Recently, the Georgia Bulldogs have asserted themselves as the class of college football. With a superb 29-1 record and back-to-back national championships over the last two years, the Bulldogs are on the verge of becoming the sport's next dynasty. Georgia football has had some good history, but this is clearly its golden age.
Long before this recent run, though, Georgia has been sending talented players to the NFL in droves. The Bulldogs have five former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, far from the most of any school but still very solid. With their current trajectory, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them climb up the list in the years to come.
The 2023 NFL Draft is just a couple weeks away, and several Georgia football players are about to begin their professional journeys. In anticipation of the draft, let's take a look back at some of the greatest NFL Bulldogs of all time. Narrowing the list down to just five players was very tough, but ultimately, these players asserted themselves above the rest.
With that said, let's meet the five greatest Georgia football players in NFL history.
5. Richard Seymour, DL, 2001-12
Richard Seymour was part of a Georgia football defensive line in the late 90s that produced four future first-round picks. In four seasons, Seymour himself racked up 223 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and a First-Team All-American in 2000.
Seymour began his professional career with the New England Patriots, who selected him at sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He had a solid rookie season with three sacks, helping the Patriots win their first of three Super Bowls in his time with them. After his rookie year, he earned five straight Pro-Bowl selections, including three First-Team All-Pros and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2003. The Patriots eventually traded Seymour to the then-Oakland Raiders, and while he wasn't particularly happy about the deal, he still played well for the Raiders with two Pro-Bowl selections in four seasons.
It took a few years, but Seymour finally received his gold jacket in 2022. He is also in the Patriots' Hall of Fame and on the NFL's All-2000s team.
4. Terrell Davis, RB, 1995-2001
Terrell Davis' career may have been short, but boy was it sweet. A San Diego native, Davis originally transferred to Georgia football after his original school, Long Beach State, cut its football program due to budgetary concerns. He had a strong three-year career with 2,186 yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage. However, he missed time with injury in his senior season in 1994, which negatively impacted his draft stock.
Despite the injury concerns, the Denver Broncos took a chance on Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis had a great rookie season, finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting with 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. In the three seasons after that, Davis was unstoppable, recording at least 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns in each. He won Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 and 1998, also winning league MVP in the latter, and helped Denver win back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Davis to just 17 games over the next three seasons, and he retired before the 2002 season. If Davis had remained healthy and kept up his production, he could have been one of the best running backs of all time. Still, he accomplished so much in his short career, and finally received his gold jacket in 2017.
3. Charley Trippi, RB/QB/DB, 1947-55
Charley Trippi played a much different brand of football than exists today, but he was a superstar in his time. With Georgia football, he won the national championship in 1942 and, in 1946, he was the SEC Player of the Year and won the Maxwell Award as the nation's most outstanding player. These two events sandwiched his military service in World War II, which caused him to miss the 1943 and 1944 seasons.
The then-Chicago Cardinals took Trippi with the first overall pick in the 1947 draft, and he would spend his entire nine-year career with them. In that time, he earned two All-Pro selections, one First-Team, and two Pro Bowl selections in separate seasons. He also helped the Cardinals win the NFL championship in his rookie season, which is still their most recent championship. Trippi received his gold jacket in 1968.
2. Champ Bailey, CB, 1999-2013
Champ Bailey is one of the greatest NFL corners of this century, but he played a different role for Georgia football. Yes, he still played corner, but he was a triple threat too, also taking snaps at receiver and kick returner. In three seasons, Bailey racked up 147 tackles, 27 passes defended and eight interceptions. He also was a unanimous All-American and won the Bronco Nagurski Award as the nation's top defender in 1998.
Washington selected Bailey at seventh overall in the 1999 NFL Draft, a move that paid immediate dividends. Bailey shined in five seasons with Washington, making the Pro Bowl four times. In 2004, Washington traded Bailey to Denver, and he only got better. In 10 seasons with the Broncos, Bailey earned eight Pro-Bowl and three First-Team All-Pro selections.
Bailey finished his illustrious career with 908 tackles, 203 passes defended and 52 interceptions. He received his invite to Canton in 2019, his first year of eligibility.
1. Fran Tarkenton, QB, 1961-78
Tarkenton was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time when he retired, and many would argue he still is. With Georgia football, he was a two-time First-Team All-SEC selection and helped the Bulldogs win the conference in 1959. While not lighting the world on fire, he was still good enough for the expansion Minnesota Vikings to take him in the third round of the 1961 NFL Draft.
Like most expansion teams, the Vikings struggled in their first few seasons, but Tarkenton was not the issue. He earned two Pro-Bowl nods in six seasons in Minnesota and was the clear bright spot on the team. In 1967, the Vikings traded him to the New York Giants, where he earned four more Pro-Bowl selections in five seasons. New York then traded him back to Minnesota in 1972, where he would earn three more Pro-Bowl selections and an MVP in 1978 before retiring after the 1978 season.
In 18 seasons, Tarkenton racked up 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns passing, plus 3,674 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing. He held many records at the time of his retirement, and received his gold jacket in 1986.
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