Georgia football: Fromm and Eason parallel’s with the the Greene and Shockley era
Shockley shines on his own
But after three years as something more than just a backup, Shockley was prepared to take over Georgia’s offense. We expected good, at the very least serviceable. What we got was another SEC Championship and the crowning of an all-time great.
Shockley ended his final year with 2,588 yards an 24 touchdowns through the air. He added 322 yards and four scores on the ground. If not for an ankle injury against Arkansas that year, more than likely, Shockley would have led Georgia to a perfect regular season.
He made up for it with a fantastic performance in the SEC Championship Game before finishing his career with an unsuccessful, yet impressive comeback against West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl.
The Legacy
Ask any Georgia fans today about David Greene and D.J. Shockley, expect a smile and a long monologue of admiration. Greene was spectacular at Georgia. He’s a popular pick for fan’s favorite quarterbacks in Georgia football history.
He won a lot of games clearly. But it’s how he won games that people remember most. From the “hobnail boot” against Tennessee and the 4th-and-15 bomb to beat Auburn, to the first half dissection of LSU in 2004 and his long streak of attempts without an interception. When Greene was at his best, he was a machine. There was just no stopping him.
With Shockley, fans appreciation of him increases every year. Nowadays, when blue-chip quarterbacks don’t win the starting positions of schools they sign with, they bolt. Forget the relationships they built and the fans that cheered when they signed, these kids want to play now.
That wasn’t Shockley though. He could have left and became a star somewhere else. Instead, he stay. He wanted to play for Coach Richt, in Athens in front of the Bulldog Nation. He waited his turn and made the most of the opportunities he received along the way. And when Richt handed him the keys to the offense, he gave fans a season to remember with another championship.
Next: Georgia has a big decision to make this week
Eason and Fromm in 2017
No one knows what the future has in store for Georgia’s current duo of quarterbacks. Last year, Jacob Eason put together one of the best freshmen seasons for a quarterback in Georgia football history. He led the offense to several late game drives to take a lead.
But since Eason’s injury in week one, the offense hasn’t missed a beat with Jake Fromm. Georgia is 5-0 and playing the best football Athens has seen in quite some time. Does head coach Kirby Smart leave Fromm out there to keep the rhythm going? Or does he go with Eason’s experience?
But maybe he chooses both. maybe Smart looks to David Greene and D.J. Shockley for inspiration and decides that there’s enough room in the cockpit for two quarterbacks to lead Georgia’s offense. It’s at least worth considering.