ERIC ZEIER

This week's Dawg of the Week is Eric Zeier.

Okay, so I know that until Greenie came along he held all sorts of Georgia records, I know he was the Dale Murphy of the Bulldogs during the early '90s (great player, mediocre team), and I know he had a mediocre career behind Bernie Kosar in the NFL.

HOWEVER, what I remember Eric Zeier for is being the Bulldogs' savior from the insanity-inducing talent void that was Preston Jones.

P. Jones, as my family referred to him, had an incredible arm. It was incredible in that it could fire a football at roughly 6,000 miles per hour, as long as said football was aimed towards the dirt at the receiver's feet, or at least five feet over his head. He had a head made out of bricks and legs like a statue. Every week we'd talk to my grandfather on the phone and he'd say \"I can't wait until Goff plays that Zeier kid,\" and my uncle would say back to him \"Georgia doesn't play freshmen, Dad,\" and Grampa would say back, \"They played Herschel, didn't they?\" and my uncle would say \"He wasn't a quarterback, Dad!\" and then there was just some incoherent growling and spitting on the other end of the phone.

And then in the middle of the season or two games in or something, Eric Zeier became the first freshman to start at quarterback since World War II. And it was just like Dale Murphy. Zeier was SO GOOD you wondered, why can't we win? We've got him....but we also have Ray Goff. THAT's why we can't win. And then depression would set in.

I was born in Cleveland, and was a big Browns fan until the Panthers came to Charlotte. So I was doubly gratified when my favorite college quarterback was drafted and got to play behind my favorite NFL quarterback. Unfortunately, Zeier's skills never really translated in the NFL, so all my friends had to take my word for it that he was a genius quarterback.

Anyway...what are your memories of Big Z?

I remember Zeier having a good arm. I remember all the records he held for like 2 seasons. I remember the media guide said he was like 6' 2\" but in reality he was more like 5' 10\".

Mostly though, I remember after Hearst left the Dawgs offense turned into Air Georgia and it wasn't uncommon to see them line up in a shotgun formation on a 3rd and 2.

Those were the days.

Those were the bad days, though. Any game under Goff and Donnan were bad days. I often wonder what Zeier would have been like had Coach Richt been here then.

Ill admit under Goff the Dawgs straight up sucked (with exception to the 10-2 season). I cant really bash Donnan too much. His record was 40-19 and he won 4 straight bowl games. Dooley even wanted to keep him here. (Wikipedia) He just couldn't win the big games and I believe he got out coached in those games. From what I hear during Donnan's tenure Bobo was calling the plays in the huddle anyways.

As far a Zier under CMR who is to say. Zier finished 10th in the Heisman balloting the year Charlie Ward won it under CMR.

Other than letting Quincy Carter get away with murder I had little trouble with Donnan. Goff on the other hand..........

I love Zeier.

Donnan was a moron. Anyone who thinks it's OK to lose to Yech because they aren't a conference opponent is a moron. Anyone who thought Quitsey Carter was the answer at QB was a moron. Anyone who thought coaching at Marshall was the same as coaching in the SEC was a moron. Anyone who pissed Larry Munson off by being an a**hole to him is a moron....and the list goes on and on.