ATHENS — Georgia national championship quarterback Buck Belue is known as one of the SEC’s most accomplished two-sport legends, having also starred in baseball with the Bulldogs.
It turns out Belue should probably also be known as one of the program’s key recruiters, as he shared the tale of a recruiting trip to visit with college football All-Time Great Herschel Walker.
Walker, to no one’s surprise, had drawn a crowd of some of the most prominent coaches in the country at this particular basketball game, including then-USC coach John Robinson.
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“I was told look to meet Herschel out back after the game was over,” Belue said. “There were a couple of times in that game I really thought the gym would come down when Herschel broke away and dunked it with two hands.
“So I met him and said I knew we wouldn’t have much time together, so I came down here to answer any questions that he had,” Belue said, “And he said, well, he was promised he would be able to run track at Georgia and play football, and he was wondering if they were just making promises.
“I said, ‘Look, Coach Dooley said I could play baseball, and I’m playing baseball, so what’s the other question? Sure you’ll be able to run track.’ ”
Walker wondered about the beard he was growing, and Belue chuckled and told him that “man, you’re going to have to shave that thing off,” and with that, the young men shook hands and parted ways.
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Walker ultimately committed to Georgia, and less than one year later, carried the Bulldogs to the 1980 national championship against Notre Dame’s fierce defense despite a separated shoulder.
Belue, shared that Walker has told him over the years it was a matter of not wanting to let family members down.
But “family” has a wide interpretation for Walker, who explained to DawgNation “it’s more than just a game sometimes.”
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Belue, who now hosts a daily radio show (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.) on Atlanta’s 680 AM The Fan, also had a hand in recruiting Lindsay Scott.
Of course, Belue has several stories to tell, many of which he shared in his recently released book:
“Inside the Hedges, a Quarterback’s journey to the 1980 national championship.”
Belue will be doing a book signing from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday in Athens at the UGA Bookstore and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Macon at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.