My thought was that they played in Albany last night and probably got in bed at 3 a.m., and hes up scouting out the talent in town. Youve been to about 10 cities to sign your book, and youve got several more scheduled. . Sandra Belue's son and his roommate, Scott, had just carved out a piece of immortality. Hundreds of people turned out at the The Salty Snapper, including former Valdosta High classmates and UGA teammates. It doesnt get better than that. That was just heart-breaking. What was the most memorable high school game that you played? Then in July 2021, Hutson Mason became one of five co-hosts of The Locker Room, leaving Belue with his own show called The Buck Belue Show on WCNN. The Valdosta Wildcats have been playing football since 1913, and with over 900 wins, 24 state championships, six national championships, and a bunch of region titles, they remain the winningest high school football team in the country. We wanted to work with players who were (at Valdosta), who are committed to playing football. And I have so many great memories of him taking time to help coach me up. I was always a fan of the top players and programs and curious about the way they did it, what scheme they were running. One of the motivations for doing the book was to talk about Valdosta High School and the football program through the years, and Ive had so many people, whether theyre Bulldog fans or not, ask questions about how Valdosta won all those games. We sort of fell into it. Youd see him around town and stop and go wow. Youd be in awe. Chuck Knoll's Steelers were champions and as. 2. ET. The Georgia High School Association has levied a $7,500 fine against Valdosta High School, ordered the Wildcats to forfeit seven victories from the 2020 football season . Hyder, a devout Christian, brought fans and players from both teams together for an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) banquet on Thursday night prior to the big game, allowing the two sides to fellowship over dinner. Mason Elementary School ; W.G. You also talk about the other coaches at Valdosta, especially offensive coordinator Joe Wilson, who later became Lowndes head coach and led the Vikings to a 1980 state title, and Jack Rudolph, Valdostas longtime defensive mastermind [and father of Georgia Tech and NFL player Coleman Rudolph]. In 1977, Valdosta Daily Times sports editor Mike Chason, a native of south Georgia and recent graduate of Valdosta State University, wrote a story for the paper comparing the pro sports teams of Atlanta to the sports scene in Valdosta. The GHSFHA "State Records Project" is an attempt to research and publish reported state records in Georgia high school football. The coach it was John Lastingers dad, as a matter of fact they installed this tight end-around pass, and I ended up leading the league in passing. [John Lastinger followed Belue as the starting quarterback at Valdosta and at Georgia. And when he showed up. The first time I played quarterback was in the eighth grade. Height: 6'1" Weight: 190 College: Georgia High School: Valdosta (GA) USFL Career: 1984-1985 More: Buck Belue complete pro stats Buck Belue played from 1984 to 1985 during his career with the Jacksonville Bulls. Oh yeah, they had a bounty out for Bucks jersey, Baker said. Former Valdosta Wildcat quarterbacks Buck Belue, left, and John Lastinger, right, will join their coach, the late Nick Hyder, in the Valdosta High Sports Hall of Fame Thursday night.. Valdosta missed a two-point try in the third quarter and a 31-yard field goal with 1:23 left. Todays interviewee is Buck Belue, sports talk show host for 680 The Fan, quarterback for Georgias 1980 national championship team, four-year starting quarterback at Valdosta, inaugural selectee into the new Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame and author of a new book, Inside The Hedges, a look at Georgias 1980 season and his athletic career. I talked with Coach [Jim] Hughes about that later. Buck Belue is the only Quarterback to start all four years at Quarterback for Valdosta High. I hope that will help them this season. That term remained dormant until 1981, when Johnny B. Lastinger, a Valdosta High graduate and the executive vice-president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, decided to take advantage of the Winnersville designation. Prince said thats when Joe Wilson decided he would accept an invitation to go over and meet with Martin. [7], Since 2000, Belue has been a sports radio host with WCNN in Atlanta, Georgia. Nunn Elementary ; Furious, actually. Kents second straight onside kick was again recovered, Wilkes took the snap and a knee, and that was that. He will be inducted with Belue in October. Read, watch, and listen to the latest news and opinions in the high school sports world. Proper Name: Benjamin F. Belue High Level: AA Positions: OF (135) Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Bats: Right Throws: Right Born: Dec 22,1959 age: 63.054 place: Valdosta,GA High School: Valdosta (Valdosta,GA) colleges: University of Georgia (Athens,GA), Drafted: Montreal Expos - 1982 - 6 - 149 (June-Reg) drafted 2x draft posit: OF TBC#: 71816 I just wanted to be real with that, Belue said. He came in from West Rome with the idea of running the wishbone like he was doing in Rome, and I was coming over for spring football as an eighth grader, and it wasnt a couple of months later we were back for preseason practice, and he was totally shifted to the Bazemore offense, as we called it. George Rogers, the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner while at South Carolina, was the AJCs Class A Back of the Year in 1976 and Class B Back of the Year in 1975. He went on to play both football and baseball at Georgia. That would be the last time we tried anything like that, said Prince. Belue also presented a defibrillator to the school Friday. After the game, Joe Wilson told me, Baker, as John Bond was running down the sideline, I came real close to sticking my foot out and tripping him, but I changed my mind.. Belue told Turner and Johnson that three things a good quarterback must do are: know the down and distance, protect the football and be tough. Thats the way it was at Valdosta. UGA star Jalen Carter present at scene of fatal crash, Georgia Tech hammers Syracuse as Jackets late-season surge continues, Braves notes: Jared Shusters first spring game, Michael Sorokas progress, Ian Anderson on spring debut: Im not gonna sugarcoat it. I remember in the 1981 game, quarterback John Bond took off down the Lowndes sideline and ran for an 80-yard