Dat Boy Run So Good...

[Ben E Lou]

More on Brown/Ware. I just listened to the full version of Richt's post-game press conference. The following interesting exchange occurred:

Q: "If Danny's well by next Saturday would you start him would you start him or will you come back to Thomas Brown?"

A: "Oh I don't know. We won't divulge that yet. We'll look at that. It's a good question though." {chuckles from reporters} "It is a good question."

When your starter is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and the coach doesn't automatically say that he's the guy, that speaks volumes for the backup, I reckon.

Stats update:

RUSHING				Att	Yds	Avg	TD
Danny Ware				123	623	5.1	4
Thomas Brown				114	601	5.3	7

Story last updated at 12:09 AM on Nov. 7, 2004

Jeff Blake/Staff Georgia running back Thomas Brown breaks away for a big gain early against Kentucky on Saturday. Brown rushed for 130 yards in the game.

Brown steps up to challenge
Ware's injury leads way to next freshman in line



LEXINGTON, Ky. - Any questions regarding Thomas Brown's ability to be a feature running back for 8th-ranked Georgia were answered during the Bulldogs' 62-17 rout of Kentucky Saturday.

When starter Danny Ware went out in the first quarter with a knee and ankle injury, the freshman from Tucker got the chance to show coach Mark Richt exactly what he could do.

Brown did not disappoint. The 5-foot-8, 185-pounder carried the football 22 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns, the latter two of which were career highs.

"I was real happy about that," said Brown. "I'm just been fortunate that I've been able to come out and prove myself week in and week out."

Brown's biggest test could come next week against third-ranked Auburn.

If Ware is unable to play, Brown will become the Bulldogs' primary ball carrier with Michael Cooper, Tony Milton, and possibly Tyson Browning, moving up a notch in the tailback pecking order.

That's just fine with Brown, whose 22 carries were one short of his season-high 23 totes he got two weeks ago against Arkansas.

Teammate Fred Gibson doesn't need convincing about Brown's ability to be a go-to running back for the Bulldogs.

"That boy's the Truth, man. I've never seen a running back like him," Gibson said. "He's just very, very good. I think he's going to break all kinds of records before he leaves here."

Gibson said he was particularly impressed by one fourth-down run by Brown late in the second quarter.

Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Kentucky 34-yard line, Brown took a handoff from quarterback David Greene and scampered 24 yards down the right sideline for a first down, breaking two tackles before he was tackled at the 10.

"The guy just broke out of nowhere," Gibson said. "I thought he was gone."

Almost.

Although he didn't score on his 24-yard run, Brown found the end zone one play later from the 1-yard line to complete the 43-yard drive in which he carried the ball six times.

R.C. Rique/Staff Thomas Brown looks on after scoring one of his three touchdowns Saturday during the Bulldogs' 62-17 victory against the Wildcats.

"I was a little tired, maybe even a little winded after that," Brown said. "But I had to fight through it and keep going."

Richt said he wasn't even aware of Brown's six-carry drive. If he had, he might have given him a quick breather.

"I didn't even realize that," said Richt. "But Thomas has got great speed, great vision and great power. Thomas is a heckuva back, and people don't realize how strong he is.

"I don't mind him being the short-yardage runner. He's done that three or four times this year, and has been successful about every time."

Brown was successful against the Wildcats.

After his 1-yard run in the second quarter gave Georgia a 20-0 lead, Brown added touchdown runs of 2 in the third and 4 in the fourth.

"Three touchdowns today? The guy's just a freshman," Gibson said. "He does great things every day."

The proof is in his stats.

Brown has rushed for over 100 yards in three of Georgia's last four games, including a 122-yard effort three weeks ago against Vanderbilt.

"The offensive line did a great job with the blocking," Brown said. "I just ran behind the blocks they and my fullback (Jeremy Thomas) were giving me. They made my job easy."

Brown averaged 5.9 yards per carry against the Wildcats.

"The guy's got speed," said receiver Reggie Brown. "I could see that the first day he stepped on the field."

Said Gibson, "He reminds me of Warrick Dunn. He's shifty, he's strong, he hits the holes real hard. He's a playmaker. When they give him the ball, he's getting the job done."

But like a true team player, Brown said he still has much work to do.

Along with his pass protection, Brown says he needs to become more patient in waiting for holes to develop.

There's one more goal he like to achieve.

"I still haven't broken a long one and taken it to the house," Brown said. "I did it a lot in high school, but still haven't done it here. I've come close, but I'm still looking for that big run."

Brown figures to get plenty of opportunities before his Georgia career is through.

[GrantDawg]

I read the AJC article earlier were they called him Thomas "T.D." Brown. I agree with Gibson. He is the TRUTH.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I read the AJC article earlier were they called him Thomas "T.D." Brown. I agree with Gibson. He is the TRUTH.

I like Thomas "The Truth" Brown better.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Second. He'd already moved up to sharing equal time with Ware, with better ypc and equal TD's, and Danny has shown a penchant for putting the ball on the ground. He turned it over twice today. I'm going out on a limb right here, right now: Danny Ware has seen his last day as the #1 TB at UGA.

In an interview published today, UGA running backs coach Ken Rucker pretty much confirmed that Thomas is now the #1 back. Good call, Ben.

