Georgia Football: DGD Sonny Seiler passes away at the age of 90

The week of the season opener, Georgia football once again felt tragedy. Sonny Seiler has passed away. Seiler was a Georgia alumnus and breeder of the famed mascot UGA. Seiler passed away in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

Seiler graduated from the University of Georgia in 1956 with an undergraduate degree and a law degree in 1958.  Seiler practiced law in Savannah as a Senior Partner for Bouhan Falligant.

Seiler and his family are known for owning and maintaining the mascot for Georgia, UGA. 1956 Seiler got UGA I “Hood’s Ole Dan” as a wedding gift. Soon that gift became the live sideline mascot for Georgia when Wally Butts was looking for a bulldog to roam the sidelines. Dan Magill was sent out to find the next mascot, and Seiler told Magill that the dog was the grandson of the bulldog that went with the Georgia football team out to Pasadena for the 1943 Rose Bowl. When Magill returned and told Coach Butts about this, Butts told Magill that the Bulldog had to be the next mascot.

Since then, Seiler and his family have maintained the long lines of Bulldogs for 67 years. Boom, the 11th UGA, was given his collar at this season’s spring game and will make his first regular-season appearance as UGA this Saturday.

Seiler is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, having appeared in three films: Gingerbread Man, Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil, and The Legend of Bagger Vance. UGA V starred with Seiler in Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil.

Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on Seiler’s passing on Twitter:

If you want to see a good piece on the Seiler family and the tradition of UGA, CBS Sunday Moring reported on the family and UGA. It is a great watch and shows Seiler and his family’s dedication to maintaining the long line of UGA’s.

Seiler contributions to the University and its football team will never be forgotten. Sonny Seiler was indeed a Damn Good Dawg!