buck belue valdosta high school
It was infuriating.. The first part of the book is my journey through Valdosta and the secrets to all the winning. All Rights Reserved. Search and browse yearbooks online! "It allowed me to talk about my hometown and brag on the people that helped me through those high school days. 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. Rush Propst believes the Netflix series "Titletown High," which debuts Friday and chronicles the 2020 season of the Valdosta High School football team, will "clear some things up" about . It was WWII. Georgia legend Buck Belue helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1980 national championship and has published a book called " 'Inside the Hedges: The Quarterback's Journey to the 1980 National Championship." Most coaches are going to take their schemes to the grave, but he learned the new offense and made the change for the team. It was WWII. 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 behind the curtain look at my story from Valdosta High through the University of Georgia. "I got to work last year on it, before the football season started," Belue said. The GHSFHA "State Records Project" is an attempt to research and publish reported state records in Georgia high school football. If you are a good ole boy from the South, it's going to be hard to find a better name than Buck Belue. Find out more. I was wise beyond my years because of them. Buck Belue Buck Blanton Calvin Waters Caroline Everitte Cassandra Morris Catherine (Cathy) Pearlman Chad Wilson Charles Fluit . Books can be ordered at InsideTheHedges.com or in person at one of Belues appearances. Belue was a star quarterback at Valdosta High School. But part of Belue's focus in writing the book was shining a light on his hometown of Valdosta, as well as some of the lesser known players on Georgia's 1980 team. It remains one of those indelible football moments from which Buck Belue can never escape, nor does he want to. We learned a lot. 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 A lot of my motivation was to brag on some players and coaches at Valdosta and at Georgia that never got the credit they deserved.. Joe wanted us to embrace the country boy label, Prince said. Georgia quarterback Buck Belue got things moving for Georgia in the second quarter, engineering a scoring drive in only four plays for a 14-3 lead. A third Wildcat quarterback to be storied among these pages of Bulldawg Illustrated, this is Greg Talley, an alumni of Valdosta High School and the University of Georgia sounds familiar.For two of my previous 2019 columns, quarterbacks at VHS and Georgia (Buck Belue and John Lastinger) have been featured, so why stop there?A few years after these studs suited up in the silver britches, we . It seems like a waste to have been exposed to so much (football knowledge), and not share it. The Bengals drafted him in the sixth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. Sandra Belue's son and his roommate, Scott, had just carved out a piece of immortality. 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. I just think of all the people that helped me get there, as I mentioned, Coach Bazemore, Coach Hyder, Coach Wilson, Coach Rudolph. To order a book or get a copy at a book signing, click here. 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. 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. 3 Georgia high school football player of all time by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2007, and this is just his football career. Its something were going to build on. Wilson had fulfilled his first promise to Martin: A winning season in his first try, something Lowndes had never before experienced. There was some of that thought process going on. Credit: Photo by Chris McShane (provided by Buck Belue). In three high school seasons, Andrews rushed for 4,252 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry, and scored 58 touchdowns. You mentioned that you saw many of the players that were on the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame ballot or were voted in. Two, Ill beat Valdosta, which youve never done. The Vikings ran onto the field with their new Plowboys jerseys, and the home crowd went nuts. ", Former Georgia quarterback and current Forsyth County resident Buck Belue, right, with Universities Forever owners Stuart Cohen, left, and Jini Lee. His 37 career touchdowns are fourth all-time for the franchise. [2] Belue was named captain of the 1981 team. He is from American. 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. I remember Stanley Bounds. Hopefully the renewed interest in the program would spill over and may have people interested in what happened in 1980.". Search and browse yearbooks online! For him it simply was a passion project that needed to be done. 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. He was credited with 130 tackles as a senior. Former UGA quarterback Buck Belue authors book on 1980 championship season, Online archive of print stories 2006-present, Pick em 2022 Forsyth Sports football picks, Football: Forsyth County News Media Day-watch the videos. Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States.As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Oh yeah, they had a bounty out for Bucks jersey, Baker said. Buck Belue is the only Quarterback to start all four years at Quarterback for Valdosta High. Schools . Belue said he and most of his Georgia teammates understood after hearing Dooleys explanation about his deep relationships at Auburn. 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. He hasnt given up his day job, which is to conduct a daily sports-talk show on Atlanta radio station The Fan. That next morning, as Valdosta faculty, students, and parents begin arriving at the school, they saw the huge Viking ship floating in the pond in front of their school. Belue also talked to all of the players about being positive influences and representing themselves and the Valdosta Wildcats well. Last season, he was backup to another Valdosta alumnus, All-Southeastern. As a highly recruited back, Rogers went to South Carolina, where rushed for 5,091 yards, including 1,781 as a 1980 senior. They put it on us my freshman year. Belue played two seasons in the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Buck Belue Georgia QB. Brooks made the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Prince said thats when Joe Wilson decided he would accept an invitation to go over and meet with Martin. 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. He fell short of a state title when Clarke Central beat Valdosta 16-14 in the 1977 Class 3A championship. We were in an extra bedroom, and his wife came in a couple of times and told him dinner was ready. 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.. But I never in any way committed to them.. Salary in 2020. Belue will host a book signing for his new book "Inside the Hedges". Mark Lemke joins me. He played for what is regarded as the greatest Valdosta team ever, which went 13-0 in route to a Class 3A title. 4 Georgia high school football player of all time. Your high school friends are looking for you! INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMME . It goes on the shelf, then you're back working on it again. I talked with Coach [Jim] Hughes about that later. 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. Lowndes High School opened its doors to students in 1966, and by 1968 was able to field a football team. Thats when I figured it was time to go., 3. Want to get the content before anyone else? We just rolled with it and said the timing is the timing. He also added 1,487 rushing yards and 87 passing or rushing touchdowns. Valdosta High School 4590 Inner Perimeter Road Valdosta, GA 31601 Phone: (229) 333-8540 Fax: (229) 333-8584. They were very different. 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. That still sort of haunts me even today., 7. Billy Henderson [Clarke Centrals coach] called three straight timeouts and iced the kicker. They are two very-talented guys. Rogers was the Wildcats team manager in 1994 and a top Wildcat supporter. Belue told Turner and Johnson that three things a good quarterback must do are: know the down and distance, protect the football and be tough. 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. Todays interviewee is Buck Belue, sports talk show host for 680 The Fan, quarterback for Georgias 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 Georgias 1980 season and his athletic career. Brooks would become Auburns all-time leading rusher with 3,523 yards, which remains third in school history. You do well at Valdosta High, and you get a shot to play some college ball. The Georgia football team had just put a bow on an undefeated regular season with a resounding 38-20 win over Georgia Tech in 1980 when the players awoke the following morning to news that coach Vince Dooley reportedly was leaving to become coach and athletic director at Auburn. 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. But it missed its mark literally. In the 2011 game, Lowndes was leading 17-7, and with only 1:14 remaining in the game, looked like they were on their way to their eighth straight win in the Winnersville Classic. He also became the first active player at South Carolina to have his jersey retired, No. "The real motivation for me was, I've had so many people through the years ask me about Valdosta, where I grew up, and the football program being so successful," Belue said. Generally, they build in signings around their everyday lives. Macon, GA Position: QB Height: 6'1" Weight: 190 College: Georgia High School: Valdosta (GA) Career: 1984-1985 Buck Belue played from 1984 to 1985 during his career with the Jacksonville Bulls. The Cats still maintain that designation. Youd see him around town and stop and go wow. Youd be in awe. @ThePodcastPark. Kinnebrew was named the AJCs Class A Lineman of the Year and was a Parade All-American. You also talk about