78 Days to Kickoff - Dawg Post Countdown
ATHENS - The story goes that Jon Stinchcomb nearly played in 1998, but coach Jim Donnan decided to redshirt him for development’s sake.
That turned out to be a great decision for the younger Stinchcomb and the Bulldogs a few years later. Jon helped form one of the best offensive lines at UGA in recent memory. The Parkview product was also a captain for the 2002 season, which saw the Bulldogs win the SEC for the first time in 20 years as they went 13-1 and added a Sugar Bowl championship at the conclusion of the season.
Athletics were not the only arena Stinchcomb excelled in…
Jon Stinchcomb according to UGA:
“Following in the foot- steps of his older brother Matt, Bulldog lineman Jon Stinchcomb became the third Georgia football player to receive the prestigious NCAA Top VIII Award, presented to eight student-athletes for accomplishments in both academics and athletics as well as character and leadership.
A semifinalist for the 2002 Lombardi Award, Stinchcomb was named to the Walter Camp All-America team and the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America squad. A first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the AP and the SEC Coaches, he anchored the Bulldog line in leading Georgia to a record-setting 13-1 record, SEC title and Sugar Bowl victory.
He was the male student-athlete representative to the University's athletics board of directors. He held a 3.75 grade point average in microbiology.”
He was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 37th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLIV with that franchise. Stinchcomb recently joined the board of the UGA athletic department.
Other notable 78s in the history of the Bulldogs…
James Jackson scored a 78-yard touchdown pass from Cy Grant during Georgia’s 7-6 win over Georgia Tech on November 25, 1933 at Grant Field in Atlanta.
Glynn Harrison scored a 78-yard touchdown run during No. 15 Georgia’s 42-26 win over Georgia Tech on November 27, 1975 at Grant Field in Atlanta.
Robert Arnaud scored a 78-yard touchdown run during No. 15 Georgia’s 56-3 win over Kent State on September 5, 1998 at Sanford Stadium in Athens.
Top UGA players to ever wear the No. 78
OL Jon Stinchcomb