touchdown, Baker said. The best players I saw play in the game were quarterback Cedric Hatten for us, and for Lowndes it was Greg Reid. "It allowed me to talk about my hometown and brag on the people that helped me through those high school days. With Coach Bazemore, I just looked at him as an innovator offensively. The Winnersville Classic featuring Lowndes vs. Valdosta was born. The 2007 estimate showed a population of 130,170 in the Valdosta metropolitan area. Hyder became head coach your freshman year. Buck Belue Social Network Timeline 2007 He is also the only quarterback to start all four years for the Valdosta Wildcats where he was inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007. And a Plains teen girl borrowed Jimmy Carters clothes. Books can be ordered at InsideTheHedges.com or in person at one of Belues appearances. Im just so thankful my quarterback coach was Joe Wilson. Brooks would become Auburns all-time leading rusher with 3,523 yards, which remains third in school history. He was the quarterback, and he went to Ole Miss. Credit: Photo by Chris McShane (provided by Buck Belue). How would you contrast and compare those iconic coaches? Joe wanted us to embrace the country boy label, Prince said. [6] After the demise of the USFL, Belue spent two years on the football coaching staff at Valdosta State University, serving as an offensive assistant. At Valdosta, you were heavily influenced by the legendary head coaches Wright Bazemore (1941-42, 1946-71) and Nick Hyder (1973-95). In some cases, the insults would turn from verbal to something more physical. The coaches would each speak to the crowd during the banquet. The interview below follows the Four Questions format, along with three bonus questions with Belues thoughts on making the Hall of Fame (induction is Oct. 22), his most memorable high school game and how coach Wright Bazemore made him a quarterback. VHS is one of only 39 schools in Georgia . You just looked at Bazemore like Lombardi at the time. He was totally unselfish, too. The show was a weekly production featuring McGuyrt and the Valdosta head coach talking about the previous game and looking ahead to the upcoming game. It was a real mess, he said. The. When I got to Georgia, I felt I was way ahead of the curve. In practice, it was always the 1s against the 1s. He often mentions the Wildcats on his show, and usually calls the station Friday night to give them Valdostas score. BY DAN MATHEWS. They were up 40-0 with 30 seconds left and still giving the ball to William Andrews. [2] Belue was named captain of the 1981 team. Under Review. It was just playing for the Wildcats. Former Valdosta assistant coach Jerry Don Baker, who played at Valdosta in the 60s and coached at Valdosta from 1976-2006, said he was there when Wilson told Valdosta he was leaving. Buck Belue - Player Card Home >> Minor League Baseball College Baseball High School Baseball Boxscores and Analysis Other Topics Minor Leagues >> Minor League Players Minor League Teams Affiliate History Minor Leagues Minor Leagues by Season Independent Baseball Leagues Prospects Minor League Awards Minor League People Minor League Transactions It was WWII. The Georgia football team had just put a bow on an undefeated regular season with a resounding 38-20 win over Georgia Tech in 1980 when the players awoke the following morning to news that coach Vince Dooley reportedly was leaving to become coach and athletic director at Auburn. How could he do this? Henderson said neighborhood residents called the police, who came over to the Valdosta fields where he and other fans were watching practice. Before he was an All-SEC running back at Auburn and played 13 NFL seasons, James Brooks led Warner Robins to a 1976 Class 3A championship and a National Sports News Service (NSNS) national title. His 37 career touchdowns are fourth all-time for the franchise. @ThePodcastPark. As a highly recruited back, Rogers went to South Carolina, where rushed for 5,091 yards, including 1,781 as a 1980 senior. In practice, it was always the 1s against the 1s. I knew coverage, I knew techniques, things that it seemed like these other quarterbacks didnt understand at the time. Our maintenance folks earned their pay that week.. What was the most memorable high school game that you played? Buck's Beat podcast episode 80 has dropped. Belue devotes several chapters to his high school days pursuing state championships under coach Nick Hyder. This record was later broken by Aaron Murray's 98-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Davis in Georgia's victory over North Texas in 2013. Seeing Andy Johnson in 1969 was one of my first recollections of high school football [at the 1969 Class 3A championship game between Athens and Valdosta at Cleveland Field]. Nobody would have a better perspective from a players standpoint than Buck as the quarterback of that team.. I should have done it a long time ago. Credit: Photo by Chris McShane (provided by Buck Belue). Im just so thankful my quarterback coach was Joe Wilson. How would you contrast and compare those iconic coaches? It was designed to look like it was coming from Lowndes fans. Lowndes won the game 15-14. Mark Lemke joins me. So, we brought the mule out, with Freddie riding the thing, and that mule started out toward midfield just as we had practiced, but then the crowd roared, and it scared the poor mule so much that he just stopped in his tracks and Freddie went flying off over the front of it., That mule then took off, without Freddie to guide him, straight towards the Valdosta sideline, Prince said. We got the ball with about three or four minutes left inside our own 10 and drove down to the 1-yard line with like two seconds left. Former UGA quarterback Buck Belue authors book on 1980 championship season, Online archive of print stories 2006-present, Pick em 2022 Forsyth Sports football picks, Football: Forsyth County News Media Day-watch the videos. Benjamin Franklin "Buck" Belue played American football and baseball at the University of Georgia from 1978 to 1981. [5] Belue also played during the 1984 and 1985 seasons at quarterback for the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL. We talked about a lot of things. We were in an extra bedroom, and his wife came in a couple of times and told him dinner was ready. Georgia quarterback Buck Belue got things moving for Georgia in the second quarter, engineering a scoring drive in only four plays for a 14-3 lead. This record stood for 29 years. Host of Buck's Beat podcast. 1. 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