Terry Godwin has decided not split his time with professional baseball. (AJC photo)
THE TEN AT 10:
1. Terry Godwin said thanks but no thanks to the Atlanta Braves.
Well, not in so many words. He just hasn’t responded at all to the Braves’ offer after they drafted him in the 39th round earlier this month. And to Godwin’s family, that means the fleet-footed athlete is content with standing pat with his previous plans, which is to play football and baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs.
"Actually, Terry likes where he's at and we haven't spoken on it anymore," Olivia Godwin, Terry's mother, said on Monday. "I talked with someone from the Braves and told them we would get back with them whenever Terry decided. But Terry never said anything, so nothing ever came about with it."
That means that the Braves will hold onto Godwin’s draft rights for the next three years and the Bulldogs don’t have to concern themselves with Godwin spending his summers playing professional baseball.
“The plan going to Georgia was to play baseball and football,” Mrs. Godwin said. “I think once he got there, he got settled in and he’s enjoying it. So anything that makes our son happy, we’re OK with that.”
It’s going to be very intriguing to see how Godwin fits in at Georgia in his first season as a full-time receiver. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has talked about utilizing him similarly to how he did Tavon Austin with the St. Louis Rams. And our own Seth Emerson recently rated him 12th among the Bulldogs’ most important player for the 2015 season, a countdown series that began working this week.
Watch Godwin’s 2014 highlight video and you can see what all the fuss is about:
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2. As for Jacob Park, the former Georgia quarterback remains at his home in Goose Creek, S.C., and has yet to determine what will be his next move. That's according to Nathaniel Park, his older brother.
“Working on it,” Nathaniel Park, 21, said when asked about Park’s plans on Monday. “Nothing definite yet.”
Park
Asked if he could be more specific, Nathaniel said Jacob has whittled down his decision to “a Division I school” and “a JUCO,” or junior college. Virginia Tech has been reported as a possible destination for Park, as has East Mississippi Community College.
In the meantime, Nathaniel said his brother is "doing fine" and is in good spirits. He said Jacob occasionally helps him and their father, Adam Park, with their construction business. Primarily, he said Park works out and is trying to stay sharp football-wise nearby at Stratford High School, where he starred as a 4-star prospect.
“Personally, I stay out of it,” Nathaniel said his brother’s football future. “I just try to be supportive and keep his mind off the whole football thing.”
Park decided to leave UGA and seek a transfer shortly after Greyson Lambert announced he was transferring to Georgia to enter the quarterback competition. A redshirt freshman, Park was third on the Bulldogs' depth chart after spring practice. The 6-foot-4, 202-pound athlete passed for 3,665 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior at Stratford High.
Does Nick Chubb look scary to you? (USA Today)
3. Interesting new category unveiled this week in College Football 24/7's "15 for '15" series. The latest is the 15 "scariest" players in college football.
I'm not exactly sure what constitutes a "scary player," but author Mike Hugenin defines it this way: "Some are scary because of the carnage that ensues when they have the ball in their hands. Others are scary because of the havoc they can wreak as defenders. All can cause nightmares for opposing coaches and players."
Anyway, Georgia tailback Nick Chubb makes the list at No. 12. That's pretty impressive, until you see who else from the SEC is on the list.
Chubb is actually fifth among his conference brethren. Mississippi state quarterback Dak Prescott leads the way at fifth, followed by Alabama running back Derrick Henry (9th), Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett (10th) and Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (11th).
Got to love all these summertime lists. But real football will be here soon enough
4. Here's a few more details about Georgia's deal with UCLA to play a home-and-home series in 2025-26. According to a copy of the contract and some email exchanges obtained via an open records request, each team will receive $550,000 from the other to cover expenses. Georgia will be given the opportunity to buy as many as 10,000 tickets – not including 450 complimentary tickets for the band – and the Bulldogs plan to purchase their entire allotment.
There is a $1 million damages clause for canceling one of the games and $2 million for canceling both. Interestingly, the deal was actually finalized on June 8. The announcement was not made until last Wednesday, June 17, after all the necessary signatures had been gathered.
What do I think?
I don’t believe we’ll ever see it played. I think this one will go the same way as Oregon, Ohio State and Louisville. Based on what I’ve witnessed in college athletics the past few years, I fully expect the SEC expand to 16 teams well before we get to these. And if that happens, all these big non-conference tilts will end up on the cutting-room floor again.
Nevertheless, look for Georgia to make another big-game announcement in the next few weeks. I’m hearing a Big Ten opponent for 2021-23 is close to being locked up. For now.
5. Turns out it wasn't just Isaiah McKenzie who sent out a message of love for Mark Richt via social media on Father's Day. Former Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch also identified Richt as a father-figure in his life.
6. Thanks to Seth Emerson for chasing down a couple of stories for us on Monday.
First, he verified that Nick Moore, formerly of Brookwood High School and the Boston Red Sox, has joined the Bulldogs as a walk-on linebacker. Moore was a 6-foot-3, 210-pound standout safety when he played football for the Broncos. But he chose baseball over several mid-level college football offers, including the Air Force Academy.
