Georgia Bulldogs
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Georgia Bulldogs Football History |
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Georgia's Nickname
One of the best known mascots in the country, Uga is from a line owned
by Frank W. (Sonny) Sieler of Savannah, GA. since 1956. The current line
began with Uga I, a solid white English Bulldog who was the grandson of
a former Georgia mascot who made the trip to the 1943 Rose Bowl. Perhaps
the most famous Uga was Uga V who made appearances in the movie
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". He also graced the cover of
Sports Illustrated. Uga IV was the first mascot invited to the downtown
athletic club and was escorted through the banquet hall by the president
of the Downtown Athletic Club and was photographed with Heisman Trophy
winner Herschel Walker. He was also the only mascot to make it to the
Final Four basketball tournament.
The unique Georgia helmet featuring the oval "G" has become a tradition
that is known across the country as the logo of the Georgia Bulldogs.
The basic design was instituted by Vince Dooley when he became head
coach in 1964. He had been impressed with the look of the helmet worn by
the Green Bay Packers which featued the oval "G" but in a different
color scheme. Dooley settled on the black oval "G" surrounded by a white
oval background resting on each side of the bright red helmet. A white
stripe was placed over the top. The design has remained basically the
same ever since; however, a smaller black stripe was added inside the
white stripe over the top in 1996 by new head coach Jim Donnan. Silver Britches
The pants were the innovation of Coach Wally Butts in 1939. Through the
years fans refer to the pants in their chants. In the early fifties, the
cheer "Go, you silver britches" came about. Vince Dooley redesigned the
uniform in 1964 and made the pants white. He reinstated the silver pants
in 1980 which turned out to be the championship season.
The chapel bell is rung after a Georgia victory. The tradition began the
1890's when the football field was located only yards from the chapel.
Students rang the bell in celebration after a big Georgia win. The chore
used to be reserved for freshman, but now students and alumni rush to
the Chapel after a football victory.
A 375-member marching band. First directed in 1905 by R.E. Haughey, the
band has only had seven directors. It is considered by many to be the
"heart" of the Bulldog spirit.
Among the University's oldest and most lasting traditions is the school
fight song, "Glory, Glory" which is sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn
of the Republic." It was sung at games as early as the 1890s, but
arranged in its present form by Georgia musician-composer Hugh Hodgson
in 1915. There have been many Bulldog songs through the years and at
least two collections dating back to 1909 have been published, but none
have enjoyed more acceptance than "Glory, Glory."
Battle cry of Bulldog fans that surfaced in the 1970's. It gained
national attention when a major wire service picked it up after
Georgia's victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to claim the
national championship. Many newspapers all over the country used it as a
headline.
This reference to Sanford Stadium dates back to the early 1930s. Famous
English privet hedges surround the playing field in Sanford Stadium.
They have been in place since the stadium was dedicated in 1929.
"Between the hedges" is a popular phrase that was supposedly coined by
legendary Atlanta sportswriter Grantland Rice when he said of an
upcoming game "that the Bulldogs will have their opponent 'between the
hedges".
The historic arch which appears on the University of Georgia emblem sits
on North Campus and was installed in 1864. Freshman were forbidden to
walk under the arch for years. Once rigidly enforced, it is still
observed by many who learn of the tradition during orientation.
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five times in his story and the name has been
used ever since. 