One Old Dawg Remembers the 1964 Coaching Staff, Part Two

Happy Thanksgiving!! On this last regular season week for Georgia football, Jerry Varnado is back with part two remembering the coaches from the 1964 University of Georgia football season on the sixtieth anniversary of that team. This week we’re highlighting Dick Copas, John Donaldson, Jim Pyburn, and Frank Inman, the person who was responsible for Jerry playing football at the University of Georgia. If you missed part one, which included Bill Dooley, Erk Russell, and Hootie Ingram, you may find it HERE. 

And now let’s hear from One Old Dawg: 

“Dick Copas was hired as the Athletic Trainer and to say he was beloved is an understatement. It is important for players to know they can trust the head trainer to look after their best interest, which was true of Dick Copas. Team morale is critical to developing a winning tradition and Copas was a great encourager to that end. After one victory over Florida the football team insisted on giving Copas the game ball, the presenting player simply said, “He never gets the credit he deserves, but I don't know of anyone who isn't a friend of Mr. Copas.” His personality and competence as a leader were shown clearly in his later role as UGA golf coach beginning in 1970. In twenty-five years as Coach, the Dawgs produced thirty-one All-Americans and sixty-one All-SEC honors. Seventeen of his golfers went on to play on the PGA Tour. He was chosen as the National Coach of the Year in 1978 and was tabbed as the SEC Coach of the Year seven times. In 1994, he was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame and into the UGA Circle of Honor in 2006. He was a friend to all and a great contributor to Georgia athletics.

“John Donaldson Assistant Offensive Backfield coach. Coach Donaldson played at George in 1945-46-47-48 at halfback and won four straight bowl games. In the 1946 Oil Bowl game, he caught a sixty-five-yard TD pass from the legendary Charley Trippi. He went on to play for the Chicago Hornets and then coached at Jesup High School. While there, he won state AA championships in 1954 and 1959. Then, after serving on the Florida staff for three years, he came to the University of Georgia from 1964-1968 coaching the backfield winning an SEC championship in 1966. He went into business for awhile but then came back to Georgia in 1971 as the freshman coach. In 1973, he became head coach at Wayne County High and retired in 1982.

“Jim Pyburn  Asst. Coach. An Alabama native, Coach Pyburn played for Auburn in 1953-1954. He set a record for most receiving yards in a season. He was also All-SEC, UPI “Player of the Year,” and an AP third team All-American. He was voted SEC Best Offensive End by coaches in 1954. Having excelled in both football and baseball, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and played there from 1955-1957. During this time, the Washington Redskins also drafted him. He later came to Georgia in 1964 as a coach for the defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backfield  over the course of the next sixteen years. He briefly retired and then returned to coaching to coach at Abilene Christian University from 1985-1986.

“Frank Inman was the Head Offensive Backfield Coach. In 1960 and 1961 Valdosta, where I played,  beat Richmond Academy for the South Georgia AAA Championship. Frank Inman was the Head Coach of Richmond Academy but at the end of the season he became an assistant coach at the University of Georgia. His last act as a high school coach was the North-South All-Star game in which I was a participant along with  other seniors on Valdosta’s championship team. I was unrecruited by any college, being too small and slow for college football. Coach Inman thought differently and somehow convinced the Georgia staff they needed to recruit me. All available scholarships were taken so they offered me a preferred walk on arrangement where I paid my way the first school term and the next year I was put on scholarship. . He remained on Dooley’s staff for 15 years in various positions and proved to be an important asset in the rebuilding process. He left Georgia in 1979 to take the position of Athletic Director for Glynn County School System which enjoyed much growth and success during his tenure. In his spare time, he spent twenty-four seasons working with Erk Russell, then Athletic Director and Head Coach of Georgia Southern as the color commentary voice on Eagle Football broadcasts. I will be forever grateful to Coach Inman for taking a chance on me, coming to Georgia was a life changing event. One of my big regrets in life is that I never sat down with Coach Inman and told him how much I appreciated what he did. But as the apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God every time I remember” him because of all he did for me. I know he was a Christian, and is in heaven, so one day I hope to get another chance to tell him.”

And now One Old Dawg weighs in about the upcoming game:

“Well, here we are at the end of our regular season and Georgia Tech is coming to town to play us between the hedges and on Friday night under the lights. I could not remember Georgia ever playing on Friday, which shows how bad my memory is. We played Georgia Tech in Sanford Stanford in1994, I’m sure I watched that game, and may have been  there. Anyway, we have the same Yellow Jackets this Friday at 7:30 p.m.  This swarm of Jackets is only 7-4 but they have several key wins including handing #4 Miami their only loss making them a dangerous team. We have a lot riding on this game, it is a must win for us, so we can’t let this bunch of bees get in our bonnet and mess with our minds. We need to keep our focus and take care of business, and I believe we will. This game will most likely turn out about like that Friday night game thirty years ago, which was Dawgs 48, Jackets 10. Gooooo Dawgs! Sic’em, woof, woof, woof!"

