help move the Bulldogs to 5-0.

They say: “He wasn’t just a fullback. He could do it all. He was a great blocker, but he could run routes, catch passes, score. He had it all.” — Georgia fullback Shaun Chapas.

A.J. Green, Wide Receiver

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: As a freshman in 2008, Green earned All-SEC honors by catching 56 passes for 963 yards and was named the SEC’s freshman of the year. As a sophomore, he was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and made his second straight All-SEC team with 47 catches and 751 yards, both of which led the team, and he hauled in six touchdown catches.

Highlight: Making a rare special teams appearance, Green blocked a short field goal attempt by Arizona State that could have won the game, then hauled in a crucial catch on the sideline to set up the game-winning field goal for the Bulldogs.

They say: “He has everything you’d want in a receiver, but what makes him different is his ability to move his body and get in position to catch passes. He can move in ways that are unbelievable.” — Georgia receiver Mike Moore.

Terrence Edwards, Wide Receiver

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: The owner of virtually every receiving record at Georgia, Edwards was a beast for four seasons at both split end and flanker. He led the Bulldogs in receiving in every year of his career, culminating with a 1,004-yard senior season — the only time a Georgia player has ever eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. His 204 career receptions, 3,093 career yards, 30 touchdown receptions and 11 touchdown grabs in 2002 are all school records.

Highlight: Edwards had plenty of big games, but it was his 127-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kentucky in 2002 that marked the high-water point in terms of sheer production.

They say: “He’s the one who took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. There’s no telling where I would be or how I would have ended up if it weren’t for him doing that for me.” — Former UGA receiver and current running backs coach Bryan McClendon.

Ben Watson, Tight End

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: A transfer from Duke, Watson helped bring the position of Georgia tight end to the forefront of college football. He caught 31 passes in 2002 for 341 yards to help Georgia to an SEC title and was an All-SEC selection in 2003.

Highlight: Georgia had trouble finding much offense in the 2003 SEC title game, but Watson was the exception, hauling in a career-best 86 yards and the Bulldogs’ only touchdown.

They say: “He is an all pro tight end but he cares about his family and the well being of others and that is special. Not many in this sport at that level are like him, and I look up to him for sure, not only as an athlete but also because of the person he is.” — Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch.

Ben Jones, Center

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Aggressive, confident and perhaps a little crazy, Jones won the starting center job just four games into his career, earning a freshman All-SEC nod in 2008. His blocking earned him offensive lineman of the week honors in the SEC after Georgia beat Kentucky that year. In 2009, he blossomed into a veteran leader on the line despite being just a sophomore and was named second-team All-SEC.

Highlight: Before King’s game-winning touchdown run against Auburn in 2009, Jones took him aside after the huddle and simply said, “Follow me into the end zone.”

They say: “Him before the game is hilarious. He’s a crazy guy and gets real excited. You just have to be around him.” — Georgia quarterback Joe Cox.

Max Jean-Gilles, Guard

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: One of the largest linemen ever to play at Georgia checking in at close to 350 pounds, Jean-Gilles was a three-year starter who paved the way for some of Georgia’s most successful offensive seasons. He earned All-SEC honors in each of his three seasons as a starter and was named a Walter Camp All-American as a senior in 2005 when he won his second SEC title. In 40 career games, he allowed just three sacks.

Highlight: Held the line together after starting QB D.J. Shockley went down against Arkansas in 2005, protecting Joe Tereshinski and helping the Bulldogs hold on for a 23-20 win that kept them alive for the SEC title. He earned conference lineman of the week honors for the effort.

They say: “He chose Georgia early on but never told anyone throughout the recruiting process. He surprised a lot of people, but he loved Georgia, and he had a great career here.” — Richt.

Russ Tanner, Guard

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Tanner started throughout his final three seasons in Athens, culminating with a second conference championship in 2005. He was named to the Remmington Trophy watch list his final two seasons and a member of the Academic All-SEC team. He graduated as part of the winningest class in Georgia history.

Highlight: In his final SEC game, he helped pave the way for Georgia’s breakout offensive attack against LSU in the conference championship game, earning his second SEC title in his career.

They say: “Russ was one of those big boys from South Georgia who played hard on every single play. He came to work, gave his all, played hurt and was always reliable.” — Greene.

Clint Boling, Tackle

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: A freshman All-American in 2007, Boling has been one of the most versatile and effective linemen in Georgia history. In 2008, he started 12 games and played at three different positions, but it was his move from the right side of the line to left tackle that finally settled a chaotic season on Georgia’s line. In 2009, Boling again started the year on the right side of the line, but moved to left tackle midway through the year, earning All-SEC honors both times.

Highlight: His move to left tackle helped set the tone for Georgia’s revitalized running game in 2009, culminating with a huge performance against Georgia Tech in which the Bulldogs tallied 339 yards on the ground.

They say: “A lot of times in that situation you have to play guys early, but him coming in as a freshman and play well and play a number of positions just shows how valuable he’s been. He’s a smart guy that gives a lot of effort and is a team guy. He’s been very productive at every position he’s played. He’s played four out of the five and to do that, do it consistently and held us together.” — offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

Jon Stinchcomb, Tackle

@BR Box Type bold lede colon:Career: Following in the footsteps of his older brother Matt, Jon Stinchcomb made his mark as one of the most dominant blockers in Bulldogs history as a four-year starter and three-time All-SEC selection. He helped Georgia to an SEC title that season and earned All-American honors in 2002.

Highlight: In 2002, he recovered a fumble in the end zone in a win over Auburn, becoming the first Bulldogs’ lineman to score a touchdown in 17 years.

They say: “He’s a winner. His teams won. I don’t think that’s a coincidence when it happens in high school, college and in the NFL. That speaks a lot to the intangible stuff Jon did. He’s not a physical freak. He just goes out and executes at a really high level.” — Matt Stinchcomb.

Charles Grant, Defensive End

Career: Grant finished his Georgia career with 136 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 15 sacks, despite only playing two full seasons at defensive end. His 15 career sacks ranks ninth all-time at Georgia. His junior season in 2001 resulted in 63 tackles and six sacks and was named to the All-SEC team.

Highlight: Grant’s four-sack performance against Auburn in 2001 ranks as the second-best performance in school history.

Richard Seymour, Defensive Tackle

Career: Seymour only played one year during the decade — but it was a heck of a year. He was a first-team All-American and first-team All- SEC as a senior in 2000, playing along three other future NFL first-round draft picks. He started 10 games that season, making 78 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss.

Highlight: Had six tackles, two sacks and a pressure that resulted in an interception in a win over South Carolina in 1999.

They say: “Him and (Marcus) Stroud, they got drafted high and they left a legacy. Seymour led the team in tackles one year. That’s a legacy.” — defensive tackle Jeff Owens.

Johnathan Sullivan, Defensive Tackle

Career: It was never about the numbers for Sullivan, who was a constant disruptive force on the defensive line. He was an All-SEC selection in 2002, helping Georgia to a conference title by making 74 tackles and four sacks.

Highlight: Sullivan’s final SEC game earned him a conference championship as he and the Bulldogs’ line held Arkansas to just 1.9 yards per carry on the ground and just three total points.

They say: “He’s one of the most talented kids I ever coached. He had the athleticism of (Richard) Seymour and the power of (Marcus) Stroud. He could have done anything he wanted to do.” — Rodney Garner, Georgia defensive tackles coach.