ET. 1 recruit in the country. The best players I saw play in the game were quarterback Cedric Hatten for us, and for Lowndes it was Greg Reid. Hopefully the renewed interest in the program would spill over and may have people interested in what happened in 1980.". Simmons was considered undersized for the NFL and went in the sixth round. [Rome, a 6-foot-4 tight end, set a national record for receiving yards in a season. He was the most successful Lowndes coach against the Wildcats in the series. His next signings currently are planned for July 22 (6-8 p.m.) at Padriacs in Vinings and July 24 (4-6 p.m.) at Rosatis Sports Pub in Belues current hometown of Cumming. He was going to youth league programs, scouting the local talent. In Buck's first year as quarterback the Valdosta Wildcats were 3-7. To order a book or get a copy at a book signing, click here. Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. The head coaches would always come and speak to the small gathering. You mentioned that you saw many of the players that were on the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame ballot or were voted in. The coach it was John Lastingers dad, as a matter of fact they installed this tight end-around pass, and I ended up leading the league in passing. [John Lastinger followed Belue as the starting quarterback at Valdosta and at Georgia. When I finally got a chance to talk to them, I told them I hoped theyd understand that the governor of Alabama, Fob James, was my roommate at Auburn and was involved in trying to persuade me. All the 1980 UGA stars are mentioned, but also prominently featured are teammates such as Nat Hudson, Hugh Nall, Jimmy Womack, Amp Arnold, Jimmy Payne, Eddie Weaver and Nate Taylor and assistant coaches Mike Cavan and Wayne McDuffie, among others. Im just so thankful my quarterback coach was Joe Wilson. Truth is, Lowndes would struggle against everyone else too, winning just 31 games in that first decade of football with four different head football coaches. "I have been a Wildcat all my life, so Valdosta City Schools will always be a part of me. Belue quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record in 1980, culminating with a 17-10 win over Notre Dame Jan. 1, 1981 in the Sugar Bowl. And a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. We had weight limits, and if you weighed a certain amount, you couldnt play in the backfield, and I was a bigger kid then. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Rogers was among three Georgians named to the 1976 Coach & Athlete All-America team. It was pretty good, Johnson said. Chuck Knoll's Steelers were champions and as. Its an oral history that will never die in fact, it just keeps growing, year after year, down there in Winnersville. NewsBreak provides latest and breaking news about Buck Belue. He has ordered it, however. The first time I played quarterback was in the eighth grade. We would have to hire extra security guards for the entire week of the game, starting on Sunday night, and it would last all week long until the game was over, Redshaw said. We were in an extra bedroom, and his wife came in a couple of times and told him dinner was ready. Published: Apr 25, 2022, 10:44 AM. He was the best in the business. This record stood for 29 years. Created by Ellen Kennerly Made with Squarespace, 2022 Georgia High School Football Daily. Sales have picked up over the summer as Belue often with family in tow has embarked on a book-signing tour around Georgia and in Bulldogs strongholds outside the state. Coach Wilson would be saying we can throw to this running back because weve got this linebacker on him. Probably the most successful event to date was a couple of weeks ago in Valdosta. Valdosta, Georgia is called Title Town, USA because they have won more high school football games and titles than anyone else. Seeing Andy Johnson in 1969 was one of my first recollections of high school football [at the 1969 Class 3A championship game between Athens and Valdosta at Cleveland Field]. We've called it home," Belue said of living in Forsyth County. For twenty years, he co-hosted Buck and Kincade mostly during mid-days with John Kincade. But that was about to change. They just had a huge impact in my career along with all those teammates I played with at Valdosta, many of them deserving of those kinds of honors. Even though Valdosta and Lowndes High had been playing each other every year since 1968, it was becoming obvious to everyone, including Lastinger, that the game was becoming much more competitive, especially with the arrival of head coach Joe Wilson at Lowndes. He was the 24th overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but his best seasons came in Cincinnati, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times (1986, 1988-1990). I had other friends there, too, just like they did that day in that room. Way too much credit is given to Herschel (Walker) and Lindsay (Scott) and Buck. What did those coaches mean to you? Belue also presented a defibrillator to the school Friday. Ben Belue, 71, of Valdosta was a devoted family man and lifetime sales executive, born in Anniston, Ala. on Nov. 28, 1940 and raised in Macon, Ga. where he attended Lanier High