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SportSSports Editor Daniel Shirley | dshirley@macon.com | (478) 744-4227Sunday July 1, 2012

WIMBLEDON, 6CYaroslava Shvedova records the

first perfect set for a woman in the professional era.

Bill Shanks

When a college football team dismisses its

leading rusher from the previous season, there is usually more than a terse 72-word news release.

But that’s really all Georgia head coach Mark Richt needed to say Friday when he kicked Isaiah Crowell out of the Georgia program following the running back’s arrest earlier that day. The less Richt said, the more we knew how upset, disappointed and downright angry he had to be at having no choice but to make the decision.

“We have a dedicated and committed group of men who are working hard to prepare for the coming season,” said Richt. “Our total focus will be directed toward the team and this effort.”

That was it. There was no mention of Crowell in the entire comment. Richt didn’t wish Crow-ell well in his future endeavors or none of the other usual scripted words. Richt instead talked about the very things that kept Crowell from achieving great-ness in Athens: dedica-tion, commitment, being a man, hard work, prepa-ration, focus and effort.

There is no doubt Richt made the right de-cision, and he should be applauded for not letting the sun go down Friday before making Crowell an ex-player on his team. This was more than a strike three situation; it was a player given more than three chances to prove if he wanted to be an integral part of the Georgia football team.

Sure, these players are young men, and young men occasionally mis-behave in college. But that’s an empty excuse when players, staff and coaches beg someone to behave. Crowell was given every chance to become a star, but he’s the one who got in his own way.

This is simple addi-tion by subtraction. The other players know what Crowell had done during the past year. They prob-ably know more than we know and know enough to realize this latest inci-dent, whether Crowell is legally guilty or finds a way to beat the charges, was the final straw.

A team has to depend on every member, and when someone who is admittedly very impor-tant to that equation lets down his teammates again and again, they have to go.

It’s going to be tough to replace the 850 yards Crowell ran for last season, but Georgia will be fine. Ken Malcome, Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley will form a solid trio and, at the same time, likely stay out of the newspaper for off-the-field incidents.

It’s somewhat sad every time we see an athlete, whether it’s in college or in the pros, squander an opportu-nity. Maybe they just get too cocky and think

Crowell blew his

final chance

SEE SHANKS, 4C

THE GAME CONTINUES...The 70s. Pages 8-9C.

8C

SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2012

THE TELEGRAPH

macon.com

Wayne Johnson,

Willingham, footballBio: Johnson was named the best player in Macon as a high school senior in 1964 during the Rams’ best season in school history. “Buffalo” played in the 1965 GHSA All-Star Game in Atlanta. He signed with Florida State, where he would

letter three years beginning in 1967.

Why we picked him: Johnson earned all-state honors in 1964, making him one of just six players in school history to make an all-state team.Others to considerNic Riley, Houston County,

football: Riley is the only player in Houston County history to make two all-state teams when he made it in 2003-2004. He played college ball at Troy.

GeorgeCollins,

Warner Robins, footballBio: Collins was just the fifth all-state player in Warner Robins history when he made the team in 1973. He then went to Georgia, where he started at guard for two seasons. Collins was a starter on the Bulldogs’ 1976 SEC championship team, but it was a year later when he received most of his accolades. He was voted to the All-SEC team in 1977, and he was named the top SEC lineman by the Birmingham News. The Sporting News named Collins to its All-America team in 1977. Collins was drafted by St. Louis, where he played for five seasons. He also played for the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL. Collins is currently the head football coach at Rutland, and he also coached Houston County and Perry.Why we picked him: Collins was one of the early building blocks of the Warner Robins football program.

Collins was a senior during Robert Davis’ first year as a head coach, and Collins played a pivotal role in the Demons’ first-ever 10-win season in 1973.Others to considerTim Walker, Northside,

football: Walker went from all-state honors at Northside to making four straight all-conference teams at Savannah State. He then became Northside’s first ever pro

football player when he played for the Seattle Seahawks in 1980.

Alonzo Jackson, Americus, football: An all-state pick at Americus from 1996-98, Jackson started for two years at Florida State before playing 18 games in the NFL for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

Julius Adams,Ballard-Hudson,

footballBio: Adams followed a high school career at Ballard-Hudson with a two-time all-conference run at Texas Southern in 1968 and 1970. The New England Patriots picked Adams in the second round of the 1971 NFL draft. Adams went on to play his entire 15-season career for the Patriots. Adams started as a rookie in 1971 and earned UPI All-Rookie honors. He earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 1980 after leading the Patriots with nine sacks. Adams played in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Chicago Bears at the

end of the 1985 season.Why we picked him: Few Middle Georgians have as illustrious pro career as Adams. He combined quality with longevity. Adams made both the Patriots’ All-1970s team and the All-1980s team. He also was selected to the Patriots’ 35th anniversary team in 1994, and he remained on the team when the 50th anniversary team was picked in 2009.Others to considerJiggy Smaha, Lanier, football:

Smaha was named the state lineman of the year as a high school senior in 1963 before lettering at Georgia and eventually being drafted by the Cleveland Browns.J.W. McKinnie, Mark Smith, football:

McKinnie earned three letters as a lineman and

receiver at Florida State in the late 1960s.

