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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 31, 2002
HOOVER, Ala. -- Georgia could have something in common with the Florida Gators of old: a quarterback controversy.
Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday sophomore David Greene is "without question" the starting quarterback, but that redshirt freshman D.J. Shockley also will compete and see playing time.
Though Greene threw for 2,789 yards as a redshirt freshman last season, his teammates said they welcome the possibility of a two-quarterback system.
"Some people may think having two quarterbacks is a downfall . . . but we're in a situation where we have two of the best quarterbacks in the nation," offensive lineman Jon Stinchcomb said. "Their styles are very different and hopefully that can be a strong suit for us."
Richt said he will use his experience as a former quarterback and 10 years coaching them at Florida State to foster a positive atmosphere as his QBs.
"The thing I've found is that competition doesn't have to be a cut-throat situation," Richt said. "You don't have to dislike the guy you're competing against."
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS?: They have big diamond rings that say SEC champions and a trophy in their athletic office, but LSU isn't taking anything for granted.
"There's a tremendous amount of competition in this league and a lot of good schools," LSU coach Nick Saban said. "I basically feel like our players have a higher standard of excellence that they can relate to because of the experience they've had."
TOUGH LOVE: Arkansas free safety Ken Hamlin committed his second DUI violation this summer and is serving time in jail. But coach Houston Nutt said he has no intention of dismissing Hamlin from the team, saying as long as he believes a player can be rehabilitated, he'll stick with him and try to be a positive influence.