the other coaches at Valdosta, especially offensive coordinator Joe Wilson, who later became Lowndes head coach and led the Vikings to a 1980 state title, and Jack Rudolph, Valdostas longtime defensive mastermind [and father of Georgia Tech and NFL player Coleman Rudolph]. I talked with Coach [Jim] Hughes about that later. He will be inducted with Belue in October. Rome settled on professional football, playing four NFL seasons with the Chiefs. "I had no idea that Georgia would win the national title. I remember Buck had to go to the locker room and get another jersey. You just looked at Bazemore like Lombardi at the time. If you are a Valdosta alumn, we encourage you to register and be sure to sign up for the alumni newsletter. GO CATS! What did those coaches mean to you? Netflix on Friday is premiering 'Titletown High,' a documentary series chronicling Valdosta (Ga.) High School's 2020 football season and Rush Propst, its controversial coach. Dooley stayed, Georgia went on complete the last perfect season in school history, and Belue and his coach are just fine. With Coach Hyder, you just couldnt imagine anyone working harder than him to be successful. What some might not know is that Belue's career as a writer began in earnest around that same time. Bazemore watched you play in youth ball and suggested to the coaches that they move you to quarterback. We got the ball with about three or four minutes left inside our own 10 and drove down to the 1-yard line with like two seconds left. 1. FCN staff. We had some tense moments during those years, but I sort of wanted a hard-to-please coach. Tales like McGuyrts are part of a timeless record shared by Valdosta-area locals. 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. He was the quarterback, and he went to Ole Miss. Then, Prince said, prior to the 1979 game, Lowndes was warming up in their traditional crimson jerseys. I just think of all the people that helped me get there, as I mentioned, Coach Bazemore, Coach Hyder, Coach Wilson, Coach Rudolph. When Buck finished his career he was the state's all-time passing leader with 5,214 yards. Sign up for our email newsletter. In football, Belue was named to the first-team All-SEC team in 1981. . It was fun to finally get it all down on paper, Belue said of the writing process. We were in position to win the national championship and he is about to jump to our rival? Heads up to Atlanta area high school quarterbacks and receivers: I'll be hosting my annual QB Passing Camp this July, again. In 2007, the AJC ranked him the No. All the 1980 UGA stars are mentioned, but also prominently featured are teammates such as Nat Hudson, Hugh Nall, Jimmy Womack, Amp Arnold, Jimmy Payne, Eddie Weaver and Nate Taylor and assistant coaches Mike Cavan and Wayne McDuffie, among others. It was the last one. No question about it.. He had everybody running the same offense so that by time you got to middle school and high school, you didnt have to learn any of it. The Valdosta High class of '78 alumni are listed below. 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. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. I was wise beyond my years because of them. Plus, Buck's Beat Podcast. The 2007 estimate showed a population of 130,170 in the Valdosta metropolitan area. Those who were part of the game shared the plays and players they remember the most. These are former students from VHS in Valdosta, GA who graduated in 1978. He set other state records in high school football that lasted decades, including the single-season receiving record of 1,573 yards as a sophomore in 1971. And I have so many great memories of him taking time to help coach me up. Published: Apr 25, 2022, 10:44 AM. An astounding number at the time and a record that took more than a decade to break. 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. I had wanted to meet him, said Turner, the only other quarterback to start as a freshman for Valdosta in the last 50 years. It was just playing for the Wildcats. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. [3], Belue also lettered in baseball all four years at Georgia. The first time I played quarterback was in the eighth grade. 31. How did Bazemore make a quarterback out of you? The Winnersville Classic featuring Lowndes vs. Valdosta was born. Wilson decided he would accept an invitation to go to the coaches that they move to... Needed to be successful Martin: a winning season in his first promise to Martin: a winning in!, Lowndes was warming up in their traditional crimson jerseys 2 ] Belue was named captain of game. 'S career as a 1980 senior the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame 2014. Would become Auburns all-time leading rusher with 3,523 yards, including 1,781 as a highly recruited back Rogers! Tales like McGuyrts are part of a state title when Clarke Central beat Valdosta in... 3A title I had No idea that Georgia would win the national title Wildcat supporter a copy a. 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