Joe Hamilton and Herschel Walker...

4shotB

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,937
I am going to throw this out for some (hopefully) rational discussion. I have this crazy idea that JT may end up being as good as Lil'Joe before he departs the Flats (assuming of course no injuries, etc.)

WTBS, I am always reminded how we quick we are to dismiss the claims that our neighbors to the East make about having their "next Herschel". undoubtedly, they do tend to have incredibly good to great backs year after year. But none, alas, have been the next Herschel.

So, is my claim in paragraph one legit? Or am I, like our rival fans, simply delusional...that players like Joe Hamilton and Herschel Walker are simply "once in a lifetime" players and that I should be glad to have seen them once in my lifetime? would welcome your comments. If you tell me I am as delusional as the typical Dawg fan, I will just man up and take it since I asked for it. Or can JT really be as good as #14?
 

FightWinDrink

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,341
I don't see a problem in wishing to get another player as good as them but I like to look at it as a different player going on to cement their own legacy rather than be remembered as the next [insert great player]. If they can ever match the legend is subjective imo.
 

TechPhi97

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
778
Location
Davidson, NC
4shotB said:
I am going to throw this out for some (hopefully) rational discussion. I have this crazy idea that JT may end up being as good as Lil'Joe before he departs the Flats (assuming of course no injuries, etc.)

WTBS, I am always reminded how we quick we are to dismiss the claims that our neighbors to the East make about having their "next Herschel". undoubtedly, they do tend to have incredibly good to great backs year after year. But none, alas, have been the next Herschel.

So, is my claim in paragraph one legit? Or am I, like our rival fans, simply delusional...that players like Joe Hamilton and Herschel Walker are simply "once in a lifetime" players and that I should be glad to have seen them once in my lifetime? would welcome your comments. If you tell me I am as delusional as the typical Dawg fan, I will just man up and take it since I asked for it. Or can JT really be as good as #14?
Click to expand...
It all depends on how hard JT works. That will determine his legacy (or lack thereof).
 
BabyJacket1990

BabyJacket1990

Banned
Messages
921
Location
Middle, Ga
4shotB said:
I am going to throw this out for some (hopefully) rational discussion. I have this crazy idea that JT may end up being as good as Lil'Joe before he departs the Flats (assuming of course no injuries, etc.)

WTBS, I am always reminded how we quick we are to dismiss the claims that our neighbors to the East make about having their "next Herschel". undoubtedly, they do tend to have incredibly good to great backs year after year. But none, alas, have been the next Herschel.

So, is my claim in paragraph one legit? Or am I, like our rival fans, simply delusional...that players like Joe Hamilton and Herschel Walker are simply "once in a lifetime" players and that I should be glad to have seen them once in my lifetime? would welcome your comments. If you tell me I am as delusional as the typical Dawg fan, I will just man up and take it since I asked for it. Or can JT really be as good as #14?
Click to expand...
Todd Gurley is about as close as it will ever get for them. That man probably wins the Heisman this past year and UGA makes the playoffs as well.
 
GPD

GPD

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
291
I think it's safe to say that JT, on his current trajectory, will be on the level of Joe... I think Joe would proudly agree with that.

ga's constant "next Walker" is much more far fetched... honestly, the hurdle for them is higher.

Joe was a great player and worthy of every single accolade ever given in his honor.
Walker, on the other hand, truly was a "once in a lifetime" talent... ironically, there were two "once in a lifetime" players working concurrently
during that era.

I haven't seen anybody since, that was equal to Walker and Jackson.

So, to answer your question:
Yes, JT can equal, or even surpass Lil' Joe
Very unlikely ga will ever have another Walker
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,218
Comparing JT to Joe and projecting JT is nigh impossible. Two completely different offenses for one thing. Joe had 8882 career passing yards. JT has some catching up to do with just 1850 to date. On the other hand, Lil' Joe compiled 1758 career rushing yards. JT has 1320 in just 1+ years. Maybe you could go by wins as a starter and JT is right on pace to meet or exceed that of Joe (5* + 7 + 10 + 8 = 30) . *Joe played in 10 games as a freshman, not sure if starter. If we throw out the freshman games, it looks like JT is a good bet to best his win totals.
 

dmurdock

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
299
Location
North Port, FL
Biggest difference is that Tech fans haven't been clamoring for the "Next Joe" for the past 20+ years.

I think JT is a valid comparison to Joe.

Joe was the perfect quarterback for Friedgen's offense. Fridge was able to open up his playbook and run any play in it with Joe at QB. We knew we had the very real potential to score every time we had the ball. There were times when the opposing team would down a punt at the 10 and my thought was "cool, we get to rack up an extra 10 yards of offense". There was confidence, with Joe running Fridge's offense, that we could win every game we played and we played a national championship caliber FSU down to the wire. But Joe was not a Peyton Manning type physical specimen. Joe was a special talent, but he needed to be in the right offense that would take advantage of that talent.

