"It allowed me to talk about my hometown and brag on the people that helped me through those high school days. And when it came to recruiting, he was the only coach I felt like I could trust with the baseball thing. We sort of fell into it. Rome said in high school, he did. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. I remember in the 1981 game, quarterback John Bond took off down the Lowndes sideline and ran for an 80-yard touchdown, Baker said. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great local journalism. Belue was a star quarterback at Valdosta High School. The Valdosta fans had bumper stickers that read, City Slickers and, Mama, dont let your babies grow up to be plowboys, Prince said. I would soak up all this knowledge. Everybody was running the Wing-T, and he ran the pro set, throwing the ball. Joe wanted us to embrace the country boy label, Prince said. In 2007, the AJC ranked him the No. 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. 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 also details in the book how he. valdosta high school Fields Victoria Lane-Long Victor James Vivian Manghram Voncil Moss We would have to hire extra security guards for the entire week of the game, starting on Sunday night, and it would last all week long until the game was over, Redshaw said. Im just humbled really by it all, just thankful that I was working alongside those coaches and teammates, without whom I wouldnt be able to enjoy something like this. Stan Rome was awesome, too. 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. They worked on it all week. Prince recalled a prank that took place the week of the 1974 game. Thats when I figured it was time to go., 3. Youd see him around town and stop and go wow. Youd be in awe. 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. I really appreciate him letting me come out here and do this, because a lot of coaches wouldnt.. Bazemore watched you play in youth ball and suggested to the coaches that they move you to quarterback. The quarterback thing happened late for me, and it was Wright Bazemore that told the middle school coach to move me to quarterback, so I owe much of my football success to Coach Bazemore for having the insight to get me over to that position. No question about it.. Breaking down Vaughn Grissom trying to replace Dansby Swanson at shortstop. His 34 wins as Valdostas signal caller is a team record, and hes the programs only four-year starter (1974-77). Coach Wilson would be saying we can throw to this running back because weve got this linebacker on him. Some call them Winnersville. Rogers was among three Georgians named to the 1976 Coach & Athlete All-America team. This biographical article relating to an American football quarterback born in the 1950s is a stub. I admired these athletes. Height: 6'1" Weight: 190 College: Georgia High School: Valdosta (GA) USFL Career: 1984-1985 More: Buck Belue complete pro stats Buck Belue played from 1984 to 1985 during his career with the Jacksonville Bulls. He rushed for 3,133 yards in a nine-year NFL career. Nobody would have a better perspective from a players standpoint than Buck as the quarterback of that team.. April 13, 2021, 8:39 AM. That was Lowndes first win ever against Valdosta, whose quarterback was Buck Belue, the future University of Georgia star. . They were running the same sets and plays. Thats when I figured it was time to go., 3. My dad and I waited on Athens High to come out of the locker room, and were standing by the fence, and my dad is saying, Look, heres Andy Johnson. The first time I played quarterback was in the eighth grade. It was good learning from their experiences. GO CATS! In baseball, he had a career .356 batting average and became a second-round pick in the 1978 MLB Draft. ET to 11:00 a.m. ET. That place [Lowndes home stadium] was rocking before the 77 game, but we had known after that 76 game that this game was going to be different, and it was.. Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. How did Bazemore make a quarterback out of you? 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. If you are a Valdosta alumn, we encourage you to register and be sure to sign up for the alumni newsletter. The Bulldogs winning a national championship last season also served as an impetus. Sports Illustrated said last fall . I had other friends there, too, just like they did that day in that room. Buck Belue was born and raised in Titletown, USA also known as Valdosta, Georgia. The Lowndes administration was not happy about our little stunt.. Everybody was running the Wing-T, and he ran the pro set, throwing the ball. According to Baker, the win inspired a year-long rally cry: 7 to 2 we beat Belue., John Lastinger, the son of Johnny B. Lastinger, played receiver at Valdosta and would be the guy who succeeded Belue at quarterback. When Buck finished his career he was the state's all-time passing leader with 5,214 yards. We were playing old youth league football at 9, 10, 11 years old, and were playing at about 8 in the morning, and if you look back in the stands, youd usually see Coach Bazemore watching the games. You get what is known as one of the greatest rivalries in all of high school football so great that its included in the Great American Rivalry Series, which recognizes the top high school football rivalries across the nation. Among the sanctions . No wonder Buck eyed. As a young boy there growing up in Valdosta, we all dreamed of the day we would get to high school and wear that Wildcat uniform and win a state title. The dream was to wear that Valdosta uniform and do like every other graduate that came through, and that was win a state championship, and we played Clarke Central in Athens and lost 16-14. Their next option? He played four seasons in the CFL and USFL, then became a professional wrestler and the WCW heavyweight champion in 1992. Kinnebrew was named the AJCs Class A Lineman of the Year and was a Parade All-American. I basically wrote it on a Word document with the help of an editor, Belue said in a telephone interview this week. She finally came in and dumped it on his lap. Nelson knows he can't be too careful after he sparked a small-town tempest in the high school football hotbed of Valdosta, a city of more than 56,000 residents located about 15 miles north of the . We had about 500 flyers printed with a nasty message directed at our players, Henderson said. Chuck Knoll's Steelers were champions and as. