Georgia vs. Notre Dame - Franklin College stars of the game

Even as the Georgia Bulldogs gear up for one of the biggest games of the season against Notre Dame, our players find the time to balance athletics with their classes. In the world of college athletics, success has two meanings: athletes are expected to excel in their chosen sport, and required to achieve in the classroom. Student-athletes must learn time management skills to balance early-morning weight lifting sessions, late-night study circles and long journeys to away games with the demands of their classes. 

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is home to more 40 UGA football players this season, with many majoring in the social sciences. Investigating society and the relationships among individuals within a society, social sciences is comprised of branches of knowledge reaching from the Age of the Enlightenment into the 21st century of human activity and existence.

J.R. Reed, a defensive back from Frisco, TX, and Brian Herrien, a running back from Douglasville, GA, are both majoring in Communication Studies. Reed is a recipient of the Col. Robert L. Jackson Family Scholarship.  He has been named to the watchlists for the Bednarik Award, the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Each of these are awarded annually to the player judged to be the best defensive back in the NCAA. Herrien is a recipient of the Leon Farmer Athletic Scholarship, and owns the team-high of three touchdowns in a single game this season.

Monty Rice, an inside linebacker from Madison, AL, and Tyler Clark, a defensive linemen from Americus, GA, are both sociology majors. Rice is a recipient of the David C. Cooper Family Scholarship and the Touchdown Club of Athens Football Scholarship. He has the second most stops of the season. Clark is a recipient of the Atlanta-Greensboro Football Scholarship and the Dr. & Mrs. Howard Williams III Football Scholarship. He leads all interior linemen with 10 total tackles.

Eric Stokes, a defensive back from Covington, GA, majors in psychology. He is a recipient of the Tommy Reeder Football Scholarship and David William Moorman Football Scholarship He has a team-high three pass breakups on the season. 

Whether you play sports at a large or small school, being a student-athlete at the college level is a unique experience. There are positive, rewarding aspects as well as challenges, and each team and every athlete has their own story. While athletes may have to work hard to manage athletics with academics and other aspects of life, the payoff is not only playing a sport that you are passionate about, but the many learned life skills and opportunities.

Have fun this weekend, everybody. And as Coach says: Go Dawgs!