An Ode to Georgia in Honor of Our National Championship Win

We are still riding the high of our National Championship win last Monday over here and I just don’t think the novelty will ever wear off.  As a Georgia fan since birth, I literally waited MY ENTIRE LIFE for that moment, and it most definitely didn’t disappoint.

I’m about to share 84,000 pictures of all of the good times I’ve had with my Dawgs, but before I get to that, first a little back story about why I’ve been a Georgia fan since birth... 

Two words.

These two.

That is my Mama Cass (my Mom’s mom whom most of you “know” from the blog) and my Big Daddy (my Mom’s dad), who passed away back in 2015.  You may remember this tribute to him here. 

My Big Daddy graduated from the University of Georgia in the 1940’s and the rest is history.  During his years there, he served as a male cheerleader for the football team (that’s him in the picture below!!), and he and my Mama Cass started dating while he was there.   

After Big graduated from there, he lived the rest of his days as a die-hard fan, along with my Mama Cass, and there aren’t many times in my life that I can remember him not wearing Georgia gear in support of his beloved Dawgs.  Even all dressed up in the picture above he’s wearing a Georgia tie!

My Mama Cass and Big Daddy were married for 67 years and they raised six kids, all of whom are also Georgia fans, with the exception of one of my uncles who graduated from Georgia Tech.  He’s a brilliant engineer who has had a highly successful career and he married a UGA grad, though, so we’ll give him a pass.  ;o)

(2008) Mama Cass and Big Daddy at their 60th wedding anniversary bash

When it came time for me to pick a college, I decided to attend our local university because I just wasn’t ready to leave home, but you can bet all. the. money. that if I had decided to go away to school, UGA would have been the only one on my list. 

A couple of my cousins did go on to graduate from there, one of who still currently works for the football team as the Assistant Director of Equipment.  So yep, he was working at the game Monday and that means that he gets a National Championship ring, too!  I’ve already told him to bring it home when he gets it so I can try it on.  ;o)

As you all know, I also happened to marry a diehard Georgia fan – I mean, my family would have ostracized me if I didn’t, right? ;o) – Brian and both of my sisters-in-law are also proud grads of UGA.

While I never got to experience a Georgia game as a kid (my parents went without us when they went – LOL), I went to my first game in 2001 (when I was 19) and from that point on I was hooked.  It was then that I really started paying more attention to the rules of the game, and then once B and I started dating, I became obsessed.  Now I’m the one yelling at the TV during the games while B sits quietly.  Lol. 

The first few months that Brian and I dated, we were in Athens nearly every weekend.  We had friends who were still in school there, so we had a free place to crash, and those days are some that I’ll cherish forever.  So many great memories.  After that, B and I started going to as many games as possible, and we eventually went on to snag season tickets in 2009-ish shortly after we were married.  We’ve had them for so long I don’t even remember how long it’s been.  We even started buying two extra season tickets for our future children before they were even born.  Lol. 

Since then, we’ve gone to countless games, we’ve had countless crazy nights out in Athens, and we’ve traveled to many destinations to see our Dawgs play.  We’ve literally attended every single Georgia vs. Auburn game that has been played in Athens (plus a couple in Auburn) since we started dating in 2003 with the exception of 2020 because – Covid.  We had a red and black wedding (and, of course, a Georgia groom's cake) and both of our kids have been wearing Georgia gear since they were born.  We even started taking them to games at the tender ages of 5 (Jacob) and 3 (Olivia).

Red and black bridesmaids dresses

(2011) My sweet baby Jacob at just 6 weeks old

(2012) Jacob in his Knowshon Moreno jersey at 15 months old

(2012) Jacob in his Gators Stink jersey at 15 months old

(2013) 14 weeks pregnant with Olivia

(2015) Olivia in her first Georgia cheerleading uniform at 18 months old

(2015) Olivia in her Georgia tank at 18 months old

(2016) My very favorite picture of Jacob and Olivia in their Georgia outfits, ages 5 and 2

(2017) Jacob and Olivia in their Georgia outfits, ages 6 and 3

(2017) Jacob and Olivia in their Jake Fromm jerseys, ages 6 and 3

(2018) Jacob and Olivia in their Georgia outfits, ages 7 and 4

We bleed red and black, y’all.

We’ve ridden the high highs of being in attendance at historical winning games (Georgia vs. Auburn Blackout game in 2007) and we’ve had our hearts shattered at others (SEC Championship 2021).  But no matter what has happened throughout the years – win or lose – we’ve remained loyal fans, and we’ll remain loyal fans ‘til the end.

After 41 long years, our Dawgs finally won the National Championship game last Monday, and I think I speak for every single Georgia fan when I say that we’ll all be riding this high for a very long time.

