The Bulldogs' Best Walk-Ons turned Schollys

Last week’s agreement by offensive lineman Allen Williams—a 6-foot-6, 335-pound giant from Appling County—to take a preferred walk-on offer got me pondering Georgia’s all-time most notable walk-on-turned-scholarship players. Nothing against any type of walk-on—I hold each gutsy one in the highest regard—but I tend to break them down into four categories, considering each of the following successive group of walk-ons a tad bit more esteemed than the previous ones:

1) Kickers, like Billy Bennett (2000-2003) and Brandon Coutu (2004-2007), two of the most successful placekickers in Bulldogs history.

2) Walk-ons who first played at another school, like Georgia’s leading rusher in 2001, Verron Haynes (1999-2001), and the Bulldogs’ starting right cornerback in 1979 and 1981, Dale Williams (1979-1981), who each significantly contributed at Western Kentucky (1997) and The Citadel (1977), respectively. And then, there’s Mike Fisher (1978-1980), who was Georgia’s starting right cornerback (1980) in between Williams’ two starting seasons and, although catching just a single pass for eight yards and making only one tackle for Furman (1976), did indeed play for another school prior to becoming a Bulldog.

3) Walk-ons who were previously members of other programs where they did not letter, like a couple of the original “Junkyard Dogs” of 1975: strong safety Chip Miller (1974-1975) who, after not seeing the field in two years at Appalachian State, entered the 1974 season at Georgia as a starter before totaling 46 tackles for the Junkyard Dogs, and Rusty Russell (1973-1975), son of legendary Erk Russell who, after not lettering at Florida State in 1972, transferred to Georgia where he started at three different positions in three consecutive seasons—defensive tackle, defensive end, and linebacker.

4) Finally, there’s my top group of walk-ons-turned-scholarship players—listed in order according to how early they would eventually receive a scholarship as a member of Georgia’s varsity, the non-kickers who walked on straight out of high school:

JIM GRIFFITH (1975-1977), Linebacker from Tallapoosa, Ga.: At Haralson County High School, Griffith was considered too small (6-foot-0, 200 pounds) and too slow, and did not receive a single scholarship offer. Walking on at Georgia, he was a reserve linebacker on the 1973 freshman Bullpups’ squad and was impressive enough during the next spring to earn a scholarship. After redshirting in 1974, Griffith achieved 100-tackle campaigns the next three seasons: 123—103—110. And, if you’ve been keeping up, yes, that’s three former walk-ons-turned-starters on the acclaimed 1975 Junkyard Dogs defense.

CORY PHILLIPS (1999-2002), Quarterback from Hartwell, Ga.: With the departures of scholarship signal-callers Daniel Cobb, Nate Hybl, Jon England, and Mike Usry following the 1998 season, walk-on Phillips suddenly found himself as Georgia’s No. 3 quarterback entering the ’99 campaign. The week of the season opener, he was given a scholarship and responded by completing a 53-yard touchdown pass against Utah State—what would be his only pass attempt his freshman year. Phillips started five of the Bulldogs’ last six games of the 2000 season, remarkably passing for 400+ yards against both Kentucky and Georgia Tech. And, although a seldom-used reserve as a junior and senior, he still holds the following career distinctions for Georgia quarterbacks who never led the team in annual passing: most passing yards (1,378) and one of only two (Preston Jones, 1989-1992, the other) to pass for at least one touchdown in four straight seasons.

NATE TAYLOR (1979-1982), Linebacker from Tifton, Ga.: Coming out of Tift County High School, Taylor, who ran a lowly 5.2 in the 40 and was listed at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, was really too slow and too small to be considered linebacker material at the college level. In fact, just the College of the Canyons—a small JUCO in California—came calling for him. Nevertheless, after impressing coaches in a reserve role at Clemson as a freshman in 1979, Taylor was granted a scholarship; the following game against South Carolina, he made 18 tackles off the bench; and, he was starting at Will linebacker for the next contest. By the end of the year, Taylor had been nicknamed the “Tifton Termite” and was considered by head coach Vince Dooley, “the biggest surprise of my coaching career.” In four seasons as a starter, he totaled 390 tackles and 5 fumble recoveries.

RICHARD TARDITS (1985-1988), Defensive End-Linebacker from Biarritz, France: If you followed Georgia football around 25-30 years ago, and knew anything about it, you were fully aware of the “Biarritz Blitz.” When the Frenchman, Tardits, walked on in 1985, it was the first time he had ever set foot on a football field. Eventually awarded a scholarship the spring following his freshman season, he totaled 101 tackles, 5 passes broken up, and a then-school-record 29 sacks in four seasons despite starting only seven games his entire Bulldogs career. An All-SEC selection as a senior in 1988, Tardits is the only non-kicker, who walked on at Georgia, to receive all-conference honors.

AARON DAVIS (2014-Present), Cornerback from Locust Grove, Ga.: The most recent of my top-5 Georgia walk-ons of all time, Davis became the first (non-kicker) Bulldog in history to be a starter for a season while remaining a walk-on for the entire year. Finally, he was given a scholarship just 10 days prior to the season opener of his sophomore campaign. In two seasons, and with two more remaining, Davis has totaled 87 tackles, 4½ for loss, 9 passes broken up, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions.

Any thoughts? Can you think of any notable Georgia walk-ons-turned-scholarship players I might have omitted?