The Detroit Lions made Frankie Sinkwich the first overall pick of the 1943 NFL draft. Then the Chicago Cardinals made Charley Trippi the first overall pick of the 1945 NFL draft.
When the NFL needed a runner back then, it looked to the University of Georgia. Seven decades later, the NFL is still shopping for running backs at Georgia.
Nick Chubb has gone three Pro Bowls in his four NFL seasons since leaving Georgia in 2018 as the No. 2 all-time leading rusher in SEC history. No. 1? Another Bulldog, Herschel Walker.
Walker was the best running back in Georgia history and has a Heisman Trophy to prove it. But he’s not the best Bulldog in NFL history. That would be Terrell Davis, an oversight in the sixth round of the 1995 draft who went on to become a Hall of Famer. Davis is one of only six NFL runners to gain 2,000 yards in a single season. He also became an NFL MVP and helped the Denver Broncos win two Super Bowls.
Trippi joins Davis in the Hall of Fame. They line up in Georgia’s Hall of Fame backfield with quarterback Fran Tarkenton.
End Harry Babcock (1953) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (2009) were also first overall picks of NFL drafts. Stafford led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl championship in February.
But it’s the running backs who remain the strength of the program. In addition to Trippi, there have been six other Georgia running backs who became first-round draft picks: Garrison Hearst, Tim Worley, Todd Gurley, Knowshon Moreno, Robert Edwards and Rodney Hampton. Hampton helped the New York Giants win a Super Bowl.
In addition, like Davis, Olandis Gary was a mid-round draft pick by Denver (fourth, 1999) who went on to become a 1,000-yard rusher for the Broncos.
Here is the all-time University of Georgia NFL team:
QB–Fran Tarkenton, Hall of Fame
HB–Terrell Davis, Hall of Fame
FB–Charley Trippi, Hall of Fame
*-WR–A.J. Green, 7 Pro Bowls
WR–Hines Ward, 1,000 career catches, 85 TDs
TE–Benjamin Watson, 13 seasons, 495 receptions
OT–Mike Wilson, 12 seasons, 172 starts
OT–Cordy Glenn, 8 seasons, 95 starts
G–Guy McIntyre, 5 Pro Bowls, 3 Super Bowl rings
G–Pete Case, 9 seasons, 91 starts
C–Ray Donaldson, 6 Pro Bowls, 17 seasons, 228 starts, Super Bowl ring
DE–Bill Stanfill, 2-time Super Bowl champion
DE–Charles Johnson, 11 seasons, 67 ½ sacks
DT–Richard Seymour, Hall of Fame
*-DT–Geno Atkins, 8 Pro Bowls
*-OLB–Justin Houston, 2014 NFL sack leader
MLB–Mo Lewis, 13-year starter, 3 Pro Bowls
OLB–Thomas Davis, 3 Pro Bowls, 18 forced fumbles
CB–Champ Bailey, Hall of Fame
CB–Tim Jennings, 2 Pro Bowls, 20 interceptions
S–Jake Scott, Super Bowl VII MVP
S–Reshad Jones, 10 seasons, 21 interceptions
K–John Kasay, NFL’s 9th all-time leading scorer
P–Bobby Walden, 14 years, 2-time Super Bowl champ
KR–Herschel Walker, 215 KO returns, 23.6-yard average
*-Still active
