Taking a moment to reflect, UGA has had some really outstanding walk-ons come through the football program. Many of these walk-ons eventually earned a scholarship, started games, made big plays, and earned SEC honors. Some notable (50+) walk-ons through the years:
Coach Butts:
Jimmy Orr (slotback) – led UGA in receiving in 1955 & 1957; 2-time NFL Pro Bowler caught 400 passes for 7,914 yds & 66 TDs during his professional career
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Coach Dooley (4 former walk-ons started for his 1980 National Championship Team):
Spike “Sputnik” Jones (punter) – 3-year starter [1967-1969]; avg. 41.5 yds per punt [x194] during his career; went on to play 8 years in the NFL
Jim McCullough (placekicker) – 3-year starter [1967-1969]; led UGA in scoring 3 consecutive years totaling 150 pts by converting 84 PATs & 22 FGs
Hilton Young, Jr. (running back) – played on the 1975-1976 teams; 1999 recipient of the Bill Hartman Award (recognizes former UGA student-athletes who have distinguished themselves as alumni)
Jim Griffith (middle linebacker) – 3-year starter [1975-1977]; 325 career tackles
Keith Hall – led JV team in sacks in 1978; awarded a scholarship prior to the 6th game (Virginia) of 1979 after blocking a punt in practice
Mike Fisher (cornerback) – started for UGA’s 1980 National Championship team; intercepted 3 passes that season
Robert Miles (defensive end) – started 3 games as a tight end in 1979, then changed positions and started for UGA’s 1980 National Championship team as a defensive end
Nate “Tifton Termite” Taylor (5’10″, 195-lb. middle linebacker that ran a 5.2 second 40-yd dash) – 4-year starter [1979-1982] that led UGA w/ 390 tackles during his career; Vince Dooley called Taylor “the biggest surprise of my career”
Dale Williams (cornerback) – 2-year starter [1979 & 1981]; intercepted 2 passes for UGA’s 1980 National Championship team
Richard “Le Sack” Tardits (outside linebacker) – earned a scholarship in 1988 and started 9 games that season; finished career [1985-1986] w/ 29 sacks (a UGA record until David Pollack broke it in 2004)
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Coach Goff:
Will Muschamp (safety) – earned a scholarship in 1992 [lettered 1991-1994]; started 2 games as a junior & 9 as a senior; current head coach of the Florida Gators
Todd Peterson (placekicker) – USNA transfer; 2-year starter [1991-1992]; converted on 16 of 26 (66.7%) FGs & 75 of 77 (97.4%) PATs; had a successful 12-year NFL career
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Coach Donnan:
Billy Bennett (placekicker) – scored 409 pts in his career (converted 87 of 110 [79.1%] FGs & 148 of 151 [98%] PATs); 2000 All-SEC Freshman; 2002 First-Team All-SEC (Special Teams); 2003 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)
Doug Davis (long snapper) – 2-year starter [1998-1999]
Verron Haynes (fullback) – Western Kentucky transfer; 136 carries for 737 yds & 8 TDs; 19 receptions for 242 yds & 2 TDs (including the game-winning 6-yd TD reception w/ only 5 seconds left vs. Tennessee in 2001)
Andy Hogan (long snapper) – 2-year starter [2000-2001]
Cory Phillips (quarterback) – started 5 games as a sophomore [1999]; completed 104 passes for 1,325 yds & 11 TDs; threw for >400 yds in games vs. Ga Tech & Kentucky, respectively
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Coach Richt (15 of 37 former walk-ons started; 4 earned First- or Second-Team All-SEC Honors; 2 went on to become medical doctors and a third is on the way; 1 went on to become a government elected official):
1. Tra Battle (safety) – started as a true frosh vs. Clemson in season opener; 155 career tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 8 INTs; 2006 First-Team All-SEC
2. Jarrett Berry (wide receiver / special teams) – 1 reception for 9 yds; 1 punt return for 22 yds; blocked a punt that resulted in UGA’s first TD vs. Alabama in 2003
3. John Bodin (offensive guard) – played in 3 games during his career
4. Benjamin Boyd (middle linebacker / fullback / kickoff team wedge buster) – 13 career tackles
