DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia Football / NFL Draft
UGA’s Stafford had mind made up before bowl
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Athens — Visitors to Georgia’s locker room at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall might have deduced before Christmas what Matthew Stafford didn’t make public until Wednesday afternoon.
The white nameplate, featuring his name in black with his number (7) on one side and the Georgia “G” on the other, which had been tacked above his locker for the past three years was removed weeks ago and hidden on the floor underneath.
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“Someone took it down for me so no one would steal it,” Stafford confessed to a reporter as he carried the nameplate on an elevator ride after Wednesday’s press conference to announce he was turning pro.
A tradition normally reserved for seniors, Stafford will carry that memento and a truckload of college football experience back with him to Texas, or wherever he decides to train for the NFL draft in April.
It was a telling sign that Stafford submitted his name and paperwork to the NFL’s draft advisory committee this week, well before the Jan. 15 deadline. In fact, he had his mind made up long before the Bulldogs traveled to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl.
That’s why Stafford said he was so emotional while speaking to the media after being named the game’s MVP. He knew he was wearing the Georgia uniform for the last time.
“Taking off those pads one last time was tough for me,” Stafford said. “It came to a head that it was about over.”
The reality is that Stafford has been training his whole life for this. He is expected to be selected in the first round, perhaps even No. 1.
That’s where the advisory board had him rated - “a likely first-round draft pick.” That is all he needed to know.
“I graduated high school early to come here,” said Stafford, who left Highland Park High in Dallas for good in December of 2005. “I feel like I’ve been on the fast track for a long time.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt, sitting between Stafford and fellow underclassman draftee Knowshon Moreno as they made their announcements, gave both players the hardiest NFL endorsement he could muster.
“Anybody thinking of taking these guys, you should take them as high as you can,” he quipped. “Maybe trade up for them.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was even more pointed about Stafford.
“He’s ready,” he said. “That touchdown pass he made to Michael Moore in the second half of the bowl game, pump faking to the side then firing downfield, that’s a big-league throw. He’s got a lot of those ahead in his career.”
Stafford completes his college career with 7,731 yards passing on 564 completions with 51 TD passes and 33 interceptions. He walks away with two bowl MVP awards but no first-team all-SEC mentions and zero championships.
Stafford said the latter was neither a regret nor a lure to return.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve had an outstanding time here. We won a lot of games here, some pretty big ones, too. The hardest part is leaving those guys in the locker room.”
Keeping his decision a secret until now was the biggest challenge.
“I really didn’t want to tell too many people,” he said. “It’s a personal decision but I don’t think it’s surprising too many of my teammates.”
Not if they were looking around.
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