The University of Georgia is currently in the middle of one of the biggest recruitment battles in college football history as they attempt to convince QB Arch Manning to choose Athens to be his college football home. When it comes down to it, one of the biggest influences on Manning’s decision could be which current UGA player gets the honor of being Manning’s "on campus host" when he visits the Athens campus next month.
The stories and rumors of what happens during a prized recruits on campus visit, have been the talk of sports fans for as long as the recruiting battles have been going on.
Knowing that the recruits decision can be won or lost with a bad experience must be a lot of pressure for the team’s “On Campus Host”
Former UGA QB DJ Shockley told the Midday Show Andy & Randy that he still blames himself for the Bulldogs losing out on arguable the greatest WR in college football history.
“I lost Calvin Johnson, and that one haunts you for years” said Shockley when describing how he still feels about Johnson choosing GT over UGA after he was his host in Athens.
Shockley further described his anguish by saying, “He could have been at Georgia doing wonderful things.”
Johnson finished his Yellow Jackets career with astonishing numbers. (178 rec, 2927 yards, 28 TDs). Two of those marks (career yards, TDs) are all time records for Georgia Tech.
I am sure UGA fans have asked themselves many times over the years in regards to several recruits “what could have been if this player would have played between the hedges for the Bulldogs?”
In the case of Calvin Johnson, he did end up playing alongside former UGA QB Mathew Stafford in the NFL instead of in Athens, GA. Only making that “what could have been conversation”, even more intriguing!