Georgia seniors excited to be honored, thankful for years as a Bulldog
Kirby Smart remembers his last game at Sanford Stadium on Nov. 28, 1998, against Georgia Tech.
Now, 20 years later, the Georgia head coach gets to lead a group of seniors Saturday (noon, SEC Network) that he led for three seasons. Same stadium, same team and Smart hopes for a different result than his own when Georgia Tech pulled off a 21-19 victory.
“We want to honor them by playing our best game at home,” Smart said.
Before kickoff, Georgia will honor 15 scholarship seniors who had completed their first season as a Bulldog only days before Smart took the job.
Some players might feel the emotion when waking up on game day, and others may experience it when they stand at midfield with their families for pre-game recognition. Outside linebacker D’Andre Walker will have his mom, uncle, sister, niece and nephew in attendance.
“I want to make sure I cherish it, live in the moment and really enjoy it,” Walker said.
Added wide receiver Terry Godwin: “I’m not playing just for me, I’m playing for my other seniors as well and my other brothers. To send this senior class out with a win at our last home game would mean the world.”
There are also some Georgia juniors who have decisions to make on whether to forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL draft. Elijah Holyfield and J.R. Reed, both available to media Tuesday, were tight-lipped on the matter.
“I haven’t thought about it at all,” Reed said, with Holyfield giving a similar response.
But for those who are undoubtedly departing, it serves to be an unforgettable moment.
A few of Georgia’s on-field leaders have experienced bouts of adversity throughout their four seasons with the program, but pushed through to become anchors for the rest of the team. Now they’re in a position to help the Bulldogs toward another run at the national title.
Take Natrez Patrick’s three drug-related incidents, with the latest one happening about a year ago. Or Godwin’s struggle with a nagging injury this season that led to intermittent, “rocky” production from the former five-star.
There were the alcohol-related arrests and suspensions for defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter. His last incident came days before Smart addressed media at the annual SEC Media Days event, but Ledbetter kept his spot on the team despite the legal issue.
Fast forward three seasons later, Ledbetter is a dependable leader. Through it all, he and other seniors give thanks for their collegiate careers.
“It’s sad, bittersweet and I don’t want to leave,” Ledbetter said. “I wouldn’t want to have it any other way ... to stand with my brothers and play Georgia Tech and still be chasing our dreams. I wouldn’t want to go out any other way.”
There have also been high points for this group of Georgia seniors. After a 7-5 season and the worst of their five-year tenure, the Bulldogs experienced a SEC championship, Rose Bowl and National Championship within the span of a month.
It’s one that unanimously serves as the most-memorable moment of their careers, and one that Patrick called “crazy” after the coaching change.
“It’s kind of easy when you have someone with the same goal as you,” Patrick said of the coaching transition. “It was easy to join that, get on the train and buy in from a senior class.”
These seniors, before it’s all finished, hope to top last season’s title run with another. They’ll enjoy the festivities Saturday, but don’t plan for it to be the end goal.
“I’m happy for the moment and where we’re at,” center Lamont Gaillard said. “We have to do something big to top it off — beat Tech and Alabama. That’s what we’re focused on.”