One Old Dawg's Tailgate with Frank Lankewicz

Thank you for dropping by One Old Dawg’s Tailgate where this week Jerry Varnado  interviews Frank Lankewicz, a senior on the 1964 University of Georgia football team who went on to play for the Wheeling, West Virginia Ironmen in the Continental Football League. And stick around for Jerry Varnado's comments on the upcoming Tennessee game. 

Frank, tell us how you got started in football and your high school career?

I started when I was eight years old in the midget league in Butler, Pennsylvania. I played in that league until high school. I’d played football and baseball all my life. I could have signed a baseball contract but decided to come to Georgia. I enjoyed my high school career at Butler Senior High, where we were called the Golden Tornadoes. We had good coaches, and one of my favorites was Red Uram. He wasn’t the head coach but coached the back field. My senior year, we only lost one game to Beaver Falls in the next valley. (Frank comments these were steel mill and coal mining towns). Joe Namath played for them. His team beat us by a touchdown, and he was outstanding. (One Old Dawg makes a note that UGA’s first game in 1964 was against Alabama where Joe Namath was quarterback). I had good seasons in high school and played in an All-Star game my senior year. I played in the Big 33 game—a contest which was supposed to be between the top thirty-three players from Pennsylvania and the top football players in the United States. The game was held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. But that particular year, they cut out the rest of the U.S. for travel reasons, so it was an all-star game between East and West Pennsylvania. Ray Rissmiller played for the East, and I played for the West. (Ray was another senior on the 1964 Georgia team). I played fullback and missed MVP by a couple of points. After the game, I got with Joe Namath who was there pitching for a western Pennsylvania All-Star game. I rode back to Pittsburgh from Hershey with him and a trainer from Maryland who drove us. I asked Joe where he was going to school and he said, “I think I’ll go to Maryland.” I told him I thought I’d go to Georgia. The next time I saw him he was playing for Alabama. I had twenty-nine football scholarship offers, and I narrowed it down to Georgia, Notre Dame, and Miami, but chose Georgia.

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

Coach Dooley came in 1964, organized everything, and we wound up going to the Sun Bowl. Texas Tech was the toughest team we played, but we won. We contained their All-American, Donnie Anderson, and I scored a touchdown (One Old Dawg comments it was the winning touchdown).

What is one important lesson you learned from your time as a college athlete?

I think college athletes should take advantage of the situation and get an education. I came back and got a master’s degree between my pro seasons, and then took post graduate courses. Athletes should understand the great opportunity they have to get an education. I have a grandson, Ulysses, on a javelin scholarship.

Frank, who were your inspirations or role models?

Red Uram, my high school coach was my biggest inspiration. I was doing all sports, swimming, basketball, track, football—twelve letters. So, one day, Coach Uram comes up to me, grabs me by my face mask and says I have to make up my mind whether I want to play baseball or football. So, I decided to play football. He was also a gymnastics coach, and I did a little gymnastics, too.

(Red Uram went on to be a conditioning coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 70’s and 80’s and won four Super Bowl Rings with the Steelers).

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their college football career?

Do the best you can at football, but always get back to that education. The football only lasts so long. Learn good communication skills, speaking and writing, along with your education. (One Old Dawg adds that many of the players he’s interviewed emphasize the importance of getting an education.)

Thank you, Frank, for taking the time to answer our questions. We loved hearing your story.

And now, One Old Dawg weighs in with thoughts about the upcoming game with Tennessee.

Things did not go well for the Bulldawg nation last Saturday. Sure, it was a terrible disappointment, but we must not hang our heads in despair, we are still in the hunt. We don’t have time for grief, Tennessee is coming to town this Saturday and they are also in the hunt. If we don’t beat Tennessee our chance of making the twelve team playoff drops to near zero. The Dawgs have owned Smokey for seven years, the smallest margin of victory was 14 points in 2022. You can bet they are chomping at the bit to hand us our third loss. So, we focus on what is ahead, not the past. These Blue Tick Hounds are playing for keeps and are surely looking to give us some payback for the last seven years.

