The Georgia Bulldogs are already well-represented in Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame, and soon there may be two more Dawgs added to the club.
Georgia had two former greats included on the ballot for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class —former head coach Mark Richt and former running back Garrison Hearst.
Hearst was one of 80 former FBS players included on this year’s ballot, while Richt was one of nine coaches. Also included on the ballot is former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.
Hearst was on the ballot as well for the 2022 class. Former Georgia defensive back Champ Bailey was inducted as part of that class.
This year’s class will be announced early in 2023
Mark Richt:
In 2001, Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley took a shot on Florida State quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mark Richt to become the new head coach in Athens. Richt, a former Miami quarterback, had been at Florida State for 15 years, taking one year off to coach at East Carolina in the late 1980s. Brought back by legendary Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden, Richt guided the FSU offense to the top of college football. Richt coached six FSU quarterbacks to the NFL, including Heisman winners Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke.
In 2001, Richt’s first season at Georgia, the Bulldogs were only able to win 8 games, yet it was obvious things were trending upward in Athens. Richt’s first season at Georgia featured a win over a top-five Volunteers team on the road (Hobnail Boot).
In 2002 under Richt, Georgia began its ascension towards becoming a consistent college football powerhouse. The Bulldogs finished the year 13-1, which included an SEC Championship win over Arkansas and a win over his former Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2005, Georgia won yet another SEC Championship. With star quarterback D.J. Shockley under center, the Bulldogs delivered a beatdown over LSU in Atlanta. Richt had won two SEC titles in his first five years at Georgia.
Richt came close to returning to the top of the SEC on a couple more occasions as well. In 2011, Georgia rebounded from an 0-2 start to finish the regular season with 10 straight wins. The Dawgs jumped out to a great first half vs LSU in the SEC Championship but were unable to finish the drill in the second half. The following year, Richt produced maybe his best team while at Georgia. The 2012 Bulldogs featured Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Tavarres King, Arthur Lynch, Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, Shawn Williams, Bacarri Rambo, etc. However, the Dawgs fell just short to Alabama in the SEC Championship, a game that had Georgia won, the Bulldogs would have likely cruised to a national title win over an overrated Notre Dame.
Following the 2015 season, a year that saw Georgia finish with 10 wins, Richt was let go from his post at Georgia. He returned to Miami to assume to the position of head coach at The U. Richt is currently retired from coaching football.
Garrison Hearst:
Hearst meant everything to his 1992 UGA team. More than a third of Georgia’s offensive production came from Hearst, who scored over half of the team’s touchdowns. During his junior year, the Lincolnton native led the nation in touchdowns (21) and in scoring (11.5 points per game).
Hearst broke SEC and school records for most points scored in a single season (126), total touchdowns (21), rushing touchdowns (19) and average yards per carry (6.8).
A consensus All-America, Doak Walker Award recipient and SEC’s player of the year in 1992, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Hearst finished his college career second on the Georgia records list in rushing yardage (3,232), all-purpose yardage (3,934) and 100-yard rushing games (16), trailing only Herschel Walker. He was the third pick in the 1993 NFL draft, selected by the Arizona Cardinals.