Baker, who coached from 1976-2006, recalled showing up on Monday morning the week of the Lowndes game, year after year, to a Valdosta High campus awash in hundreds of rolls of toilet paper, and walls and windows painted with pro-Lowndes messages. He was the first 4 year starter at Quarterback at Valdosta High school. Stan Rome was a dominant two-sport athlete who still holds the state record for most receiving yards in a career (4,477) despite playing in a run-dominated era. Since it started playing football in 1913, Valdosta has won 612 games and lost 129, with 33 ties. He won state titles in Alabama at . She finally came in and dumped it on his lap. 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. Martin brought in Wilson for an interview after hearing that the coach was not exactly happy with the Wildcats at the time. My wife and I, when we decided to buy a home we didn't really know where we wanted to go, but we're just really blessed to have found Cumming. We just knew the crowd would go crazy, and it would fire up our players.. It turned out it was a bad snap from the center and threw off the timing. They were up 40-0 with 30 seconds left and still giving the ball to William Andrews. We had a fellow by the name of Freddie Steedley who had a mule, and he agreed to put on the overalls and straw hat and ride the mule out to midfield before the game, Prince said. Thats when I figured it was time to go., 3. He played nine NFL seasons, made two Pro Bowls and finished with more than 18,000 all-purpose 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. Billy Henderson [Clarke Centrals coach] called three straight timeouts and iced the kicker. Latest: Gallery: Buck Belue book signing at Coach's Corner How did Bazemore make a quarterback out of you? As a Johnson County senior in 1979, Walker rushed for a state-record 3,167 yards and 45 touchdowns and led the Trojans to the Class A championship. 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. ], 4. 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 put it on us my freshman year. FCN staff. That would be the last time we tried anything like that, said Prince. That still sort of haunts me even today., 7. No wonder Buck eyed. 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. That was the dream of every young athlete in Valdosta, and that dream didnt go much further than that. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Walker the No. 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. ATHENS The Georgia Bulldogs were mad. I have nothing but respect for the man, Belue said of Dooley. 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. The Vikings ran onto the field with their new Plowboys jerseys, and the home crowd went nuts. Way too much credit is given to Herschel (Walker) and Lindsay (Scott) and Buck. 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. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. I was wise beyond my years because of them. In some cases, the insults would turn from verbal to something more physical. I just take it as a huge honor.. In the 1977 game, there were no fights, but there was a bounty placed on Buck Belue not to hurt the Valdosta QB great, but to take a piece of his number 8 jersey off his back and to the Lowndes sideline. 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." Belue quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record in 1980, culminating with a 17-10 win over Notre Dame Jan. 1, 1981 in the Sugar Bowl. I showed them some drills that helped me, and I hope theyll help them as well. [Rome, a 6-foot-4 tight end, set a national record for receiving yards in a season. 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. Well, the only thing that went crazy was the mule. Holcomb oversees the Wildcat Football Museum and sits on the Board of Directors for the Valdosta Touchdown Club. So, thats up front in the book. 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. So, Joe sits down with Martin and Sonny asks him, Joe, why should I hire you? Prince said. It was the last one. "I have been a Wildcat all my life, so Valdosta City Schools will always be a part of me. Belue set the state record for career passing yards with 5,214, which he accumulated as a four-year starter at Valdosta. Whichever you prefer, this town has won a lot of high school football games over the years.Valdosta High School has 24 state titles to it's cred. Mon - Fri: 7:30 - 4:30. valdosta high school Fields Victoria Lane-Long Victor James Vivian Manghram Voncil Moss I would soak up all this knowledge. He was just so far ahead of his time. VALDOSTA - Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback, Buck Belue, will be doing a book signing at Salty Snapper on Friday, June 17. Baker said the cheerleaders from both teams would usually meet at one of the girls homes, and the groups would alternate each season. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had a population of 149,590. Plus, Buck's Beat Podcast. You just looked at Bazemore like Lombardi at the time. Lowndes led 3-0 after the third quarter, and although Valdosta would score twice in the fourth quarter to win 14-3, it was obvious that things were indeed about to change. Youd see him around town and stop and go wow. Youd be in awe. There was a golf tournament involving fans and coaches from both teams. 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. Buck Belue, former Valdosta, UGA quarterback. On the next play, Wilkes found Sherrod Inman in the back of the end zone to cut the lead to 17-14. But Belues retelling of that episode during Georgias 1980 championship season is just one example of the honest account the former star quarterback shares of playing for the Bulldogs from 1978-81. Former Valdosta assistant coach Jerry Don Baker, who played at Valdosta in the 60s and coached at Valdosta from 1976-2006, said he was there when Wilson told Valdosta he was leaving. The book has not been life-altering for Belue. Im pleased we were able to give Valdosta a defibrillator, since they didnt have one, Belue said. 1996 Currently, Belue co-hosts (with John Kincade) midday radio show Buck and Kincade on 680 The Fan in Atlanta, Georgia. What some might not know is that Belue's career as a writer began in earnest around that same time. I basically wrote it on a Word document with the help of an editor, Belue said in a telephone interview this week. Joe Wilson took over the Vikings football team in 1976, and right away encouraged the players to embrace their country boy personality and call themselves Plowboys. He led the Vikings to an 8-2 season, which included upset victories over Tift County and Thomasville High. 