1983 Georgia Bulldogs Lose Herschel Walker, National Championship Hopes
May 8th 2013 16:00
The 1983 Georgia Bulldogs saw their chances of winning national a championship all but disappear when star running back Herschel Walker decided to skip his final season and sign a pro contract with the New Jersey Generals of the new United States Football League. The Bulldogs were national championship contenders all three years that Walker played for them. They would have been again if he had returned for his senior season.
From 1980 to 1982, Georgia lost a grand total of three games. The Bulldogs won the tough Southeastern Conference and played in the Sugar Bowl after each season. In 1980, they put an end to the stranglehold that Alabama head Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant had on the conference by going a perfect 12-0 and winning the national championship. Walker was named All-American as a freshman and was Most Valuable Player of the Sugar Bowl.
In 1981 the Bulldogs only regular season loss came to eventual national champion Clemson in a game that Walker played with a broken wrist. Georgia was actually still in the hunt for the national championship until they lost to Pittsburgh University in the Sugar Bowl on a last second touchdown pass by Dan Marino.
Georgia went undefeated in the regular season again in 1982 and headed to New Orleans ranked number one. There, they met second ranked Penn State for all of the marbles and lost 27-23. Walker won the Heisman Trophy and it was believed he would come back to win it again in 1983. It was also believed that Georgia would win another SEC title and play for the national championship.
However, the USFL changed everything by offering Walker a chance to sign with them. The National Football League had a rule against signing players who were not four years removed from college, but the new league did not. Since there was no law stopping them from signing underclassmen, the Generals inked Walker to one of the most lucrative deals in pro football history and he turned in his letter man's jacket.
For three years, Georgia's offense had basically been Walker left, Walker right, Walker up the middle. Occasionally quarterbacks Buck Belue and John Lastinger threw the ball, but everyone knew that Walker was going to get it three out of every four plays. With Walker gone, the Bulldogs had to find another way to win.
Fortunately, head coach Vince Dooley had put together a team that could still challenge for the title without Walker. The Bulldogs did not win the SEC or compete for the national championship, but did go 9-1-1 to earn a trip to the Cotton Bowl. There they faced the undefeated, untied Texas Longhorns who with a victory and a loss by the Nebraska Cornhuskers later in the Orange Bowl could win their first national championship since 1970.
The Bulldogs defeated Texas 10-9 on a touchdown run by Lastinger. For once, Georgia was the one who spoiled someone else's national championship hopes. For the fourth straight season, Georgia finished a season with 10 or more wins.
It was a great year, but could have been a championship one had Walker returned for one last championship run.
From 1980 to 1982, Georgia lost a grand total of three games. The Bulldogs won the tough Southeastern Conference and played in the Sugar Bowl after each season. In 1980, they put an end to the stranglehold that Alabama head Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant had on the conference by going a perfect 12-0 and winning the national championship. Walker was named All-American as a freshman and was Most Valuable Player of the Sugar Bowl.
In 1981 the Bulldogs only regular season loss came to eventual national champion Clemson in a game that Walker played with a broken wrist. Georgia was actually still in the hunt for the national championship until they lost to Pittsburgh University in the Sugar Bowl on a last second touchdown pass by Dan Marino.
Georgia went undefeated in the regular season again in 1982 and headed to New Orleans ranked number one. There, they met second ranked Penn State for all of the marbles and lost 27-23. Walker won the Heisman Trophy and it was believed he would come back to win it again in 1983. It was also believed that Georgia would win another SEC title and play for the national championship.
However, the USFL changed everything by offering Walker a chance to sign with them. The National Football League had a rule against signing players who were not four years removed from college, but the new league did not. Since there was no law stopping them from signing underclassmen, the Generals inked Walker to one of the most lucrative deals in pro football history and he turned in his letter man's jacket.
For three years, Georgia's offense had basically been Walker left, Walker right, Walker up the middle. Occasionally quarterbacks Buck Belue and John Lastinger threw the ball, but everyone knew that Walker was going to get it three out of every four plays. With Walker gone, the Bulldogs had to find another way to win.
Fortunately, head coach Vince Dooley had put together a team that could still challenge for the title without Walker. The Bulldogs did not win the SEC or compete for the national championship, but did go 9-1-1 to earn a trip to the Cotton Bowl. There they faced the undefeated, untied Texas Longhorns who with a victory and a loss by the Nebraska Cornhuskers later in the Orange Bowl could win their first national championship since 1970.
The Bulldogs defeated Texas 10-9 on a touchdown run by Lastinger. For once, Georgia was the one who spoiled someone else's national championship hopes. For the fourth straight season, Georgia finished a season with 10 or more wins.
It was a great year, but could have been a championship one had Walker returned for one last championship run.
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