CraigHertwig,

Mark Smith, footballBio: Hertwig grew into a standout football player at Georgia, where he played tackle from 1972-74. The 6-foot-8 giant earned the full-time starting role his final two seasons. Hertwig was named to the AP All-SEC and AP All-America team in 1974. He was the Bulldogs’ offensive captain as a senior. The Detroit Lions drafted Hertwig in the fourth round in 1975. He started 14 games for the Lions in 1977. Hertwig died in May.

Why we picked him: Hertwig gained the edge over George Foster because of quality of his

college career. Foster was better in high school, and the two are pretty even as pro players. Only two Georgia offensive tackles — Mike Wilson and Matt Stinchcomb — have earned AP All-America honors in the 38 years following Hertwig’s designation, and only four Georgia offensive tackles have ever made the AP All-America team.Others to considerGeorge Foster, Southeast,

football: Arguably the best player in Southeast history, Foster started for a season at Georgia before being drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft by Denver. He played for Detroit, Cleveland and Seattle.

Pete Jenkins, Hawkinsville, football: Jenkins earned all-state honors in 1958 and later served as an assistant coach at Auburn and LSU and with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mike Washington, Baldwin,

footballBio: Washington became the first Baldwin player to earn back-to-back selections to all-state teams when he earned recognition from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1989 and 1990. He played in the GHSA’s all-star game following his senior season. Washington earned four letters at South Carolina following his standout career at Baldwin.

Why we picked him: Only four Baldwin players — Washington, Dante Beckham, Corico Hawkins and Darius Marshall — have made two all-state teams in their high school careers.Others to considerMarc McCall, Wilcox

County, football: An all -state pick in 1991, McCall played college ball at East Carolina.

MauriceHurt,

Baldwin, footballBio: Hurt was an all-state

selection as a senior at Baldwin in 2005, and he was one of the top prospects in Georgia coming out of high school. Hurt went to Florida, where he played in 41 games, including 17 starts. His versatility was evident during the 2010 season where he started at three different positions on the offensive line. The Washington Redskins selected Hurt in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft. Hurt started eight games during his rookie season for the Redskins.

Why we picked him: Hurt dominated as a high school offensive lineman before lettering for four seasons at Florida. He was a part of several memorable teams at Florida, including the 2008 SEC championship squad. He protected Tim Tebow while playing for the Gators in their 2009 BCS championship game win over Oklahoma. Others to considerCedric Cornish, Northside,

football: Cornish made the all-state team in 1981 before signing with Georgia.Jimmy Harper, Dodge County,

football: Harper started for two seasons at Georgia earning second-team All-SEC honors (AP) in 1981 and first-team All-SEC honors (UPI) in 1982.James Holland, Willingham,

football: Holland was an all-around good athlete, holding school records in baseball, basketball and track and field before signing with Georgia Tech.

Terry Jones, Washington County, football: Jones didn’t receive much recognition in high school, but he played at Alabama and later for seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

AlLucas,

Northeast, footballBio: Lucas earned honorable mention all-state honors from the AP and Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a senior in 1995. He went on to a standout career at Troy, where he earned All-Southland Conference honors in 1998 and 1999. Lucas dominated during the 1999 season, earning the Buck Buchanan Award as Division I-AA’s top defensive player. He helped lead the Trojans to the

The 70s

ONLINEGo to macon.com for more photos of the players who were chosen,

as well as Jonathan Heeter’s podcast.

The

NUMBERSGameA look at Middle Georgia’s all-time greats

University of Kentucky

SEE NUMBERS, 9C

Bill Spivey, back, played for Warner Robins before going on to a standout career with Kentucky in the early 1950s that included the Most Outstanding Player award from the 1951 NCAA tournament.

TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

Al Lucas, who died from injuries suffered in a 2005 Arena Football

League game, was named the top defensive player in Division I-AA in

1999 while playing for Troy.

From12 to 14

The era of the megaconference begins as Missouri and Texas A&M formally take their places at the SEC table

DAVID J. PHILLIP/Associated PressThis Sept. 17, 2011, file photo shows Texas A&M mascot Reveille along with Yell Leaders before the Aggies’ football game against Idaho. The all-male Yell Leaders group is one of several traditions the school will bring to the SEC when it officially joins Sunday.

By KRISTIE RIEKENAP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M is using its move from the Big 12 to the SEC as a chance to reinvent itself from a regional brand to a national one.

But first the Aggies want-ed to introduce themselves, or as they would put it, say “Howdy” to their new con-ference.