I am reminded of James 1:2-4 (NIV):” Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops Perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  We should not see temporary setbacks as failures, but opportunities for growth. Our goal, a national championship, is still reachable, so we have not failed at this point. We have been and are being tested, but if we learn from these losses and press on with perseverance toward our goal we can still come out the winner. So, Gooo… Dawgs! Sic ‘em.

We include this week a One Old Dawg sighting, here from the Athens Touchdown Club Program in October:

That's it for this week. Only three more regular season games this year and we'll be here for all of them. See you next week with more "mostly true Bulldog lore."

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

One Old Dawg's Tailgate with Wayne Swinford

Welcome back to one Old Dawg's Tailgate. We can't believe there are only four more games in the regular season. Jerry Varnado will be sharing his thoughts on the upcoming game with Ole Miss, but first we're glad to welcome Wayne Swinford, another senior from the 1964 University of Georgia football team now celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. So happy you're here, Wayne!

Wayne, tell us how you got started in football and your high school career?

I was born in the country near Munford, Alabama. All we had to do was play sports— we didn’t have cars. I played on a team that was pretty good in high school, we won the state championship my senior year, first time the school had ever worn state. I was a defensive and offensive back. Auburn came up and scouted me on the worst game I ever played. Georgia scouted me on the best game I ever played.

The Georgia coach and Auburn coach met up in the truck stop in my hometown. Auburn told Georgia you’re not going to get him. You couldn’t commit before 6:00 pm that day. I went up there about ten minutes till six and talked to the Auburn coach. Then a Georgia coach came in right after that, and I talked to him. After I spoke with him, I went back to the Auburn coach and told him that I’d made my mind up—that I was going to Georgia. Later I wavered and told my dad I thought I’d changed my mind and wanted to go to Auburn. He said, “No, you’ve given your word. You’re signing with Georgia.”

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

I believe it was a punt return against North Carolina. I didn’t score a touchdown, but I ran about 120 yards to gain only about twenty-five. The crowd loved it. . (Jerry and Wayne have a big laugh here.

Can you remember anything amusing that happened in 1964?

We opened with Alabama in 1964. They beat us 31-3. I had a decent game. They beat us by twenty-nine points, but it could have been sixty points. After the game, Joe Namath sought me out and congratulated me on playing such a good game. I’d never met him before, and he was very cordial. Later that year we met at the all-star game. His comments meant a lot coming from a big star. (One Old Dawg adds that Namath got a larger signing bonus than any previous college player).

What is one important lesson you learned from your time as a college athlete?

I wasn’t too big on rules and regulations, but I learned I wouldn’t get in near as much trouble if I just learned the rules and followed them.

Who were your inspirations or role models in your college career?

Mack Faircloth was number one and also, Melvin Crook. Mack knew my grandmother back in Moultrie, he was a good friend. One time, I was going to quit school and go back home. Mack and Melvin found me on the road hitchhiking home and made me get in the car with them and then talked me into staying. I couldn’t thank them enough later.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their college football career?

Set a goal and don’t stop short of your goal, whether it’s football or anything else. It’s hard to do. I’m so glad I stayed at Georgia, it’s the smartest thing I ever did. I dropped out of school after fall quarter my senior year; I lacked two quarters to graduate. I had just signed a pro contract with the San Francisco 49ers and wanted to take a break, intending to return after my first season in the pros and finish my degree. As planned, I returned to Athens in January 1966 and attended school in winter and spring quarters to earn my degree. Another one of the smartest things I ever did.

I played two more years in the pros, but a serious knee injury ended my career. After returning to Athens Coach Dooley called me one day in January and asked me to come by his office to visit. At that visit he said, “I understand you want to be a coach?” I said, “Yes sir I’ve been considering it.” He said, “We will give you a job as an assistant coach for one year to get the doors open for you. And we will pay your way to a Coach’s Clinic in Los Angeles where you will have a good chance of finding a job.”  I thought that was very kind of him. But after that first-year coaching, I declined the coach’s clinic and decided I was done with football.

Wayne, tell us a bit more about your son, Jay. (One Old Dawg’s son, Aaron, played soccer with Wayne’s son, Jay).

My youngest son graduated from med school at Southern Cal. The city of Los Angeles offered him a job as a general surgeon at one of its hospitals, and he’s in his second year of residency. He is on his way to a successful and useful career in medicine. I’m so happy for him and proud of him.

