Former UGA Football Star To Speak

Former Georgia Bulldog and Atlanta Falcon quarterback D.J. Shockley will be the featured speaker Saturday at ’s Sportsman’s Dinner.

The event, scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m., will also include displays and demonstrations related to the outdoors and a steak dinner. Tickets are two for $25 and can be purchased through cartervillefirst.com.

A star at North Clayton High in College Park, Shockley was a highly-sought quarterback in 2000 and the jewel of incoming University of Georgia coach Mark Richt’s first recruiting class.

However, Richt ended up opting for redshirt freshman David Greene to be the Bulldogs’ starting signal caller in 2001, redshirting Shockley. The result was a potential star mostly relegated to the sidelines while Greene went on to be the winningest quarterback in NCAA Division I history.

Given his chance, Shockley shone. In spot action in 2002 he contributed 615 yards passing and five touchdowns as UGA claimed it’s first Southeastern Conference championship in 20 years. In the Sugar Bowl against Florida State, he added a 37-yard touchdown pass to cap the season.

In 2005 with Shockley at the helm, Georgia started 7-0 before their quarterback was sidelined with a knee injury. Shockley would miss the next game, a 14-10 loss to Florida, and play well in the follow-up against Auburn despite losing 31-30 on a last-second field goal. In the SEC Championship he tossed two TDs and ran for another as UGA downed LSU 34-14 for its second SEC title in four seasons. He’d go on to finish third in the Associated Press Player of the Year voting behind Southern Cal running back Reggie Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young.

Thus Shockley is regarded highly in Bulldog nation almost as much for the fact he stuck around when many wouldn’t have blamed him for transferring to get more playing time. He says his faith played a large role in his decision-making.

“I always believed patience is a virtue,” Shockley told Cartersville Patch in an e-mail interview, acknowledging how tough the process could be.

“As hard as it was, I had to be positive knowing the Lord would help me get through it,” he added. “I knew He wouldn’t put more on me than I could bear.”

Although becoming a Christian at a young age, he admitted to an attitude typical of young people and their relationship with God. In college that changed due to the presence of several strong believers.

“As a kid I didn’t listen and take heed of God’s importance fully. [At UGA] our team chaplain sat me down and really talked to me about the love of Jesus Christ," Shockley said. "We spoke of His greatness and how with Him being the head of our life, situations are a lot easier to take on than by ourselves.

“Coach Richt was a huge mentor for me personally with his actions but also by how he carried himself,” Shockley said. “I could see the love he had for Christ on a daily basis and I wanted that feeling in my life. My center in college, Russ Tanner, was also a great friend who loved the Lord. It made it so much easier to be around people with the same passions.”

After his days at UGA, Shockley was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He’d make the team as the third-strong quarterback, but was moved to the practice squad in September 2009 and ultimately waived on July 9, 2010.

Last fall, he completed his first season for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League as a backup to former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Again his trust in God was tested and, again, it emerged strong.

“My faith as a professional has been critical because there have been many situations and obstacles I’ve had to overcome,” he said. "Without knowing Christ there is no way I could have gotten through those storms.

“Today, I want to send the message to youth to love the Lord in all you do and never be afraid to give Him praise. We serve a mighty God that loves us unconditionally. All he wants for us is to follow Him by our faith and through our lives.”