[Ben E Lou]

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/...41109068.shtml

<> Thomas Brown to start against Tigers
Notebook

Freshman tailback Thomas Brown got word before Monday night's practice that he will get his first college start on Saturday. "It means a lot," Brown said. "It's going to be really exciting to get my first start. I just need to relax, calm down and just play the game that I've been playing."

Running backs coach Ken Rucker said Brown would have gotten the nod even if freshman Danny Ware were healthy. Brown rushed for a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, topping the 100-yard mark for the third time in four games.

"He had a tremendous game, and I think he would have started this week anyway," Rucker said.

Ware is questionable for Saturday after leaving the first quarter of Monday's game with a sprained right knee and ankle. He did not practice Monday, but Rucker said he is hopeful that Ware will play. Brown said Ware is not on crutches.

"He's keeping his spirits up trying to work hard and see if he can come back for this game," Brown said.

Ware leads Georgia with 623 yards and has four touchdowns. Brown has rushed for 601 yards and seven touchdowns.

[cthomer5000]

Dat boy runnin' so good this year....

[dacman]

Dat Boy on the AP wire ....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

No. 8 Georgia Starts Freshman in Key Game

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Mark Richt knows he'll have to get a little creative when he divvies up playing time for Georgia's running backs next season. Not so on Saturday. Thomas Brown is the undisputed starter for the biggest game of the season.

The diminutive freshman moved to the top of the depth chart after rushing for more than 100 yards in three of his last four games. With fellow freshman Danny Ware hobbled by a sprained ankle and knee, Brown figures to get most of the carries when the No. 8 Bulldogs (8-1) meet third-ranked Auburn (9-0) on Saturday.

"I am absolutely confident in Thomas," teammate David Pollack said. "He is a tough guy. He is not very big, but he is strong as an ox. He is fast, he is strong and he never stops moving his feet. He is a playmaker."

While Ware is Georgia's top rusher with 623 yards, the 5-foot-8 Brown is a close second with 601 and has more touchdowns (seven to Ware's four) and a better average per carry (5.3 to 5.1).

Just as important to his coach, Brown hasn't lost his grip on the ball. Richt isn't pleased with Ware's carelessness, which included two fumbles in a rout of Kentucky last week.

It was Ware's second two-fumble game of the season, and probably would have cost him the starting job even if he didn't get hurt recovering a loose ball.

"Thomas has been very consistent with how he runs the ball," Richt said Tuesday. "The bottom line: He's held on to the ball better. That's the biggest factor in who starts."

Ware sat out practice for the second straight day, a strong indication that he won't be much of a factor against the unbeaten Tigers.

Interactives This Week in College Football College Football News 'Mildcats' Thing of Past at Northwestern No. 8 Georgia Starts Freshman in Key Game Colorado Still in Improbable Title Hunt Ga. QB Greene Feeling Better, Practicing Zook Plans to Sit Out'Gator Growl'

Brown said he's ready to take on the bulk of the carries, and he proved last week that he's up to the task. After Ware was injured, Brown took over and rushed 22 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns - all career bests.

"One thing I wanted to prove when I got here was that I could take a high number of carries," Brown said. "A lot of guys didn't think I could do that."

He already dealt with skeptics who didn't think he was big enough to be a major-college running back. Even when he committed to Georgia, there was plenty of speculation that he'd never take a handoff for the Bulldogs.

"All my life, I've heard that I was too small to play running back," Brown said. "A lot of guys at my high school told me that I'd be moving to cornerback my first day at Georgia."

The Bulldogs never considered such a move, especially when projected starter Kregg Lumpkin sustained a season-ending knee injury in the early days of fall practice.

Richt scuttled plans to use some two-tailback sets - akin to the way Auburn uses Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown - though he'll likely rekindle it when Lumpkin returns in 2005.

"We'll have to consider that very strongly," the coach said. "In camp this year, we had some of those two-back packages going in. As soon as Lumpkin hurt his knee, we backed off. We thought it would be too much for two freshmen to learn."

Also, Thomas Brown missed some valuable preseason time because of a sore hamstring. Once he finally got on the field, he quickly proved himself.

"I surprised a lot of people at the beginning of the year," Brown said. "I didn't get a chance to do two-a-days because I was hurt. When I got out there, a lot of guys were telling me they didn't know I could run that hard."

Indeed, Brown has startling power for a player of his stature, though anyone who's caught a glimpse of him in the weight room would know better.

In high school, he was one of the top-ranked weightlifters in the state for his class. He can handle around 500 pounds in the squat and bench-press about 400 pounds, making him the strongest pound-for-pound player on the team.

While Brown is fast enough to outrun most defenders, he's just as likely to run over a would-be tackler. He's added about 15 pounds since he got to Georgia and now weighs 185.

"I never shy away from contact," he said. "I'm not afraid to get hit. I like getting hit."

Brown actually considers his size a strength, not a hindrance.

"I can hide behind my linemen until I see the hole," he said. "I'm able to slip through some cracks that bigger backs can't slip through."

[Ben E Lou]

Nice article. Oh, and by the way, I officially recant my estimate about his height. I meant to say that earlier. Looking at the pic, I think I was bent over slightly at the waist. Thomas was home (along with Darius Swain) for a Tucker game during a UGA off-week earlier this year, and because of the earlier discussion on his height, my curiosity had me paying much closer attention. I think 5'8" is about right, and maybe even a hair generous. He is, however, closer to 18 than 19, and his dad is a little taller than him, so he definitely has the potential to grow. I can't imagine what his strength numbers are going to be by the time he's 21 or 22. I'll stick by the statement I made the first time I mentioned him on here, before he'd been ranked by the major recruiting services:

Originally Posted by SkyDog, when Thomas was only 16

I have a feeling that Thomas will be a special, special player.

