These Bulldogs won the national title in 1980. Why this championship game is bittersweet
It’s a bittersweet time for Daryll “DJ” Jones.
The former Carver High School standout athlete was a member of the 1980 Georgia football team, the last group of Bulldogs to win the national title.
And so was fellow Columbus native Dale Williams, who starred at Hardaway High School.
These two teammates and friends became business partners. They co-own Sportsvisions, a multimedia sports marketing company.
While the Bulldogs prepare for the Jan. 10 College Football Playoff national championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Jones made travel arrangements Tuesday to join them in Indianapolis, where he will broadcast the Sportsvisions radio and online TV shows and serve as a correspondent for PMB Broadcasting.
Williams would have been going as well, but he is bedridden in an assisted living facility while he recovers from surgery to remove one of his kidneys. It was another medical procedure in a yearlong avalanche of health crises that started with a COVID-19 infection in December 2020. He was hospitalized, put on a ventilator and a feeding tube, then suffered a stroke that paralyzed him on his left side.
“Initially, you feel sad, but at the same time I want to make sure I continue the legacy that we’ve established,” Jones told the Ledger-Enquirer. “We’ve been doing this for 17 years together.
“I’m just putting myself in Dale’s shoes. I’m sure he’s excited I’m able to continue what we started. I don’t think of anything less than making him proud and making our community proud.”
Byron Hickey, a cousin of Williams, started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.com to help the Williams family pay for his medical expenses.
“We’re appreciative of that,” Dale’s wife, Tammy Williams, told the L-E. “We’re grateful for the thoughts and prayers. We share with him that so many people are pulling for him.”
Although he can’t do everyday tasks, he is in good spirits, she said.
“Anybody who goes through that kind of trauma and is still here fighting,” she said, “you know he has Bulldog in his blood.”
That’s why Jones said, “I expect him to get out of that bed any day and come join me back in the studio.”
Jones played cornerback in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers (1984-86) and Denver Broncos (1987-88). Williams, also a cornerback, was selected by the Denver Gold (1982) of the USFL. But their college careers — and that national championship — created more of their business connections, Jones said.
“We made some wonderful friendships and excellent networking opportunities,” he said. “… That championship established a culture at the university in 1980 — we won three SEC championships in my four years there — so to not only be in this game but to wear a ring that says they’re a national champion, I’d love for them to experience that.”
Although his mind thinks Alabama has the edge, especially with Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young at quarterback, Jones heeded his heart when pressed for a prediction: a 28-21 UGA victory.
“I think our defense will take care of itself,” he said. “… Offensively, we’re going to be a lot more explosive. Even with Stetson (Bennett) as the quarterback, I think we’re going to find some wrinkles to make us effective enough to pull it out.”
HOW TO LISTEN TO AND WATCH SPORTSVISIONS
The Sportsvisions radio talk show airs every Monday and Thursday, from 4-6 p.m., on WLTC 92.1 FM. The free Sportsvisions radio app also broadcasts the show. It’s available on Facebook Live and for replay on the Sportsvisions TV Show Facebook page.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
