Eye For The Tigers! Georgia vs. Auburn 2022

WHAT’S
THE WORD
HAMILTON CULPEPPER
KNOX CULPEPPER III JUNKYARD DAWG WHOSE ACTIONS DID THE TALKING
After visiting many other schools
around the country on recruiting
visits, it was time for Knox Culpepper
III to visit his dream school, the University
of Georgia. Upon his arrival, Culpepper was
taken under the wing of legendary senior
linebacker #48 Frank Ros, the number
Culpepper would later choose to wear to
honor a role model like Ros. Ros introduced
Culpepper to the entire team as well as
lettermen, but when it came to meeting
with head coach Vince Dooley, the first
impression was nothing short of incredible.
“It was the best recruiting trip I had been
on by far,” said Culpepper. “I went to meet
with Coach Dooley as all recruits do on all
recruiting trips, but he was the only coach
to ask me for my commitment on the spot,
and I gave it to him right then.”
As a young boy, Culpepper dreamed of
playing at the University of Georgia to
follow in his late father’s footsteps Knox
Culpepper Jr. Culpepper Jr. died when
Culpepper III was 15, but his old-fashioned
disciplinarian ways have stuck with
Culpepper III throughout his life. “He always
said, ‘Make your actions speak louder
than your words,’” said Culpepper. “Since
then, that has always been my philosophy
because that is how he taught and coached
me.” Although Culpepper III’s father was
rather quiet, he was always present, leading
by example rather than vocals.
As Culpepper’s senior year in 1984 rolled
around, Coach Dooley, his staff and the
rest of the team named Culpepper a
captain. Culpepper dreamed of playing at
Georgia, but the honor of being captain
validated all the goals Culpepper had set
in his life thus far. Those lessons that his
father taught him were surely evident to
the rest of the roster as the now senior
linebacker had led by example for the
three years prior.
“I was not the fastest or best athlete,” said
Culpepper. “My philosophy was to be in
better shape and have better technique
than the guy across the ball from me…
As a linebacker, you are the quarterback
of the defense, but I still led by example,
showing out when I was on that field. I
was never a big rah-rah guy.”
Being in the best shape was a necessity for
those Junkyard Dawg defenses, as everyday
of the week they had to practice against
the great Herschel Walker. Culpepper said
he had played the greats in the SEC: George
Rogers, Bo Jackson and George Adams, but
the licks Herschel laid in practice for the
two year they played together were unlike
anything else.
“I tell this story all the time,” said
Culpepper. “I got hit my freshman year in
practice harder than I have ever been hit. I
was coming in on a blitz against Herschel,
and he looked like he was barely moving.
He got underneath my shoulder pads,
and I went backwards. It ended up being
one of those comments in the film room,
‘Fellas, this is how you block a linebacker.’
They proceeded to play it about 50 more
times in film that day.”
Those two years Culpepper played with
and practiced against Herschel paid off
come 1983. In back to back weeks against
Auburn and Georgia Tech, Culpepper
broke the single game tackling records
(and still holds the first and second spots
in this statistic column) with 25 against
Auburn and 26 against the Nerds (Georgia
Tech). What did he eat for breakfast those
two Saturdays in order to do that? It
wasn’t about breakfast for Culpepper; it
was thanks to the practices Coach Dooley
ran. Culpepper said that between twoa-days
and practice during the season,
game time was fun time. Coach Dooley
kicked their butts throughout the week
according to Culpepper, so come game
day, he never got tired for those 60
minutes on Saturdays… that’s how you
compile over 50 tackles in just two weeks.
With practice time restrictions nowadays,
there’s no longer two-a-days and
continuous, grueling practices like there
were in the 80s, but Culpepper is quite
impressed with how Coach Smart gets the
guys ready to compete at the level they
play. Culpepper said that what Coach Smart
accomplishes in the time he is allotted with
those players is just phenomenal. He doesn’t
like to predict, but Culpepper alluded to the
way that this team is performing right now,
there is almost nothing those guys can’t
accomplish.
Before handing in this article, I must tell
a quick Knox Culpepper story. In the early
80s when Culpepper arrived on campus,
my father John Culpepper, a 10-year-old
at the time, got a puppy and named him
Knox after #48. My family and Knox share
a last name, a great one at that, but we are
not related except through that little black
lab in 1981 and a university we both call
home. However, after talking for just 20
minutes on the phone, this Damn Good
Dawg and his humor is a person I’d gladly
call family. Cheers to a great interview and
an even better last name.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 64 ISSUE EIGHT • AUBURN