Baker said the bands from both schools began joining forces on the field before each game and would play the National Anthem together. Buck Belue is best known as the quarterback who led Georgia to its 1980 national championship, but he was widely known before that as a high school athlete. Valdosta High School - Sandspur Yearbook (Valdosta, GA), Class of 1975, Page 130 of 272 | E-Yearbook.com has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. They were up 40-0 with 30 seconds left and still giving the ball to William Andrews. That term remained dormant until 1981, when Johnny B. Lastinger, a Valdosta High graduate and the executive vice-president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, decided to take advantage of the Winnersville designation. The Falcons drafted Andrews in the third round, and he rushed for 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons before a knee injury cut his career short. I just think of all the people that helped me get there, as I mentioned, Coach Bazemore, Coach Hyder, Coach Wilson, Coach Rudolph. When I got to Georgia, I felt I was way ahead of the curve. You just looked at Bazemore like Lombardi at the time. Herschel Walker was the lone unanimous selectee for the inaugural class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame, selected on 35 of 35 ballots. The most improbable win for either team was this one, with Valdosta overcoming a 17-7 deficit in just 1:14 to win the Winnersville Classic over Lowndes. He hit .447 for the 1982 season and his .356 career batting average (he also hit 30 homers and scored 114 runs) remains among the top 10 in school history. Search and browse yearbooks online! Belue, who lives in Forsyth County, currently hosts the Buck Belue Show on 680 The Fan. It was the last one. Reached by phone this week, Dooley said he has not yet read Belues book. And a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. Furious, actually. He was going to youth league programs, scouting the local talent. Valdosta High School is the most successful High School football program in the country. Seeing Andy Johnson in 1969 was one of my first recollections of high school football [at the 1969 Class 3A championship game between Athens and Valdosta at Cleveland Field]. "I had a daily planner that my dad gave me when I was at Georgia," Belue said. Id be interested to know how hell react, though.. This is the story of the Winnersville Classic, the annual showdown between Valdosta High School and Lowndes High School. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Buck Belue profile on WCNN (AM)680 The Fan, "John Kincade, Steak Shapiro out amidst Dickey Broadcasting cuts", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buck_Belue&oldid=1106291103, This page was last edited on 24 August 2022, at 00:05. I basically wrote it on a Word document with the help of an editor, Belue said in a telephone interview this week. "We just love it. The interview below follows the Four Questions format, plus three bonus questions with Belues thoughts on making the Hall of Fame (induction is Oct. 22), his most memorable high school game and how coach Wright Bazemore made him a quarterback. Fortunately, that didnt happen too often.. The talented running back rushed 21 times for 414 yards and 6 TDs, leading Lowndes to a 71-35 victory. There were so many, but I remember Todd Peterson in the 1987 game kicking a 47-yard field goal to beat Lowndes at their place, OBrien said. Buck Belue 0:00 0:32 The "best team ever" conversation is an interesting one. Martin brought in Wilson for an interview after hearing that the coach was not exactly happy with the Wildcats at the time. He played both football and basketball at Clemson and was a three-year starter on the hardwood. Former Georgia quarterback Buck Belue is no stranger to the radio. We still do that now, just not as much.. The native of Jessup has made his home in Valdosta since retiring from professional football and is an avid supporter of UGA athletics and a dedicated follower of local high school football. ], Ive also got some memories of Coach Hyder trying to turn the program around, and he took me to some playoff games to watch Michael Jolly [the quarterback on Central-Macons 1975 Class 3A championship team]. Belue is a radio talk show host in Atlanta (on 680 AM), but remains a big fan of Wildcat football. Between plays, we would stand there and listen to Coach Rudolph break down the responsibilities of each defensive player for the play we just ran. Thats when I figured it was time to go., 3. He was the first Georgia-grown player to win the Heisman. I talked with Coach [Jim] Hughes about that later. "I had no idea that Georgia would win the national title. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 12-0, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. The defibrillator was donated by the Lord Wedgwood Charity, in Belues name. To order a book or get a copy at a book signing, click here. Benjamin Franklin 'Buck' Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. My thought was that they played in Albany last night and probably got in bed at 3 a.m., and hes up scouting out the talent in town. UGA star Jalen Carter present at scene of fatal crash, Georgia Tech hammers Syracuse as Jackets late-season surge continues, Braves notes: Jared Shusters first spring game, Michael Sorokas progress, Ian Anderson on spring debut: Im not gonna sugarcoat it. He was a country boy and proud of it. Guy Belue is on Facebook. Buck Belue, who quarterbacked Georgia to a national championship in 1980, was at Universities Forever in Cumming on Saturday to promote his book 'Inside the Hedges: The Quarterback's Journey to the 1980 National Championship.' - photo by David Roberts. 1. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 12-0, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. Breaking down Vaughn Grissom trying to replace Dansby Swanson at shortstop. This isn't conjecture, it's really fact. They just had a huge impact in my career along with all those teammates I played with at Valdosta, many of them deserving of those kinds of honors. INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMME . Way too much credit is given to Herschel (Walker) and Lindsay (Scott) and Buck. Belue has been an ultimate survivor in a fickle business, more than 15 years doing afternoon sports-talk radio with 680 The Fan in Atlanta. VHS is one of only 39 schools in Georgia . Buck Belue Georgia QB. I appreciate these guys taking time out of their busy schedules to come out here and work with these players, Belue said. In practice, it was always the 1s against the 1s. He came in from West Rome with the idea of running the wishbone like he was doing in Rome, and I was coming over for spring football as an eighth grader, and it wasnt a couple of months later we were back for preseason practice, and he was totally shifted to the Bazemore offense, as we called it. We missed a chip-shot field goal that wouldve won the state championship for all of us. So, I felt like I needed to respect (Auburn) by taking a look at it. How could he do this? They just burned the thing, Prince said. With Coach Bazemore, I just looked at him as an innovator offensively. Belue also details in the book how he balanced his baseball pursuits while competing to be the starting quarterback on a team that won back-to-back SEC championships. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. Host of Buck's Beat podcast. Brooks rushed for 1,816 yards as a senior, 1,852 yards as a junior and 1,088 as a sophomore. When Belue finally got to his mom and dad, the tears were flowing. In 2007, the AJC ranked Kinnebrew as the No. It remains one of those indelible football moments from which Buck Belue can never escape, nor does he want to. I had Jack Rudolph coaching the defense. These are former students from VHS in Valdosta, GA who graduated in 1978. Closed on Weekends. that led to a victory over the University of Florida, which was at one time tied with two other passing plays as the longest passing touchdown in Georgia history. Belue played one more season at Georgia, leading the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record the following year while engineering an offense that averaged 31 points per game, the ninth most in the country in 1981. He was totally unselfish, too. Probably the most successful event to date was a couple of weeks ago in Valdosta. VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) - The Valdosta High School football team has been hit with sanctions from the Georgia High School Association following an investigation into the program. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Walker the No. The student then greased the entire flag pole from top to bottom, ensuring that it would not be very easy for Valdosta High maintenance to climb up to detach the Viking flag. Simmons, a defensive lineman and tight end, was the AJCs Class 3A Lineman of the Year and a Coach Athlete All-American and Joe Namath All-American. Join Facebook to connect with Guy Belue and others you may know. 25 Georgia high school player of all-time. The best players I saw play in the game were quarterback Cedric Hatten for us, and for Lowndes it was Greg Reid. The first time I played quarterback was in the eighth grade. That still sort of haunts me even today., 7. Buck Belue - Player Card Home >> Minor League Baseball College Baseball High School Baseball Boxscores and Analysis Other Topics Minor Leagues >> Minor League Players Minor League Teams Affiliate History Minor Leagues Minor Leagues by Season Independent Baseball Leagues Prospects Minor League Awards Minor League People Minor League Transactions Sign up for our email newsletter. I admired these athletes. I think it was number 1.. William Andrews was the leading rusher for Thomasvilles consecutive state champions in 1973 and 1974. @680TheFan. [7], Since 2000, Belue has been a sports radio host with WCNN in Atlanta, Georgia. Created by Ellen Kennerly Made with Squarespace, 2022 Georgia High School Football Daily. The signing will be held at the Salty Snapper, located at 1405 Gornto Road in Valdosta, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Belue will also be speaking to all in attendance, discussing details about the book starting . The Valdosta fans had bumper stickers that read, City Slickers and, Mama, dont let your babies grow up to be plowboys, Prince said. Ive been wanting to do this for some time, Belue said. I had wanted to meet him, said Turner, the only other quarterback to start as a freshman for Valdosta in the last 50 years. I was blessed with this great coaching. [Belue passed for a state-record 5,214 yards and won two region titles in his four Valdosta seasons. Bazemore watched you play in youth ball and suggested to the coaches that they move you to quarterback. . We had weight limits, and if you weighed a certain amount, you couldnt play in the backfield, and I was a bigger kid then. A couple of students jumped in the water and secured the ship so that it would not float over to the shore.. In 1977, Valdosta Daily Times sports editor Mike Chason, a native of south Georgia and recent graduate of Valdosta State University, wrote a story for the paper comparing the pro sports teams of Atlanta to the sports scene in Valdosta. Rogers was the 1981 NFL Rookie of the Year. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. Billy Henderson [Clarke Centrals coach] called three straight timeouts and iced the kicker. He is from American. 38. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted to do, you know? Rogers was the Wildcats team manager in 1994 and a top Wildcat supporter. In Buck's first year as quarterback the Valdosta Wildcats were 3-7. Im glad he came here and did this for us. He was redshirted during what would have been his regular sophomore season at Georgia after suffering a knee injury. He often mentions the Wildcats on his show, and usually calls the station Friday night to give them Valdostas score. It got to be a normal thing to see fans pulling over off of Ashley Street and Patterson Street and getting out of their cars to fight, Redshaw said. At quarterback, its about being a leader, and being a field general. [Johnson scored on a 68-yard run on the final play of the first half, then threw a 28-yard TD pass and a two-point conversion in the final seconds for a 26-26 tie. Nobody would have a better perspective from a players standpoint than Buck as the quarterback of that team.. It was designed to look like it was coming from Lowndes fans. Sandra Belue's son and his roommate, Scott, had just carved out a piece of immortality. