Dawn of the Dawg
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Georgia football: The former Bulldogs of the original XFL

By Kyle Funderburk

3 Feb 2001: A general view of official XFL Footballs during the game between the New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Las Vegas Outlaws at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Outlaws defeated the Hitmen 19-0.Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport
3 Feb 2001: A general view of official XFL Footballs during the game between the New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Las Vegas Outlaws at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Outlaws defeated the Hitmen 19-0.Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport /
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Scott Adams – offensive tackle – San Francisco Demons

Unlike other Bulldogs on this list, Scott Adams went to the XFL after a respectable stint in the NFL. He spent six years in the NFL, seven if you count the year he spent in Barcelona playing in the NFL backed World League of American Football. Adams played for five teams in his six years in the NFL and appeared in 69 games. His last year in the NFL was in 1997 with the Atlanta Falcons.

In the XFL

Then the XFL came in 2001 and Adams returned to the game of football. The San Francisco Demons signed him. Despite finishing the regular season 5-5, the Demons played in the Million Dollar Game (XFL Championship Game). Adams appeared and started in eight games for the Demons.

Post XFL

Sadly, Adams’ life was cut short in 2010 when he passed away from a heart attack in his home just outside of Athens. After his football career, Adams moved back to Athens and joined former Bulldog teammate John Brantley in his mortgage business.

As a Georgia Bulldog

Adams is the oldest player on this list. Everyone else played with Ray Goff as head coach, Adams played in the mid-1980’s with Vince Dooley and blocked for Georgia’s great stable of backs including Lars Tate, Tim Worley, Keith Henderson and Rodney Hampton.

He never played much his first two years in Athens. As a sophomore, he only got in when other linemen were injured and Dooley even relegated him to the scout team at one point. But Adams retook the starting job against Georgia Tech in 1986 and he never gave it up. As a senior, he earned Second-Team All-SEC and All-American honorable mention honors.

Jermaine Smith – defensive tackle – Las Vegas Outlaws

We’ve had NFL journeymen and Canadian football stars on this list. Now’s time for an Arena League stalwart. After leaving the University of Georgia in 1997, he had a short NFL career playing in just 18 games over two seasons with the Green Bay. The Packers let him go after the 1999 season and in 2001 he joined the new XFL.

He never enjoyed success in the XFL either. He appeared in nine games for the Outlaws but never started. He did, however, record nine tackles and 2.5 sacks.  It didn’t help that Las Vegas was one of the least successful teams in the league. They ended the season with a 4-6 record.

Post XFL

After the XFL season ended, Smith returned home to Georgia and sat out of all football competition in 2002. But he returned in 2003 as a member of the Georgia Force. he spent 10 years in the AFL and spent five seasons with the Force.

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The the Arena league, Smith found a ton of success. He recorded 187 tackles and 50 sacks. Smith also broke up 32 passes, recovered 15 fumbles, forced eight fumbles and blocked 15 field goals. He had three seasons where he blocked at least three field goals and eight seasons where he blocked at least one. Smith also scored two touchdowns; one receiving, one interception.

Smith earned All-Arena First team honors in 2003, 2005 and 2006, and All-Arena Second Team honors in 2004, 2007 and 2010.

As a Georgia Bulldog

Smith’s college career actually began in Milledgeville at the Georgia Military College. After two seasons with those Bulldogs, Smith went to Athens to join the Georgia Bulldogs. He started 14 games in two seasons at nose guard, including 10 starts as a senior in 1997.

He was a constant fixture and one of the better players on a pair of defenses that weren’t known for being that good. The 1995 team lost six games and they gave up 30 points in five of those losses. The 1996 defense was a bit better, but the team still lost six games.

Antonio Fleming – offensive guard – Birmingham Bolts

Now we get to the second Jim Donnan player on this list. And unlike others, he was the biggest longshot for a long NFL career. Dallas drafted him in the seventh round of the 1998 Draft with their 277th overall pick. Fleming bounced around a few teams but never played in an actual NFL game.

He instead went to Europe to play with the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe. Like other NFL Europe players from 2000, he went back to the United States for a chance to play in the XFL. The Birmingham Bolts drafted him in the 38th round of the XFL’s extended draft.

Admiringly, information about Fleming’s XFL career was the most difficult to find because unlike the others, he wasn’t a constant player nor did he play pro football after the XFL. When the XFL ended, so did his football career.

As a Georgia Bulldog

Fleming was a starter on an offensive line that led one of the best Bulldog offenses of the 1990’s. As a senior in 1997, Georgia had a top-10 offense and averaged 432 yards. he played both offensive guard positions at Georgia and he blocked for one of the school’s more underrated running backs, Robert Edwards.

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