Now One Old Dawg has a few words to share:

“Thank you, Wayne, for your contribution to One Old Dawg’s Tailgate and to Georgia Football.

I’m always impressed that biblical truth seems to express itself even in non-religious contexts. It’s not true because it’s in the Bible, it’s in the Bible because it’s true. When Wayne was talking about establishing goals and sticking with them was often hard, this text  came to mind, James 1:2-4 (NIV): ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops Perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ Wayne was right, perseverance is a very important virtue for living successfully in this fallen world. Life is often hard and without perseverance many of our goals will evaporate in a sea of difficulty and hardship. So don’t quit, don’t give up, let perseverance finish its work! 

“Now about this Saturday. Ole Miss is not flying quite as high as preseason predictions, but they are still a dangerous team. Last week they put up sixty-three points on Arkansas in four quarters, the highest total the Hogs have allowed this season by twenty-four points, and that was a double overtime game. Our defense needs to hunker down and get ready for a fight. Our offense needs to put it in overdrive, we may need a lot of points to take down these Rebels. Forget those interceptions and dropped passes, we are better than that. Leave them in the past and press on toward the goal, persevere. I’m believing at the final buzzer Ole Miss will find they are Rebels without a cause. This third loss will likely mean a permanent exit from the top twelve, and they will have to settle for a second-tier bowl game. Gooooo Dawgs! Sic’em, woof, woof, woof!”

Thanks, One Old Dawg. We’re believing it too!! That's it for this week, but join us again next Wednesday for more "mostly true Bulldog lore."

One Old Dawg's Tailgate with Mack Faircloth

Welcome back to One Old Dawg’s Tailgate. This week we’re interviewing another senior on the 1964 University of Georgia football team as we celebrate their sixtieth anniversary. Get comfortable as we chat with Mack Faircloth.

Tell us how you got started in football and your high school career?

I started playing football in Moultrie, Georgia when I was a junior. When I was in the tenth grade P.E.,  the football coach was the teacher. As the quarterback in a game we were playing, I threw the ball about forty yards on a play. The coach came over and said, “I didn’t know you could do that.” I said, “Not a big deal. I can kick it further than that.” He asked me to come out for football. I told him I’d give it a try. I went out for spring practice and made first team defense. I didn’t know the plays, but I knew how to make a tackle. (Mack laughs here). I was blessed to get a college scholarship to Georgia, and when I got there, I was fifth team. But after the second freshman game, I moved to the second team. As a freshman I crushed bones in my left hand and wrist, which hampered me from playing defense. Then I cracked my shoulder blade. I never regained my strength in that shoulder, so my last two years,  I was a first-string punter.

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

In the game with Georgia Tech, I was able to break away and tackle a guy that really helped save the game. Also, in the game against Florida, we were ahead 7-0. With three or four minutes left, a ball I punted died inside the five. They didn’t have time to win the game. I was MVP in a couple of games as a punter. One of my most memorable punts is my last kick of my career in the game against Georgia Tech. Usually I try to kick the ball forty yards and give the guys a chance to cover it. As a punter the drop is everything. Instead of kicking it high I sent a line drive right over their heads sixty something yards which didn’t help Tech at all.

What is one important lesson you learned from your time as a college athlete?

Don’t ever give up. The game is not over until the last second when the whistle blows. You just have to find a way to make it. In business, you have to do the same thing in a smart way.

Who were your inspirations or role models in your college career?

A guy from Moultrie, Jimmy Vickers was a senior at Georgia when I was being recruited. He was not a big guy, but he was a tough guy playing defensive end. He played his heart out. I used to watch another guy from Moultrie who played at Georgia, Gene Littleton, when I was a kid— a really big inspiration. Ray Mercer, who wound up going to Auburn, was my next-door neighbor and also inspired me.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their college football career?

When you go away from home, you don’t have your mom and dad for advice. So, I guess, just don’t get involved in drinking and partying. Study. Don’t be led astray from the way your family raised you. I was twenty or twenty-one years old before I drank a beer because I didn’t want to embarrass my parents.

What are your thoughts on the Dawgs this season?