[VPI97]

Dat boy on ESPN.com...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/column...pat&id=1920072

Showing off our Freshman 15

The Georgia Boys (8) -- Danny Ware started the season pounding the rock for the Bulldogs and has racked up 623 yards in eight games. Lately it's been the 'Dogs' speed back, Thomas Brown, doing most of the work. He has 601 yards, including three 100-yard rushing games in the last four. Mark Richt will happily take 1,200-plus from two rookies.

[Ben E Lou]

I'm getting nervous now. Ware missed his third straight day of practice, and a couple of the backups are nursing injuries as well. Thomas may have to carry a *very* heavy load on Saturday. Here's hoping that the nationally televised game will be his coming out party!

[Ben E Lou]

From this morning's AJC. Pretty ironic. The first time GrantDawg saw Thomas (at Tucker, the night he broke his leg), his comment was something along the lines of "Wow. He's really small."

Brown’s sizable contribution silences his critics

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, November 11, 2004

Athens — “You’re too small to play football, son,” they told him in rec league.

“You’re a pretty good high school back, but you’ll never be able to play tailback in the SEC,” they told him in high school.

“You have good speed, kid,” college recruiters said, “so you might be able to play cornerback or kick returner. But you can forget about running back.”

Georgia’s Thomas Brown has battled this size thing his entire life.

“Thomas probably wouldn’t want me telling this, but every year when he was playing rec ball, he’d literally cry when fall came around because all the other guys were so much bigger than he was,” said his father, Thomas Brown Sr. “He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t growing as fast. But once he got to practicing, he realized he could play with them and he’d feel good about himself again.”

“Even guys here [at Georgia] said I was too small to play,” said Brown, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound freshman from Tucker. “But that was before we even got into pads and they had seen me play. So, yeah, I felt like I had something to prove.”

Nine games into his first college season, Brown has proven himself to his Georgia coaches and teammates. Now he intends to convince the No. 3-ranked Auburn Tigers and the rest of the nation that he not only can play in the SEC, but he can flourish in the role of featured back in a game with national championship implications.

With No. 1 tailback Danny Ware slowed with knee and ankle injuries, Brown will get his first career start Saturday in what some are calling the biggest Georgia-Auburn game in a generation.

“I’m not going to approach the game any differently than I did before,” said Brown, who has 601 yards rushing this season. “I’m a little more anxious; my emotions are a little higher than they’ve been in the past. But I’m just trying to stay in control of myself, keep my composure and stay focused.”

What Brown has done is get stronger and more confident with each passing week. After getting only five carries in Georgia’s first two games, he has had 13 or more in six of the last seven games as Ware’s backup. Brown has gone over the 100-yard mark in three of the last four, including a career-best 130 yards on 22 carries in a 62-17 win over Kentucky this past Saturday.

Heading into Auburn, Brown has a team-high seven touchdowns. But here’s the stat his coaches like — zero fumbles.

“The bottom line is just the fact that he has held onto the ball better,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Really, that was the deciding factor for me even if Danny Ware is 100 percent healthy.”

That’s a pretty good accomplishment for any first-year back. It’s an extraordinary one for a player considered undersized for his position.

“I’m absolutely confident in Thomas Brown,” said senior defensive end David Pollack. “Tough son of a gun. He’s not very big, but he’s strong as an ox. I watched him come in and bench 395 pounds as a true freshman. That’s not a pup; that’s an already-grown Dog there.”

Ah, yes, Brown’s strength. It’s a thing of legend around the Georgia locker room. Though one of the smallest players on the Bulldogs’ roster, Brown’s power index — a formula that factors in height and weight with bench press and squat — makes him the strongest player on the team pound-for-pound. He benches 400 pounds and squats 525.

Wide receiver Fred Gibson lights up at the recollection of his first encounter with Brown in the weight room. “The first time I saw him in the weight room lifting all them weights, I said, ‘Good Lord, boy, what you doing?’ He had a ridiculous amount of weight on the bar, and he was tossing it up like it was nothing. It shows out there on the field when he runs the football.”

Weightlifting is something Brown has thrown himself into since arriving at Tucker High in the ninth grade. He won the school’s Golden Tiger Award for leadership in the weight room as a junior, the only non-senior to do so. He finished third in his weight class in a state powerlifting competition last year.

“We had a real strong weightlifting program in high school and I worked hard at it,” Brown said. “After I started doing it, I realized how much it would help me on the field and I started really attacking it.”

Brown’s zest for working out is fueled by his desire to play with the big boys, his father said.

“His idol is Barry Sanders; that’s why he wears the No. 20,” said Brown Sr., pastor at College Park Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. “His work ethic, how persistent he is with his training, it’s all about him being able play football like Barry Sanders. He’s always been determined that his size would not be a detriment to doing that.”

At least until he tries to make that next jump to the NFL, nobody’s telling Brown he’s too small for anything anymore.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

From this morning's AJC. Pretty ironic. The first time GrantDawg saw Thomas (at Tucker, the night he broke his leg), his comment was something along the lines of "Wow. He's really small."

