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Dawgs in the NFL: Week 1

Former UGA cornerback Damian Swann breaks up a pass for the New Orleans Saints
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
William McFadden
William McFadden

It’s not a secret that UGA sends a lot of players to the NFL. In fact, 56 players have left Athens to play on Sundays over the past 10 years, fourth-most of any program during that span.

Although they may not play between the hedges anymore, fans still feel a sense of pride when a former Bulldog leads their team to a victory at football’s highest level. During the 2015 NFL season, we will track the top performances from former UGA players each week.

These Dawgs of years past had the best games in Week 1:

David Andrews – The long-time starting center for UGA made his first career NFL start for the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. On national television, Andrews was one of three rookie linemen who played significant minutes in the Patriots’ 28-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Justin Houston – Kansas City’s star linebacker is entering his fifth season in the NFL. After signing a $101 million contract this past offseason, Houston racked up three tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against the Houston Texans as the Chiefs, and their gang of former Bulldogs, won 27-20.

Reshad Jones – Jones, a former safety at UGA, had a big day in the Miami Dolphins’ 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins: 12 tackles, which was a team-high, and he registered a tackle for loss.

Thomas Davis – After becoming an All-American for the Bulldogs, Davis has become one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He continued to live up to his reputation on Sunday when he posted 7 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and an interception in the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Charles Johnson – Davis’ teammate on the Panthers, Charles Johnson, didn’t have many tackles on Sunday (2) but he was able to earn his first sack of the season. The former UGA defensive end is hoping to get double-digit sacks for the fourth time in his career.

Damian Swann – Last year, Swann emerged as a defensive back under Jeremy Pruitt. That success appears to have translated into the NFL, as Swann led the New Orleans Saints with six tackles. He also broke up a pass in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Alec Ogletree – The St. Louis Rams have one of the NFL’s emerging defenses, and Alec Ogletree is making a name for himself at linebacker. The former UGA star racked up seven tackles against the Seattle Seahawks and landed a big hit on quarterback Russell Wilson.

NEXT Who’ll coach longer, Mark Richt or Steve Spurrier?
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