Macon Touchdown Club: Former Bulldog Drew Butler pretty amped at where current Bulldogs are, wonders about the Falcons, shares stories

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Drew Butler was part of the college football world when it was completely different than it is now.

          And his college career ended less than 15 years ago. Before that, he was a high school standout at Peachtree Ridge.

          Both worlds are completely different now, and Monday night’s speaker at the Macon Touchdown Club knows it.

          But that doesn’t change his memories, or his advice to the high schoolers on hand.

          “This fall is the 20th anniversary of my high school’s state championship,” Butler said. “Guys, I’m telling you, the friendships that you make in those locker rooms …

          “You come back 10, 15, 20 years later, you’ve got kids, you’ve got wives, your wives arefriends, your kids are friends, your parents get back together, and you’re going to talk about the moments that you’re going to create over the next four weeks, five weeks, six weeks.”

          Butler’s memories continued during a celebrated career at Georgia and a five-year stint in the NFL.

          He has stayed close to the game and his college alma mater as a podcaster with former Houston County standout and Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, as well as the boss at 4th Down Consulting.

          Butler is pretty amped about the current state of affairs with the Bulldogs, untested after a few easy Saturdays, including the SEC opener at Arkansas.

          “What is uncommon is how they're playing and how they're executing,” the 37-year-old said. “Their offense right now is as efficient as I've ever seen any offense. And I don't care if you're even playing against Air.

          “What Gunner Stockton's doing having more touchdowns than in completions through three games is is nothing short of remarkable.”

          But tests await to the West.

          Two places that Kirby Smart has not won as the head coach of Georgia, the only two places he hasn't won in the SEC is at Alabama and at Oxford, Mississippi,” Butler said. “I’m a beaten-down Georgia fan when it comes to Alabama. My wife also went to Alabama

          “It's been good the past years because we beat them up in the SEC championship game. However, I have a hard time thinking we're just going to go into Tuscaloosa and whup on those boys.”

          Butler had some interesting tales on Seattle head coach Mike MacDonald, being dazzled in Arizona by Larry Fitzgerald, and the new world of college football (Listen to his talk).

Macon Touchdown Club: Drew Butler.MP3

          Butler thinks there might be a method to the Atlanta Falcons’ madness as far as the quarterback disaster so far.

          Third-stringer Cooper Rush got benched, and the team announced Monday that Michael Penix Jr., will start Thursday at Green Bay.

          Then Atlanta has a Monday night game at New Orleans and Sunday night game with Baltimore.

          “I talked to a buddy who played in the NFL as well and he said, ‘The only thing he can think of is that maybe this was the plan all along for the coaching staff,’” Butler said. “And here's the reason why.

If you started Penix this past Sunday, on that knee, he'd have a very, very short turnaround to get ready to go again for another game.

          “So, maybe they said, ‘Hey, let's get through the first two weeks, you can start on that Thursday.’ And now he's going to have that extended break over the weekend and then playing on that following Monday night game. I don't know.”

          He preached some big-picture patience.

          “Iit's fair to say we got to hold our judgment on Kevin Stefanski, the head coach, Ian Cunningham, the general manager, and Matt Ryan, the new president of football. They inherited this mess.”

          There is plenty of talent on the roster, but it’s a team again in transition, and with a quarterback debate.

          “It’s been after bad decision, the roster at the bottom specifically, the cap situation,” he said. “Let's just give them some time, but I would think that it'd probably be beneficial for them to try to get a top draft pick next year. The quarterback class is loaded.”