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Memories of a bygone era....National Signing Day
Posted on 12/19/23 at 8:59 am
Posted on 12/19/23 at 8:59 am
These days with so many kids enrolling early, there being 2signing periods, and the fact that half your class will probably leave in the portal, signing day isn't really a thing like it used to be. I remember that first Wednesday in February used to be like Christmas. If you were lucky enough to be in Athens that day you had to be at the blind pig, it was pratically as big an event as a gameday tailgate. Social media didn't exist and the "look at me" announcements hadn't REALLY taken off yet, so there was typically a shitton of intrigue. The fact that we recruited at a much lesser level than now was also big since if you got even a single 5 star that was a BIG DEAL. What are some of your memories of Signing Days from the past?
-I remember the excitement around DJ Shockley in Richt's first class. Local guy dual threat that looked like he had limitless potential.
-Max Jean Gilles in 02 was I think committed to miami, or if not, was a foregone conclusion to them. He signed onto the dawgvent and posted that he was committing to UGA that day. People went nuts. Can you imagine a big 5* offensive tackle registering on here and announcing? lol
-That 2006 class with stafford and reshad jones, I think that may have been the first time in ages that we had two 5* in a signle class. That's laughable now but at the time it was incredible. I REALLY wanted to buy one of those DVDs that had highlights of the whole signing class but talked myself out of it.
-Me and my buddies watched AJ Green's 10 minute highlight reel on youtube roughly a million times after he committed. Guy was a megastud that committed hella early and never waivered. Still a relief seeing is name come in through the fax though.
-I remember Dwayne Allen was supposed to be a gamechanger at TE for us. He was committed forever then flipped to clemson on NSD. Him, laremy tunsil, and countless others have sprurned us at the lats minute on NSD to go elsewhere. Signing day gives and taketh away..
-Isaiah crowell pulling a dog out of the bag. Isaiah wilson live streaming his school's entire chrismtas pageant before he announced. Many many others that have pulled some kind of gimmicky thing to pick us in the end. Fun times.
How about yall?
-I remember the excitement around DJ Shockley in Richt's first class. Local guy dual threat that looked like he had limitless potential.
-Max Jean Gilles in 02 was I think committed to miami, or if not, was a foregone conclusion to them. He signed onto the dawgvent and posted that he was committing to UGA that day. People went nuts. Can you imagine a big 5* offensive tackle registering on here and announcing? lol
-That 2006 class with stafford and reshad jones, I think that may have been the first time in ages that we had two 5* in a signle class. That's laughable now but at the time it was incredible. I REALLY wanted to buy one of those DVDs that had highlights of the whole signing class but talked myself out of it.
-Me and my buddies watched AJ Green's 10 minute highlight reel on youtube roughly a million times after he committed. Guy was a megastud that committed hella early and never waivered. Still a relief seeing is name come in through the fax though.
-I remember Dwayne Allen was supposed to be a gamechanger at TE for us. He was committed forever then flipped to clemson on NSD. Him, laremy tunsil, and countless others have sprurned us at the lats minute on NSD to go elsewhere. Signing day gives and taketh away..
-Isaiah crowell pulling a dog out of the bag. Isaiah wilson live streaming his school's entire chrismtas pageant before he announced. Many many others that have pulled some kind of gimmicky thing to pick us in the end. Fun times.
How about yall?
14
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:06 am to WG_Dawg
I feel like Blind Pig was a big Signing Day place. The one I remember the most was the Tunsil one for whatever reason.
The change in recruiting definitely makes a difference, but I feel like I also care less now that we’ve won a couple Nattys. Like, I still care and pay attention, but I feel like I used to celebrate recruiting wins and now I expect them and if for whatever reason someone ends up somewhere else, I trust in Kirby to get it figured out.
The change in recruiting definitely makes a difference, but I feel like I also care less now that we’ve won a couple Nattys. Like, I still care and pay attention, but I feel like I used to celebrate recruiting wins and now I expect them and if for whatever reason someone ends up somewhere else, I trust in Kirby to get it figured out.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:12 am to WG_Dawg
The AJC was the big deal when I was a little kid – that and Countdown To Signing Day on Saturday morning with Forrest Davis and Jamie Newberg. My dad would buy a copy of the AJC when they had their big Top 100 players in the south and the Top 50 players in Georgia and would save it for me for the next joint custody weekend.