[size=4][size=2]

Yeah, but I never questioned he could play in the SEC. He is actually bigger than another Dawg one time starter (Tyson Browning).

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Yeah, but I never questioned he could play in the SEC. He is actually bigger than another Dawg one time starter (Tyson Browning).

Oh, I know. I just had to give you a hard time. By the way, are you gonna catch a Tucker game this year with me?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Oh, I know. I just had to give you a hard time. By the way, are you gonna catch a Tucker game this year with me?

It is counting down, in it? Tonight is probably out. What is the schedule like?

[Ben E Lou]

Assuming we continue winning....

Tonight: HOME vs. Northwest Whitfield
Next Friday: HOME vs. winner of Northside Warner Robins at Statesboro
Day After Thanksgiving: semi-finals in the Ga. Dome
First Friday or Saturday in December: HOME--State Championship

Frankly, tonight isn't a lock. Northwest Whitfield has a bunch of big ol' country boys on the line of scrimmage. We're a good bit faster than them, but the wet field tonight will undoubtedly work in their advantage.

There are definitely several players worth seeing. As I've mentioned before (maybe in this thread), I think the WR/CB/RB2 Asher Allen has more football speed than Thomas. He's not as strong--yet, but he is benching over 300 as a Junior. Asher would start at tailback for any other program in the state, I'm convinced, and I'd imagine he would have been given a chance to win the starting job if B.Y. hadn't been such a patient backup to Thomas. Of course, B.Y. is being recruited by everyone around, as is SS/OLB/TE/DE Tavares "TKO" Kearney. You need to see Tavares hit. There's a reason the coaches gave him that nickname. Tucker has developed one of the best high school strength and conditioning programs in the state over the last few years. As eye-popping as Thomas Brown's weight room numbers are, Hamilton Sims has a shot at breaking every one of his Tucker records after just one year. I think that a handful of other seniors will also earn small college scholarships as well.

One more little tidbit: Hamilton has grown a bit. He's around 5'7" or so now.

[GrantDawg]

I hope they win tonight then, and I'll make plans to join you next Friday.

[Ben E Lou]

Well, there's gonna be a rematch of last year's classic Tucker-Statesboro confrontation! Tucker wins big tonight, 48-14.

[JeeberD]

Looks like it was a pretty decent game for Brown, even if UGA lost...

[cartman]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Looks like it was a pretty decent game for Brown, even if UGA lost...

I was looking at that as well. Almost 100 yards rushing, when they were behind the whole game isn't too bad. And he had his best game by far catching the ball out of the backfield.

He has some good football left ahead of him at UGA.

[Ben E Lou]

Brown, Pope, and the offensive line (to a degree) were the only Bulldogs who looked like they came to play yesterday--including the coaching staff.

[Ben E Lou]

In his first start, Brown leads Dogs in rushing, receiving

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Auburn, Ala. — On a bleak day for the Georgia offense, there was one flickering bright spot — and he wears the number 20.
Freshman tailback Thomas Brown got his first start and, on a day when the Bulldogs’ weren’t sure who would back him up, nobody had to. Brown played almost every offensive snap of the game and finished as Georgia’s leading rusher (22 carries, 92 yards) and leading receiver (5 catches, 49 yards) in a 24-6 loss to No. 3 Auburn.

“I feel pretty good about how I played,” Brown said afterward. “But it’s not about individual effort. We’re trying to win the game.”

With regular starter Danny Ware sidelined because of knee and ankle injuries, Brown came off the field for only a few plays. Otherwise, Brown was the only ball carrier other than quarterbacks D.J. Shockley (3 for 8 yards) and David Greene (3 for minus-13).

“I knew he could [carry the load],” Greene said of Brown. “I know what kind of back he is.”

“He’s been proving it to me all season,” fullback Jeremy Thomas said. “I mean, he had 600 yards coming in here.”

Brown, who came into the game just 22 yards behind Ware, is now Georgia’s leading rusher with 693 yards and leading scorer with seven touchdowns. He actually had more carries (23 for 107) against Arkansas and the same number against Kentucky (22-130) last week. But those numbers were because Georgia ran a lot of offensive plays in those games.

“Thomas is in great condition, plus it was a cool night,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “And the way television games go with all the timeouts plus the timeouts we take, I figured he could handle it. Plus, it wasn’t like we were just grinding it down the field with a bunch of sustained drives.”

No, there wasn’t a lot of offensive bragging going on in the Bulldogs’ locker room after the game. Not after they came a late fourth-quarter touchdown from becoming the first Georgia team since 1995 to be shut out (Alabama, 31-0).

“We were fortunate to get the six points we did at the end,” Richt said. “There were only three times we looked like we could score and, basically, we blew those.”

• The Bulldogs took the opening drive and quickly drove to the Auburn 19 before a tackle for loss and a false start by Daniel Inman backed them up. Andy Bailey then butchered a 36-yard field goal.
  
• After David Pollack blocked an Auburn punt, Georgia reached the Auburn 25 when Greene called a play-action pass for Reggie Brown. Brown was open but Greene delivered the ball a little late and with too much loft and Carlos Rogers intercepted in the end zone.
  
• On Georgia’s first possession of the second half, Brown caught a pass at the Auburn 10 but was leveled by Auburn’s Junior Rosegreen and fumbled the ball away.
  