Well, that's it for the regular season One Old Dawg. Thank you for joining us in this sixtieth anniversary year. We hope to catch up with  you in the playoffs. Until then, a big 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. 

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 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.  

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. 

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.

 

One Old Dawg's Tailgate with Barry Wilson

 

As we continue to celebrate the 1964 Georgia Bulldogs from Vince Dooley’s first team coaching at the University of Georgia, One Old Dawg, Jerry Varnado, is back with his second interview of the fall season with Barry Wilson. Barry was a senior and captain of the team in 1964, and also received SEC honors that year. He went on to be an assistant coach at Georgia, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Duke, Florida, and in the United States Football League. He was head coach at Duke from 1990-1993. Pull up a chair, Barry, and have some barbecue as we welcome you to One Old Dawg’s tailgate.

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

I played football from the fifth grade through high school. The head coach of my high school in Savannah, Georgia saw me throwing in grade school and suggested I stay with it. I did and earned a scholarship to Georgia, but never played quarterback, my position in high school.

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

Lots of them. But, maybe my most memorable is when I intercepted a pass against Clemson and ran it back for a touchdown!

Barry Wilson speaks at fiftieth anniversary gathering of the 1964 UGA football team

Can you remember anything amusing that happened in 1964?

When we were in El Paso at our Sun Bowl team meeting on Christmas Day, Coach Russell (playing Santa Clause) opened the players’ presents and came across a name he didn't recognize as it was one of our cheer leaders. His famous hilarious line as he opened the card and present, “"Ho, Ho, Ho . . . “ He paused a moment. “Who . . . is Patty Tumlin?!!! She was in fact the captain of the cheerleaders. (Note from Old Dawg: Coach Russell’s comment was edited a bit because this site has a G rating. LOL).

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

I learned good organization,  good coaching and hard work pays terrific dividends!!

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

Coach Russell and Coach Dooley

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

It will be tough, but stick it out. You'll be glad you did.

What are your thoughts on the Dawgs this season?

I hope we are as good as the pre-season hype, while facing a VERY tough schedule! Looking forward to an injury free season - for a change. Go Dawgs!!

Thanks so much, Barry for spending time with us here! 

Ends on the 1964 UGA team, Barry Wilson, Pat Hodgson, George Nowicki, Jerry Varnado

Now, One Old Dawg weighs in with a few thoughts:

“Barry and I were about the same size, which was a bit small for defensive ends. In fact, we were the smallest in the SEC (except for one at Alabama our size). One sportswriter labeled us Georgia’s “Wee Ends.” I didn’t consider that very flattering and Barry probably didn’t either, but he was a senior, I was a sophomore. I was afraid I’d have to live with that handle for two more years. God bless Dan Magill, he wrote an article in which he referred to us as “Mighty Mites.” I could live with that!

“In scripture God constantly used the small and weak to humble the big and powerful. There was the shepherd, Moses, who overcame Pharoah, ruler of the most powerful nation on earth. The shepherd boy, David, killed the nine-foot giant Goliath, who defied the living God. Gideon and three-hundred men routed a Midianite army of thousands. When you surrender your life to God you receive into yourself the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). That is why Jesus said to us: 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you' (Matthew 17:20). That's a pretty good trade.

"About the game this week. I know from my experience as a player and coach you should never take victory for granted. Every year teams lose to teams that should not be able to beat them. I know very little about Tennessee Tech except they are brave to play the Dawgs. The Dawgs win by a lot!"

Thanks much, One Old Dawg! If you’re at the UGA-Tennessee Tech game this weekend, watch for a bunch of old Dawgs as the 1964 team is introduced on the field at half time in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of that team. One Old Dawg along with his teammates will be waving at you! 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 Fred Barber

 

As promised, here on the sixtieth anniversary year of Vince Dooley’s first football team at the University of Georgia, One Old Dawg is interviewing the seniors from that team. Our first interview is with Fred Barber as told to his wife, Julie Barber. Fred was Jerry’s roommate in 1964, and they had plenty of adventures together.

Grab your hot wings and have a seat as we welcome Fred Barber to One Old Dawg’s Tailgate.

