Dawn of the Dawg
Fansided

Georgia Football flashback to UAB’s last visit Between The Hedges

By Seth Saunders

Georgia QB Matthew Stafford drops back to pass during the game between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Blazers at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA on September 16, 2006. The Bulldogs beat the Blazers 34-0. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Georgia QB Matthew Stafford drops back to pass during the game between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Blazers at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA on September 16, 2006. The Bulldogs beat the Blazers 34-0. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The last time the UAB Blazers visited The Classic City, they had a budding superstar starting at quarterback. Georgia football had one too.

Most everyone could see Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s path to stardom. Ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation coming out of Highland Park High School, landing the big-armed signal caller was a coup for Head Coach Mark Richt and his Georgia coaching staff.

Stafford started as a true freshman in the 2006 season, including against UAB, going 10-17 and notching his first career rushing touchdown against the Blazers.

Georgia football fans know how the rest of the story goes. Stafford lined up under center for the Dawgs for three season, and after declaring for the NFL Draft following his junior season, the Lions selected him No. 1 overall in the 2009 draft.

Turns out, the fella tossing the rock for the Blazers that day was also destined for stardom, albeit in a different vocation.

Former Cedartown High School star Sam Hunt led UAB’s offense that day. Yes, that Sam Hunt. And yes, Nick Chubb’s Cedartown High School. Not a bad pair of alums to boast about!

https://twitter.com/BassinDawg/status/1435938706641281033

Hunt was a heralded player coming out of Cedartown. He was named the 2002 co-offensive player of the year in the State of Georgia, and he was a Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee.

Although he had a marginal game that day against the Dawgs, going 7-of-11 for 48 yards in a shutout loss, Hun eventually got an NFL shot with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.

That NFL dream didn’t pan out, but Hunt leaned on a different passion he found during his time at UAB, playing the guitar and writing songs. Following his football career, Hunt packed up everything he owned and headed to Nashville to try to make it as a country music artist.

He got his big break as songwriter in 2012 when country music megastar Kenny Chesney cut his song “Come Over”, which became wildly popular. He’s now an award-winning country music artist with two studio albums who tours nationwide.

Next. Georgia Football Fan Journal from Duke's Mayo Classic Win. dark

Although their paths to stardom ended up taking different roads after leading their respective teams on offense on a sleepy Saturday in Athens in September 2006, Matthew Stafford and Sam Hunt both found monster success in their chosen vocations.

Home/Georgia Bulldogs News