Former Georgia and NFL linebacker Dannell Ellerbe gave his response for who he thinks would be the best five Georgia football players in a pick-up basketball game.
Ellerbe was a 2nd team All-SEC caliber linebacker during his time in Athens. He’s had a great career in the NFL playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
For some background on what we’re doing…
To help get you through quarantine, we thought of a fun and creative way to entertainer our readers.
We started by compiling our own pick-up basketball team made up of current Georgia football players. But why stop there? We then reached out to a few former Bulldogs and asked them to assemble their own teams.
Related: Our starting five (Here) — Isaiah Wilson’s starting five (Here) –Mecole Hardman’s starting five (Here)
We let them draft players who played at Georgia from the time they started their careers to present day. So for Ellerbe, he was able to choose Georgia players from 2004-2020.
We asked Ellerbe to pick five Georgia football players from his time at UGA to present (2004-current) to make up a basketball team.
Here is Ellerbe’s starting five:
Point Guard: D.J. Shockley (6-1, quarterback)
Shooting Guard: Tony Taylor (6-0, linebacker)
Small Forward: Antonio Sims (6-1, safety)
Power Forward: Quentin Moses (6-5, defensive end)
Center: Leonard Pope (6-8, tight end)
Ellerbe’s squad is old-school, and may include a few names that are unfamiliar to some of our younger readers.
We all know who D.J. Shockley is. Shock at point guard was a solid pick. He has the size, athleticism and playmaking skills to run the point. Can’t ask for much more than a dual-threat, SEC Championship Game MVP quarterback to be running point guard.
At shooting guard, Ellerbe went with former Georgia linebacker Tony Taylor, who was named MVP of the 2006 Georgia Bulldogs after leading the team in tackles. At 6-foot and 235 pounds, Taylor has the strength and athleticism to be a strong guard.
For the three spot, Ellerbe went with Antonio Sims, who played safety for the Dawgs in 2005 and 2006 before transferring. A rover, Sims would have great instincts and a nose for the basketball on the court. Lockdown defender who could surprise you with his athleticism on offense.
For the big men, Ellerbe showed some love to two of the greatest to ever do it at Georgia, Quentin Moses and Leonard Pope. Both of these men were monsters in Athens and can play bully ball down low.
I especially love the Pope selection.
Related:
Our starting five (Here)
Isaiah Wilson’s starting five (Here)
Mecole Hardman’s starting five (Here)