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141 Thursday, November 16, 2006 | The Red & Black | Please say you saw us in Athens Living
Athens’ special aspects
It is October and leaves
are finally turning. At every
small breeze there is the
noise of them running their
way along the sidewalk.
This is Athens, our prom
ised land. This place gets in
your blood.
I don’t think I really
believed that until I came
here as a student. I had
heard it all my life from my
parents (both University
alum) and their friends.
They were here in 1980
when the amazing Herschel
Walker ran his way through
opposing defenses. They
were also in the endzone
Lindsay Scott ran in on his 92
yard touchdown catch
against Florida.
These and countless oth
ers were the stories I heard
growing up, and I dreamt of
maybe just being able to tell
one like it.
I’ve been waiting to expe
rience that magical game or
JASON SMITH
▲
year that you remember
everything about. So when
something special happens
inside Sanford Stadium, a
tear comes to my eye.
I guess I feel like I’m final
ly beginning to experience
those things that I’ll tell my
kids about.
That I’ll sit them down
and tell them about the time
that Cox came in and saved
our season, or maybe the
time Joe T or Stafford came
in and finally beat Florida.
Then I’ll say, “Always
remember, it’s the best four
years of your life.”
So what’s so special about
this place? Is it the town, the
tradition, the arch? Maybe
it’s Sanford, maybe it’s the
dorms, maybe it’s North
Campus.
No, I think it’s something
more; it’s Glory.
It’s that chill that runs
down your spine when the
noise from your fellow stu
dents rises up around you.
It’s the lump in your
throat during the Battle
Hymn.
It’s the sound of the
chapel bell ringing, the sound
of college kids singing.
It’s all of us that make this
place so special. It’s these
crazy, raucous, barking kids
and former kids that make
every Saturday afternoon in
Athens memorable.
Once a dog, always a dog.
— Jason Smith is a sports
columnist for
The Red & Black
Dooley’s legend still vibrant
When the “Big Guy” who
is the “Big Dog” talks, you
stop everything to listen.
No, I’m not talking about
Mark Taylor, who is using
that slogan in his run for gov
ernor.
I’m talking about leg
endary coach and former
Athletic Director Vince
Dooley.
A few Fridays ago, as I
walked through North
Campus, my cell phone
buzzed. It was Dooley,
returning a call of mine.
Right away I dropped my
backpack, took out writing
material and did an interview
outside the Main Library.
The subject of the conver
sation was about another big
guy, Guy McIntyre who
played football for his
Bulldogs from 1979-1983.
Last month, the Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame elected
McIntyre into its 2007 class.
McIntyre won three SEC
Sam Steinberg
▲
Championships and the
National Title during his col
lege tenure.
In his 13 NFL seasons that
followed, McIntyre made his
mark, earning five Pro Bowl
selections and three Super
Bowl rings with the San
Francisco 49ers.
“He had ability to be
around champions,” Dooley
said.
A few days after talking
with Dooley, I was able to
reach McIntyre after a round
of phone tag.
Truth be told, I was not
exactly on McIntyre’s
“Sonny-do list” when I finally
got a hold of him.
And again, after all that
persistence, I had to drop
everything.
McIntyre was in his car
driving from a breakfast in
honor of former 49ers coach
Bill Walsh to an FCA charity
golf tournament, but he took
some time to chat.
Originally an All-State
tight end in high school,
McIntyre was converted to
offensive guard by Dooley.
“He was such a good ath
lete. I think we moved him
around too much,” Dooley
said.
The move to guard
worked and McIntyre was
named the best offensive
guard in the SEC his senior
season.
“I just played because I
loved the game,” Mcintyre
► See DOOLEY, Page 18