School. I learned some things from him. The current Winnersville series record stands at 36 wins for Valdosta and 24 for Lowndes heading into the 2022 season. Jan 26. Latest: Gallery: Buck Belue book signing at Coach's Corner There was some of that thought process going on. He was a country boy and proud of it. When Belue finally got to his mom and dad, the tears were flowing. You do well at Valdosta High, and you get a shot to play some college ball. He set Georgias career rushing record of 6,137 yards. On the next play, Wilkes found Sherrod Inman in the back of the end zone to cut the lead to 17-14. Call: (916)383-0110 (510)781-4800. Belue was atUniversities Forever in Cumming on Saturdayto promote his book,'Inside the Hedges: The Quarterback's Journey to the 1980 National Championship,' a project that was decades in the making. I talked with Coach [Jim] Hughes about that later. Since it started playing football in 1913, Valdosta has won 612 games and lost 129, with 33 ties. Simmons was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. Not to be outdone, Valdosta would come back with its own persona to counter the country boy image of Lowndes. Jun. I host The Buck Belue Show on 680 The Fan Atlanta, weekdays 10-11. In 1979, Walker was the AJC Class A Back of the Year, a Parade All-American, a Coach & Athlete All-American and the No. Rome talked about playing for the legendary Wright Bazemore. Joe Wilson took over the Vikings football team in 1976, and right away encouraged the players to embrace their country boy personality and call themselves Plowboys. He led the Vikings to an 8-2 season, which included upset victories over Tift County and Thomasville High. While Atlanta was being called Loserville by mostly state and national sports writers, Chason replied in his column that Valdosta was doing very well with the success of its local sports teams and was worthy of the title Winnersville.. Billy Henderson [Clarke Centrals coach] called three straight timeouts and iced the kicker. But part of Belue's focus in writing the book was shining a light on his hometown of Valdosta, as well as some of the lesser known players on Georgia's 1980 team. Lowndes and Valdosta fans certainly embraced the Winnersville rivalry, showing their love for the home team and their disdain for the other side. And when it came to recruiting, he was the only coach I felt like I could trust with the baseball thing. Closed on Weekends. As a young boy there growing up in Valdosta, we all dreamed of the day we would get to high school and wear that Wildcat uniform and win a state title. Scott. Tales like McGuyrts are part of a timeless record shared by Valdosta-area locals. He is also the only quarterback to start all four years for the Valdosta Wildcats where he was inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007.[10]. Kents second straight onside kick was again recovered, Wilkes took the snap and a knee, and that was that. But it was more than that. It came a year after the Vikings had won their first state championship in football, which gave the event a whole new perspective. Brooks finished with 7,962 rushing yards and 3,621 receiving yards in his NFL career and was named to the Bengals 40th Anniversary team in 2007. Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He played two seasons of minor league baseball in the Montreal Expos organization. Belue threw for 299 yards in his career, completing 37 of 68 passes with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. "Twenty years we've been here. Buck Belue Social Network Timeline 2007 He is also the only quarterback to start all four years for the Valdosta Wildcats where he was inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007. He's the host of the Buck Belue Show on Atlanta sports radio's 680 The Fan every weekend from 10:00 a.m. He was going to youth league programs, scouting the local talent. But it missed its mark literally. We sort of fell into it. Belue also details in the book how he balanced his baseball pursuits while competing to be the starting quarterback on a team that won back-to-back SEC championships. [Johnson scored on a 68-yard run on the final play of the first half, then threw a 28-yard TD pass and a two-point conversion in the final seconds for a 26-26 tie. We have estimated Buck Belue's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. Search and browse yearbooks online! I was blessed with this great coaching. [Belue passed for a state-record 5,214 yards and won two region titles in his four Valdosta seasons. He often mentions the Wildcats on his show, and usually calls the station Friday night to give them Valdostas score. Lowndes won the game 15-14. Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Find out more. We still do that now, just not as much.. Netflix on Friday is premiering 'Titletown High,' a documentary series chronicling Valdosta (Ga.) High School's 2020 football season and Rush Propst, its controversial coach. He was just so far ahead of his time. We had weight limits, and if you weighed a certain amount, you couldnt play in the backfield, and I was a bigger kid then. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. Belue also details in the book how he. He played both football and basketball at Clemson and was a three-year starter on the hardwood. Well, the only thing that went crazy was the mule. ], Ive also got some memories of Coach Hyder trying to turn the program around, and he took me to some playoff games to watch Michael Jolly [the quarterback on Central-Macons 1975 Class 3A championship team]. @ThePodcastPark. In 2007, the AJC ranked Kinnebrew as the No. Salary in 2020. April 13, 2021, 8:39 AM. As a Johnson County senior in 1979, Walker rushed for a state-record 3,167 yards and 45 touchdowns and led the Trojans to the Class A championship. Way too much credit is given to Herschel (Walker) and Lindsay (Scott) and Buck. He was totally unselfish, too. It was just playing for the Wildcats. ], Then, Valdosta was really laying down the hammer in 1971 [winning a national championship in Coach Bazemores final season]. Between plays, we would stand there and listen to Coach Rudolph break down the responsibilities of each defensive player for the play we just ran. He came through for me on that, which was huge.. Stan Rome was awesome, too. It was WWII. Valdosta City Schools ; J. L. Lomax Elementary School ; Pinevale Elementary School ; Sallas Mahone Elementary ; S.L. It was so much fun going being part of that atmosphere. [Belue said the second motivation for writing the book was bragging on teammates and players at Georgia and Valdosta that didnt get the credit they deserved. . When he knocked off the third one a state championship, which Lowndes won in 1980 Johnny B. Lastinger was prompted to concede this was more than just a game it was a community event. "So most days, at the end of the day, I would just jot down some notes from the day. The. We were playing old youth league football at 9, 10, 11 years old, and were playing at about 8 in the morning, and if you look back in the stands, youd usually see Coach Bazemore watching the games. If you are a Valdosta alumn, we encourage you to register and be sure to sign up for the alumni newsletter. And when he showed up. He was the first 4 year starter at Quarterback at Valdosta High school. The Valdosta Wildcats are undoubtedly one of America's most successful high school football teams, with more than 900 victories, two dozen state titles and its star players seemingly on a. Buck was a great quarterback for maybe the toughest high school program to play forthe Valdosta Wildcats. Rogers was the 1981 NFL Rookie of the Year. Buck Belue, right, and Lindsey Scott, second from left, with Valdosta High football quarterbacks Michael Turner, left, and Alfrie Johnson, second from right, during the camp at Valdosta High School Friday morning. Mason Elementary School ; W.G. They worked on it all week. A lot of my motivation was to brag on some players and coaches at Valdosta and at Georgia that never got the credit they deserved.. As a highly recruited back, Rogers went to South Carolina, where rushed for 5,091 yards, including 1,781 as a 1980 senior. There was still a chance for the Vikings if they could return the kickoff, but they never got the chance. We wanted to work with players who were (at Valdosta), who are committed to playing football. Belue was a star quarterback at Valdosta High School. Buck Belue net worth Feb, 2023 Buck Belue net worth 611 Thousand Millions of dollars 76% Net worth score Disclamer: Buck Belue net worth displayed here are calculated based on a combination social factors. A defibrillator is a device used to treat a person who has suddenly gone into cardiac arrest, and possibly save their life. In 2007, the AJC ranked him the No. We had about 500 flyers printed with a nasty message directed at our players, Henderson said. I basically wrote it on a Word document with the help of an editor, Belue said in a telephone interview this week. What was the most memorable high school game that you played? Alumni listings below have either been searched for or they registered as members of this directory. They were running the same sets and plays. This is the story of the Winnersville Classic, the annual showdown between Valdosta High School and Lowndes High School. The following year, he put up a career-best 714 rushing yards. That was the dream of every young athlete in Valdosta, and that dream didnt go much further than that. Belue was kidded about Valdosta falling to Clarke Central in the 1977 Class 4A state finals. In some cases, the insults would turn from verbal to something more physical. What did those coaches mean to you? It remains one of those indelible football moments from which Buck Belue can never escape, nor does he want to. It turned out it was a bad snap from the center and threw off the timing. Coach Jerry Don Baker confirmed the rumor. VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) - The Valdosta High School football team has been hit with sanctions from the Georgia High School Association following an investigation into the program. The timing was awful, Buck Belue writes in his new book, Inside the Hedges. Most of the players thought it was a selfish move to even do an interview. A 6-foot-4 tight end, set a national championship in coach Bazemores final season ] & quot ; have... 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