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. Valdosta, Georgia is called Title Town, USA because they have won more high school football games and titles than anyone else. Created by Ellen Kennerly Made with Squarespace, 2022 Georgia High School Football Daily. This record was later broken by Aaron Murray's 98-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Davis in Georgia's victory over North Texas in 2013. Last season, he was backup to another Valdosta alumnus, All-Southeastern. They worked on it all week. Kents second straight onside kick was again recovered, Wilkes took the snap and a knee, and that was that. The timing was awful, Buck Belue writes in his new book, Inside the Hedges. Most of the players thought it was a selfish move to even do an interview. He hasnt given up his day job, which is to conduct a daily sports-talk show on Atlanta radio station The Fan. He finished ninth in the Heisman trophy voting in 1979. We had a Valdosta booster, Charlie Whetherington, who knew a pilot, and they flew over a Valdosta practice the week of the game against Lowndes and dumped those flyers. 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. Joe wanted us to embrace the country boy label, Prince said. Im just so thankful my quarterback coach was Joe Wilson. In practice, it was always the 1s against the 1s. In practice, it was always the 1s against the 1s. [4] His career batting average at Georgia was .356 and he went on to play three years in the Montreal Expos organization. He sort of chuckled and said there was a lot of built-up frustration over those years of losing to Valdosta, Dont take it personally is what I believe he said., 5. He is from American. Schools . He was totally unselfish, too. The runner-up was Herschel Walker, then a sophomore. I really appreciate him letting me come out here and do this, because a lot of coaches wouldnt.. They were very different. 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. There were a lot of guys who had a huge impact to the success of those teams.]. Belue was atUniversities Forever in Cumming on Saturdayto promote his book,'Inside the Hedges: The Quarterback's Journey to the 1980 National Championship,' a project that was decades in the making. For the most part, things were harmless. 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. It was so much fun going being part of that atmosphere. [Belue said the second motivation for writing the book was bragging on teammates and players at Georgia and Valdosta that didnt get the credit they deserved. Tired of losing to their city school rival, and tired of just losing in general over the first decade of the teams existence, Lowndes County school superintendent Sonny Martin decided to reach out to one of the enemy, longtime Valdosta assistant coach Joe Wilson. 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. 5,214 - Buck Belue . She finally came in and dumped it on his lap. . You also talk about the other coaches at Valdosta, especially 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]. Benjamin Franklin 'Buck' Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. Prince recalled a prank that took place the week of the 1974 game. Ive been wanting to do this for some time, Belue said. Belue set the state record for career passing yards with 5,214, which he accumulated as a four-year starter at Valdosta. [5] Belue also played during the 1984 and 1985 seasons at quarterback for the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL. That passage appears in Chapter 18 -- titled The Dooley Drama -- of the 199-page book. 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. Redshaw also talked about the days just before the game, when fans of both teams would cruise up and down Ashley Street, hurling insults out the window at each other. He often mentions the Wildcats on his show, and usually calls the station Friday night to give them Valdostas score. Then, the second time was when they brought in Nick Hyder from Rome.. This University of Georgiarelated article is a stub. When Buck finished his career he was the state's all-time passing leader with 5,214 yards. I grew up admiring most of those guys on the list we were voting on. He played both football and basketball at Clemson and was a three-year starter on the hardwood. Chuck Knoll's Steelers were champions and as. They hauled the ship over from Lowndes to Valdosta High in the middle of the night and put it in the pond in front of the school. I was wise beyond my years because of them. It doesnt get better than that. How could he do this? I was in the office when Joe Wilson threw his keys on Nick Hyders desk and told him, Coach, we are going to whip your [butt] when you come to our place in two years, and thats exactly what happened, Baker said. I've had these friends that have said, 'You're crazy releasing the book now, right after the '21 team.' It was the last one. 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. 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. I hope that will help them this season. Scott. I admired these athletes. I grew up admiring most of those guys on the list we were voting on. Sign up for our email newsletter. Proper Name: Benjamin F. Belue High Level: AA Positions: OF (135) Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Bats: Right Throws: Right Born: Dec 22,1959 age: 63.054 place: Valdosta,GA High School: Valdosta (Valdosta,GA) colleges: University of Georgia (Athens,GA), Drafted: Montreal Expos - 1982 - 6 - 149 (June-Reg) drafted 2x draft posit: OF TBC#: 71816 In 2007, the AJC ranked him the No. Search and browse yearbooks online! And a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. Register Batting 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. 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. I just wanted to be real with that, Belue said. He shared time with Jeff Pyburn a. 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. The Valdosta Wildcats have been playing football since 1913, and with over 900 wins, 24 state championships, six national championships, and a bunch of region titles, they remain the winningest high school football team in the country. We've called it home," Belue said of living in Forsyth County. I remember Stanley Bounds. 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. In the next three their record was 31-6; they finished No. 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. The following year, he put up a career-best 714 rushing yards. In 1979, Walker was the AJC Class A Back of the Year, a Parade All-American, a Coach & Athlete All-American and the No. Stan Rome was awesome, too. He set Georgias career rushing record of 6,137 yards. Really, my wife kicked me in the butt and said, 'Let's finish this thing.'". 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. Closed on Weekends. He was the most successful Lowndes coach against the Wildcats in the series. With Coach Hyder, you just couldnt imagine anyone working harder than him to be successful. Occasionally, however, things got a little out of control. He also told them they have the talent to be a great football team, and said he was excited about the upcoming season, the first under new coach Rick Tomberlin. I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted to do, you know? During the banquet, Valdosta police would bring in a black wreath that said, Death to the Wildcats from the Lowndes High Vikings, McGuyrt recalled. 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