“It was kind of a weird game,” said Greene, who passed for 159 of Georgia’s 279 yards. “Really, from 20[-yard line] to 20 we actually played pretty good. But anytime you only score six points, you have to give the defense credit.”

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Oh, I wasn't talking about Ware, I was talking about UNT's Jamario Thomas. The kid came in when last years national leading rusher Patrick Cobb got injured, and he hasn't looked back. He's leading the nation in rushing and has five game of over 200 yards out of the seven games he's played...

"Thomas finished the game with 203 rushing yards, giving him the NCAA Division I-A record for most 200-yard games as a freshman with five (breaking the record of four by Herschel Walker of Georgia and Ron Dayne of Wisconsin). He also became the only player in North Texas history to have five 200-yard games in his career and the only player in the nation to have five 200-yard games this season."

And on Saturday Jamario rushed 28 times for 291 yards and four TDs. He actually had over 100 yards halfway through the first quarter. The kid is the real deal...

[Ben E Lou]

Young Dog growls on gritty final drive

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/02/05 TAMPA — The players who molded themselves into the most recent Georgia legends did their share. But when it came time to salvage a season-ending victory over Wisconsin in Saturday's Outback Bowl, it was a player in the early stages of his Bulldog tenure who rose up.

Freshman tailback Thomas Brown, whose 29-yard blur of a touchdown run in the third quarter gave Georgia a seemingly safe 18-point lead, gained 49 of his 111 yards on a must-have final drive. He capped the emotion-stirring performance with key third- and fourth-down runs in the red zone in the waning moments that allowed the Bulldogs to run out the clock and secure a 24-21 victory before 62,414 at Raymond James Stadium.

"When the game's on the line and it's like third down or something, I try to give my all to be able to get the first down or put our team in position to get a first down," said Brown, who also led Georgia with four catches for 44 yards.

Brown's production made up for an otherwise disjointed day for the offense, part of which he was responsible for, fumbling once and tipping a catchable pass that led to an interception.

"To get my first fumble this year, it kind of hurt," said Brown, who finished the season with a team-high 875 yards rushing. "I pride myself on taking care of the ball. That interception kind of brought me down a little bit, but I had to keep my focus and say I'm going to make it up to myself."

His gritty redemption effort, coupled with a strong showing from the defense — particularly standouts David Pollack (the game's MVP), Odell Thurman and Thomas Davis — gave Georgia its third straight season winning at least 10 games. These Bulldogs finished 10-2.

No Georgia team had posted three straight seasons with 10 or more wins since the 1980-83 Vince Dooley-coached teams. The Bulldogs, who entered the game ranked eighth, could also move into the top five in the final rankings.

"I said going in if we didn't win it would be a good season, and if we won and got number 10, it would be a great season," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "It wasn't a perfect season. We're still looking for perfection. I'm just proud of our players and the job that they did."

Georgia entered the season hoping to play for a national championship, but losses to Tennessee and Auburn left it facing Wisconsin (9-3), a team with similar ambitions that went awry after three season-ending losses. Though the game wasn't pretty, players competed as if it mattered.

The Bulldogs rang up seven sacks, none more critical or spectacular than Pollack's jarring of John Stocco, in which he stripped the ball from Wisconsin's quarterback before both players hit the ground. The play — Pollack's last at Georgia — came with just more than five minutes left.

The turnover seemingly wrapped up the game for Georgia, which led 24-13 at the time. However, Greene, who entered the game with two interceptions for the season, threw his second interception of the game on an errant screen pass in the direction of Brown. Badgers linebacker Andy Crooks returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion, Wisconsin was within three points, a deficit heightened by Mike Allen's missed 37-yard field goal at the beginning of the final period.

Georgia took its final possession at the 39-yard line, with Brown doing all the heavy lifting after Fred Gibson's 8-yard catch to start the drive. After he ping-ponged off a number of would-be tacklers for a 4-yard gain on third-and-5 at Wisconsin's 15, he followed a horde of blockers off left tackle for an 11-yard pickup on fourth-and-1 for the game-clinching first down.

Richt, who normally calls the plays, said offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Neil Callaway made the call after coaches opted to bypass a field goal attempt.

"Everybody wanted to go for it," Richt said. "We felt like if we got the first down, the game was over. It was the perfect call."

Said Gibson: "Thomas Brown, he's been doing his thing the whole day. Why not give it to him? I'm glad he did give it to him. He got us that first down. He did a great job today."

[Ben E Lou]

Darius Walker
Running Back | #3 | Freshman | RosterAge: 19
Height: 5-11
Weight: 200 lbs.
Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA

Totals			Rushing				Receiving
SEASON		RECORD	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2004		6-6	172	743	4.3	6	9	61	6.8	0

Thomas Brown
Running Back | #20 | Freshman | RosterAge: 18
Height: 5-8
Weight: 185 lbs.
Hometown: Tucker, GA

Totals			Rushing				Receiving
SEASON		RECORD	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2004		10-2	156	764	4.9	7	12	106	8.8	0

[Balldog]

Brown had a heck of a game yesterday.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I think 5'8" is about right, and maybe even a hair generous

[Ben E Lou]

Spring game today, and Thomas *really* stood out, apparently. I couldn't see it, due to not having CSS, and had too much going on this afternoon to get up to Athens, but based on the buzz at the UGA message boards, Thomas looked like the clear #1 today, even the Ware supporters admitted it freely. A few comments... (Keep in mind, of course, that these are very partisan Dawgs talking, with regard to the "best back in college football" type comments...)

he {Richt} commented that Brown reminded him alot of Warrick Dunn, who played at FSU and now plays for the Falcons. Richt noted that both players are very strong below the waist, but that Brown is much stronger from the waist up than Dunn ever was in college. Note that Brown came to campus bench pressing almost 400 lbs as a true freshman (while weighing about 185 lbs!). I would assume that TB has pushed well beyond the 400 lb. level at this point and may have a chance, before he graduates, to reach the 500 lb level ( I remember that Amos Zeroue, formerly of West Virginia, is one of the very few running backs who could bench press 500 lbs).