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. Oscar universe belongs to 'Everything Everywhere'. And I have so many great memories of him taking time to help coach me up. We were in position to win the national championship and he is about to jump to our rival? They put it on us my freshman year. It was designed to look like it was coming from Lowndes fans. I thought long and hard about what I was going to put in there., Photos: Impressive details in Georgia Bulldogs championship rings, Athens celebrates its long-awaited Bulldogs title with parade and stadium event, The drought is over: Georgia is national champion again, Mark Bradley: Mighty Georgia runs down Bama to claim its long-sought championship, QB Stetson Bennetts story a testament to the Georgia community that nurtured him, Steve Hummer: Champion 1980 Bulldogs have waited long enough for company. It seems like a waste to have been exposed to so much (football knowledge), and not share it. VALDOSTA Buck Belue starred at quarterback for Valdosta High years before the team's current players were even born. Coach Jerry Don Baker confirmed the rumor. I knew coverage, I knew techniques, things that it seemed like these other quarterbacks didnt understand at the time. ], 4. I grew up admiring most of those guys on the list we were voting on. As a highly recruited back, Rogers went to South Carolina, where rushed for 5,091 yards, including 1,781 as a 1980 senior. The dream was to wear that Valdosta uniform and do like every other graduate that came through, and that was win a state championship, and we played Clarke Central in Athens and lost 16-14. Belue played all four years on Georgias baseball team. Chip Towers covers the Georgia Bulldogs for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Belue, who lives in Forsyth County, currently hosts the Buck Belue Show on 680 The Fan. Coach Wilson would be saying we can throw to this running back because weve got this linebacker on him. He came through for me on that, which was huge.. Buck Belue is the only Quarterback to start all four years at Quarterback for Valdosta High. The 2007 estimate showed a population of 130,170 in the Valdosta metropolitan area. 2. I grew up admiring most of those guys on the list we were voting on. Mason Elementary School ; W.G. It was WWII. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. Host of Buck's Beat podcast. "I got to work last year on it, before the football season started," Belue said. 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. Books can be ordered at InsideTheHedges.com or in person at one of Belues appearances. After years of typing and saving his reflections, Belue finally decided to put them together in a self-published book that was released earlier this year. 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. Belue credits his wife, Kelley, for kicking me in the butt to finally get it done. His daughter, Audrey -- who will attend Mississippi State as a freshman this fall -- serves as his assistant at signings and with daily logistics. 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. In 2007, the AJC ranked Kinnebrew as the No. Andrews was named to four Pro Bowls and earned two second-team All-Pro selections. [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. 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. I think it was number 1.. The. That turned on a light for me. While Atlanta was being called Loserville by mostly state and national sports writers, Chason replied in his column that Valdosta was doing very well with the success of its local sports teams and was worthy of the title Winnersville.. Last season, he was backup to another Valdosta alumnus, All-Southeastern. In basketball, Rome averaged 32 points per game as a high school senior and was MVP of the Georgia all-star basketball game. Kinnebrew signed with Georgia but transferred to Tennessee State. The Wildcats loss to Lowndes and the close game the year before were the turning points of the series, and turned it into a true rivalry, Lastinger said. If you are a good ole boy from the South, it's going to be hard to find a better name than Buck Belue. He was the first Georgia-grown player to win the Heisman. He fell short of a state title when Clarke Central beat Valdosta 16-14 in the 1977 Class 3A championship. I was wise beyond my years because of them. 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. Before he was an All-SEC running back at Auburn and played 13 NFL seasons, James Brooks led Warner Robins to a 1976 Class 3A championship and a National Sports News Service (NSNS) national title. The History of the Winnersville Classic: Valdosta, Lowndes and a Community-Wide Celebration, 4 Questions With Northside Warner Robins Football Coach Chad Alligood, One-Point Wins Highlight Exciting Georgia Boys Basketball Playoffs, 4 Questions with McEachern Football Coach Kareem Reid, McCullough Triplets Ready for Next Chapter in Wrestling Careers, Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman Honored by Hometown Tifton, Trinity Catholic Celtics Find Success with Former Gators QB John Brantley, Showcase Football Events Attract High-Profile Programs, Rewind: Top 10 Florida High School Football Prospects Since 2000. And a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. BUCK BELUE Belue, Benjamin Franklin Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Born: December 12, 1959 Macon, GA High School: Valdosta (GA) Joe told Martin, Ill give you three reasons: One, Ill give you a winning season, which youve never had. One of the motivations for doing the book was to talk about Valdosta High School and the football program through the years, and Ive had so many people, whether theyre Bulldog fans or not, ask questions about how Valdosta won all those games. Prince recalled how, prior to the 1985 Winnersville game, an idea was hatched to have someone ride a mule out to midfield before the Valdosta game, staying true to the plowboys image Lowndes had cultivated. 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. So the Viking flag flew high and proud over the Valdosta stadium property, for at least a little while.. 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. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. But it missed its mark literally. When Wilson arrived, he saw that many among the Lowndes faithful were not too crazy about the references to the Vikings being known as the country school. Most coaches are going to take their schemes to the grave, but he learned the new offense and made the change for the team. Stan Rome was awesome, too. His career total of 4,756 set a state record for the highest classification. Simmons was considered undersized for the NFL and went in the sixth round. Its a good feeling knowing you represent Valdosta. So, I felt like I needed to respect (Auburn) by taking a look at it. 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. When I got to Georgia, I felt I was way ahead of the curve. 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