Georgia football: 30 greatest players of the Mark Richt era
By John Buhler
- Second-Team All-SEC (2014)
- Rimington Trophy finalist (2014)
- 40 starts at center
Some might recognize David Andrews for being the starting center in the NFL for the New England Patriots. He somehow went undrafted out of Georgia in 2015. All he has done since turning pro is play in three AFC Championships, two Super Bowls and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after the miraculous 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons down in Houston.
But before all of that, Andrews was a Dawg and a darn good one at that. Initially a three-star recruit out of Peachtree Corners, Georgia at The Wesleyan School, Andrews would prove to be one of best offensive linemen to play for Mark Richt at UGA.
As a true freshman in 2011, Andrews carved out a rotational role on the Georgia offensive line, appearing in 10 games. Georgia would be embarking on its second climb to national relevance under Richt that fall.
As a true sophomore in 2012, Andrews had the tall task of replacing a four-year starter at center in Ben Jones. Jones was the fulcrum of the UGA offensive line from 2008 to 2011 before being drafted by the Houston Texans. It was not easy filling Jones’ shoes, but Andrews more than held up his end of the bargain.
Andrews would be a three-year starter at center for the Dawgs. In 2012, Georgia came up five yards short of winning an SEC Championship over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Atlanta. He would get to snap the ball to Aaron Murray in his final two years in Athens, setting all sorts of conference passing records in the process.
Andrews was there for the entire Todd Gurley experience in Athens, as well as the very beginning of the Nick Chubb/Sony Michel partnership in the UGA backfield. For three years there, Andrews was the stabilizing force along the Georgia offensive. He even helped redshirt senior quarterback Hutson Mason win 10 games as the Georgia starter in 2014.
2014 would also prove to be Andrews’ best season as a Dawg. He would be Second-Team All-SEC that fall, ending up a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the best center in college football. After beating the Louisville Cardinals in the Belk Bowl, Andrews played his last game for Georgia, putting 40 career starts at center on the résumé.
When Andrews was playing center for Georgia, the Dawgs offense could be counted on in both the passing and running game. Murray and Mason had success as quarterbacks, while Gurley, Chubb, Michel and Keith Marshall all thrived as tailbacks. After going pro, Andrews would be replaced by guard Brandon Kublanow. While Kublanow did well in his own right, Andrews took the bar that Jones set before him at center and elevated it to an even higher level on the Georgia offensive line.