Moore never advance pass Class A ball, however, and his contract was not renewed this past April. However, according to Mark Crews, Moore's high school coach, he has grown to 6-4 and nearly 245 pounds, and could help the Bulldogs either as a linebacker, tight end or fullback.
I wouldn’t expect a lot of contributions from Moore beyond special teams to start as he knocks off the rust. But Georgia has him for four years if he chooses to hang around. He’d be 26 years old as a senior.
Coach Mason
7. Seth also tracked down former Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason to confirm what we'd been hearing about him joining the high school coaching ranks. Indeed, Mason was approved for a teaching position at Colquitt County High School at a board of education meeting Monday night and will join Rush Propst's staff as quarterbacks coach.
Mason has been helping out the Packers as a volunteer assistant coach the past few weeks and helped lead them to the championship of the Corky Kell 7-on-7 tournament this past week.
Kevin Kisner shot 69 at Chambers Bay on Sunday and finished the U.S Open as low Bulldog. (Getty Images)
8. Kevin Kisner, the last of the UGA alums to be confirmed in the U.S. Open field, finished tops among the Bulldogs this past weekend at Chambers Bay in Washington. Kisner shot 69 on Sunday to finish at 1-over and in a tie for 12th. It continued a hot run for Kisner, who has finished in the top-12 in five of his last seven events.
Kisner was about the only Bulldog to have any fun at Chambers Bay. Chris Kirk finished 75th –last among the players that made the cut — at 21-over par. He did have one of the highlights of the tournament however, an eagle from the fairway on No. 10. But he also had the lowlight of the tournament – a 10 on No. 8 on Sunday.
The other six Bulldogs missed the cut, which fell at plus-5: Bubba Watson (+7), Brian Harman (+8), Russell Henley (+8), current UGA junior Lee McCoy (+8), Erik Compton (+10), and Brendon Todd (+13).
7. Davin Bellamy got some unexpected good news last week. The sophomore outside linebacker learned that the DUI charges he was jailed for last July and were dropped. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, the county prosecutor couldn't go forward with the case after arresting officer, Kris Ward, was fired.
Nevertheless, Bellamy was suspended for the first two games of last season, as per UGA team rules, and he issued an apology via Twitter the next day.
Bellamy is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound reserve outside linebacker. Playing behind Jordan Jenkins, he recorded 17 tackles, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and two quarterback pressures in 10 games last season.
8. Former UGA goalkeeper Michelle Betos (Class of 2009) pulled off a rare feat by scoring a goal — during stoppage time, no less — to give the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League a 1-1 tie against FC Kansas City this past Friday night.
Betos is normally a backup for Portland, but their main keeper is currently with the German national team in the Women’s World Cup. But Betos has had a nice pro career. She has played all three years of the NWSL’s existence and was previously a backup to Hope Solo in Seattle. Betos is among the winningest goalkeepers in the 20-year history of the UGA soccer program. Here’s video of the goal:
Trent Thompson with his mom, Bridgett Flewellen, at their home in Albany. (AJC/Chip Towers)[/caption]
9. The UGA "Next Generation" series continues this week with a profile of Trent Thompson. Thompson is one of the highest-profile members of Georgia's 2015 class. A 5-star prospect, the 6-foot-4, 311-pound defensive lineman is rated No. 1 in America in 247Sports.com's composite rankings of all recruits at all positions. But like most of these young men, there is a lot more to Thompson than meets the eye.
Thompson's profile follows packages I've already done on linebacker Roquan Smith and offensive lineman Sam Madden. Next week we'll share details of our visit with defensive back Juwuan Briscoe of Waldorf, Md.
10. This & that: Georgia junior Maicel Uibo was named one of 10 semifinalists for The Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track and field's highest individual honor. Uibo, a native of Polva, Estonia, is the first member of the Georgia men's team to be named a semifinalist. Finalists will be announced on July 8. Uibo defended his NCAA decathlon title last week to become only the fourth competitor in history to win two in a row in the event. He scored 10 of the Bulldogs' 13 points en route to a 15th-place team finish. Uibo scored a school record 8,356 points, which makes him the No. 4 all-time collegiate performer with the No. 4 all-time NCAA performance. Last year, freshman Kendell Williams from the women's team was included as a semifinalist. …
Former Bulldog Charles Johnson held his annual "Sports Academy and Community Night" in Hawkinsville this past weekend. And his list of assistants for conducting the sports camps was a real who's who in athletics. According to The Macon Telegraph, the event featured 15 NFL players and one NBA player, as well as two coaches from the Carolina Panthers. Former Bulldogs included Fernando Velasco, Justin Houston, Jarius Wynn, D.J. Shockley and Jarvis Jones. Current UGA player Leonard Floyd also made an appearance. NFL players included Frank Alexander Jr., Kawann Short and Mario Addison, Johnson's teammates with the Panthers, as well as Jasper Brinkley, Frank Kearse, Captain Munnerlyn, Cliff Avril and Brandon LaFell. P.J. Hairston of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets also was there.
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