The “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” is set for Saturday in Jacksonville (though, let’s be honest, the party will start Friday). Unbeaten and third ranked Georgia will be without stud quarterback DJ Shockely, a fact that has many predicting an upset win by the evil Gators. UGA will go with a red-shirt junior QB with a name few can pronounce, let alone spell (That’s Joe Tereshinski), a third generation Georgia player. Joe T chose his hometown Dawgs (he grew up in Athens, where his dad is an assisstant strength coach or something like that) over several other suitors, including Florida, even though coach Mark Richt had uber-QB recruits David Greene and DJ Shockley in the fold. (An interesting note – in 1981 Richt himself replaced an injured Jim Kelly in the second half of a key game and led Miami to a come-from-behind victory against… Florida. He knows what its like to pinch hit against the Gators in a rivalry game.)
Joe T didn’t care about all that – he had always dreamed about playing for Georgia. His desire was so great that he has seen game action as a long snapper and as a blocker in the punt team. How many quarterbacks get off the bench to play special teams? Ivan Maisel at ESPN.com has a nice piece about Joe T living out his dream this weekend. Hopefully its a sweet dream that sees the Dawgs remain unbeaten (though sure to be screwed by the dreadful BCS formula Division 1-A football uses to determine the national championship… but that’s another post.)