Oh yeah, they had a bounty out for Bucks jersey, Baker said. He played at 6 feet, 2 inches, and 240 pounds but was exceptionally fast. It was a real mess, he said. It was the last one. Billy Henderson [Clarke Centrals coach] called three straight timeouts and iced the kicker. 31. That passage appears in Chapter 18 -- titled The Dooley Drama -- of the 199-page book. Georgia quarterback Buck Belue got things moving for Georgia in the second quarter, engineering a scoring drive in only four plays for a 14-3 lead. The Valdosta Wildcats are undoubtedly one of America's most successful high school football teams, with more than 900 victories, two dozen state titles and its star players seemingly on a. Joe Wilson took over the Vikings football team in 1976, and right away encouraged the players to embrace their country boy personality and call themselves Plowboys. He led the Vikings to an 8-2 season, which included upset victories over Tift County and Thomasville High. Reached by phone this week, Dooley said he has not yet read Belues book. 1. John Lastinger remembers that game and the play. 5,214 - Buck Belue . The book has not been life-altering for Belue. But that was about to change. Prince recalled how, prior to the 1985 Winnersville game, an idea was hatched to have someone ride a mule out to midfield before the Valdosta game, staying true to the plowboys image Lowndes had cultivated. Following a Lowndes punt, Valdosta took possession around midfield. The coaches would each speak to the crowd during the banquet. Rome was ranked the No. We had a Valdosta booster, Charlie Whetherington, who knew a pilot, and they flew over a Valdosta practice the week of the game against Lowndes and dumped those flyers. There were a lot of guys who had a huge impact to the success of those teams.]. He was totally unselfish, too. Former receiver Lindsey Scott, who lives in Valdosta, former linebacker Keith Middleton, a longtime Valdosta High assistant coach, and former quarterbacks John Lastinger and Greg Talley helped out. Its great that the Lord Wedgwood Charity offered to give one to a school in my name. Larry Kinnebrewrushed for more than 1,000 yards as a fullback and was the dominant force defensively on East Romes 15-0 Class A champion that shut out nine opponents and held four others to seven points or less in 1977. We had weight limits, and if you weighed a certain amount, you couldnt play in the backfield, and I was a bigger kid then. He went on to play both football and baseball at Georgia. The Valdosta Wildcats have been playing football since 1913, and with over 900 wins, 24 state championships, six national championships, and a bunch of region titles, they remain the winningest high school football team in the country. Im glad he came here and did this for us. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 12-0, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. When Andrews retired, he ranked 24th all-time in the NFL in rushing yards. So the Viking flag flew high and proud over the Valdosta stadium property, for at least a little while.. Martin brought in Wilson for an interview after hearing that the coach was not exactly happy with the Wildcats at the time. He also ran for 75 yards in 10 attempts. Old Friends . Latest: Gallery: Buck Belue book signing at Coach's Corner He had everybody running the same offense so that by time you got to middle school and high school, you didnt have to learn any of it. Between plays, we would stand there and listen to Coach Rudolph break down the responsibilities of each defensive player for the play we just ran. "It allowed me to talk about my hometown and brag on the people that helped me through those high school days. He recalled how Valdosta supporters would take the opportunity in front of a full house of fans from both sides to get the Cats fired up just one more time. He bypassed his senior season and went to the USFL and totaled 7,046 all-purpose yards and 61 touchdowns in three years. The Wildcats loss to Lowndes and the close game the year before were the turning points of the series, and turned it into a true rivalry, Lastinger said. McGuyrt also emceed the FCA banquet that was held the Thursday before the big game. That was the dream of every young athlete in Valdosta, and that dream didnt go much further than that. . All Rights Reserved. Thats the way it was at Valdosta. Belue played one more season at Georgia, leading the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record the following year while engineering an offense that averaged 31 points per game, the ninth most in the country in 1981. Rogers was the 1981 NFL Rookie of the Year. Valdosta, Georgia is called Title Town, USA because they have won more high school football games and titles than anyone else. Buck Belue was born and raised in Titletown, USA also known as