Outgoing Georgia Bulldogs look to the next chapter

Georgia center David Andrews, shown here holding up the Belk Bowl trophy late last month alongside coach Mark Richt, expects a future in football but does not know in what capacity. (UGA Photo by John Kelley)
Georgia center David Andrews, shown here holding up the Belk Bowl trophy late last month alongside coach Mark Richt, expects a future in football but does not know in what capacity. (UGA Photo by John Kelley)

They have slipped on the silver britches, competed to "Glory! Glory!" and "committed to the G" for the final time.

Now what?

It's a brand new chapter for former Georgia football players such as quarterback Hutson Mason, center David Andrews and linebacker Amarlo Herrera. They were Bulldogs on Dec. 30, helping Georgia complete a 10-win season with a 37-14 rout of Louisville in the Belk Bowl, but now they are looking to extend their futures in football.

"I'm going down to south Florida and start training for the East-West game that I'm playing in," Mason said in Charlotte. "Then I'll train for our pro day and the combine and stuff like that."

Mason, Andrews, Herrera and defensive back Damian Swann will be competing this Saturday in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. On Jan. 24, linebacker Ramik Wilson is scheduled to play at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

All five of those players are expected to be either late-round selections or free agents, according to one NFL scouting director, who did add that Herrera and Wilson amassing more than 100 tackles each of the past two seasons should account for something.

"Those two are definitely down-the-line players and will not be players taken in the first four rounds," the scout said. "They are solid players, but they are going to have to prove their worth on special teams and try to make a team that way and be in a backup role. They have been productive, though, on a good football team in a good conference."

Running back Todd Gurley, who has elected to forgo his senior season in Athens, could be the only Bulldogs player selected early in the 2015 NFL draft now that outside linebacker Leonard Floyd has opted to return. That forecast, however, isn't discouraging any of Georgia's professional hopefuls.

"I love this game and have that thing for this game," Herrera said. "I loved this game when I was little, and I still play this game like I'm little. When you're little, you don't need anything to motivate you. I don't need the music. I just need a helmet and shoulder pads."

Playing in the NFL is the goal of most every college player, but what if that doesn't work out?

There are not the overseas options that basketball provides, and there are not minor-league options like baseball, where you can continue getting noticed. What football does have are other ways to stay involved, and that's what Georgia's outgoing seniors plan to do.

"I definitely have the itch to coach," Mason said. "I think the camaraderie I've built and being team-oriented for so many years has kind of developed this desire in me to want to continue it. There is something special about working with the guys out on the field, and there are not many jobs where you put in the work and then lay it all out on the line on a given day."

Said Andrews: "Whether it's coaching or somewhere in the operation like scouting, I love football. It makes sense to me, and it's what I want to do. Hopefully I kind find somewhere and make a career out of it."

Whatever paths the players take, they are sure to wind up with guest passes on the Sanford Stadium sideline watching future Georgia games. They will be recognized and appreciated by ardent Bulldogs supporters, and while they never won a Southeastern Conference title, they did capture the SEC East twice and collect 40 victories.

"When we all come back and look back at what we've done, it will great to remember all the wins," Herrera said.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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