Former Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley, who guided the Bulldogs to their most recent Southeastern Conference title in 2005, will be the guest speaker March 3 at the Lookout Mountain (Northwest Georgia) Fellowship of Christian Athletes gathering. The event will be held at the Catoosa County Colonnade, and Shockley previewed his visit earlier this week on "Press Row" on ESPN 105.1 FM.
Q: What is your message to high school athletes at FCA events?
A: "The biggest thing I try to stress is the stuff I've been through as far as overcoming obstacles and understanding that you may always go through stuff but that there is always a way out. The way you respond to certain situations and obstacles really makes you into the man or woman that you want to be. I had to deal with controversies in my playing days, and the decision-making process helped me become the person I am."
Q: Would you say the toughest thing you went through was when you considered transferring from Georgia?
A: "Absolutely. When I was coming out of high school, I was rated the No. 2 quarterback in the country. Everybody was telling me that I would go to Georgia and have this great career, and then all of a sudden I wasn't starting until my last year. Having to go from being the guy to not being the guy was tough for me, and I had never been in that position before. I was thinking about leaving a place I loved so much because I wanted to play football, and it was some of the toughest few days of my life."
Q: Hutson Mason had to wait his turn at Georgia just like you did. What kind of senior season do you think he had?
A: "I thought Hutson did an outstanding job. A lot of people gave him flak because he wouldn't throw down the field or because he pushed the ball, but he had some horses behind him, and that's who was leading the team. He had four interceptions all season and completed 68 percent of his passes, and in the SEC that's tough to do. He took care of the ball and knew exactly what he wanted to do when he did throw it, and that's what it's all about at that position.
"He did a good job of leading the team, especially with all the adversity they had with Todd (Gurley) and that situation."
Q: If you could overhaul college football's recruiting process, what would you address?
A: "The process is so different now from when I came out, especially with how much TV and social media plays into it. If they change the rule about getting your letter in earlier, that will make a big difference, but for me, these kids don't need all the publicity they have now. These kids start feeling like they're a little more than they are.
"When I came out, it was an honor and a privilege to have a scholarship offer."
Q: Turning to our rapid fire, will Georgia's trip to Tennessee be the biggest game this year in the SEC East?
A: "No doubt about it."
Q: Who should the Falcons select with the No. 6 pick in the draft?
A: "As crazy as this sounds, I like the defensive end (Dante Fowler) from Florida. The Falcons need a pass-rusher off the edge, and he's a good one."
Q: Which team did you want to defeat most when you were at Georgia?
A: "That's tough, because Georgia has so many different rivalries, but it always seemed to come down to Florida and Georgia Tech."
Q: Do you think you could have won the Heisman had this spread option been so prevalent a decade ago?
A: "People tell me, 'Shock, you were a few years ahead of your time.' I look at it now thinking it could have been awesome. We started doing just a little of that my last year, but it was so brand new. I feel like I would have at least had a chance."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.