South Georgia - In The Game High School Sports Magazine

Where does one begin when discussing the career of Greg Talley? He was a quarterback on two undefeated national championship teams at Valdosta High (1984 and 1986). According to valdostawildcats.com, in the 1986 undefeated season, Greg completed 119 of 199 passes for 1,723 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 229 yards and 13 more scores.

Following in the footsteps of two of Valdosta’s greatest quarterbacks, Buck Belue and John Lastinger, Greg translated his success at VHS into a solid career under center at the University of Georgia. He redshirted in 1987, and then played from 1988-1991. For two and a half years from 1989-1991, Greg was the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, and he still possesses one of the highest quarterback ratings in UGA history. He holds a career rating of 123.40, and threw for 3,101 yards with 18 touchdowns and 17 interceptions as a Bulldog. Following his football career, he attended the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, where he graduated in 1995. He returned to Valdosta and joined the Coleman Talley Law Firm, where he maintains a successful law practice. Greg lives in Valdosta with his wife, Laura, whom he met while at Georgia, and two daughters, McClain, 14, and Mary Allen, 11.

In the Game caught up with Greg recently to talk a little football — both high school and college.

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Q: How many years did you start at Valdosta High?

Talley: I started two years at the varsity level. I was a back-up quarterback in 1984 when we went 15-0 and won the state and national championships. In 1985, we lost three Parade All-Americans who were kicked off the team and we still went 9-3. I’ve often wondered “what if” about that 1985 season. We could have gone 45-0 for that three-year period from 1984-1986. But we went 42-3. So the years before my senior season were good, too.

Q: What was your most memorable moment from playing at Valdosta?

Talley: It was actually the opening game of my senior year. We were playing LaGrange, the No. 1 ranked team in the state. They may have been ranked in the top five in the country. It was a big momentum builder for us to go out and play well and beat a team that was supposed to beat us. [Note: Valdosta won 16-6 at home.]

Q: What do remember most about Coach Nick Hyder?

Talley: He was so much more than a football coach. He didn’t limit himself to just people on the football field. He was rock solid from a moral and char-

acter standpoint. He was consistent in everything he did. It was a privilege to play for him. Players never questioned his authority, and he was the ultimate authority figure. He would help players who played for other teams in the area get in contact with colleges. He truly loved young people.

Q: Did you always want to play college football?

Talley: If you grew up in Valdosta in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s, you saw Buck Belue and John Lastinger. I followed their careers as they moved on to the University of Georgia, won SEC championships and played for national championships. It was always my ultimate aspiration to play football at the University of Georgia. I remember getting my first call from Ray Goff. I thought, ‘Finally, they called. It’s over now.’

Q: Tell us about your first two years at Georgia. Did you feel any trepidation after Coach Vince Dooley abruptly retired?

Talley: Coach Dooley was there when I arrived, and Coach Goff is who recruited me. When Coach Dooley announced his retirement, it caught everyone off guard. During bowl practice, we weren’t sure who would be the head coach. We first thought it would be Erk Russell, then Dick Sheridan. I never thought about transferring, even though I would have probably had to change positions had Erk been named head coach. My loyalty was always to the University of Georgia.

Q: What was it like playing for Coach Goff?

Talley: Coach Goff is a friend of mine. I always connected with Coach Goff. He was from Moultrie and played quarterback at Georgia. We made a connection and I always enjoyed a good relationship with him. But Coach Goff had a good relationship with everybody. It was a smooth transition when he became head coach, but he got the job at a difficult time. Georgia was coming off probation and the Jan Kemp years, and Coach Goff was fighting an uphill battle. The resurgence of the University of Florida didn’t help, either. Florida always had a great deal of talent but never could pull it all together. Then Steve Spurrier became coach and he did pull everything together — immediately. Then Georgia Tech won the national title in 1990. With Florida and Georgia Tech doing well during that period, it probably made the situation at Georgia seem a lot worse.

Q: How has the quarterback position changed over the years?

Talley: I was in college during a time when the position was evolving. I signed with Georgia when the Bulldogs always had a big tailback — Herschel Walker, Tim Worley, Rodney Hampton — those kinds of running backs. The quarterback at Georgia wasn’t asked to do a whole lot. He had to manage the game, make good decisions and give the ball to the tailbacks. While I was at Georgia, teams like Miami and Florida State started experiencing a lot of success throwing the ball in a pro-style offense. Then we brought in assistant coaches like Wayne McDuffie and Steve Ensminger, and we started to go to that style of offense. Then we signed Eric Zeier. I still say the reason that Eric only threw for 11,000 yards in his career instead of 14,000 yards is because he didn’t play for the first five games of his freshman year. The quarterback position changed a lot while I was there.

Q: Since you mentioned Eric Zeier, what was it like being replaced by him halfway through your senior season?

Talley: It wasn’t that hard. I was the starting quarterback for the University of Georgia for two and a half years. I knew I wasn’t going to sign a pro contract. I have no regrets about my career. I’d do it all over again.

Q: What is your best moment as a Bulldog?

Talley: It came during my redshirt freshman year against Mississippi State. They tied us late in the game. The biggest surprise was that Coach Dooley went with me on the go-ahead drive. Tim Worley scored on a 46-yard run to win the game. Also, playing Vanderbilt, I threw a 91-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Maxwell. I believe that’s still tied for the longest touchdown pass in UGA history.

Q: Are you still involved in the Valdosta High football program today?

Talley: I’ve got a daughter who is a freshman at Valdosta. I’m not involved much in the program but I do go to the games and support the team.

Q: And at Georgia?

Talley: I have two brothers who still live in Athens. I keep up with the team, and I always will. Virtually all the coaches have changed since I was there. And it gets harder and harder to get to the games, especially now that I have children. But the athletic director was a teammate of mine, so I still have that connection.