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

If you lived in Bainbridge, Georgia in the sixties, you played football. When I was ten years old my football career came to a temporary halt when I was taken to Emory University Hospital for the removal of the lower half of my right lung due to a bicycle accident. Rehab and a team of young men got me on my feet and back on the football field.

In high school, Coach Spencer Davis wrote “Life Lessons” in the margins of our play books next to the X’s and O’s—things like, “show respect to your mother and father, keep up your grades, and how are you getting along in your life?”  I believe Coach Davis would rather have seen his players mature into caring husbands and solid citizens than to see us play a winning football game. He fathered us, hugged us, and gave us the knowledge about life—things like trusting others, doing your job, and  helping a teammate. We were an outstanding group of young men that challenged each other to be their best. Several players on my team received football scholarships.

What is your most memorable play from the 1964 season?

My greatest honor was playing for Coach Dooley and his staff for one year. They reestablished my love for the game of football. In the Sun Bowl game of 1964, my run of fifty-eight yards set up the winning and only touchdown of the game. I also scored the first touchdown against Florida for Coach Dooley.

Can you remember anything amusing that happened in 1964?

Everything about the trip to the Sun Bowl in 1964!!  Best trip to a bowl game EVER. I was told never to repeat those stories. (One Old Dawg was Fred Barber’s cohort in some of those stories and he’s not talking either).

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

In Psalm 40, David said,” He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip.”  There are many rocks in this world, in all shapes and sizes. An important rock for me was sports, because without sports, I would not have known the lessons of life that I have needed through the years. A field that measures fifty-two yards by one hundred yards was high ground for me. It took me where I needed to go. But the field alone was not enough. It was also the people that stood with me and guided me and my teammates through life’s lessons.

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

Coach Dooley once told me that when he called the first meeting of his new team, it was, “just to find out where we all were” and he soon realized that we were all over the place. The second meeting started our story. Coach Dooley and his staff taught us to show up, reach out, and be the person that will make a difference by encouraging each other, and creating a spirit of winning.

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

1. Encourage your teammates– leave the criticism to the coach.

2. Show your enthusiasm by practicing like you play.

3. Challenge yourself to fulfill your commitment.

4. Be polite regardless of the number of wins or losses. Those that care and stay committed will be remembered for their effort, participation, and successful seasons year after year.

Thank you, Fred, and Julie, for taking the time to share your 1964 memories with the readers here. I’m sure your wise words will mean much to many in all kinds of endeavors.

And now, One Old Dawg weighs in on the Clemson game this Saturday:

“Just three more days to the College Kickoff Game in the Benz at High Noon, when Georgia and Clemson square off to see who will emerge as the team to beat in 2024. Clemson has been on a roll since Dabo Swinney took over as head coach. In the last decade Clemson has made six playoff appearances and captured two national championships. They were 9-4 last year ending a ten-year streak of at least ten wins and their winning percentage the last fifteen years is over eighty percent. So, Clemson struggled a little last year, but Dabo Swinney and staff have not forgotten how to coach, and these Tigers are looking to claw their way back to the top.

But look on the bright side. The Dawgs have lost only one game in the last three seasons, the SEC championship game last year by a lousy three points. Kirby Smart’s winning percentage at Georgia is eighty-five percent and the Dawgs are still nursing a mad for being excluded from the playoffs last season. In addition, fifteen Dawgs are listed on the Coaches Preseason All SEC team (five are first team) and Georgia’s quarterback is a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. All that adds up to Saturday being a sad day for the Tiger faithful. Go Dawgs!”

Well, that’s it this week for One Old Dawg. We’ll be here next week interviewing Barry Wilson, also a senior on the 1964 Georgia football team. The next week we’ll have pictures of the letterman’s reunion and especially the sixtieth anniversary gathering of the 1964 team. You don’t want to miss it. If you’d like to receive this post by email, please go HERE to subscribe and watch for the follow-up email to confirm. 

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 is Coming Back

Jerry Varnado at 2024 kickoff Touchdown Club, Photo Courtesy Barry Mobley

In the fall of 2014, 2015, and 2016, Jerry Varnado (along with his wife Beverly) wrote a fiftieth anniversary blog here about his years playing on Vince Dooley’s first three teams at the University of Georgia in 1964, 1965, and 1966. Here as we approach the sixtieth anniversary of the 1964 team, we are coming back with One Old Dawg and his mostly true Bulldog lore. But this time, we will have lots of Old Dawgs by interviewing some of the seniors on the 1964 team as well as a few others from those years. Sadly, several of the team members have passed, and we’ll be remembering them, too.

We’re calling this One Old Dawg’s Tailgate, so get your potato salad and hot wings ready, because we’re starting on August 28 with Fred Barber as told to his wife Julie Barber and we will continue throughout the season with a post every Wednesday.

