Top 50 UGA Players of All Time - No. 38 - Richard Tardits

Dawg Post is counting down the Top 50 UGA players of all time through the summer. Keep checking back eat weekday to see who we have next…

No. 38 - Richard Tardits, DL from France

Before there was David Pollack, there was Richard Tardis.

Nicknamed “Le Sack” by Bulldog fans due to his French heritage, Tardis’ story could be turned into a movie one day. The Bayonne, France native tried out for the football team as an exchange student, making quite an impression on hall of fame coach Vince Dooley. His rugby background in France stood out to Dooley and helped him see the field early on special teams.

“Le Sack” was a rough and tough athlete who loved contact. If anyone played football like a bulldog would, it was Richard Tardis. His style of play was aggressive, and his motor tough to stop. Tardits played at Georgia from 1985-1988, and left as the school’s all-time career sack leader with 29. Bulldog legend David Pollack currently holds the record with 36 career sacks.

During his time in Athens between 1985-1988, the Bulldogs were a combined 33-13-2, including a victory over top-ranked Florida during his freshman season. Even as a former walk-on, it’s safe to say Tardits was one of the most productive defensive ends in school history. After his playing days in Athens, Tardits was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 5th round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in the NFL, with three of them coming in New England. Tardits played in 27 total games in his NFL career before moving to Hong Kong to play professional rugby.

While many remember him for his football days, there are others who remember him as a U.S.A Rugby star. After his days in Hong Kong where he would meet his wife, Tardits helped the United States team win the Rugby World Cup in 1999.

There are plenty of special people and amazing stories that come through the University of Georgia, but none will be as cool as Richard Tardits’.