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Comments
I think HW was a great DAWG and so was Bowers . Both provided the fans with numerous positive memories.
I hesitate to use GOAT label as there have been numerous DAWGs going back to Trippi that are worthy of our admiration without feeling it is necessary to rank them. Simply listing their accomplishments should be sufficient without feeling the need to rank any of them as the best best or next to best etc
In closing I will offer one comparison. Bowers was probably a better passer than HW
Thank
I was ther back in 1980 as a 23 year old die hard UGA fan. I remember the Herschel Walker days and while BB is my favorite player to play at UGA since Herschel, I've got to tell you that Herschel Walker "madness" was a thing back in the day in south Georgia and so I assume all over the state of Ga. . Go in any store or meet anyone on the street, black, white it didn't matter and it was OMG Herscehl Walker!! It was all anyone talked about! There was just such excitement for him. Not seen anything like it since. THe Herscel phenomenom.
Giving BB second place to Herscel is a huge compliment and not a put down to him in the slightest, believe me.
To get open, Brock has to beat whoever is lined up over him at the line and then possibly a Line Backer or Safety depending on the coverage. During an era where college and pro football was about the running game and running backs were the marquee players, EVERYBODY knew Herschel was going to get the ball 35-40 times and RARELY did any team stop him. Back then most teams played a base 4-3 defense, so Herschel had to get past 4 down linemen and then 3 Line Backers, and then had to deal with Safeties and Corners who were not 12 yards off of the line of scrimmage. I love Bowers and very happy he was a Dawg but STOP!
Nicely put and I feel exactly the same. I was at UGA during Herschel’s time and saw it all in person. Unless you actually lived and witnessed Herschel in person you probably can’t get a real feel for how great he was. At the time, the world had literally never seen anything like him. When he showed his speed against TX A&M and then SC it was almost unbelievable. There will NEVER be another like Herschel again. Bo was very good and there have been other good ones but they still don’t measure up to Herschel. And then the Sugar Bowl game with a shoulder that had been dislocated and put back in place during the game! Without Herschel, Dooley never wins a NC. There were other good players on that team but without Herschel that was an average team. Having said all that, I loved watching Bowers play and I love his attitude. Man, what a DGD! I place him number two all-time Dawg. I wonder who will be the next one?
Go Dawgs!
In the pantheon of Georgia Football Greats....Walker, Bennett, Sinkwich, Trippi, Pollack, Sapp. Hoage, Scott, Hartman, Stanfill, and at least 100 more, where sheer numerical accomplishment is and will be forever difficult to beat, Brock Bowers has raised the #19 to the very top of consideration by a more important metric. Though his statistical victories as a blocker, rusher, and receiver have set a standard for all future Georgia TE's, Brock sits atop of Georgia's hallowed gridiron legends for a more important metric. This metric is the foundation on which The Dawg Culture is based and the linchpin on which Dawg success, whether it be athletic, or academic rest. Brock Bowers will always be the personification of the most important culture characteristic instilled by Kirby Smart......everyday "work hard and always do the right thing"!
Brock, you will be missed but your legacy will inspire every Dawg for years to come......GOD'S speed my friend.
Brock won't be the "last great UGA" TE. IMO
CMR started the great "Tight End hunt" in Athens....and Kirby picked up, where he left off, with Isaac Nauta.
I just wonder what Herschel would've done with the tight end position and a gunslinger QB. Lol
It might be fun...but, it's fruitless to compare statistical data from 2 different eras in the sport.
Great Dawgs IMO....
Sinkwich.....Trippi.....Tarkenton....Goff....Walker.... Woerner [ST]....Scott....Davis....etc..
Bowers stands with the most impactful Bulldogs, because of his love for football and his elite intangibles. Not because, "he's more talented or physically imposing....or Stat-rich".
I say both were an important and necessary piece to championship teams. I think the word "best" is an overused word in a team sport , especially a sport with eleven players on offense and defense. Herschel was a force back in his day and the offense revolve around him. The offense didn't necessary revolve around Brock but the schemes were drawn up to take advantage of his talents and even intimidate opposing defensive schemes. To keep it simple, both were great players and the best coaches put the ball in their best players hand. Some might argue the Champ Baily should be in the conversation. He just didn't win a championship. But Brock was special and dawgs will always appreciate him. Herschel was sort of a head of his time and very impactful. Both were great players for the Dawgs. Go Dawgs!!!
You can bet your bottom dollar...Sinkwich and Trippi were just as good...and, just as important to the 1942 version of UGA Champions. It's just that there aren't many people left that can say..."they were the best". But they were right there, with Walker & Bowers....WRT impact and dominance.
My HS HC caught a TD pass from Trippi in the '44 Sugar Bowl, I believe it was. And. He told me a few Sinkwich & Trippi stories. He should've won the Heisman, by all rights.
Thanks BigDawg61. Every era is different. As dawgnation viewers can see from all the comments on the subject, there are different opinions on the words "best player". Whether it's a player's position, durability, competition, or stats, the words "best player" are subject to debate.
Brock is the best player in Georgia history across eras. Players are bigger stronger and faster now and Herschel would not have been the same impact in today's game. Brock would have been just as dominant if not more so in any of the other eras. Thus, he is the greatest.
Herschel was a horse with Olympic track speed that could run, block and catch. You can't tell me, he wouldn't have had the same impact.
He may have been used a little different....but, you could say the same, about Bowers playing in Sinkwich or Herschels era of football.
A [4.25] 40yd dash means the same thing now, that it meant in 1942 and 1980.
Players are bigger, stronger....and, maybe faster. I haven't seen a lot of comparative data on "speed"....other than Olympic trials.
Imagine what Sinkwich, Trippi and Walker could've done with all the bodybuilding, health and training advancements made between their era and today.
As much as I love Brock, Herschel is the best football player in Georgia History.
Herschel Career- Games-33 Att-994 Yds-5,259 Avg-5.3 Lng-76 TD-49 Rec-26 Yds-243 TD-4
Brock Career- Games-40 Att-19 Yds-193 Avg-10.2 Lng-75 TD-5 Rec-175 Yds-2,538 TD-26
Herschel did not get to add any of his Sugar bowl stats, they were not included back in 1981,1982, and 1983.
I think Brock will be remembered as one of the all time great Dawgs, but quite frankly Herschel Walker is the greatest football player ever at UGA. We rode him like a rented mule and he never let us down. When Brock was out we still managed to play, if Walker had been out we would have been doomed.
There it is! I refuse to devalue the contributions of the former greats in order to enshrine the newbies. Time will tell, where Brock stands with respect to the Walkers. Trippi's and Tarkentons.
IMO....There's about 10 or 15 Dawgs that live in the "rare air"....& Bowers is one of em. But, that's just an opinion. The term "best" is a relative term, depending on the data point[s].
Bowers will never have more yds or TD's than a Herschel Walker or more completions than Charlie Trippi. And, they will never have more catches than Bowers. What do you think that means, in the grand scheme of things?....Nothing. Football is about far more than "stats".
Stats are the only connection to football, that most sportswriters have. It's what they understand....so, that's what they use to define a player or team. Unjustly, in most cases...I might add.