Taking a moment to reflect, UGA has had some really outstanding walk-ons come through the football program. Many of these young men eventually earned a scholarship, started games, made big plays, and earned SEC honors. Some notable walk-ons through the years:

Head Coach Wally Butts' era:

- Art DeCarlo (wide receiver / linebacker) - 4-year starter; 2x All-SEC; NFL veteran; inducted into UGA's chapter of the College Hall of Fame

- Jimmy Orr (slotback) - led UGA in receiving in 1955 & 1957; 2-time NFL Pro Bowler caught 400 passes for 7,914 yds & 66 TDs during his professional career

***

Head Coach Vince Dooley's era (note: 4 former walk-ons started on his 1980 National Championship Team)

- Mike Fisher (cornerback) - started for UGA's 1980 National Championship team; intercepted 3 passes that season

- Jim Griffith (middle linebacker) - 3-year starter [1975-'77]; 325 career tackles

- Keith Hall - led JV team in sacks in 1978; awarded a scholarship prior to the 6th game (Virginia) of 1979 after blocking a punt in practice

- Spike "Sputnik" Jones (punter) - 3-year starter [1967-'69]; avg. 41.5 yds per punt [x194] during his career; went on to play 8 years in the NFL

- Jim McCullough (placekicker) - 3-year starter [1967-'69]; led UGA in scoring 3 consecutive years totaling 150 pts by converting 84 PATs & 22 FGs

- Robert Miles (defensive end) - started 3 games as a tight end in 1979, then changed positions and started for UGA's 1980 National Championship team as a defensive end

- Richard "Le Sack" Tardits (outside linebacker) - earned a scholarship in 1988 and started 9 games that season; finished career [1985-'86] w/ 29 sacks (a UGA record until David Pollack broke it in 2004)

- Nate "Tifton Termite" Taylor (5'10", 195-lb. middle linebacker that ran a 5.2 second 40-yd dash) - 4-year starter [1979-'82] that led UGA w/ 390 tackles during his career; Vince Dooley called him "the biggest surprise of my career"

- Dale Williams (cornerback) - 2-year starter [1979 & 1981]; intercepted 2 passes for UGA's 1980 National Championship team

- Hilton Young, Jr. (running back) - played on the 1975-'76 teams; 1999 recipient of the Bill Hartman Award (recognizes former UGA student-athletes who have distinguished themselves as alumni)

***

Head Coach Ray Goff's era:

- Will Muschamp (safety) - earned a scholarship in 1992 [lettered 1991-'94]; started 2 games as a junior & 9 as a senior; former University of Florida Head Football Coach and current University of South Carolina Head Football Coach

- Todd Peterson (placekicker) - USNA transfer; 2-year starter [1991-'92]; converted on 25 of 33 (75.6%) FGs & 75 of 77 (97.4%) PATs; had a successful 12-year NFL career

- Kirby Smart (safety) - played in 44 games w/ 24 starts, made 214 tackles, 3 sacks, 13 INTs, returned 15 kickoffs for 332 yds and 2 punt for 11 yds; 1998 First-Team All-SEC (AP) and 1998 Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches); current University of Georgia Head Football Coach [note: recruited and played for Coach Goff his freshman season, then played for Coach Donnan his last 3 years]

***

Head Coach Jim Donnan's era:

- Billy Bennett (placekicker) - scored 409 pts in his career (converted 87 of 110 [79.1%] FGs & 148 of 151 [98%] PATs); 2000 All-SEC Freshman; 2002 First-Team All-SEC (Special Teams); 2003 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)

- Doug Davis (long snapper) - 2-year starter [1998-'99]

- Verron Haynes (fullback) - Western Kentucky transfer; 136 carries for 737 yds & 8 TDs; 19 receptions for 242 yds & 2 TDs (including the game-winning 6-yd TD reception w/ only 5 seconds left vs. Tennessee in 2001)

- Andy Hogan (long snapper) - 2-year starter [2000-'01]

- Cory Phillips (quarterback) - started 5 games as a sophomore [1999]; completed 104 passes for 1,325 yds & 11 TDs; threw for >400 yds in games vs. Ga Tech & Kentucky, respectively

***

Head Coach Mark Richt's era (note: 17 of his 41 former walk-ons ending up starting; 4 earned First- or Second-Team All-SEC Honors; 3 became medical doctors; 1 is a government-elected official)

- Tra Battle (safety) - started as a true frosh vs. Clemson in season opener; 155 career tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 8 INTs; 2006 First-Team All-SEC

- Patrick Beless (placekicker) - played in 4 games; converted 12 of 12 PATs and 2 of 3 FGs

- Jarrett Berry (wide receiver / special teams) - 1 reception for 9 yds; 1 punt return for 22 yds; blocked a punt that resulted in UGA's first TD vs. Alabama in 2003

- John Bodin (offensive guard) - played in 3 games during his career

- Benjamin Boyd (middle linebacker / fullback / kickoff team wedge buster) - 13 career tackles

