The seniors on Georgia’s football team know their final game in Sanford Stadium will be a nostalgic, emotional experience.
“I don’t want to tear up, so I try not to think about it,” linebacker Amarlo Herrera said.
Herrera is among Georgia’s 27 senior players who will be honored before their final game between the hedges, Saturday’s showdown against Georgia Tech. The group includes 10 starters.
“It’ll hit me Saturday,” senior wide receiver Chris Conley said. “We’ll get all the nostalgic hugs and sobs and all that. But right now it’s a work week, and we’ve got to do what we can to prepare for the game.”
“If I could stay here and do another four years, I would,” senior defensive back Damian Swann said.
The team’s fourth-year seniors came to UGA in the much-hyped 2011 “Dream Team” recruiting class. The fifth-year seniors, who red-shirted one season, weathered a 6-7 record as freshmen in 2010.
“It’s just been a long road, really a character building kind of time in my life,” said wide receiver Michael Bennett, who enrolled in 2010. “I’ve learned a lot of lessons that I’ll take for the rest of my life. I’ve seen a lot of leadership come and go. It’s been interesting. It’s developed me as a leader myself. It’s just been a fun time.”
In alphabetical order, the 27 seniors are: center David Andrews, cornerback Tristan Askew, offensive guard Mark Beard, Bennett, Conley, offensive guard Watts Dantzler, offensive tackle Zach DeBell, defensive end Ray Drew, wide receiver Michael Erdman, punter Adam Erickson, fullback Merritt Hall, Herrera, offensive tackle Kolton Houston, defensive end Toby Johnson, tailback Kyle Karempelis, tight end Jack Loonam, quarterback Hutson Mason, fullback Taylor Maxey, linebacker AJ McDonald, defensive back Corey Moore, defensive back Lucas Redd, wide receiver Jonathon Rumph, Swann, defensive lineman Mike Thornton, linebacker Kosta Vavlas, offensive lineman Xzavier Ward and linebacker Ramik Wilson.
“The thing I hear from those guys the most … is just how fast their senior year went and how they can’t believe this is their last game between the hedges and how much it means to them,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Young guys usually don’t get reflective, but when you’re a senior, you start reflecting back on your career. You remember yourself as a freshman and then see yourself as a senior, and you realize how much you’ve grown.”
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