In honor of our big win, here’s a little recap of my Georgia life in pictures.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any of myself in my favorite Georgia sweatshirt when I was a kid (I know I have one somewhere), and I also don’t have any pictures from my first couple of games (who was I back then not taking pictures?!), but I sure do have a ton from 2003 going forward.  As a matter of fact, this post could have had 500 more pictures, but I omitted a ton for obvious reasons.

Without further ado, our G-E-O-R-G-I-A life…

11/15/2003 - UGA vs. Auburn in Athens

11/12/2005 - UGA vs. Auburn in Athens

9/15/2007 UGA vs. Western Carolina in Athens

11/9/2007 Partying in Athens the night before the UGA vs. Auburn Blackout game

11/10/2007 Tailgating before UGA vs. Auburn Blackout game in Athens

11/10/2007 UGA vs. Auburn Blackout game

11/10/2007 Partying in Athens after our big win over Auburn

1/1/2008 UGA vs. Hawaii Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA

1/1/2008 Partying in New Orleans after our win

1/1/2008 Partying in New Orleans after our win

1/1/2008 Partying in New Orleans after our win

8/30/2008 Debut of Uga VII before the UGA vs. Georgia Southern game in Athens

9/27/2008 Dawg Walk before the UGA vs. Alabama game in Athens

10/18/2008 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Vanderbilt game in Athens

10/18/2008 UGA vs. Vanderbilt game in Athens

11/15/2008 UGA vs. Auburn game in Auburn

12/31/2008 Partying in Orlando for NYE before the Capital One Bowl

12/31/2008 Partying in Orlando for NYE before the Capital One Bowl

12/31/2008 Partying in Orlando for NYE before the Capital One Bowl

1/1/2009 UGA vs. Michigan State at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, FL

11/7/2009 UGA vs. Tennessee Tech in Athens

11/7/2009 Chick-Fil-A pitstop on the way home from Athens after the game

11/14/2009 UGA vs. Auburn in Athens

11/14/2009 Partying in Athens after our win

11/14/2009 Partying in Athens after our win

11/14/2009 Partying in Athens after our win

10/29/2010 Partying in Jacksonville, FL before the UGA vs. Florida game

10/29/2010 UGA vs. Florida in Jacksonville, FL

11/12/2011 Tailgating in Athens before the UGA vs. Auburn game

9/29/2012 Hanging out in downtown Athens before the UGA vs. Tennessee game

11/9/2012 Meeting Jarvis Jones

12/1/2012 Meeting Big Dawg Mike before the UGA vs. Alabama SEC Championship game

12/1/2012 UGA vs. Alabama SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA

9/7/2013 UGA vs. South Carolina in Athens

11/15/2014 Hanging out in downtown Athens before the UGA vs. Auburn game

10/3/2015 UGA vs. Alabama in Athens

9/3/2016 UGA vs. North Carolina Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game in Atlanta, GA

9/3/2016 Meeting Evander Holyfield after the game

10/1/2016 UGA vs. Tennessee in Athens and Jacob's first game

10/1/2016 UGA vs. Tennessee in Athens and Jacob's first game

11/12/2016 UGA vs. Auburn in Athens, GA

11/12/2016 UGA vs. Auburn in Athens, GA

10/7/2017 Hanging out in Nashville before the UGA vs. Vanderbilt game

10/7/2017 UGA vs. Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN

11/18/2017 UGA vs. Kentucky in Athens and Olivia's first game

11/18/2017 UGA vs. Kentucky in Athens and Olivia's first game

11/10/2018 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Auburn game in Athens

11/10/2018 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Auburn game in Athens

11/10/2018 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Auburn game in Athens

11/10/2018 UGA vs. Auburn in Athens

11/17/2018 Hanging out in downtown Athens before UGA vs. UMass

11/17/2018 Dawg Walk before the UGA vs. UMass game in Athens

11/17/2018 UGA vs. UMass game in Athens

11/17/2018 Seeing Vince Dooley at the UGA Bookstore in Athens

11/17/2018 UGA vs. UMass in Athens

9/21/2019 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Notre Dame game in Athens

9/21/2019 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Notre Dame game in Athens

9/21/2019 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Notre Dame game in Athens

9/21/2019 UGA vs. Notre Dame in Athens

11/9/2019 Tailgating before the UGA vs. Missouri in Athens

4/20/2021 G-Day game in Athens

12/4/2021 UGA vs. Alabama SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA

 

1/15/2022 - National Championship Parade in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 - Coach Kirby Smart, National Championship Parade in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 - QB Stetson Bennett, National Championship Parade in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 - National Championship Parade in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 - National Championship Celebration in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 National Championship Celebration in Athens, GA

1/15/2022 - National Championship Celebration in Athens, GA

Soooo many memories packed into these pictures, y'all.  So many memories.  

To the 2021 Georgia team and staff – WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!  Thank you for finally doing what no other team has been able to do since 1980.  All of us fans will remember this moment for the rest of our lives.  GLORY, GLORY!  I said it’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!!!!

Is it college football season yet?!

Happy Monday, y’all!