Dawgs of the Decade: The Tailbacks

Through a decade of success, there have been plenty of players who have made their mark in a Georgia uniform, and for the next two weeks, The Telegraph will be giving you the chance to vote on your picks for the Bulldogs’ All-Decade team for the 2000s. We’ll go position-by-position, and you’ll pick the winners by going to www.macon.com/decade to vote.

Our 14th ballot is for Georgia’s top running back of the decade, and the nominees are:

(Note: Years as Georgia’s starter in parentheses.)

Musa Smith (2001-2002). A two-year starter at Georgia, Smith was a bruising back who carried Georgia to the 2002 Sugar Bowl by racking up the team’s first 1,000-yard season in 10 years. He was an All-SEC selection that year and totaled 1,324 yards rushing, the seventh-best single-season tally in school history. He played in 13 games that season, and topped the 100-yard mark nine times, including a 106-yard, two-touchdown effort in the SEC title game against Arkansas. For his career, Smith rushed for 2,202 yards and 19 touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He was taken in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Thomas Brown (2004-2005). A starter in parts of four seasons at Georgia, Brown was a key contributor on two of Mark Richt’s most successful teams – the 2005 SEC champions and the 2007 Sugar Bowl winners. As a freshman in 2004, Brown tallied 875 yards rushing to lead the team. It was the fourth-best mark by a freshman in school history and was highlighted by a 130-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kentucky. As a sophomore, he was part of a crowded backfield but still posted 736 yards rushing and four TDs, again the best mark on the team. Brown was injured the latter half of the 2006 season and played in just seven games, but rebounded as a senior while splitting time with upstart Knowshon Moreno to post 779 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. His 180-yard, three-TD performance against Ole Miss stands as one of the best single-game running performances of the decade. His 3,750 all-purpose yards for his career ranks as the fourth-best mark in school history. He wrapped up his career with 2,646 yards rushing, the sixth-best tally in Georgia’s record book. He was a sixth-round draft choice by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008.

Danny Ware (2004). Ware was a hard-nosed runner who had plenty of highlights, but never enjoyed the backfield by himself. As a freshman in 2004, he split time with Thomas Brown but still ran for 724 yards and four TDs and topped 100 yards against LSU and Florida and he was the first freshman tailback to start a season opener since 1943. As a sophomore, Ware got more competition in the backfield from Kregg Lumpkin, but still turned in a strong campaign, finishing second on the team with 492 yards rushing, helping Georgia to an SEC title. Ware’s role diminished as a junior in 2006 despite an injury to Brown, finishing with just 81 carries for 326 yards. He left for the NFL after his junior season having totaled 1,510 rushing yards and eight TDs in his career. He is currently a member of the New York Giants.

Kregg Lumpkin (2006). Lumpkin battled injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he showed plenty of ability. As a freshman in 2003, Lumpkin was Georgia’s second-leading runner, racking up 523 yards and six touchdowns and appeared on the verge of greatness. An ACL injury on the first day of spring practice cost him the 2004 season, however, and two new faces – Brown and Ware – took his spot. When Lumpkin returned in 2005, his battle back to the starting lineup was slow, but he played in all 13 games on the Bulldogs’ SEC title team, collecting 335 yards and three TDs. A year later, he regained the starting job and led Georgia with 798 yards rushing and six scores, including a career best 105 yards in a shocking win over No. 5 Auburn. Injuries again cropped up in his senior season in 2007, but Lumpkin managed to secure a job in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. For his career, Lumpkin ran for 1,699 yards and 17 total touchdowns.

Knowshon Moreno (2007-2008). Perhaps no player has made more of an impact in just two seasons in Bulldogs history. Moreno burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007, rushing for 1,334 yards including a monstrous 33-carry performance in a win over Florida in which he racked up 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He was a freshman All-American that season and an All-SEC selection. In 2008, he was a full-fledged starter and turned in an All-American performance, rushing for 1,400 yards (fifth-best in Georgia history) and 16 touchdowns (fourth-best in school history). His 5.49 yards per carry average was the seventh-best mark of any running back in a career at Georgia, and his 19.2 carries per game average was the second best. He is one of just two tailbacks in school history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.

So, who gets your vote? Go to www.macon.com/decade to cast your ballot or vote in our previous categories, and be sure to pick up a copy of the December 27th issue of The Telegraph to find out the winners.

And don't forget to leave your comments here on the blog. Tell us about why you made your selection and your favorite memories of those players, and your comments could appear in our final results issue of The Telegraph.