JT is a special talent, but like Joe he needs to be in the right offense to take advantage of that talent. He may turn out to be the perfect quarterback for CPJ's option offense. JT running CPJ's offense gives me the same level of confidence that I had when Joe was running Fridge's offense. I would love to make it into the CFP because I think we can compete with any team in the nation with JT running the offense. JT also seems to be that special type of player that steps up his game when the game is on the line.

Bottom line is the next two years are going to be special for GT football fans. For those who missed watching Joe, this is your chance to watch a special talent build a hall of fame career as a GT QB, something that doesn't happen for us very often. Pay attention and appreciate what you are seeing.
 
Boomergump

Boomergump

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
3,281
JH could run some option. He did a fair amount of that under Fridge. It was just a package that provided depth to the overall plan, but he ran it well. I would have loved to see JH in this offense too. His touch on the deep ball and reading of coverages was spectacular. Imagine all that with shallow safties biting on the run.
 

gtg936g

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,142
We are going to see how good JT really is as a passer this year. I think (until we prove otherwise) that teams will be content to load the box and play one on one with our wide receivers. Our WRs will be the unproven part of the offense this year, if they step up to the level of Waller/Smelter then look out.

IMO JT and lil Joe were the right players paired with the right coach. It does not happen often, but it sure fun to watch when it does.
 

Yaller Jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
979
I think it is very likely. The fact that they were different players playing in different offenses does not take comparison out of the picture. You can still compare overall impact. In order to highlight their skills, you need a strong supporting cast. It would appear we have that now.
 

Architorture23

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
176
the "next Herschel" has become a bit of a joke, perpetuated mostly by GT fans, imo, and not as much UGAg fans. I actually think most of them kinda learned their lesson calling someone the "next herschel" with Musa Smith, who is the last UGAg RB that I remember them seriously calling that. regardless, Tech fans have not been doing that since Lil Joe because we're not idiots.

as far as Herschel and Lil Joe being once in a lifetime players... some people might want to kill me on this, but Herschel was, Lil Joe wasn't. I love Joe but Herschel was one of the 2 or 3 best college football players of all time. How many college RBs have been better than he was? How many QBs were better than Joe?

What does JT need to do to be compared to Joe? They're obviously not the same kind of player so it will be difficult to compare their numbers. Joe never won a major bowl but went 2-2 against UGAg (maybe 2-1... did he start against UGA in 1996?), finished 2nd in Heisman voting (should've won), won Davey O Brien award for best QB in college football, and is a member of the College FB HOF.

Objectively, I don't really see JT getting enough spotlight to be a Heisman finalist or a College FB HOFer. However, he has won an OB and has an excellent chance to win more major bowls, possibly even a NC. I honestly think that is a possibility. He's 1-0 against the Gaggers, so that's a good start.

I don't know if 'College Football history' will look on him as fondly as it does Lil Joe, but I think he has every chance to be right there with Joe in the hearts of Yellow Jacket fans. Keep beating UGA, keep winning 10+ and big bowl games under the national spotlight, maybe crash the playoff party... One thing that each share is a hatred of losing and a sense of personal responsibility.
 
Northeast Stinger

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
10,778
Architorture23 said:
Herschel was one of the 2 or 3 best college football players of all time.
Click to expand...
That is a strong recommendation.

I am not sure. If you are saying he is one of the top 2 or 3 best running backs (as opposed to players) it gets a little easier to see what you are saying but even then I have trouble ranking the top 10 running backs in any particular order since they all had different times and circumstances and supporting casts in which they made their "statements." Is Doak Walker better than Charles White, or Erik Dickerson better than Jim Thorpe, or Ernie Davis better than O.J. Simpson? How about Doc Blanchard over Jim Brown?

Here is all I am willing to say. Herschel Walker was one of the finest running backs I have ever seen and I would have a hard time ranking anyone ahead of him. But I also could say the same thing about Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders when I watched them in college.

As for Joe Hamilton, who I dearly loved as a player, I always wonder why he gets more love than Shawn Jones? Jones had many of the same running and passing skills, could run a multiple offense to perfection and was a winner in high stakes games. He always feels underestimated to me by Tech fans.

Just rambling here because ranking players and comparing players from different times always leaves me unsatisfied.
 
GTJoeBrew

GTJoeBrew

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,099
Location
Loganville, GA
I think that the ceiling is very high for JT. He could turn out to be the best GT player in our lifetime, but be underrated nationally because his passing stats are going to be huge. As a sophomore, he ran the offense almost to perfection. Can he get better from there? I think so, but only time will tell.
 
Top