Shockley finally gets his chance to shine for Bulldogs

ATHENS, Ga. - D.J. Shockley thought it would happen quicker than this. Much quicker.

Coming out of high school as one of the nation's most highly rated players, he figured it would take one season - two at the most - to take over as Georgia's starting quarterback.

Well, one year passed.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

Finally, as Shockley begins his fifth year with the Bulldogs, the job is his. Understandably, he's about as excited as a freshman stepping on campus for the first time.

"Every athlete coming out of high school thinks he's going to play automatically," Shockley said. "I never figured it would take so long to be the starter at Georgia. But sometimes you have to wait for good things to come."

Shockley's college career was marked by bad timing (he came along a year after David Greene), extreme patience (he passed up a chance to transfer) and occasional glimpses of his considerable talent.

Now, his one - and only - season as the starter will play a huge role in whether the Bulldogs can maintain their standard of the past three seasons: a 34-6 record and three straight Top 10 finishes.

It won't be easy. Georgia must replace Greene, the winningest quarterback in major-college history, and two NFL first-round picks on the defensive side, David Pollack and safety Thomas Davis.

Still, the Bulldogs refuse to call this a rebuilding year - and Shockley is a major reason for their optimism.

"I think everyone is going to be very pleased with how Shockley handles the starting role," coach Mark Richt said. "You get to a point where you can't really improve until you play in the game. Well, Shockley has been at that point for two or three years."

But Greene was always in the way. Even though Richt tried to assuage Shockley by giving him a few snaps in each game - a rather uncomfortable arrangement for both QBs - there was never any doubt about the starter.

When the game was on the line, Greene was the guy on the field.

Shockley didn't know it would work out that way when he signed with Georgia. At the time, Greene was a redshirt freshman who had to yet to play a down, but he took over the starting job in 2001 and held it with an iron grip for the next four years.

As for Shockley, he was redshirted his first season and moved in as the backup the following year. But injuries slowed his progress in both 2002 and '03, and the inevitable thoughts of transferring crossed his mind.

He knew Greene was solidly entrenched as the starter - especially after leading the Bulldogs to their first Southeastern Conference title in 20 years. Barring an injury, Shockley's time wouldn't come until he was a senior.

Even so, he decided to stay at Georgia, winning over both teammates and the coaching staff with his positive attitude. It's time to see if the wait was worth it.

"We all have full confidence in him," running back Thomas Brown said. "I think it's going to make him hungrier, with all the things he's gone through. He could have gone somewhere else, but he stayed here."

Shockley's playing time has been served up in small doses. He's played in 26 games, but never started once. His passing percentage is barely above 50 percent but his touchdown-to-interception ratio is promising (10 TDs, four INTs).

But that's only part of the scouting report. Unlike the slow-footed Greene, who only tucked the ball under his arm when all else failed, Shockley has a little Michael Vick in him. Georgia's new quarterback has the quickness to scramble out of trouble and the speed to run from time to time.

"A lot of the offense will be pretty much the same," Shockley said. "But we'll be able to do some things to put more pressure on the defense with bootlegs and running the ball."

That said, Shockley knows he'll be expected to lead with his right arm instead of his legs. Greene rarely made a bad throw and was so trusted by his coach that he could pretty much switch to whatever play he wanted once the defense was set.

Shockley will have to read defenses quickly and keep mistakes to a minimum. No problem, he said, eagerly looking forward to showing he's not just a good athlete who happens to be a quarterback.

"I'll do enough running to help the offense, but I don't want to be a running quarterback all the time," Shockley said. "I think the passing game is going to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Shockley has the benefit of a deep, experienced line - led by mammoth guard Max Jean-Gilles - and a wealth of options in the backfield.

Sophomores Brown (875 yards, eight TDs) and Danny Ware (692 yards) are joined by Kregg Lumpkin, the former No. 1 running back who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Having studied Auburn's job-sharing arrangement with Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams, the Bulldogs are likely to use some similar formations to get two tailbacks on the field at the same time.

Georgia must replace its top two receivers, Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson, but 6-foot-8 tight end Leonard Pope emerged as a potential star. He caught 25 passes, averaged a staggering 19.3 yards per reception and hauled in six TDs.

Defensively, the Bulldogs have three huge holes to fill.

Pollack was a dominating player at end, routinely drawing two or three blockers but still managing 12.5 sacks. Davis was one of the country's most devastating hitters, possessing the size to play linebacker and the speed to work at safety. And don't forget Odell Thurman, a classic middle linebacker who went in the second round of the NFL draft.

Big losses, to be sure, but the Bulldogs have gotten accustomed to success. They see no reason why this season should be any different.

"People have focused on what we lost," Jean-Gilles said. "But we're not going to take a step back. We're going to keep going forward far into the future."

Shockley plans to lead the way, even though he's a one-year-and-done starter.

"When you're the quarterback, you're put in a leadership position," he said. "I've got to step up."

He's waited long enough.