The Junkyard Blawg has moved!
Along with the other ajc.com blogs, the Junkyard Blawg has moved over to WordPress, where the blogging and commenting experience promises to be better. Join us over at the new WordPress version of the Junkyard Blawg by clicking on the link below.
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFrom Kelley’s Boys to Bulldogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While driving by the YMCA playing fields on Hawthorne Avenue in Athens recently, I saw where the Athens Y, the nation’s third oldest, is celebrating its 150th anniversary on Saturday.
The Athens Y holds a special place in UGA athletics history for a number of reasons, including being the original home of the Georgia swimming teams (back when it was downtown at Broad and Lumpkin, before moving the current location in 1967). But mostly the Athens Y served as a developer of football talent for old Athens High School, with many of those players moving on to UGA.
Under the tutelage of the late Coburn F. Kelley (known to a couple of generations of Athens boys as just “Kelley”), such future college and NFL players as Fran Tarkenton, Billy Gambrell (an exception in that he went to South Carolina instead of UGA), Jake Scott and Andy Johnson started putting on the pads and scoring touchdowns at the Y when they were as young as 6.
Former AHS coach Weyman Sellers, whose program was a powerhouse in the 1950s and ’60s, once said that Kelley often tipped him off to promising young talent years ahead of time. The Athens Y program was quite successful on the field, with the 12-and-under team that featured Jake Scott at halfback winning the Pop Warner League national championship in the late 1950s, beating a team from York, Pa.
And for many years fans arriving early for Bulldog games at Sanford Stadium got to see Kelley’s Boys, as they were known, making great memories by getting to play before the big game on the UGA field.
Chatting with Loren Smith last year for the Athens Banner-Herald, Tarkenton said he was “grateful for my Y experience. No YMCA or high school team ever had a bigger stage than we did by playing our games in Sanford Stadium.”
Saturday’s anniversary festivities get under way at 11 a.m. at the Y on Hawthorne, with an open house featuring tours, live music and food from the Varsity.
BULLDOG PRIDE: It’s not often you can find a connection between the Pulitzer Prize for poetry and UGA athletics, but this year’s prize winner, announced this week, is UGA grad Natasha Trethewey, now a professor at Emory University. Not only did she get her undergraduate degree at UGA, but she served as head cheerleader during her senior year. Let’s send a couple of big woof-woofs her way!
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: I got a note recently from former Bulldog Matt Stinchcomb: “Wanted to thank you again for helping us in promoting last year’s Countdown to Kickoff children’s charity event, and wanted to let you know it will be held on July 7 this year. I will have more specifics soon, but we are making it bigger and better, and have added another charity, Children’s Tumor Foundation. Thanks again Bill, we appreciate all that you did, and hope we can build on the effort again this year!” Last year’s event was a lot of fun (despite the brief thunderstorm in the middle of it), and was a great opportunity to chat with Bulldog players, past and present, and get autographs. Mark July 7 down on your calendar and plan a trip over to Athens to get yourself pumped for the coming season.
SIGNATURE EVENTS: A new outfit that two former UGA players are involved in, Sic ‘Um Dog Signatures, has held a couple of recent paid autograph signings and has plans to get into the sports memorabilia business. The company is co-owned by Dan Everett and former UGA running backs Des Williams and Danny Ware. I asked Everett, a Georgia Southwestern chemistry grad who now works as an engineer at Power Partners in Athens, how it came about. “Des, Danny, and I have been very good friends for about a year,” he said. About two months ago Des and I realized that we (especially himself and Danny) have so many connections that we could easily start a memorabilia business and could get really good deals since everyone who signed for us knows the two of them.” They began their online business (www.sicumdogsignatures.com) at the beginning of March and so far have had a couple of signings (including one with Kenny and David Irons of Auburn). The next one is Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Nordstrom wing at Mall of Georgia. Among those set to participate besides Williams and Ware, Everett said, are Quentin Moses, Tra Battle, Dan Inman, Ray Gant and Mario Raley. (Current players aren’t used because that’s against NCAA rules.) “We have approximately two to three signings per month scheduled,” Everett said, with former UGA QB (and current Falcon) D.J. Shockley set to sign at Georgia Square Mall in Athens on May 5 and again on May 26 at Mall of Georgia. Everett also plans to sell items signed by such Georgia greats as Herschel Walker, Fran Tarkenton and the two Davids (Pollack and Greene) on the Web site, and he hopes to open a retail location in Athens in August 2008.
Comments
By Tripp Wallace
April 20, 2007 12:44 AM | Link to this
Athens Y also founded Athens Y Camp for Boys in 1898. Walter T Forbes was the original director and the camp has been providing fun, leadership, and memories to boys since. I went for 10 years and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for Athens Y.
By BigNCDAWG
April 20, 2007 9:04 AM | Link to this
I am proud to be one of Kelly’s boys during the 50’s. The Y was still on Broad street at that time across from the old campus. Kelly was a true saint to us boys. He had a large positive influence on my life. Summer camp at Pinetops was fun with canoe trips up the river and roap swings. Thanks Bill for remembering Kelly and the Y.