There’s a lot of guys out there with big hearts.

I was talking to Leroy Dukes one day. I said, “Leroy, can you imagine playing against these three hundred pounders?” Leroy said, “Mack, you can only play during your time.”

I’ve watched these guys. They are not quicker than we were, but the game moves a lot faster. It’s interesting to watch.

We didn’t just beat Texas in the score, we beat them physically. And the score was not an indicator of how well the defense played. The defense won the game.

Do you think they can go all the way?

I don’t see who can beat them.

Thanks so much Mack, for sharing your insights and memories with us today. Here at One Old Dawg, we don’t see who can beat them either. And now, One Old Dawg weighs in:

I can’t move on to the game this week without looking back over the last few weeks. We find these words in the book of James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Mack said in the interview above: “We didn’t just beat Texas in the score, we beat them physically.” I think that loss to Alabama shook our faith in ourselves, but rather than wallowing in despair we chose to persevere, to stay at it, to work harder, to get better. Perseverance paid off in Austin, and I think we are now a more mature and complete team than we were in Tuscaloosa. That is a valuable lesson and an inspiration to all of us in whatever difficulties we are facing as we attempt to navigate the treacherous waters of a fallen world. Persevere, stay the course, give opportunity to God to work for our good regardless of the circumstances.

Now about those swamp lizards we tangle with this Saturday. We’ve owned the Gators for the last three years, winning each game by at least twenty points. While that is something to be proud of, it should also make us nervous. Let’s not think too highly of ourselves. They’ve lost three games but to top ten teams, and they have some good wins. We need to be at the top of our game, and I believe we will be. When it is all said and done Saturday, the Gators will again have to take the long, sad trek from Jacksonville to Gainesville with another L on their schedule.

Thanks, One Old Dawg. We’ll be counting on it.

Join us again next week for more “mostly true Bulldog lore.”

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

Check in every Wednesday through football season or better yet sign up to receive these posts in your inbox HERE. You don’t want to miss any of his mostly true Bulldog lore.  

One Old Dawg's Tailgate with Joel Darden

Welcome back to One Old Dawg’s tailgate. We know everyone is still cheering that win over Mississippi State. This week Jerry Varnado is interviewing Joel Darden, another senior on the 1964 team who is celebrating their sixtieth anniversary this year. 

So, lean in for more mostly true Bulldog lore as One Old Dawg interviews Joel Darden. 

Joel, tell us how you got started in football and your high school career?

I’m from Lagrange, Georgia and started as a Little League football player at fullback for my brother Charles. We won the Little League City Championship one year. I played for Coach Oliver Hunnicutt and Al Mariotti in high school. Coach Hunnicutt wouldn’t let us play as sophomores and made us wait until we were juniors to play. I played right tackle on offense and left tackle on defense. We had a good football team and lost one football game to Valdosta in 1960. Rob Hunnicutt who played left guard got hurt, and we had to send in someone else who got called for holding. We were backed up to our one-yard line. We could have taken a safety and won the game. But we punted and the ball wound up going out of bounds on the seventeen-yard line. Coach Bazemore lined everybody up on the lefthand side of the ball and ran a screen pass back to the left. They scored and beat us 14-13. (While researching this article we found Lagrange beat Valdosta 7-0 the year before in 1959. And One Old Dawg realized he’d played for Valdosta when Joel Darden played for Lagrange).

What is your most memorable experience from the 1964 season?

Our defense against Kentucky. Rodger Byrd (who later played for the Oakland Raiders) played for them, and they ran the ball up and down the field on us, but couldn’t score. One time they got it to the four-yard line, but we stopped them. When our defense came off the field, everybody in the stands gave us a standing ovation. I thought that was amazing.

Can you remember anything amusing that happened in 1964?

During Coach Dooley’s first year, we were practicing one day and were on the goal line. One of our seniors hit a freshman with an illegal blow. Coach Dooley lined up the seniors on the concrete wall around the practice field. Coach Dooley said, "People at Georgia don’t expect much of me because this is my first year. All of you seniors have a chance to play, but you must earn your position. But if I ever see another dirty blow like the one we’ve just seen, I’m kicking you off the team." That was pretty plain. (One Old Dawg interjects that he knew a player who was debating whether he would stay on as a UGA football player and this experience with Coach Dooley convinced him to do so, because he was so impressed with Dooley’s leadership).

