From Three-Point Plan to Linebacker U-Like

Georgia’s Greatest Linebacking Corps: Intentions for "wasted talent" ultimately result to feature some of the best Bulldog players in history.

By Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PatrickGarbin

Yesterday, I picked up one of the preseason college football magazines I mentioned a few days ago, and discovered it ranked Georgia's linebackers as the best in the nation at the position for this upcoming season. Subsequently, I not only began considering the top Bulldog linebacker units of all time, but recalled an attempted movement of sorts from UGA’s past relevant to the position.

During the fall of 1951, a UGA English professor proposed a "three-point plan" to deemphasis Georgia's football program. While most Bulldog backers wondered what apparent Communist would dare try to ruin their football team, the UGA faculty actually voted 84-to-72 to bring the issue "into the limelight," seeking the attention of the school's President, the Board of Regents, the SEC, and NCAA.

The faculty's three-point football plan requested: 1) to abolish spring practice; 2) to shorten the season by eliminating postseason play in bowl games; 3) and, curiously, to reduce scholarships by eliminating head coach Wally Butts' two-platoon system.

Although it was not fully implemented at Georgia until the mid-1960s, the original two-platoon system, where all 11 players on one side of the football weren't necessarily positioned on the other side as well, was first experimented with by the Bulldogs in the late-1940s. However, a two-platoon system in place obviously involved the use of more players, which meant more athletic scholarships granted, implying that the school was to receive less money from its student body.

When more teams began utilizing the passing game by the 1940s, the two-platoon system began to take shape. Before, two players too small to be defensive linemen—generally the offense's starting fullback and the smallest starting offensive lineman—would crowd along the defensive line between any gaps. By instead dropping back a few yards behind the line, these two individuals were eventually transformed into "specialized" players and, in a two-platoon system, those who didn’t necessarily play on offense. Thus, the "linebacker" position was introduced which, at Georgia, just so happened to transpire around the time of the school's proposed three-point plan.

When the 1951 Bulldogs were alerted to the proposal to deemphasize, an unidentified linebacker declared, "I wouldn't have a chance to play if it weren't for [the two-platoon] system." According to another linebacker, "Just think, some players who excel on defense and aren't very good on offense wouldn't have a chance to play. That would be wasted talent."

Historically, when it comes to the linebacker position, the Bulldogs don't quite have the reputation of a Penn State, USC, or Miami (Fla)—schools which have been known by the moniker, "Linebacker U." But, they're close; perhaps Georgia could be considered "Linebacker U—like." Accordingly, whether the Bulldogs featured a two-, three-, or four-linebacker set, I present my opinion of Georgia's top five linebacking units in history (plus five honorable mentions) based on the players' performances as a collective group, including the top reserves (for the respective season, while having nothing to do with professional potential):

#5 - 2011

Starters: Jarvis Jones, Michael Gilliard, Amarlo Herrera, Alec Ogletree

Top Reserves: Christian Robinson, Kosta Vavlas, Cornelius Washington, Chase Vasser

Remarkably, the 2011 unit had lost All-SEC performers Justin Houston and Akeem Dent, while none of its four starters had been regulars at linebacker the year before. Transfer Jones became only the third Georgia linebacker to earn first-team All-American honors, and the first to ever be a consensus All-American. Only two previous Bulldog teams had finished better in the nation in total defense than the 2011 defense's No. 5 ranking. Notably, the 2012 unit was expected to be even better than this one, as all eight aforementioned starters/reserves returned. Curiously, however, the Georgia defense was somewhat disappointing in 2012, allowing 30 percent more total yards per game and nearly an entire yard more per rush (3.2 to 4.1) than the previous campaign.