- Taylor Bradberry (wide receiver) - 1 reception for 13 yds

- Luis Capella (cornerback) - appeared in 1 game

- Brandon Coutu (placekicker) - 3-year starter; converted 51 of 64 FGs [79.7%] w/ a long of 58 yds; 109 of 109 [100%] PATs; 221 kickoffs [avg. 60.7 yds] w/ 47 touchbacks; 2005 First-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)

- Aaron Davis (cornerback) - played in 53 games w/ 45 starts; made 184 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 5 INTs, and forced 3 fumbles

- Matthew DeGenova (outside linebacker) - played in 6 games and made 1 tackle

- Eric Elliot (cornerback) - played in 3 games

- Michael Erdman (wide receiver) played in 14 games and made 6 tackles

- Gordon Ely-Kelso (punter) - 4-year starter; avg. 40.3 yds per punt [x227]; 2005 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)

- Reuben Faloughi (4-3 defensive end / 3-4 outside linebacker) - played in 26 games and made 8 tackles & 1 TFL

- Ty Frix (long snapper) - high school valedictorian; 4-year starter (53 consecutive games); accepted to the Medical College of Georgia in 2013, however, he put that on hold to start his own company (Ichor)

- Chris Gaunder (linebacker / kickoff team wedge buster) - played in 31 games and made 9 tackles; completed medical school at Mercer University; currently an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX

- Chad Gloer (special teams) - played in 37 games and made 28 tackles

- Merritt Hall (fullback) - 6 career starts; 3 carries for 9 yds; 1 reception for 9 yds; 4 kickoff returns for 42 yds

- Brandon Harton (running back) - 66 carries for 267 yds & 1 TD

- Jeff Henson (long snapper) - 2-year starter [2006-'07]

- Jason Johnson (running back / fullback) (5'9", 216 lbs) - 1 start [vs. Florida in 2007]; 12 carries for 66 yds; 2 receptions for 10 yds

- Burt Jones (roverback / special teams) - 31 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, recovered blocked punt on 2-yd line vs. Arkansas in 2002 SEC Championship Game; 2002 Special Teams Captain; Jon Fabris in September 2009 re: Jones: "Burt was the best all-around special teams player we have had"; Georgia State Senator, District 25

- Brian Jordan (long snapper) - 4-year starter [2002-'05]

- Taylor Maxey (fullback) - played in 13 games w/ 2 starts; caught 1 pass for 6 yds and returned 1 kickoff for 13 yds

- Rhett McGowan (punt returner / wide receiver) 2 career starts; 32 receptions for 380 yds & 2 TDs; 9 punt returns for 75 yds

- Brian Mimbs (punter) - 2-year starter [2007-'08]; avg. 43.1 yds per punt [x104]; 2008 Second-Team All-SEC (Special Teams)

- Casey Nickels (offensive tackle) - high school valedictorian; played in 12 games

- Connor Norman (safety / kickoff coverage) 4 career starts; 49 tackles

- Zach Renner - blocked 3 punts (vs. Arizona St, Alabama, & Tennessee) as a redshirt freshman/sophomore (transferred when his scholarship wasn't guaranteed to be renewed as a junior)

- Blake Sailors (cornerback / special teams) - played in 49 games, made 27 tackles, forced 1 fumble, & recovered 1 fumble

- Josh Sailors (fullback); 1 carry for 2 yds

- Ryan Schnetzer (center) - played in 38 games w/ 5 starts; completed medical school at Medical College of Georgia in 2010; now an orthopedic surgeon in Gainesville, Florida

- Jamario Smith (linebacker / fullback) - 7 carries for 31 yds

- Braxton Snyder (fullback) - 6 carries for 21 yds

- Jeremy Thomas (fullback) - high school salutatorian; USAFA transfer; played in 23 games w/ 13 starts; 31 carries for 73 yds; 25 receptions for 251 yds & 1 TD

- Wes Van Dyk (running back) - 4 carries for 15 yds

- Kosta Vavlas (linebacker) - played in 36 games, made 34 tackles, & forced 2 fumbles

- Jason Veal (inside linebacker) - scout team member

- J.T. Wall (fullback) - played in 25 games w/ 11 starts; 45 carries for 207 yds & 3 TDs; 11 receptions for 205 yds & 2 TDs; hired as John Milledge Academy's head football coach in 2011

- Brandon Wheeling (defensive tackle) - West Georgia transfer; played in 9 games w/ 4 starts for UGA; made 7 tackles & 1 TFL (vs. S. Carolina); named UGA's program coordinator on defense during Spring 2012; later hired as Auburn graduate assistant and defensive analyst

- Andrew Williams (strong safety / kickoff team wedge buster) - played in 40 games and made 32 tackles

***

Head Coach Kirby Smart's era:

- Rodrigo Blankenship (placekicker) - played in 28 games and made 34 of 41 FGs (long of 55 yds) and 89 PATs; kicked off 149x w/ 87 touchbacks [note: recruited by Coach Richt and redshirted his first season at UGA]

- Trent Frix (long snapper) - Air Force Preparatory School transfer; played in 28 games

- Tommy Long (outside linebacker) - played in 1 game

- Kenneth Towns (wide receiver) - played in 35 games w/ 1 start; caught 11 passes for 93 yds & 2 TDs