By pcpup
April 20, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
I was playing a game at the old Y on a Saturday in Nov. 1966. Lots of parents were there but not paying attention. They were listening to the Dawgs thump the “Super Gators.” Before our games ended; the chapel bell started ringing.
By Carlton Powell
April 20, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the memories!! I can still remember what I was doing when I heard the sad news that “Kelly” had died. I believe he was only 54 at the time. What a loss. Kelly had a huge impact upon many, many boys who have gone on to great things. The athletes mentioned are only the “tip of the iceburg.” My favorite Kelly story was related to me by my brother in law. He too was a “Kelly Boy.” During college, he was a waiter at a upscale Atlanta restaurant. Fran Tarkenton and a party came in to dine. Lee told other members of the wait staff to “watch this.” He proceeded over to Tarkenton’s table, intoduced himself as a fellow “Kelly Boy,” whereupon Tarkenton jumped up, shook his hand, told the rest of his party the significance of being a “Kelly Boy,” and spent 10 minutes talking about rememberances of their days at the “Y.” The Athens Y has ALWAYS been a special place. The current director told me that upon his arrival, he had no idea what a strong following the Athens Y had, and what a significant place in the life of the community it held.
By Pat Gadell
April 21, 2007 9:14 AM | Link to this
I well remember the old Y as well.I was not athletic enough to be one of the football boys, but the memories of old Pine Tops and swimming at the old Y are fond indeed. Kelly had a very positive influence on me, helped a bit by the underlying fear of a “red bottom.” Some of the best memories of those years are being a boy scout usher at Sanford Stadium. Reporting to the stadium at 11:00 for the (always) 2:00 game. A sack lunch provided by Poss’s BBQ, and watching Tarkenton facing 3rd and 38 after the scrambling didn’t work out so well. Another athlete of that era that deserves mention is tennis great Danny Birchmore. Danny was a classmate at AHS. I lived within shouting distance of the varsity tennis courts, and remember the great matches there. Danny was a great tennis star as well as a brilliant scholar. His Dad, Fred Birchmore was another strong positive influence on my childhoood..Another complete story there..
By Paladawg
April 21, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
I was one of Kelly’s Boys toward the end of his magnificent career and attended Pine Tops before graduating to the “Big Y Camp” in Tallulah Falls. I have many wonderful memories of those days - one of my prized possessions is a three-part frame containing pictures of Kelly, “Pop” Pearson and “Coach Mike” Castronis.
It is society’s loss that Kelly’s style would be unacceptable today: we always swam naked; he encouraged and rewarded little boys with hugs and a gentle smack on the butt - most of my memories of him involve some kind of touching, usually him having several boys hanging onto his arms, legs and shoulders - and he punished us with “red bottoms”. What a shame that so many of Kelly’s Boys grew up to be doctors, lawyers, community leaders, et cetera instead of being psychologically scarred for life by the experience … So much of who I am today is a direct result of Kelly’s influence.
Thanks for giving me an excuse to reminisce, Bill.
By Bill King
April 21, 2007 5:18 PM | Link to this
Pat,
I was in Boy Scouts with Danny Birchmore (Buffalo Patrol, Troop 4, based at St. James Methodist) and spent many a happy hour tramping his family’s woods (now part of Athens’ Memorial Park). Danny was, of course, a fantastic tennis player for UGA. My daughter and I talked to his dad, Fred, (who was one of our troop leaders) on one of our visits to the Birchmore Hiking Trail a couple of years ago. He’s in his upper 90s and still going strong. And, incidentally, is still a regular at the Athens Y!
By PHIL FORTSON
April 23, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this
HEY, LET ME SEE IF I REMEMBER… OKAY HERE WE GO. “IF YOU WANT TO BE A Y BOY CLAP YOU HANDS. IF YOU WANT TO BE A Y BOY CLAP.” GOD BLESS THE ATHENS Y AND ALL THE MEN AND BOYS THAT MADE IT GREAT.
By AltamahaDawg
April 23, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
Happen to be in Athens this past weekend with my daughter at an academic event on campus. Man, was it gorgeous in the clasic city. In a way, I am glad I don’t live any closer, because its always such a great visit, specially a rare spring trip. Caught a game in Foley field saturday and walked the entire length of the campus back to downtown. Still a bit teary eyed. Oh yea, daughter finished one of the top in the state too.
By Glenn Townsend
April 23, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this
I also was a Kelly boy. I lived in an apartment across the street from the Y when it was downtown. So my backyard was the Y with Kelly everyday. One summer we went to Slippery Rock in the Tallulah Gourge during summer camp. As always we were “skinny dipping”. Suddenly, 2 young couples came walking down to swim. All the campers jumped into the water. Kelly laid on the rock in the buff and never moved.
We thought he was crazy. He said afterwards, “If they want to swim, let them come on. I was here first”. Those were the good old days.
By frankdrewry
April 27, 2007 8:00 AM | Link to this
Bill and others, thanks for the article and comments. Good stuff, good memories, a great man. I received my “share” of red bottoms and am better for it. Let’s not forget Kelley’s self-taught rendition of In The Garden on the organ at Pine Tops or “sick, lame and lazy”, Canada and California trips with only Kelley as our leader. God’s promise to be “a father to the fatherless” was made real i my life through men like Kelley and Pop.