Roll Tide? War Eagle? Get ready for “Gig `Em!”

In the past few months, one of the school’s initia-tives has been using its web-site, Facebook, Twitter and various SEC forums to ed-ucate people about A&M and answer questions con-cerning some of the unique traditions at this once all-male military school — the

male-only Yell Leaders in-stead of cheerleaders, for example, and the 12th Man tradition.

“I always tell people that Texas A&M has always been an SEC school in terms of our traditions, our spirit and our passion,” said Jason Cook, Texas A&M’s vice president for marketing and communications. “We’ve just been positioned in the wrong conference.”

If that sounds like a jab, well, it probably is. The school’s departure from the Big 12 was at time ac-rimonious and dominated by a falling out of sorts with Texas, its biggest rival. The Aggies were worried about the future of the Big 12 after the departures of Nebraska

Aggies eager to officially say ‘howdy’

TEXAS TECH

<AP> FBC BIG 12 LOGOS 2010: NCAA logos and helmets of the Big 12 Conference; 1c x 1 inches; 46 mm x 25 mm; stand alone; WJC; ETA 4 p.m. </AP>

Editor’s Note: It is mandatory to include all sources that accompany this graphic when repurposing or editing it for publication

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

BAYLOR BEARS

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERSTEXAS LONGHORNS

MISSOURI TIGERS

IOWA STATE CYCLONES

COLORADO BUFFALOES

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Nickname: AggiesFounded: 1872Enrollment: 50,054Previous conference

affiliation: Big 12, 1996-2012.

Bragging points: Texas A&M is home to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and one of six remaining senior military colleges. Its Corps of Cadets is the largest uniformed body outside the national service academics, according to the school.

Texas A&M

JEFF ROBERSON/Associated PressMissouri chancellor Brady J. Deaton, left, and athletics director Mike Alden, second from right, will see their school formally join the SEC on Sunday, the end of a process that began last fall when Missouri announced the move from its longtime home, the Big 12.

By R.B. FALLSTROMAP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Perhaps the only downer in Mis-souri’s jump to the SEC is the indefinite interruption of the feisty border conflict with Kansas.

Left behind in the Big 12, the Jayhawks were left feel-ing abandoned, jilted. Men’s basketball head coach Bill Self said several times last season that he couldn’t see scheduling the Tigers any-time soon.

There seem to be no hard feelings anywhere else, in-cluding the big city just down the road that used to bene-fit from the Missouri-Kan-sas rivalry. Missouri ath-letics director Mike Alden took delight this past week announcing that a $30 mil-lion gift that jump-started

Tigers ready to make transition from Big 12

TEXAS TECH

<AP> FBC BIG 12 LOGOS 2010: NCAA logos and helmets of the Big 12 Conference; 1c x 1 inches; 46 mm x 25 mm; stand alone; WJC; ETA 4 p.m. </AP>

Editor’s Note: It is mandatory to include all sources that accompany this graphic when repurposing or editing it for publication

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

BAYLOR BEARS

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERSTEXAS LONGHORNS

MISSOURI TIGERS

IOWA STATE CYCLONES

COLORADO BUFFALOES

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Nickname: TigersFounded: 1839Enrollment: 33,805Previous conference

affiliation: Big 12, 1996-2012.

Bragging points: First public university west of the Mississippi River, world’s first journalism school (founded 1908), nation’s first education college at a public university (founded 1868). Nickname recognizes area Civil War militia `The Missouri Tigers.’ Record enrollment 10 consecutive years.

Missouri

SEE AGGIES, 4C

SEE TIGERS, 4C

By GEORGE HENRYAssociated Press

ATLANTA — Mike Minor won for just the second time in 12 starts and the Atlanta Braves overcame 104-de-gree heat to beat Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals 7-5 on Saturday.

Strasburg (9-3) left after just three innings because of weather-related issues. He didn’t return to begin the fourth, tying for the shortest outing of his 33-start career.

Braves officials reported no ma-jor health problems among the announced crowd of 26,491. The team credited eight free water sta-tions at Turner Field with helping fans cool off.

Strasburg allowed two hits, three

runs and four walks. Throwing 36 of his 67 pitches for strikes, Strasburg struck out four to reach 122, most in the majors.

Strasburg took extra time between pitches and walked slowly between in-nings. He hit an RBI single and left trailing 3-2 after the Braves’ three-run third.

Nationals manager Davey John-son came out of the dugout after the third to tell home plate umpire Marvin Hudson that Strasburg

Braves escape hot day with win over Nationals

DAVID TULIS/Associated PressAtlanta assistant trainer Jim Lovell drapes a wet towel over Martin Prado to cool him down during Saturday’s game against Washington.

Braves 7, Nationals 5 Next: vs. Nationals, 1:35 p.m., Saturday (Fox Sports South)

SEE BRAVES, 4C