Top 50 UGA Players of All Time - No. 43 - Max Jean-Gilles
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No. 43 - Max Jean-Gilles, OL from Miami
Mark Richt’s Bulldogs weren’t known for having great offensive lines, but there is one lineman who stands out immediately from the early 2000’s.
That would be guard Max Jean-Gilles.
The big 6-foot-3 320-pounder was an all-state selection out of North Miami Beach (FL) and was ranked as one of the top overall prospects in the country. After taking late visits to Ohio State, Arkansas and Miami in January of 2002, Jean-Gilles signed with Georgia the following month over the in-state Miami Hurricanes.
As one of Georgia’s most highly-touted freshman in the 2002 season, Jean-Gilles was Georgia’s back-up right tackle to start the season behind senior Kareem Marshall. The offensive line helped running back Musa Smith rush for over 1,000 yards on the season, while beating Arkansas in the SEC championship game in the process. That 2002 team would go on to beat Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
Gilles’ best season came in 2005 where he was named a consensus first-team All American. The senior led an outstanding Georgia offense that season, helping senior quarterback D.J Shockley lead the Bulldogs to another SEC Championship, their second in four years. The Georgia Bulldogs went 44-9 during Jean Gilles’ tenure (2002-2005), winning 10 games in each of the four seasons. Gilles blocked for a number of backs including Musa Smith, Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin, Danny Ware, and Michael Cooper.
After leading the Bulldogs to an SEC championship as a senior, Jean Gilles was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round of the 2006 draft. The Miami native had his struggles, playing in just 29 career games while starting 16 of them. Jean-Gilles played for the Eagles from 2006-2010, then had short stints in Cincinnati and Carolina in 2011.
What’s clear is that Jean-Gilles is still remembered to this day as one of the best offensive lineman in the Mark Richt era.