Thomas Brown is a very special player who will be playing on Sundays if he can stay healthy, and his physical maturity would suggest that he can do just that. He's strong, fast, quick, elusive and has vision. Is there any doubt now why we wanted him above Darius Walker of Buford?!! Glad he's on our team!!

does EVERYTHING well:

block..Richt went on and on about how we has picking up the blitz.

run..CMR: "He's our best short yardage back. " also our fastest.

Can also catch. He's an AA in the making.

T Brown is the best back easily since Edwards and by the end of the year maybe Garrison!!! He is a 1500 yard rusher and might be as good as Caddy or Brown before he leaves!

As a Ware fan, I have to say Brown looked incredible today. Thought he definitely made a statement. He had great vision, speed, and toughness; everthing a running back needs.

Brown was the one guy that stood out

The gap between 1st and 2nd team running back got bigger today, IMO.

He {Tyson Browning} is quick but Thomas Brown is just incredible. He got the corner on plays against Derrick White and Tony Taylor that no other back in the SEC could have gotten. He carried Charles Johnson and Gerald Andedrson for 5 yards on a run, it was impressive.

I think Thomas Brown is our starting RB for next year. He appears to be the fastest, quickest and most elusive, and even though Ware is bigger, I think Brown runs just as tough and has proven to be more durable than Ware so far.

Keep this little nugget in mind: he is STILL not yet 19 years old.

[Ben E Lou]

Dat boy ranked just outside of the Top 25 Heisman contenders by College Football News.

http://cfbnews.com/2005/Preview/CFNH...0_21_40_RC.htm

26. RB Thomas Brown, Georgia – Fellow freshman Danny Ware grabbed the headlines last September, but as the season wore on, it was Brown who became the lead Dawg. And it’s Mark Richt’s second coming of Warrick Dunn who’s nudging Ware and Kregg Lumpkin to fullback this spring.

[korme]

i'm rooting for thomas. weird that i am older than him

[JonInMiddleGA]

Freshman accused of cheating
Former Tucker standout Kearney involved in exam fracas

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/22/05

ATHENS — Georgia linebacker Tavares Kearney, a freshman from Tucker High, faces possible expulsion from the university after a teacher accused him of cheating on an exam and simple battery.

The battery charge, filed against Kearney by instructor Dawn Penn, was dropped Wednesday, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from the University of Georgia Police Department. However, it is possible Kearney could still face disciplinary action from the school's student judiciary panel on that charge.

Kearney has since withdrawn from the course. He has returned to his home in Atlanta, according to a Georgia spokesman. His eligibility is uncertain pending the outcome of the university's judicial process.

A copy of the incident report was forwarded to Georgia athletics director Damon Evans and coach Mark Richt, but neither would discuss specifics of the case or whether additional internal discipline would be forthcoming.

According to the police report, Penn suspected Kearney of using his cellphone camera to cheat on a nutrition exam during summer classes at Dawson Hall last Friday. Penn, a 27-year-old graduate student charged with overseeing the exam, accidentally distributed copies of the answer key to one of the four versions of the test. After a student pointed it out, Penn asked students with "Form A" to return the answer sheets, known as "scantrons."

Penn left the classroom to get the correct copies of the test and returned to redistribute them. During the exam, Penn noticed students "crowded together" around Kearney and that Kearney "glanced at me several times," which made her suspicious, according to her statement.

When Kearney walked up to the stage of the auditorium classroom to turn in his test, Penn stated she noticed his cellphone was on. She walked behind him and noticed an image of the "bubbled scantron" she'd accidentally distributed earlier. Penn asked him for his cellphone. Shortly after handing the phone over, Kearney asked for it back.

When Penn refused, Kearney allegedly grabbed the woman's left hand, which contained the phone, squeezed it hard and twisted her wrist.

The pain, Penn alleges in the report, caused her to let go of the phone, which dropped to the floor. Kearney grabbed it, then left the room.

Kearney, who earned the nickname "TKO" for knocking quarterbacks out of games, stands 6 feet 1 and weighs 210 pounds; Penn is listed in the report at 5-5, 120.

During the alleged altercation, Penn stated, Bulldogs senior defensive end Will Thompson approached Kearney and told him to "chill, relax and let go." Penn praised Thompson, one of at least five other football players enrolled in the class, for helping to defuse the situation.

In her statement to police, Penn said she was not interested in pursuing criminal charges against Kearney but said he "is a football player and she fears that her ongoing pursuit of an academic honesty investigation . . . may lead to retaliation by Kearney or one of his friends."

Thompson asked Penn what might happen to Kearney. "I guess Georgia is really going to suffer a loss," Penn recounted in her statement. "I also told him Tavares Kearney has a lot more to worry about other than cheating. I said cheating was one issue but grabbing me was another."

