Georgia football: 30 greatest players of the Mark Richt era

• First-Team All-American (2010)
• First-Team All-SEC (2010)
• 20. 0 quarterback sacks

Back before he was a pass-rushing superstar in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Houston was a Dawg, and darn good one at that. Houston committed to the G as a part of the 2007 recruiting class. After redshirting in 2007, he got his first sniff of playing time in 2008.

Houston may not have gotten a ton of run in 2008, but he did make the most of his opportunities. He might have only had 19 total tackles, but 4.5 of them went for a loss of yardage and 2.5 of them went for quarterback sacks. It was a sign of more good things to come for Houston with the Dawgs.

Houston’s role expanded as a sophomore in 2009. He would be Second-Team All-SEC, as he would have 39 total tackles, 15.0 went for a loss of yardage and 7.5 of those would be quarterback sacks. If 2009 was great for Houston, 2010 was even better.

Yes, this was the roughest year of the Mark Richt era. However, easily one of the most positive takeaways from that lost season of Georgia football was the play of Houston. Man, was he tremendous that fall. Georgia might have gone 6-7, but without Houston, who knows how bad it might have gotten for the Dawgs.

Houston was First-Team All-SEC and garnered some First-Team All-American nods as well in 2010. So how good was his last year at Georgia? Well, he had 67 total tackles, 18.5 for a loss of yardage and 10.0 quarterback sacks. He led all SEC linebackers in sacks and was only outdone by Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley’s 11.5 for the most in the league.

Houston turned pro after that 2010 NCAA season. He was the No. 70 overall pick by the Chiefs in the 2011 NFL Draft. That would prove to be a huge get for Kansas City football, as Houston has been a four-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in sacks in 2014.

Of all the great players to have played for Richt on the defensive side of the ball, Houston’s 2010 campaign is the one Dawg Nation feels like it was wasted. While it did help Houston be a day-two draft pick, it sadly only translated to six wins for the Georgia program. Of course, losing A.J. Green for four games due to signing a jersey, starting Aaron Murray as a redshirt freshman and running into a complete buzz saw that was Auburn didn’t help either.

Overall, Georgia fans should be thrilled at the lucrative career that Houston has put together for the Chiefs. We all saw a star in the making while at Georgia. It’s just a shame that the team wasn’t any good when he was in his collegiate prime.