Dogs’ next quarterback has been waiting in wings
This is one story, told by two authors.
It is the one about the patient Georgia understudy who bites down hard on his pride, watches some other hotshot quarterback get all the snaps and never lets the world know how difficult that can be.
Then, at the last possible moment, the good and true backup finally gets his shot, the Bulldogs win, the crowd cheers and every decision he has made seems right.
D.J. Shockley did it first, and until proved otherwise, did it best.
As Joe Cox begins work on his own version, about the best thing that any fan can hear now is Shockley saying, “Joe and I are alike in a lot of ways.”
Before even thinking about Cox’s claim on the role of 2009 starting quarterback, there is the matter of precedent.
Cox was in his first season at UGA when Shockley was doing his one-season stand at Sanford Stadium. For years, the whole cynical world kept telling Shockley he should transfer somewhere more welcoming to his skills. But the Atlanta kid stayed, because he felt good in Athens, and he trusted the coaches and himself enough to know that his time would come.
ajc.com
1/10/09