What is one important lesson you learned from your time as a college athlete?

You never give up, do the best you can and play the game as fair and as hard as you can.

In life as in football, you must be a team player and can’t do it on your own. You do your job every play, the best you can.

Who were your inspirations or role models in your college career?

Lynn Hauss was my inspiration. (Lynn Hauss went on to be a center for the Washington Redskins for thirteen years, a five- time Pro Bowl selection). My sophomore year, Brooks Boynton got hurt, and I was moved to center during spring practice. I’d never snapped the ball before in my life and played behind Lynn Hauss. Lynn and I shared the position because we had to play both ways. He was the toughest guy I ever played with.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their college football career?

You have to give it your all and do what the coaches say. Be yourself but in a controlled position. Hustle, do your schoolwork, and get your degree.

What are your thoughts on the Dawgs this season?

I think they’re going to be okay. Kirby’s a smart guy and knows how to motivate the players. They practice hard (I don’t know if they practice harder than we did, though. LOL).

Jerry Varnado and Joel Darden at a recent letterman's event.

Thank you so much, Joel for joining us today. Now, One Old Dawg has a few words about this weeks game with Texas. 

"Well, the Big Game has arrived. We travel to Austin this week to face the undefeated Texas Longhorns, the number one team in the nation. We haven’t fared very well with Texas, we’ve only played them five times and got horned in all but one, the 1984 Cotton Bowl which we won 10-9. In our latest meeting, the 2019 Sugar Bowl, we got horned again 28-21.

"For the last two weeks we have been so busy bemoaning the Alabama loss, I’m not sure we fully enjoyed beating Auburn and Mississippi State. Again, I say forget Alabama. Pay attention to Psalm 30: 5, “. . . weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  I’ve often heard Coach Smart say, “Humility is never more than one game away.” But it is also true that joy is just one game away.

"Now back to those Longhorns, I say enough is enough, it’s time to reintroduce these moo cows to the Bulldawg Bite. So, hunker down Dawg Nation, whether you are on the field, in the stands or at home watching on the tube, give it all you’ve got and just a little bit more, so we can bring home some Longhorn T-Bones and fire up the grill. Take a deep breath, I can smell ‘em cooking now. May it be that joy comes to the Bulldawg Nation next Sunday morning. Gooooo Dawgs! Sic ‘em! Woof, woof, woof!"

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

Check in every Wednesday through football season or better yet sign up to receive these posts in your inbox HERE. You don’t want to miss any of his mostly true Bulldog lore. 

 

A Remembrance of 1964 Dawg Seniors and Getting Ready for Mississippi State

This week we take on the other Bulldogs in the SEC, but before we get to that, we thought it appropriate to remember the seniors who served our Bulldogs well in 1964 but have left this life for the next. (If we have overlooked any senior on the 1964 team, please let us know, and we will add to a future edition of One Old Dawg.) 

Team Doctor Marion Hubert checks Fred Barber, Danny Garrett Student Trainer (Center)

Danny Garrett, a student trainer when One Old Dawg arrived at Georgia, did much to keep the team healthy and help them heal when hurt. He remained a loyal Bulldog and for years served as a volunteer in the operation of the Lettermen’s Club facility at Sanford Stadium.

Ray Crawford, Columbus, GA

Ray Crawford was an outstanding player at Georgia, earning a starting position at left end as a true sophomore in 1962. Unfortunately, a serious shoulder injury limited his playing time the next two years. But he continued to do what he could to help the team as a back-up and One Old Dawg remembers him as a great friend and teammate.

Leroy Dukes, Patterson, GA

Leroy Dukes came to Georgia after serving a stent in the Air Force. A few years older than the rest of the team, at times One Old Dawg recalls affectionately referring to him as Grandpa, and writes he was a tough, hard-nosed linebacker and a great team leader as well as jovial, fun-loving friend to all. He remained in Athens and became a great leader for the Georgia Football Lettermen’s Club.