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 120, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. Buck Belue is the only Quarterback to start all four years at Quarterback for Valdosta High. $1 Million - $5 Million. That passage appears in Chapter 18 -- titled The Dooley Drama -- of the 199-page book. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. He was the 24th overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but his best seasons came in Cincinnati, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times (1986, 1988-1990). Also, I was motivated by writing about the 1980 season and about the guys that never got the credit. The interview below follows the Four Questions format, along with three bonus questions with Belues thoughts on making the Hall of Fame (induction is Oct. 22), his most memorable high school game and how coach Wright Bazemore made him a quarterback. I should have done it a long time ago. [3], Belue also lettered in baseball all four years at Georgia. What was the most memorable high school game that you played? I have nothing but respect for the man, Belue said of Dooley. Sales have picked up over the summer as Belue often with family in tow has embarked on a book-signing tour around Georgia and in Bulldogs strongholds outside the state. Larry Kinnebrewrushed for more than 1,000 yards as a fullback and was the dominant force defensively on East Romes 15-0 Class A champion that shut out nine opponents and held four others to seven points or less in 1977. He played for what is regarded as the greatest Valdosta team ever, which went 13-0 in route to a Class 3A title. Don Shula's Miami Dolphins went undefeated and won the Super Bowl. Buck Belue's QB Camp Recap Gallery Registration is open to all high-school-age Quarterbacks, however Buck will only be inviting the best 30 QBs and 20 Wide Receivers to participate. How would you contrast and compare those iconic coaches? Mason Elementary School ; W.G. The longtime Lowndes coach was quick to offer his memory of the best performance he saw in the Classic. He bypassed his senior season and went to the USFL and totaled 7,046 all-purpose yards and 61 touchdowns in three years. She finally came in and dumped it on his lap. I just think of all the people that helped me get there, as I mentioned, Coach Bazemore, Coach Hyder, Coach Wilson, Coach Rudolph. Today's interviewee is Buck Belue, sports talk show host for 680 The Fan, quarterback for Georgia's 1980 national championship team, four-year starting quarterback at Valdosta, inaugural selectee into the new Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame and author of a new book, "Inside The Hedges," a look at Georgia's 1980 season and his athletic career. What are your thoughts on making the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame? In 1982, Walker won the Heisman Trophy. With Coach Bazemore, I just looked at him as an innovator offensively. We spent so many Friday nights at Cleveland Field, or Bazemore-Hyder Stadium as they call it now, watching them win big. Chip Towers covers the Georgia Bulldogs for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Belue set the state record for career passing yards with 5,214, which he accumulated as a four-year starter at Valdosta. High School: Valdosta HS (Valdosta, GA) School: University of Georgia (Athens, GA) Full Name: Benjamin F. Belue View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. He also ran for 75 yards in 10 attempts. Belue also details in the book how he. They just had a huge impact in my career along with all those teammates I played with at Valdosta, many of them deserving of those kinds of honors. Belue was a star quarterback at Valdosta High School. Georgia was loaded with talent in 1980 there were five future NFL Draft picks on the roster, plus Hall of Fame head coach Vince Dooley and legendary defensive coordinator Erk Russell. He went on to play both football and baseball at Georgia. The following year, he put up a career-best 714 rushing yards. High School Highlights - Portal state basketball advances Prep Sports Blitz - Feb. 18, 2023 The Eagles Nest - Feb. 19, 2023 He also added 1,487 rushing yards and 87 passing or rushing touchdowns. But that was about to change. His next signings currently are planned for July 22 (6-8 p.m.) at Padriacs in Vinings and July 24 (4-6 p.m.) at Rosatis Sports Pub in Belues current hometown of Cumming. You have permission to edit this article. Its an oral history that will never die in fact, it just keeps growing, year after year, down there in Winnersville. That was just heart-breaking. I dont blame the players for feeling that way, said Dooley, who will turn 90 in September. What did those coaches mean to you? But the current Wildcats still know who he is. The head coaches would always come and speak to the small gathering. After the game, Joe Wilson told me, Baker, as John Bond was running down the sideline, I came real close to sticking my foot out and tripping him, but I changed my mind.. Reid is forever known for The Run against Valdosta in the 2007 game. He came through for me on that, which was huge.. Buck Belue Social Network Timeline 2007 He is also the only quarterback to start all four years for the Valdosta Wildcats where he was inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007. Coach Jerry Don Baker confirmed the rumor. He was the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in 1980, when the team went 12-0, and, after beating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, was named the consensus national champion. $100 would be given to the Lowndes player who could produce a piece of Bucks jersey. I really enjoyed working with Mike and Alfrie, and getting to know them, Belue said. This University of Georgiarelated article is a stub. Heset a Bengals record in 1984 with four rushing touchdowns in a game against the Houston Oilers. Buck Belue is a 1978 graduate of Valdosta High School in Valdosta, GA. Sign up on Classmates for free to reconnect with Buck Belue and other high school alumni. Sports Illustrated said last fall . 31. 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