In her initial interview with police Monday night, Penn said she did not want to "ruin [Kearney's] life" but hoped "his actions were more of a lack of maturity than a tendency toward violence."

Repeated attempts to contact Penn, Kearney and his mother, Atlanta radio personality Wanda Smith, were unsuccessful.

According to the school's code of conduct, a student found guilty of a first offense for academic dishonesty faces a minimum penalty of a grade of "F" in the course, an academic dishonesty notation on his transcript while enrolled, a one-semester suspension other than summer, or permanent expulsion.

"The matter is in the hands of the proper representatives of the university," Evans said. "There is a procedure they will follow and I don't think it is appropriate to comment until that process is completed."

Said Richt: "As is the case with any student, the university has a process in place to address the situation. It's my intent to withhold comment until that process has been exercised."

If Kearney is unable to compete for Georgia this fall, he'll become the seventh member of the 19-player incoming class to miss the season. Five others did not meet academic requirements and a sixth, Antavious Coates, suffered a season-ending knee injury this summer.

Three returning players have been suspended for the season opener against Boise State following offseason arrests. A fourth, Derrick White, was kicked off the team after being arrested on a DUI charge. And junior fullback Des Williams is out for the season after tearing a chest muscle.

[HomerJSimpson]

Yeah, I read that. Between him and Swain, them Tucker boys are going to start getting a bad rep. Good thing TB has such a good character.

[Ben E Lou]

Got wind of this over the weekend here. What I'm hearing doesn't all add up. I should be back in the T-U-C and at football practice on Tuesday, and will try to get more word.

FWIW, Tavares isn't a model citizen like Thomas, but he hasn't been a troublemaker in the past, either. That being said, unfortunately, most kids I know his age don't give a second thought to cheating. It happens so often that the kids don't really even consider it "wrong" anymore. It is really sad.

As far as our rep, the three backfield mates who are going D1 this year (QB Dwayne Harris, FB Myke Compton, TB Asher Allen) will all help restore it. All three are model citizen types who'll probably eventually be named captains of their college teams. Maybe there really IS something in the water in Tucker. Neither Darrius nor TKO actually live in the T-U-C, but Thomas, Dwayne, Myke and Asher all do.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh, speaking of TB, Garner referred to him as "the best player on our team" at a Touchdown club meeting recently. He's squatting over 550 now. Barring injury, look for a breakout year.

[Ragone]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Dat boy ranked just outside of the Top 25 Heisman contenders by College Football News.

http://cfbnews.com/2005/Preview/CFNH...0_21_40_RC.htm

26. RB Thomas Brown, Georgia – Fellow freshman Danny Ware grabbed the headlines last September, but as the season wore on, it was Brown who became the lead Dawg. And it’s Mark Richt’s second coming of Warrick Dunn who’s nudging Ware and Kregg Lumpkin to fullback this spring.

that list of heisman hopefuls is pretty crummy.. in fact he lists georgia tailbacks 3 seperate times.. Tennessee qb's like 3 times.. etc

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Got wind of this over the weekend here. What I'm hearing doesn't all add up. I should be back in the T-U-C and at football practice on Tuesday, and will try to get more word.

FWIW, Tavares isn't a model citizen like Thomas, but he hasn't been a troublemaker in the past, either. That being said, unfortunately, most kids I know his age don't give a second thought to cheating. It happens so often that the kids don't really even consider it "wrong" anymore. It is really sad.

As far as our rep, the three backfield mates who are going D1 this year (QB Dwayne Harris, FB Myke Compton, TB Asher Allen) will all help restore it. All three are model citizen types who'll probably eventually be named captains of their college teams. Maybe there really IS something in the water in Tucker. Neither Darrius nor TKO actually live in the T-U-C, but Thomas, Dwayne, Myke and Asher all do.

That's is good to know, but remember bad behavior stands out ten times as loud as good behavior. It is sad that people only remember the negative articles in the paper.

[Buzzbee]

In my (biased) opinion, he should get an F in the course. I don't think he should be expelled or kicked off the team. The graduate assistant screwed up by passing out the answers. Sure, he should have been honest and moral enough to not do what he did, but realistically, I bet numerous college students would have done the same thing. Doesn't make it right, but given the circumstances I think he should fail the course. The ding on his grades should be incentive enough, IMO.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

A copy of the incident report was forwarded to Georgia athletics director Damon Evans and coach Mark Richt, but neither would discuss specifics of the case or whether additional internal discipline would be forthcoming.

I tried to bump another thread that mentioned Damon Evans, but it looks like he won't be discussing this case at all in the future (at least in an official capacity).

The University of Georgia has scheduled a 3PM press conference where it is expected Evans's firing/resignation will be announced. (It has nothing to do with Kearney or the other legal difficulties of certain members of their football team.)

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by digamma

I tried to bump another thread that mentioned Damon Evans, but it looks like he won't be discussing this case at all in the future (at least in an official capacity).

The University of Georgia has scheduled a 3PM press conference where it is expected Evans's firing/resignation will be announced. (It has nothing to do with Kearney or the other legal difficulties of certain members of their football team.)

What? Huh? Squeeze me? Why?

[digamma]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

What? Huh? Squeeze me? Why?

Supposedly sexual harrassment related.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by digamma

Supposedly sexual harrassment related.