Pat Hunnicutt, Lagrange, GA

Pat Hunnicutt, son of a legendary Georgia high school coach, was a student of the game and a valuable part of the 1964 team. He is most remembered for a hard hit on the Georgia Tech running back that resulted in a fumble which was recovered by Leroy Dukes to assure the team of a win in a close game and bid to play in the 1964 Sun Bowl.

Ray Rissmiller, Easton, PA

Ray Rissmiller, an outstanding offensive tackle, made the All-SEC squad in 1963 and 1964 and All-America in 1964. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He later played for the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills.

Jim Wilson, Pittsburgh, PA

Jim Wlson, the other of our dynamic duo of offensive tackles, was all SEC and All-America in 1964 and voted most valuable lineman in the 1964 Sun Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the fourth round of the NFL draft. He later played for the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams before retiring for medical reasons. In 2001 he was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Many thanks to all these great men who helped propel the Georgia Football program into the winning tradition we now enjoy.

NOW, about those Mississippi State Bulldogs. One Old Dawg says, "They have not fared well recently, posting a 5-7 record in 2023 and they are off to a 1-4 start in 2024. They are at the bottom of the SEC. We have every reason to expect an easy afternoon of it, but in response I would say, remember the Commodores. Who would have ever dreamed Vandy could take down Alabama? It has been my experience over sixty-two years in the SEC that you should never assume anything. You can never take a break unless you have an open date and even then, as Coach Smart says, better never rests. So, let’s hunker down Dawgs and get ready for a fight, prepare as though they were the best in the conference and give our best shot Saturday. Gooooo Dawgs! Sic’em, woof, woof, woof!"

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

Check in every Wednesday through football season or better yet sign up to receive these posts in your inbox HERE. You don’t want to miss any of his mostly true Bulldog lore. 

A Pep Talk from One Old Dawg

We couldn’t begin our post this week without remembering all of those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene this past week. We have friends and family who have been directly impacted by the devastation. If you are interested in contributing toward relief, consider donating to Samaritan’s Purse who does a wonderful job and now has five sites responding in greatly affected areas. 

As we waited for the Alabama-Georgia game to begin last Saturday, an introductory piece began about the storied history of the matchup. As the video segued from a man at a piano to shots of past seasons, One Old Dawg pointed and hollered, “That’s me.” We ran it back and sure enough there he was, #88 Jerry Varnado, in a picture taken we believe from the 1965 Alabama-Georgia game. But not only him but #8 Marvin Tootle, and  #74 Bill Harber. We began texting friends and family to let them know. Very exciting. 

Perhaps not as exciting was the game itself, but One Old Dawg is here today to give us a bit of a locker room pep talk. 

“Of Course I’m disappointed, all of us are. With Nick Saban gone, we wanted to finally squash the so-called Alabama jinx, but Alabama would not cooperate, so here we are again, disappointed. To begin with I don’t believe in jinxes, we just lost the game, period. In athletics, disappointment is inevitable, the very best teams are going to lose on occasion. To me the Bible gives the way to overcome disappointment. The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:13b-14 (NIV): … But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.

“We all recognize the importance of our ability to remember, and we admire and reward those who have good memories. But we frown on forgetfulness. Forgetting appointments, not to mention anniversaries, will get you in trouble. We should encourage each other to develop habits conducive to good memory, but we haven’t always recognized we also need a good forgettery. Memory enables us to relive yesterday; but that can be good or bad. Some things are better off forgotten. A police officer was called to an auto accident and questioned the driver about how the car came to be in the ditch. The driver said I don’t really know! I was looking at something in the rearview mirror and suddenly I was in the ditch. You can't safely move forward, if your eyes and mind are riveted on what's behind you. You will likely end up in a ditch. We need a good memory, but we also need a good forgettery. (Editor’s note: I thought One Old Dawg had invented a word, but Merriam Webster has a definition for it, “A faculty for forgetting.” Who knew?)

 

“Now by forgetting, I don’t mean removing it from our memory, which would require surgery, and we would lose part of our brain. Most of us don’t have that much to spare. Forgetting means we get that memory into proper perspective so that past hurts, failures or successes do not negatively affect present and future performance and outcomes. Paul’s reference in the text was to the sins of his past, and his stature in the past, but the principle is very applicable to other things including football. Whether you won or lost the last game, you need to forget about it to get ready for the next one. You can’t safely move forward, if you are focused on what is behind you.

