Re: Anybody notice the

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Re: Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

Sep 11, 2014, 3:27 PM

	_wsb_200x272_70+GATA.png(270.7 K)
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	erk.jpg(126.4 K)

Hi guys,

I thought I would create a profile on here and share the history behind GATA. It is a saying that does indeed stand for "Get After Their A**es" and was thought up by Erk Russell while he was Defensive Coordinator at UGA (not clear on the exact date, but players would scrawl GATA on white athletic tape on their helmets as far back as 1966. Picture attached). From all accounts, Erk was one of the best motivational coaches to ever coach. He was a tough S.O.B. that would head-butt his players as they took the field - them with helmets and him without. Blood would run down his face as he coached during the game- he didn't wipe it off (picture attached). Even still to this day, the Georgia Southern Eagles head-butt a bronze statue bust of him as they take the field in honor of their founding coach (more on that below).

The saying came to him as he was standing on Grant Field at Georgia Tech, and saw "GTAA" for Georgia Tech Athletic Association. He decided to change it up to "GATA" and create his own motivational saying. It stuck.

Following the 1980 season when UGA won the National Title, Erk decided to try his hand at being a head coach. If UGA was smart, they would have put him in as the head man in Athens and push Dooley out. But alas, that did not come about. He left Athens for Statesboro, Ga. where he started the Georgia Southern Eagles football program, which had no money and no facilities - he even famously said that they did not even have a football, and in a matter of just 2 years playing intercollegiate ball, won his first national championship at division 1-AA level in 1985. He would win another the next year in '86. Southern would win 6 national championships between the years 1985-2000. Although he came up with the now famous saying while at UGA, Southern adopted it feverishly, and you can see GATA t-shirts all over campus. The football team still runs out under a big GATA banner as they take the field. It is a deeply ingrained part of Southern football.

You may wonder how I know so much about this. I am a proud alumni of Georgia Southern (BS '08) and UGA (MA '11) and currently work for the UGA Public Affairs office. As a big fan of football, which I'm sure I am in good company, I would recommend you read this article about Erk from Sports Illustrated:

http://www.si.com/vault/1987/08/31/116013/head-man-erk-russell-of-georgia-southern-has-no-peer-in-division-i-aa

If Georgia Southern sounds familiar to you, well, it should. They are the "little school" that went into The Swamp and beat Florida last year. They have just moved up to the SunBelt this year along with long-time rival Appalachian State (who you know beat Michigan a few years back). It is good to keep a traditional rival like that. We still like to point out that although App State did indeed win all 3 of their national titles in 3 years: 6 is still greater than 3.

GATA is a simple saying from a simple guy who coached ball in the most simple way possible. Fun fact: Paul Johnson perfected the triple option he uses at GT now as coach at Southern a number of years back, and this weekend, you can see Georgia Tech take on Georgia Southern in Atlanta. I will be there. Wearing my GATA shirt.

Best,
Todd

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Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

Re: Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

LOL!***

Re: Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

Re: Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

Re: Anybody notice the "GATA" printed on their goal post pad?

Too long but I did read. Jk. Thanks for sharing***

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