A.J. Green Declares for NFL Draft; Georgia Bulldogs Fans Bid Beloved Receiver Fond Farewell
by T Kyle King on Jan 9, 2011 8:39 PM EST
in Georgia Bulldogs Football
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PrintMajor news organizations keep prewritten eulogies in the can for famous people who are in poor health and/or are getting up in years. Yeah, it’s a little morbid, but it saves time when celebrity deaths occur. Along similar (though, thankfully, less tragic) lines, I considered preparing in advance the posting I would put up when A.J. Green declared early for the NFL draft.
It occurred to me, though, that getting ready for such a moment was like getting ready for the sun to set; since we knew it was going to happen, what was the sense in planning ahead to report on the inevitable? For most of us, the response the report elicited was less "Dang!" than "Duh!"
As I noted at the end of Mohamed Massaquoi’s career in Athens, Georgia fans have tended to be tough on our wide receivers, which makes Green’s career in silver britches all the more remarkable: A.J. arguably is the first noteworthy Bulldog wide receiver since Lindsay Scott to have left the Classic City more popular than he was when he arrived.
Green departs Athens with 166 receptions for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns. Those numbers place A.J. behind only four-year players Terrence Edwards and Brice Hunter for career catches, Edwards and Fred Gibson for career receiving yards, and Edwards for career TD grabs. Had Green elected to return for his senior season, he would have shattered every receiving mark in the school record book; heck, had he not sold that infernal jersey, those four extra games might have made the difference between second or third and first place.
He did sell the jersey, though, and I suspect he did so, in part, because A.J. comes from a financial background substantially less secure than that from which most of us emerged. This, therefore, was the fiscally responsible decision for Green to make, and no denizen of Bulldog Nation ought to begrudge him the choice we all knew was coming. All that falls to us to do is to thank him for three years of giving his all, wish him well at the next level, and prepare to root for whichever NFL franchise is fortunate enough to secure his services.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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Good luck AJ
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the Dawgs of war; - Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1
Great player...
defintely would put him near the top of the list of GA greats. Unfortunately, his talent was wasted. He should do well in the NFL with about 10lbs of extra muscle. Good Luck to him!
We'll miss you AJ
Hit me up if you ever want to sell any memorabilia.
And now, “A Eulogy for AJ Green”
AJ was a good receiver, and a good man. He was one of us. He was a man who loved the outdoors… and football, and as a player he explored the grasses of the Southeast, from Jacksonville to Baton rouge and… up to… Knoxville. He left, like so many young men of his generation, he left before his time. In your wisdom, Lord, you took him, as you took so many bright flowering young men at Shreveport, at Orlando, at New Orleans. These young men gave their all. And so would AJ. AJ, who loved football. And so, Adriel Jeremiah Green, in accordance with what we think your parting wishes might well have been, we commit our loving memories to the bosom of Sanford Stadium, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
This may be sacrilege but...
damn you Herschel Walker!
No one stays for four years anymore.
Best wishes A.J..
I understand the sentiment...
… but it’s perhaps more accurately directed at J. Walter Duncan, who offered Herschel so much money that it must have seemed (at the time) like he’d won the lottery.
by vineyarddawg on Jan 9, 2011 11:21 PM EST up reply actions
I really wonder what his career would have been like if he had a QB throwing to him at least two seasons in a row
And imagine if he worked with the same QB, somehow, for three straight years. Imagine that chemistry.
I'm honestly surprised that AJ took such a long time to decide
The fact that he was so torn just goes to show what a damn good dawg he is.
I don’t know where else to put this, but figured I might as well post it here. With news of one player leaving we might as well celebrate another deciding that UGA is the right place for him. Dawgs receive a commitment from Ramik Wilson (LB) out of Tampa. The kid was pretty highly sought after with offers from Florida, Miami, Clemson, Arkansas and Southern Cal.
This video isn’t the greatest quality, but you can pick him out and see what he can do. (He is an outside linebacker and wears #1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiKIJbpVdIs
Tampa loves us
I’m not sure why all these Tampa natives keep deciding to come our way… but I certainly don’t mind.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
Just like Hines Ward, I will always be proud to watch AJ in the NFL and say: There goes a Dawg!
If you're gonna do it, go ugly early.
I will to an extent, however
Big Ben has used up a large amount of my good will.
Given the position he'll likely go in the draft, thats far from a sure thing.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
Freak
Really, that is the best word to describe a player like AJ. He is just one of those guys, who is at another level from everyone else. We see some pretty good players in the SEC, but AJ is one that is above even the really good players. I will miss seeing they crazy, jaw-dropping stuff he does for the Dogs, but I’m sure it will carry over to the pros.
As AJ goes forward
he’s one of those kids that I know will be an excellent ambassador for The University of Georgia. That cannot be said of everyone, regardless of school, that enters the NFL. Maybe AJ can help us in the years to come on the recruiting trail. I think he’d gladly do that.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
Perhaps a more important issue__
Did UGA football do anything for A.J.? Is he any better than when he arrived in Athens? I have asked myself the same thing about Stafford and Moreno. The day is coming__and soon, I believe__that a kid will be signed straight out of high school. The most likely position will be WR, imo. In any event, good luck A.J., don’t take any wooden nickels.
Thats a really good point and a really good question.
I don’t have the heart to answer it.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
In my humble but honest opinion
AJ is better today than when he arrived at UGA. The question is this: is AJ better because of the coaching or because he matured?
Really we just had him for two years.
Once he got back from punishment for his “heinous crimes” we seemed to NEVER throw the ball his way. He should have been the crown jewel of our offense for 8 games. But that would be so. . . . . . . . . . .obvious!
Best of luck in the NFL, AJ. I am sure they will fully utilize your gifts there.
Keeping my fingers crossed for the Panthers.
I'd rather see him in Detroit.
That way, we could actually see what it would have been like to have a QB and AJ together for more than one year. AND for Stafford to have AJ on one side and CJ on the other would be fun to watch as well.
by EricBDawg on Jan 11, 2011 5:51 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
what is this NFL
y’all speak of?
AJ has simply retired from his position as a member of the UGA Bulldog Football team and gone to that great place of football retirement in the sky…..and I will miss him.
I can bake like a demon.
I understand podunkdawg
really I do. I don’t watch NFL or NBA regular season games often. Sometimes I watch the Falcons and occasionally the Hawks, but that’s only when there’s NO OTHER SPORT on TV. But I do watch some playoff games and if I watch a team in the NFL especially, I look for one that has several Dawgs on it.
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