 

“When I was a freshman in High School one of my good friends broke his leg in the first game of the season. It was an awful compound fracture. I was on the sidelines, and it happened right in front of me. For the next two years I was chicken, I couldn’t hit or get hit without flinching. The picture of him lying there with his leg making a thirty-degree bend just below the knee imprinted on my mind and haunted me, I couldn’t forget it and that memory kept me on the bench for two years; that’s how long it took me to get beyond it, to forget it. We need a good memory, but we also need a good forgettery. 

“In the 2015 Georgia – Missouri game we were tied 6-6. Marshall Morgan went in with 1:44 left in the game, to attempt a thirty-four-yard field goal. We had won our first four games but then lost two in a row—we were desperate for a win. He was two for three that day, but his last attempt was a chip shot he should have made, but he missed it. We lined up for the snap and Missouri called time-out to ice the kicker, but it backfired on them. As the teams huddled on the sidelines for last-minute instructions the TV camera zoomed in on this scene of Mark Richt with both hands on Morgan’s shoulder pads talking to him, eyeball to eyeball. Marshall made the field goal and after the game the side-line TV reporter asked Coach Richt what he had said to Marshall. His response was, “I told him I loved him whether he made that field goal or not and that his value was not determined by performance only. Go out there and give it your best shot, that’s good enough for me.” What happened in those few seconds is Coach Richt helped Marshall forget that missed field goal so the memory of it did not negatively affect the present outcome. 

“I’m not suggesting we should be “good” losers. My late friend and fellow Georgia letterman, Willie Fowler, used to say, “good losers usually do.” If losing doesn’t bother us we are in trouble. Losing should leave a bitter taste in our mouth that will motivate us to play harder and smarter the next time. But to hear some people talk, you would think we are 0-1, but we are 3-1 and that loss was by a mere seven points to one of the five best teams in the country. Our season is not over. Nothing has changed with respect to our goals except we can’t have an undefeated season. So, what! We can still win the SEC; we can still win the National Championship! 

“Forget last Saturday, we have the Auburn Tigers coming to town, we need to move on and going forward is hard if you are focused on the past. The word “Winner” is defined as one who wins. If we refuse to let a loss define us and grow from the experience of losing, we win even though we lost. It is a paradox, but it is true. So, let’s get our heads clear and get focused, It’s Homecoming, and we’ve got a Tiger to skin. Goooooo! Dawgs! Sic ‘em, woof, woof, woof!!!" 

Thanks, One Old Dawg, we feel properly pepped and ready for the game this weekend. 

We’ll be back next week with One Old Dawg’s Tailgate and another senior from the 1964 University of Georgia football team now in their sixtieth anniversary year. 

Until then, Go Dawgs!!!

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

Check in every Wednesday through football season or better yet sign up to receive these posts in your inbox HERE. You don’t want to miss any of his mostly true Bulldog lore. 

One Old Dawg's Tailgate with George Nowicki

Welcome back to One Old Dawg's Tailgate. This week we're interviewing George Nowicki, a senior and one of four ends in 1964. Pull up a chair as George shares a little about himself and his time on the 1964 University of Georgia football team. 

Tell us how you got started in football and about your high school career?

I started playing Pop Warner football in pads when I was ten years old. I played almost every fall through high school and was second string on my high school team my senior year. That year, Georgia won the SEC Championship behind Hall of Fame quarterback, Fran Tarkenton. They were ranked either number three or number five in the country, depending on which poll you believed. Right after this, I received a phone call from Georgia telling me that they were interested in me as a prospective player. I couldn’t believe they were calling me! I even considered the possibility that the call was from one of my friends, playing a joke on me. A few days later a roundtrip airline ticket was mailed to my home. I figured if this was a joke, someone was going to a lot of trouble and expense. I visited Athens, went to the Georgia-Georgia Tech game in Atlanta, and signed not long after that. Things turned out pretty well for me at Georgia. Counting a red-shirt year, I played five years and lettered three of them. I was named first team Academic All SEC my senior year.