5. Taylor Bradberry (wide receiver) – 1 reception for 13 yds
6. Luis Capella (cornerback) – appeared in 1 game
7. Brandon Coutu (placekicker) – 3-year starter; converted 51 of 64 FGs [79.7%] w/ a long of 58 yds; 109 of 109 [100%] PATs; 221 kickoffs [avg. 60.7 yds] w/ 47 touchbacks; 2005 First-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)
8. Matthew DeGenova (outside linebacker) – played in 6 games and made 1 tackle
9. Eric Elliot (cornerback) – played in 3 games
10. Gordon Ely-Kelso (punter) – 4-year starter; avg. 40.3 yds per punt [x227]; 2005 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)
11. Reuben Faloughi (4-3 defensive end / 3-4 outside linebacker) – played in 26 games and made 8 tackles & 1 TFL (vs. Boise St)
12. Ty Frix (long snapper) – high school valedictorian; 4-year starter (53 consecutive games); accepted by the Medical College of Georgia for the fall 2013 semester
13. Chris Gaunder (linebacker / kickoff team wedge buster) – played in 31 games and made 9 tackles; completed medical school at Mercer University; currently a resident at Columbus Regional
14. Chad Gloer (special teams) – played in 37 games and made 28 tackles
15. Merritt Hall (fullback) – 6 starts as a redshirt freshman [2012]; 2 carries for 10 yds; 1 reception for 9 yds; 4 kickoff returns for 42 yds
16. Brandon Harton (running back) – 66 carries for 267 yds & 1 TD
17. Jeff Henson (long snapper) – 2-year starter [2006-2007]
18. Jason Johnson (running back / fullback) (5’9″, 216 lbs) – 1 start [vs. Florida in 2007]; 12 carries for 66 yds; 2 receptions for 10 yds
19. Burt Jones (roverback / special teams) – 31 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, recovered blocked punt on 2-yd line vs. Arkansas in 2002 SEC Championship Game; 2002 Special Teams Captain; Jon Fabris in September 2009 re: Jones: “Burt was the best all-around special teams player we have had”; Jones won the 2012 election for Georgia State Senate District 25
20. Brian Jordan (long snapper) – 4-year starter [2002-2005]
21. Rhett McGowan (punt returner / wide receiver) – 1 start as a redshirt junior [2012]; 20 receptions for 244 yds & 2 TDs; 9 punt returns for 75 yds
22. Brian Mimbs (punter) – 2-year starter [2007-2008]; avg. 43.1 yds per punt [x104]; 2008 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)
23. Casey Nickels (offensive tackle) – high school valedictorian; played in 12 games
24. Connor Norman (safety / kickoff coverage) – started 2 games as a redshirt sophomore [2012]; 31 tackles
25. Zach Renner – blocked 3 punts (vs. Arizona St, Alabama, & Tennessee) as a redshirt freshman/sophomore (transferred when his scholarship wasn’t guaranteed to be renewed as a junior)
26. Blake Sailors (cornerback / special teams) – played in 41 games, made 26 tackles, forced 1 fumble, & recovered 1 fumble
27. Josh Sailors (fullback); 1 carry for 2 yds
28. Ryan Schnetzer (center) – played in 38 games w/ 5 starts; completed medical school at Medical College of Georgia in 2010; now an orthopedic surgeon in Gainesville, Florida
29. Jamario Smith (linebacker / fullback) – 7 carries for 31 yds
30. Braxton Snyder (fullback) – 6 carries for 21 yds
31. Jeremy Thomas (fullback) – high school salutorian; USAFA transfer; played in 23 games w/ 13 starts; 31 carries for 73 yds; 25 receptions for 251 yds & 1 TD
32. Wes Van Dyk (running back) – 4 carries for 15 yds
33. Kosta Vavlas (linebacker) – played in 28 games, made 28 tackles, & forced 2 fumbles
34. Jason Veal (inside linebacker) – scout team member
35. J.T. Wall (fullback) – played in 25 games w/ 11 starts; 45 carries for 207 yds & 3 TDs; 11 receptions for 205 yds & 2 TDs; hired as John Milledge Academy’s head football coach in 2011
36. Brandon Wheeling (defensive tackle) – West Georgia transfer; played in 9 games w/ 4 starts for UGA; made 7 tackles & 1 TFL (vs. S. Carolina); named UGA’s program coordinator on defense during Spring 2012
37. Andrew Williams (strong safety / kickoff team wedge buster) – played in 40 games and made 32 tackles
