Georgia football: Next possible Bulldogs to enter the College Football Hall of Fame
Another head-scratcher. Why is Garrison Hearst not in the College Football Hall of Fame yet?
Hearst is one of the seven unanimous consensus All-Americans in Georgia football history, earning the distinction alongside the Doak Walker Award and third-place in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1992. Hearst was the feature running back of an amazing offense which led Georgia football to a 10-2 season and a win in the Citrus Bowl.
That season, Hearst rushed for 1,547 yards with a school-record 19 touchdowns. He added 324 yards and two more touchdowns as a receiver. Add in his freshman and sophomore totals, Hearst ended his Georgia football career with 3,778 yards from scrimmage with 35 touchdowns.
A true three-tool rusher, Hearst gained those yards and scored those touchdowns with a mixture of power, speed and elusiveness. Not many other running backs in the nation were as difficult to deal with as Hearst.
Garrison Hearst went on to have a long and successful career in the NFL despite suffering multiple injuries. He played 10 seasons in the NFL from 1993-to-2004. He missed the 1999 and 200 seasons with avascular necrosis.
Hearst rejuvenated his career with 16 starts in 2001 for the San Fransisco 49ers. He gained 1,553 yards from scrimmage including 1,206 rushing yards, and he scored 16 touchdowns to top the season off. His best year in the pros was 1998 when he rushed for 1,570 yards with seven scores and caught 39 passes for 535 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Hearst absolutely belongs in the College Football Hall of Fame. Every year that goes by without his induction is a mark against the hall’s prestige.