Oops! That'll hurt.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by digamma

Supposedly sexual harrassment related.

According to the UGA SID, there is no press conference scheduled for today. There IS a rumor going around the UGA pay site (one that has NOT been squelched by the mods, which lends a little more credibility to it) that a high ranking UGA official has been accused of sexual harrassment.

[Ben E Lou]

Enters at number one TB
by Dean Legge of DawgPost.com, August 5, 2005 at 1:25pm ET

Thomas Brown Profile

Thomas Brown will enter fall camp as the team’s number one running back, Head Coach Mark Richt confirmed today. “He’s number one right now,” said Richt. Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware, both former starters will try to take that spot away from Brown. “They’ve both been there before,” said Brown when asked how he will defend his spot as starter for the 30 days of fall camp.

[Ben E Lou]

Dat boy sets his first milestone at UGA.

Brown earned the starting spot for now by combining the power of Ware with at least the athleticism of Lumpkin. At just 5-foot-8, 183 pounds, he's the strongest player on the team pound-for-pound. In the team's recently completed summer conditioning program, he became the first player in Richt's tenure to post a power index of higher than 7.0 (7.1). He achieved that measure of total strength by bench-pressing 425 pounds, squatting 550 and power cleaning 321

The highest before Thomas's record number this year was 6.59. Only seven other Dawgs turned in an index over 6.0, and none got anywhere near 7.0. The next eight guys were:

Tra Battle: 6.26
Kelin Johnson: 6.13
Bryan McClendon: 6.08
Tim Jennings: 6.06
Chris Burgett: 6.04
Brannon Southerland: 6.02
AJ Bryant: 6.01

For even better perspective, TB's raw total, not adjusted for his body weight, in the bench/squat/power clean was 1,296 pounds. This was surpassed by only 16 Dawgs, PERIOD. Yeah, we're talking linemen, linebackers, everybody. He outlifted most of the LBs and TEs, and a good number of the guys at OL/DL. The next-closest player to his size who had a higher overall total? Fellow Soph. RB Danny Ware, who, at 40 pounds heavier than TB, benched 440, squatted 530, and power cleaned 341.

Can't wait to watch TB run over some more SEC LB's and DB's this year.

[illinifan999]

That's insane, I couldn't even imagine being that strong.

[Ben E Lou]

Dat boy pushed up 470 on Friday.

[cthomer5000]

Man... i need to get to the gym.

[Ben E Lou]

Brown "looking special" in fall camp
Thomas Brown		Publisher Date: Aug 9, 2006 ATHENS – Thomas Brown was a heck of a cornerback at Tucker. In fact, some thought Brown would be a cornerback in college, but not him. Brown has led Georgia in rushing for the last two seasons, and he wants to do so again.
The last player to lead the Bulldogs in rushing in back-to-back years was Robert Edwards in 1996 and 1997. And while having a career like Edwards’ would be outstanding, Brown has his sights set on Garrison Hearst’s three-year tear through the Georgia record book from 1990 to 1992. “I don’t focus on individual goals,” said Brown of leading the team in rushing. “It’s still somewhat of a goal. Its something I am well aware of – it would be nice to have.” In the meantime, Brown will have to hold off Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware, both of whom have started in the past. “It’s tough. Everyone is getting better,” Brown said of the competition this August. But the Atlanta native is Georgia’s number one back according to offensive coordinator Neil Callaway. "Thomas Brown has separated himself," Callaway told the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook earlier this season. "We're not afraid to play the other two guys, and we will, but Thomas has done enough to put himself ahead of the other two." Brown might not get the carries needed to have career statistics to rival Herschel Walker (5,259), Hearst (3,232), Lars Tate (3,017), Rodney Hampton (2,668) or Kevin McLee (2,581) – the top career rushers in Georgia’s history – because of sharing the load with Lumpkin and Ware. “When I first got here sharing carries was something I had to get used to,” Brown said. “In a lot of ways I think it is best to share it with guys because you are taking a lot of pounding off your body. A lot of guys carry the call 25 times a year, and that takes a toll on your body especially when you are talking about an NFL career after college. It could hurt you later.” Sharing carries is a part of Mark Richt’s plan to keep Georgia’s running game steady, and its running backs healthy. “Football is a tough game. If you got one guy carrying it 20 to 25 times a game, especially if it's a two- or three-year career, that guy's going to get beat up,” Richt said. “I think if we took any one of those three guys in the season and made them the horse, so to speak, they'd get 1,200 to 1,500 yards. I think all three of them are capable of that.” And bruising might be Browns’ middle name. “He is a real strong, fast runner and he’s quick,” said Vanderbilt linebacker Jonathan Goff. “He always runs hard and hits you harder.” “He is going to come at you,” Callaway added. Brown only had one 100-yard game last season (144 yards vs. South Carolina), but only had two 20-carry games (South Carolina and Tennessee). “Most people measure a running back by the amount of yards they have,” Brown said of his pursuit of 100-yard performances. The tailback averaged 12 carries and 61 yards a game last year. Now he is looking for his best year yet, no matter the number of carries.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

A lot of guys carry the call 25 times a year, and that takes a toll on your body especially when you are talking about an NFL career after college. It could hurt you later.”

25 times a year? Insane!

[SirFozzie]

I think you need to randomly delete 100 posts of Jeebies to get him back for that, SD

[JeeberD]

Two can play that game...

*cracks knuckles*