Jerry Varnado will also be weighing in with his take on each game throughout the season.

If you followed us before, you need to sign up again for email, because we lost the email platform through Blogger. Click HERE for the email link or you can just put One Old Dawg in your browser every Wednesday.  Also know, that when you sign up, you'll have to watch for a confirmation email to complete the process. Many thanks. 

The 1964 Sun Bowl and moving into a new era

For all of you getting ready for the Belk Bowl, here’s our final post for the year as One Old Dawg  concludes his memories of playing on the 1964 Georgia Bulldog football team.

After all the uncertainty of the 1964 season with new head coach, Vince Dooley, a young team, and so much nay saying, all of those hardworking Bulldogs captured a trip to the Sun Bowl.

 

From El Paso, Texas, Furman Bisher wrote of the game’s beginning in the Atlanta Journal, “Wayne Swinford returned the kickoff from the end zone to Georgia 20, and the Bulldogs set out on an impressive offensive that left the crowd agog. They ground out six first downs in the kind of strangling attack that has been typical of the Bulldogs this season.”

Of the game deciding touchdown, Bisher wrote, “Ridlehuber . . . flipped one . . . to Barber, who ran as hard as he can run down the west sideline, but was grabbed from behind the Tech six . . . . The play, however, covered 52 yards. On third down Frank Lankewicz crashed across the goal line from the two, and Bobby Etter made the score 7-0 with 7:57 left in the half.”

Sadly, Fred Barber suffered a pulled hamstring in that 52-yard run which would be the last run of his college career, but what a legacy he left.

 

Bisher commented on how Texas Tech struggled to move into Bulldog territory, and that “Mainly, this was because of tackle George Patton . . . “ Of course, Patton went on to be All SEC and All American as well as playing for the Atlanta Falcons.  

Also highlighted were Don Porterfield , Bob Taylor , Jim Wilson(All SEC, All American, San Francisco 49rs, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams) , Leon Armbrester,  Vance Evans , Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American), George Nowicki, and Pat Hodgson (All SEC, Washington Redskins, Coach at San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets) for their outstanding work.

The Sun Bowl win would help the Bulldogs complete the 1964 season with a 7-3-1 record.

Hidden away in the box of clippings One Old Dawg’s mama saved, we found a small clip from an unidentifiable newspaper entitled, “Varnado way well earned.” None other than a very young Lewis Grizzard who went on to be a nationally known Southern writer and celebrity wrote it.

Grizzard writes, “Varnado, a native of Valdosta where he played on two AAA state champions, came to Georgia without a scholarship. However, his love of football, especially the defensive phase, enabled him to get his grant-in-aid and become one of the Buldogs’ most promising ball players.”

 He quotes Jerry as saying, “You should never let any runner get to the outside, and this requires a lot of effort sometimes when they send two or three blockers at you. This is the toughest part about defensive end, but it really makes you feel good if you can do your job and make a good play that will stop the other teams offense.”

Grizzard goes on, “From the sounds that a mass from the Georgia cheering section when the Bulldog defensive corps comes off the field, it looks like Jerry Varnado is not the only one who feels good when the opposition’s offense is thwarted.”

The truth is the fans would continue to rally around these young players, many of whom would persevere and still be playing in 1966 when the Bulldogs won an SEC championship for only the second time since 1948 and which ranked them fourth in the nation. But it is this 1964 team which moved Georgia football into a whole new era. Each one of these players is truly a legend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Old Dawg concludes, “It has been a lot of fun sharing bulldog lore with you these last few months and I want to be sure that you all know that none of this would have happened if not for my incredible wife Beverly. This was her idea, and she made it happen. Not only has she freely shared her award winning writing skills with us but also spent many hours researching, gathering, and organizing a lot of information she used to produce these blog posts; and that’s in addition to putting up with me and my story telling for all these years. Thank you Beverly from all Bulldawgs everywhere, but especially us Old Dawgs, for remembering and preserving something of our story and the part we were privileged to play in the history of Georgia Football.

"The Belk Bowl is fast approaching; hunker down Dawgs; let’s close this season on a winning note and get on the right track for next year.

"Hope to see you back next fall for more “mostly true” bulldog lore from One Old Dawg."

 

And if you'll forgive a bit of author intrusion from One Old Dawg's wife, it has been my privilege to partner with One Old Dawg for this nostalgic trip back to 1964. It's been a joy to get to know many of you through the years, and the fiftieth celebration was a fabulous experience I and my children and grandchildren will never forget.

 

We end here in our traditional way with a great big loud, "Go Dawgs!"