It was certainly different to see no Bulldogs go in the first few rounds of the draft this year. I suppose if you finish #2 and have nobody drafted on the first day, that's a good omen for next year. It would look bad for recruiting, though, if it happened year in and year out. No need to worry - it appears we'll have two out of the top ten next year. The only bad news is the two players are Stafford and Knowshon.
Also, it appears that one of two things will happen with the Falcons: a) Start Redman/Harrington/Ryan at QB and go 2-14, earning the #1 pick b) Start J.D. Stokely at QB, win Super Bowl, and make ridiculous trades to get the #1 pick
The Dawgs landed a huge commitment yesterday from Aaron Murray, the top rated QB prospect in Florida and an Elite 11 QB.
This kid appears to be an awesome talent, and had offers from damn near every major school in the country; but the fact that he chose the Dawgs over his backyard Gators makes it even sweeter.
Rivals Bio: AARON MURRAY 6-1, 205 lbs. Tampa (Fla.) Plant Bio: A superb talent with all the tools and intangibles to be a star on the next level. Burst onto the scene last fall at Plant in his first year as a starter, setting a state single season record with 51 touchdown passes while leading the Panthers to an 11-2 record on his way to Class 4A all-state and Mr. Football honors. An accurate, well-groomed passer with very underrated athleticism and a strong and accurate throwing arm. Impressed at the Gainesville NIKE Camp in April with a solid showing, taking home camp QB MVP honors. Played some safety as a sophomore behind current Miami freshman QB Robert Marve and also served as an underclassman "ballboy" at last summer's Elite 11. Is the 14th Florida QB to make the Elite 11 in its 10 years. Has received over 50 scholarship offers from the likes of Florida, Georgia, Miami, LSU, FSU and many others and plans on making his college decision sometime in the summer. 2007 Stats: 201 of 329 passing for 4,013 yards and 51 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Also rushed 93 times for 932 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games.
We don't get too worked up over recruitin' here at DOTWU, but this is a large pick-up and we always enjoy celebrating any form of victory of the Jorts crowd. If this Kid's game translates over to college, we'll have ourselves one hell of a QB.
Odell is back! The AJC reports that the NFL has reinstated Odell Thurman. Apparently, the league is satisfied that he served his punishment for substance abuse (isn't that really a victimless crime?) and DUI. Hopefully, we'll see him in pads for Cincinnati in the fall. Man, I really miss Odell and Thomas Davis. They have to be the nastiest linebaker/safety combo to play on the same college team in a long time. Here's a "finesse" clip of Odell.
Sadly, this news comes on the same day that we learn what we suspected all along - David Pollack's playing days are really over. Nobody certainly ever questioned the guy's heart and determination, but sometimes a person is just meant for other things - like appearing in French music videos:
Just in case you don't agree that the song is completely awesome, and you don't want to watch the whole thing, fast-forward to the 1:40 mark to see David Pollack in action.
In other news - don't miss the Gym Dawgs going for four national titles in a row in front of a home crowd this weekend. Attendees should wear their dark gear, as the plan is to blackout Stegeman all weekend.
And, don't look now but the baseball team is off to the best SEC start in school history at 14-3-1, and is now ranked #5 by Collegiate Baseball and #10 by Baseball America. The goal is a national seed and a Super Regional at Foley Field.
The Equestrian title has returned to its rightful home, with the Horse Dawgs winning their third national title since 2002, knocking off cow colleges Texas A&M, Auburn, and Okie State.
You only call it a cow college because it was founded by a cow.
Congrats to all the spring teams on their continued success.
Enough with the running back greats replaying scenes from their favorite Vietnam War movies and getting tasered. The AJC reports that the hoops squad picked up its fifth commitment for the 2008 class.
As everyone knows, difficult-to-pronounce names are crucial for basketball success, so Felton definitely has the team pointed in the right direction when he welcomes North Gwinnett guard Ebuka Anyaorah, who joins forward Drazen Zlovaric. Anyaorah turned down offers from Texas A&M, Colorado, Auburn, Michigan, and Georgia Tech. The whole list for this class:
Power Forward Howard Thompkins (signed in November)
Point Guard Dustin Ware (signed in November)
Power Forward Drazen Zlovaric (signed in November)
Small Forward Travis Leslie (should sign Wednesday)
With Chris Barnes and Jeremy Jacob returning from injury to join Albert Jackson and Jeremy Price, this team is going to have a much different look from the past couple of seasons.
