Georgia football season begins in 38 days.
The post-Herschel Walker years saw many great running back’s come through Athens. In the 10 years after Walker left Georgia football, four running back’s had a 1,000-yard season. Of that group, perhaps none faced more adversity than Tim Worley.
Wearing the number 38 for his four years in Athens, Worley only appeared in 26 games because of a season ending injury in 1986 that also kept him off the field for the entire 1987 season. Going into his senior year, despite all of his talent and hype, he only had 822 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in two years. And given his injury and years spent away from the field, he could have walked away.
But Worley returned for his last season in Athens and dominated the SEC. He rushed for 1,216 yards with 17 touchdowns, one shy of Walker’s school record. Her also returned nine kickoffs for Georgia that year for 309 yards and one touchdown.
On his legs, Georgia finished 9-3 and 5-2 in the SEC. An upset loss to Kentucky and a loss to Auburn in a de-facto SEC Championship game were the only conference defeats for Georgia. Worley had a big day in Vince Dooley’s last game, the 1989 Gator Bowl, to finish the season and his roller coaster college career on a high note.
But the roller coaster wasn’t over. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Worley seventh overall in the 1989 draft. But substance abuse ended his career after his five years. Following a great rookie season, Worley’s career declined in year-two with only 11 appearances, and just two appearances in year-three. He missed the entire 1992 season because of a suspension.
He appeared to get his career back on track in 1993. But his 1994 season was cut short after just four games and nine carries. After that, Worley was out of the NFL. He later admitted that he sabotaged his own career. But since 2008, Worley’s life has been back on track.
He speaks to amateur and professional athletes about his career and his experiences to try to keep them from making his mistakes. He’s also a welcome face around the Georgia football program. The roller coaster appears to be long over for Worley. He may not have had the NFL career he wanted, but his legacy in Athens is set. He’s a “Damn Good Dawg” and one of the best to ever ever grace the backfield at Running Back U.