And then I'd make my mom buy an AJC the day after signing day and I'd read the sports page at least 10 times over the course of the next week.
And then I'd make my mom buy an AJC the day after signing day and I'd read the sports page at least 10 times over the course of the next week.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:14 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
Dwayne Allen was supposed to be a gamechanger at TE for us. He was committed forever then flipped to clemson on NSD
I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that Julio Jones wanted to commit on NSD to us. He wanted to play with Stafford and AJ Green. CMR wouldn't take him because he wouldn't over sign commits. After he sends him away, Allen de-committed.
Anyone else ever hear that story?
This post was edited on 12/19/23 at 9:15 am
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:18 am to Rex Feral
quote:
've heard that Julio Jones wanted to commit on NSD to us. He wanted to play with Stafford and AJ Green. CMR wouldn't take him because he wouldn't over sign commits. After he sends him away, Allen de-committed.
Anyone else ever hear that story?
I've never heard that specific story but I do think I recall hearing that richt was staunchly against oversigning and refused to do it.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:36 am to WG_Dawg
The drama involving Jay Rome and Malcom Mitchell recruitment and Bobo vs Kirby on the trail was entertaining. We made a late push to get them after most were thinking they were going to Bama after a late push from Kirby.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:52 am to WG_Dawg
Hasn't been that long ago, but before the early signing day was instituted the Recruiting thread would hit a little below/above 10,000 comments.
The thrill is kinda gone now, along with some great posters that brought the skinny and kept the thread going. Kinda miss those days...
So much has changed in a relatively short time...
The 2024 thread has 3-400 posts...SMDH
The thrill is kinda gone now, along with some great posters that brought the skinny and kept the thread going. Kinda miss those days...
So much has changed in a relatively short time...
The 2024 thread has 3-400 posts...SMDH
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:52 am to K9
I think some will regret going to different schools to play football and not having a degree from either or a real feeling of belonging to either.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 9:56 am to dallasga6
Lol yeah Dallas used to be our good luck charm. You waited until Dallas posted when the thread posts/pages were about to roll over to the round numbers
Posted on 12/19/23 at 10:07 am to dallasga6
I feel like Covid/politics kinda killed this board along with the start of the other board a fair number of people here get their info from
Posted on 12/19/23 at 10:18 am to Peter Buck
quote:
not having a degree from either or a real feeling of belonging to either.
I don't think they even care
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:04 am to Spaceman Spiff
As they get older they might
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:05 am to Spaceman Spiff
The 1998 class was a really big deal at the time. Donnan was a lazy recruiter and that class came out of nowhere. Some swining dick booster somewhere was definitely paying for players that year. 1998 class was the foundation of our 2002 championship team.
This post was edited on 12/19/23 at 11:08 am
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:06 am to WG_Dawg
I remember reading the old Grapevine recruiting page in the late 90’s that had a daily update and a little team emblem next to the team they were thought to be headed too 
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:19 am to Violent Hip Swivel
quote:
The 1998 class was a really big deal at the time
I don't know what it was "ranked" (by whatever services were doing that at the time) but I think it was our highest rated class ever at the time.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:24 am to WG_Dawg
Richt was a punching bag on NSD. It was maddening.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:49 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
richt was staunchly against oversigning and refused to do it.
Correct.
Both Mcgarity and Richt stupidly made public "pledges" to not oversign.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 11:55 am to RD Dawg
As a human, it’s the right thing. Issue is the people we played against weren’t good humans.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 12:26 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
I don't know what it was "ranked" (by whatever services were doing that at the time) but I think it was our highest rated class ever at the time.
The Hearst and Hastings recruiting class pre-dated the days when recruiting was its own media industry, but the Hearst/Hastings class and the 1998 class were the two biggest deal recruiting classes we had in the 90s.
Posted on 12/19/23 at 12:30 pm to WG_Dawg
Blind Pig was absolutely the place to be. Long time ago
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