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

My most memorable play my senior year at Georgia, occurred before I got back on the field. We were playing Vanderbilt in Nashville on a Saturday night. I had played every offensive play in the first half. Early in the second half, Jerry Varnado, our sophomore starting left defensive end, had been knocked unconscious. Varnado would go on to start the next two years also. But not on that night! He wasn’t coming back in this game. Erk Russell called me up from the bench to the sideline. He told me that I would be going both ways the rest of the game. His final instructions to me were “don’t mess up my defense.”  I did all right. Vanderbilt never scored and I didn’t  come off the field until the game ended. Defensive back Wayne Swinford, who later played for the San Francisco 49ers, and I were co-captains that night. It was the second game of the year and coach Vince Dooley’s first win of many.

Four Ends, 1964, Barry Wilson, Pat Hodgson, George Nowicki, Jerry Varnado

Preston Ridlehuber, George Nowicki, Jerry Varnado, Pat Hodgson at Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration

Can you remember anything amusing that happened in 1964?

One of the more amusing things that happened in 1964, occurred in spring practice that year. Coach Dooley told the team, “Don’t come out there Monday unless you’re ready to go through the toughest spring practice of your life.”  So, Monday came and went. We thought they were going to gradually make the practices tougher. They never did. Football practice, for me, under Coach Dooley was the most fun practice ever was.

What is one important lesson you learned from your time as a college athlete?

The most important thing I learned as a college athlete was to never give up. During my time on the team, I was everything from sixth string to first string. I sometimes admired the guys who had the guts to quit. I was too afraid to ever do that. It paid off greatly to have stuck it out!

Who were your inspirations or role models in your college career?

My role model at Georgia was Ray Clark, he was our co-captain my sophomore year. He set an example of playing hard on the field and being a gentle person off the field. He also once told me “Never go to the Seagraves Party after Spring Practice.”  He said, “You’ve been hit hard enough in practice, you don’t need to be hit out there. Hide under your bed, go uptown to the movies, don’t go there.”  I never did.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their college football career?

The advice I would give to back up players is don’t quit or transfer. Sometimes you’re only one play away from being a starter or getting to play regularly. Carson Beck is glad he stayed. Stetson Bennett never gave up, even when he knew he should have been starting earlier in his career.

What are your thoughts on the Dawgs this season?

I think the Dawgs were just one play away (think the missed call on the Alabama dropped pass on fourth down in the SEC Championship game) from having a chance to defend their two consecutive  National Championships. I hope they can be in contention again. Kirby has been incredible!

Speaking of thoughts on the Dawgs, One Old Dawg weighs in this week:

“The week of our open date I focused on Philippians 3:13b-14a: But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…. Paul is referring to the prize of eternal salvation, but the principle he highlights applies across the board. You can’t move forward successfully if you are focused on the past. I sure underestimated Kentucky; we not only failed to cover the line; we were lucky to get out of Lexington with a win – but we did! So, let’s forget it and move on, we have a gauntlet to run.

“Our next seven games include four teams presently in the top ten and three of them are away games. We start Saturday with unbeaten number four Alabama in Tuscaloosa, at night. It will take everything we’ve got, players and fans, to keep our conference regular season win streak going; we’re at twenty-seven. We’re also at forty-two consecutive regular season wins. We have not lost a regular season game since November 7, 2020. In the last three years, we’ve lost two games, both to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. It is time to send the Tide out! Go Dawgs!”

Thanks for reading, and keep check back next week for more of One Old Dawg and his friend's mostly true Bulldog lore.

Who is One Old Dawg?

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams, which included an SEC championship in 1966, placing Georgia fourth in the nation. He helped coach the UGA football team while in law school, and practiced law for over a decade. Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has preached the gospel for forty years. He’s still at it every Sunday.

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is also the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is a past president of The Athens Touchdown Club and is now the chaplain. He has been an FCA chaplain for the Athens Academy Football Team for ten years.

He is the proud father of four children, and one sweet girl now with Jesus, as well as Bapa to two of the best grandkids ever.

Check in every Wednesday through football season or better yet sign up to receive these posts in your inbox HERE. You don’t want to miss any of his mostly true Bulldog lore.