The Five: Georgia vs. Charlotte
Jeff Dantzler
1. Georgia’s Senior Class – Bulldog seniors will be honored Saturday prior to kickoff against the Charlotte 49ers. Whether it’s the traditional four-year senior, the fifth-year senior, a transfer who has been in the program for two or three years, or a one-season addition out of the portal, the success and victories achieved has been remarkable. Kirby Smart has built a powerhouse at his alma mater. For these seniors, aiming for a second straight trip to the College Football Playoff, their record – with lots of work still to be done this season – is worthy of significant praise. Let’s just go off the traditional four year senior, like All-American punter Brett Thorson, it began with a dream season – the 2022 National and Southeastern Conference Championships with a perfect 15-0 record. There is the 13-1 Orange Bowl Championship season of 2023, when the Bulldogs finished ranked No. 3 in the land. Last year, the Bulldogs again won the SEC championship and played in the CFP. The championships, the winning streaks, the records, particularly against the arch rivals – again, with another colossal battle awaiting – the run of top ten finishes, while constantly striving for more. Bravo to the University of Georgia’s Senior Class of 2025.
2. John Kasay and Thomas Davis – Two of the greatest players in Carolina Panthers history are Georgia All-Americans John Kasay Jr. and Thomas Davis. Kasay’s beloved father John, a legendary player, coach, mentor, inspiration, task masker, and wearer of many hats, had a true chip off the old block. Whereas John Sr. was a standout offensive lineman, John Jr. – or “Brief Kasay” – as he was known while hanging around the practice fields and old McWhorter Hall, went on to become one of the greatest kickers in college and pro football history. Mentored by the likes of Hall of Fame legend Kevin Butler, Kasay starred for the great Billy Henderson at Clarke Central High School. He would then join the likes of Butler, Rex Robinson and Allan Leavitt as All-American kickers at Georgia. With another of his mentors, fifth year senior and fellow Clarke Central alum, the great David Dukes holding, the freshman kicked the game-winner on the final play of the 1987 Liberty Bowl to beat Arkansas 20-17.
Kasay had the game-winner against Alabama in 1990. He went on to an incredible NFL career, primarily in Charlotte, where he became the Panthers all-time leading scorer. He played in the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl and led the NFL in scoring. Kasay’s final season in the NFL was 2011 with the Saints, and it was pretty neat to say that in the year 2011, legendary Hall of Fame Coach Vince Dooley (who retired in 1988) still had one of his players in the NFL. Thomas Davis was an All-American big-play, big hitting safety at Georgia who is one of the best to ever play the game in college and the pros. Transitioning to linebacker in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers, this generational talent was a three-time Pro Bowl pick, an All-Pro, and played in a Super Bowl. Amongst his greatest honors, Davis was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2014. At Georgia, Davis quickly etched his name amongst the best to wear the silver britches. As a redshirt freshman in 2002, he recovered the game-clinching fumble at South Carolina and had a game-saving interception at Alabama. The memorable moments continued to come, including a big hit on Auburn All-American Cadillac Williams on the second play of the 2003 Auburn game that set the tone. Two of my favorites, and two of Georgia’s best, John Kasay and Thomas Davis, beloved not only by the Bulldog faithful, but also in Charlotte as two of the greatest Panthers ever.
3. Hoops in Charlotte – There is a little basketball history for Georgia in Charlotte. Unfortunately, the Georgia men lost a couple of NCAA Tournament games there to Washington and Michigan State. But in 1996, Charlotte, with UNCC as the host institution, was the home of the Women’s Final Four. Andy Landers’ powerhouse Lady Dogs advanced for a second straight season, and took down Stanford in the National Semifinal. The Lady Dogs unfortunately came up short in the title game to Tennessee, which Georgia beat earlier in the season. It goes down as one of Georgia’s greatest basketball teams ever and a great memory for all involved with the program, including a very young third year play-by-play announcer.
4. Cornbread Maxwell – Boston Celtics standout forward Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell was an NBA legend in the league’s greatest era of the 1980s. He rose to fame as an All-American at UNC-Charlotte, leading the 49ers on an incredible run to the 1977 Final Four in Atlanta. Maxwell led UNCC to wins over Syracuse and Michigan to reach Atlanta, where they fell to Al McGuire’s eventual national champion Marquette Warriors by two points. Marquette beat North Carolina in the final. Can you imagine if it had been UNC v UNCC? Maxwell played 11 NBA seasons, most notably with the powerhouse Celtics alongside Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert “Chief” Parrish, Danny Ainge, Tiny Archibald and Dennis Johnson. Maxwell was a part of two NBA Championship teams for Boston, in 1981 over the Rockets and 1984 over the Lakers in the Finals. On a court littered with stars, including Houston’s Moses Malone, Cornbread Maxwell was named MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals. His No. 31 hangs in the rafters of, well whatever it’s called now, but I still call it the Boston Garden.
5. Swingin’ – Ah yes, one of the my favorite songs of all-time, released in January of 1983 by the one and only John Anderson, Swingin’ … It is an ode to Charlotte Johnson. “There’s a little girl, in my neighborhood, her name is Charlotte Johnson, and she’s really looking good.” … “I was on the porch with Charlotte, feeling love down to my toes, and we was swingin’.” Takes me back, and anytime I hear it, a smile comes to my face.