Valdosta, Georgia. All but Scott are former Valdosta players. Buck Belue Social Network Timeline 2007 He is also the only quarterback to start all four years for the Valdosta Wildcats where he was inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007. They were up 40-0 with 30 seconds left and still giving the ball to William Andrews. Im just humbled really by it all, just thankful that I was working alongside those coaches and teammates, without whom I wouldnt be able to enjoy something like this. Buck Belue is the only Quarterback to start all four years at Quarterback for Valdosta High. There will, of course, be signings at the UGA Bookstore before Georgia football games this fall. I basically wrote it on a Word document with the help of an editor, Belue said in a telephone interview this week. Macon, GA Position: QB Height: 6'1" Weight: 190 College: Georgia High School: Valdosta (GA) Career: 1984-1985 Buck Belue played from 1984 to 1985 during his career with the Jacksonville Bulls. He came in from West Rome with the idea of running the wishbone like he was doing in Rome, and I was coming over for spring football as an eighth grader, and it wasnt a couple of months later we were back for preseason practice, and he was totally shifted to the Bazemore offense, as we called it. I thought long and hard about what I was going to put in there., Photos: Impressive details in Georgia Bulldogs championship rings, Athens celebrates its long-awaited Bulldogs title with parade and stadium event, The drought is over: Georgia is national champion again, Mark Bradley: Mighty Georgia runs down Bama to claim its long-sought championship, QB Stetson Bennetts story a testament to the Georgia community that nurtured him, Steve Hummer: Champion 1980 Bulldogs have waited long enough for company. Net Worth in 2021. Georgia was loaded with talent in 1980 there were five future NFL Draft picks on the roster, plus Hall of Fame head coach Vince Dooley and legendary defensive coordinator Erk Russell. But the current Wildcats still know who he is. I grew up admiring most of those guys on the list we were voting on. Belue also talked to all of the players about being positive influences and representing themselves and the Valdosta Wildcats well. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. GHSF Daily recently named him the best player in Thomasville High history, and the AJC in 2007 ranked him the No. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. After the game, Joe Wilson told me, Baker, as John Bond was running down the sideline, I came real close to sticking my foot out and tripping him, but I changed my mind.. And I have so many great memories of him taking time to help coach me up. Reid is forever known for The Run against Valdosta in the 2007 game. Your high school friends are looking for you! That first Valdosta game with Wilson as coach of the Vikings didnt lead to a win, but the effort was there, and it signaled that things were going to be different. He and his wife had an apartment next to the school, and I would go over to watch film with him. We just knew the crowd would go crazy, and it would fire up our players.. Buck Belue, former Valdosta, UGA quarterback. How did Bazemore make a quarterback out of you? The Falcons drafted Andrews in the third round, and he rushed for 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons before a knee injury cut his career short. Brooks finished with 7,962 rushing yards and 3,621 receiving yards in his NFL career and was named to the Bengals 40th Anniversary team in 2007. Im just humbled really by it all, just thankful that I was working alongside those coaches and teammates, without whom I wouldnt be able to enjoy something like this. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 12-0, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. In 1982, Walker won the Heisman Trophy. There was a golf tournament involving fans and coaches from both teams. Buck goes shopping with his daughter at the Braves Store in SunTrust Park.It is obvious they are not on the same page when it comes to jersey shopping.. Youd see him around town and stop and go wow. Youd be in awe. The following year, he put up a career-best 714 rushing yards. How would you contrast and compare those iconic coaches? And when he showed up Friday to host a camp, they came to the field excited to learn from him. He was totally unselfish, too. To join the mailing list, click here. We were in position to win the national championship and he is about to jump to our rival? He's the host of the Buck Belue Show on Atlanta sports radio's 680 The Fan every weekend from 10:00 a.m. He was the best in the business. Everybody was running the Wing-T, and he ran the pro set, throwing the ball. Im just so thankful my quarterback coach was Joe Wilson. The native of Jessup has made his home in Valdosta since retiring from professional football and is an avid supporter of UGA athletics and a dedicated follower of local high school football. $1 Million - $5 Million. The Lowndes administration was not happy about our little stunt.. Its gone on for 30 years.. Belue credits his wife, Kelley, for kicking me in the butt to finally get it done. His daughter, Audrey -- who will attend Mississippi State as a freshman this fall -- serves as his assistant at signings and with daily logistics. I knew coverage, I knew techniques, things that it seemed like these other quarterbacks didnt understand at the time. ATHENS The Georgia Bulldogs were mad. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had a population of 149,590. When I got to Georgia, I felt I was way ahead of the curve. The show was a weekly production featuring McGuyrt and the Valdosta head coach talking about the previous game and looking ahead to the upcoming game. Buck Belue 0:00 0:32 The "best team ever" conversation is an interesting one. That still sort of haunts me even today., 7. Brooks made the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Stan Rome was a dominant two-sport athlete who still holds the state record for most receiving yards in a career (4,477) despite playing in a run-dominated era. He was a country boy and proud of it. He is from American. My thought was that they played in Albany last night and probably got in bed at 3 a.m., and hes up scouting out the talent in town. Buck Belue - Player Card Home >> Minor League Baseball College Baseball High School Baseball Boxscores and Analysis Other Topics Minor Leagues >> Minor League Players Minor League Teams Affiliate History Minor Leagues Minor Leagues by Season Independent Baseball Leagues Prospects Minor League Awards Minor League People Minor League Transactions Buck has also written a new book about his times as an athlete in Valdosta and the University of Georgia. He was going to youth league programs, scouting the local talent. His 37 career touchdowns are fourth all-time for the franchise. He will be inducted with Belue in October. Calvin McGuyrt, who claims to have attended more Wildcat games than any other living person since #1 Wildcat fan David Waller passed away, founded and hosted The Wildcat Tradition TV show for 33 years. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. I should have done it a long time ago. ], Then, Valdosta was really laying down the hammer in 1971 [winning a national championship in Coach Bazemores final season]. BUCK BELUE Belue, Benjamin Franklin Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Born: December 12, 1959 Macon, GA High School: Valdosta (GA) Despite having played each other since 1968, the Lowndes vs. Valdosta game didnt become the Winnersville Classic until 1981. He sort of chuckled and said there was a lot of built-up frustration over those years of losing to Valdosta, Dont take it personally is what I believe he said., 5. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Benjamin Franklin 'Buck' Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. They just had a huge impact in my career along with all those teammates I played with at Valdosta, many of them deserving of those kinds of honors. Joe told Martin, Ill give you three reasons: One, Ill give you a winning season, which youve never had. He was a member of the Redskins Super Bowl champion in 1988. Rome settled on professional football, playing four NFL seasons with the Chiefs. [Rome, a 6-foot-4 tight end, set a national record for receiving yards in a season. Who are some of the great players you saw from your era or before? Kents second straight onside kick was again recovered, Wilkes took the snap and a knee, and that was that. I would soak up all this knowledge. So, thats up front in the book. Heset a Bengals record in 1984 with four rushing touchdowns in a game against the Houston Oilers. No wonder Buck eyed. In 2004, the Falcons retired his jersey No. ET. What are your thoughts on making the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame? In 2007, the AJC ranked him the No. But I never in any way committed to them.. Furious, actually. Not to be outdone, Valdosta would come back with its own persona to counter the country boy image of Lowndes. But it was more than that. "Well,. We still do that now, just not as much.. Belue said he and most of his Georgia teammates understood after hearing Dooleys explanation about his deep relationships at Auburn. 115 N. Patterson St. | PO Box 812 | Valdosta, Ga 31601, 13245 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 191 | Jacksonville, FL 32225. They worked on it all week. Buck Belue is best known as the quarterback who led Georgia to its 1980 national championship, but he was widely known before that as a high school athlete. 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