#4 - 1992

Starters: Mitch Davis, Randall Godfrey, Charlie Clemons, Carlo Butler

Top Reserves: Damon Ward, Torrey Evans, Phillip Daniels, Travis Jones, Whit Marshall With the losses of standouts Dwayne Simmons and John Allen from 1991, and Greg Jackson's move to defensive tackle, Georgia's linebacking corps entered the next season regarded as the "most depleted" unit on the squad and "where some immediate help is essential." Featuring unanimous All-SEC performer Davis, freshman phenom Godfrey—the conference's defensive freshman of the year in 1992—and a number of reserves that would have started for most any other team, the Bulldogs had a myriad of "help" at the position. The group was the main reason why Georgia was 6th in the nation in scoring defense—the only Bulldog team in nearly a two-decade period (1984-2001) to finish in the category's top 10.

#3 - 1976

Starters: Jeff Lewis, Ben Zambiasi, Jim Griffith

Top Reserves: Ricky McBride, Ben Cescutti

After being a part of Georgia's celebrated “Junkyard Dog” defense, the Bulldogs' linebackers entered the 1976 season considered the team's strongest unit. Ironically, Zambiasi had arrived at UGA as a fullback, Lewis was a converted nose guard, and Griffith a former walk-on. Regardless, the starting ragtag group combined for 334 tackles, finishing 1-2-3 on the team in total stops. Zambiasi earned unanimous first team All-SEC, while reserve McBride would be an All-SEC performer two years later. The small, but quick and feisty unit spearheaded a defense which ranked 1st in the SEC and 7th in the nation in scoring defense.

#2 - 2002

Starters: Boss Bailey, Tony Gilbert, Chris Clemons

Top Reserves: Thomas Davis, Tony Taylor, Derrick Holloway, Arnold Harrison

Likely Georgia's most talented linebacking corps of all time spurred a defense which ranked 4th in the nation in scoring, while being instrumental in the team capturing its first SEC title in 20 years. Bailey became the first linebacker at the school to be a first-team All-American, and All-SEC performer Gilbert became the first Bulldog since Ben Zambiasi a quarter-century before to lead the team in total tackles three straight seasons. Although professional prowess was not considered in these rankings, it’s interesting to note that of the approximately 30 Georgia linebackers ever to play in the NFL, six were part of the 2002 unit (all players listed above except Holloway).

#1 - 1983

Starters: Tommy Thurson, Knox Culpepper

Top Reserves: Bill Mitchell, Steve Boswell, Greg “Muddy” Waters

Thurson and Culpepper would not play in the NFL, nor did any other linebacker from the '83 Cotton Bowl championship team, for that matter. Nevertheless, the two not only started on arguably the all-time best linebacker unit at Georgia, but are perhaps the top two players at the position in the school's history. Combining to record a staggering 301 tackles, the duo hardly needed to be relieved. Although Mitchell and Boswell would eventually become standouts in their own right, the reserves combined to play in only 13 games and make 31 tackles. Sophomore reserve “Muddy” Waters, an eventual All-SEC performer, didn’t actually play at linebacker in ’83, solely special teams. Thurson and Culpepper, both of whom earned 1st- or 2nd-team All-SEC honors in '83, finished their Bulldog careers as the 2nd and 4th, respectively, all-time tacklers in school history. Georgia's celebrated defense of 1983, which would often bend, but rarely break, is not only still considered one of the best ever at UGA, but has made the listing of greatest defenses in the history of college football.

HONORABLE MENTION (in chron. order): Season’s starters (top reserves in parenthesis)

1958: Dave Lloyd, Theron Sapp (Phil Ashe, Cicero Lucas)

1971: Chip Wisdom, Steve Kitchens (Steve Sleek, George Pilcher, Tommy Couch)

1980: Nate Taylor, Frank Ros (Will Forts, Tommy Thurson, Keith Middleton)

1988: Mo Lewis, Richard Tardits, Terrie Webster, Demetrius Douglas (Aaron Chubb, Brent Collins, Norman Cowins, Mike Guthrie)

2014: Jordan Jenkins, Leonard Floyd, Ramik Wilson, Amarlo Herrera (Lorenzo Carter, Tim Kimbrough, Reggie Carter, Davin Bellamy)

Needless to say, UGA's three-point plan of 1951 obviously never materialized. And with that, the defensive position that evidently just avoided becoming "wasted talent" instead has gone on to feature some of the best Bulldog players in history.