Georgia Southern Eagles

Sports program at Georgia Southern University

Athletic teams representing Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Eagles

University| Georgia Southern University
Conference| Sun Belt Conference (primary)
CCSA (women's swimming & diving)
Southern (rifle)
NCAA| Division I (FBS)
Athletic director| Jared Benko
Location| Statesboro, Georgia
Varsity teams| 17
Football stadium| Allen E. Paulson Stadium
Basketball arena| Hanner Fieldhouse
Baseball stadium| J.I. Clements Stadium
Softball stadium| Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex
Soccer stadium| Eagle Field
Mascot| Freedom (live); GUS (costume)
Nickname| Eagles
Fight song| Georgia Southern Fight Song
Colors| Blue and white[1]

Website| gseagles.com
Sun Belt Conference logo in Georgia Southern's colors

The Georgia Southern Eagles are the athletic team(s) of Georgia Southern University (GS). The Eagles compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. Prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the Eagles were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference (presently known as the ASUN Conference) and the Southern Conference (SoCon). During their time at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS/I-AA) level, the Eagles have won six national championships.

The only Georgia Southern teams which compete outside the Sun Belt do so in sports that are not sponsored by that conference. Women's swimming & diving competes in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association. Rifle, a fully co-educational sport in which GS fields a women-only team, competes in the SoCon. Men's soccer will compete in the Mid-American Conference starting in the fall 2021 season, following the demise of the Sun Belt men's soccer league.

## Sports sponsored

[edit]

Men's sports  | Women's sports

|

Baseball | Basketball
Basketball | Cross country
Football | Golf
Golf | Rifle
Soccer | Soccer
Tennis | Softball
| Swimming and diving
| Tennis
| Track & field†
| Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

### Baseball

[edit]

Main article: Georgia Southern Eagles baseball

An Eagles baseball player fields a pickoff throw during a 2014 game

The baseball team is led by head coach Rodney Hennon, who is in his seventeenth year at Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern played its first year of baseball in 1933.[2] The team went to the College World Series in 1973 and 1990 and has appeared in 11 NCAA regionals. The team was also crowned the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Champions in 1962, sweeping Portland State.[3]

The team won the 2009 Southern Conference baseball tournament with a 7 to 3 victory over top seeded Elon and clinch its first SoCon title since 2002. They also won the 2011 SoCon Tournament after Chris Beck pitched a complete-game shutout against Samford University. They lost two games against future national champion South Carolina, losing a 2–1 decision, and NC State, coming short by three runs in a 5–2 game.[citation needed]

### Men's basketball

[edit]

Main article: Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball

The head coach of the Georgia Southern men's basketball squad is Charlie Henry.[4] Introduced on March 29, 2023, Henry is the 15th head coach in program history.[5] The team participated in the NCAA Division I Tournament in 1983, 1987 and 1992, and the NIT in 1988, 1989 and 2006.[6] The first year of men's basketball at Georgia Southern was 1926, and the first year the school played in Division I was 1971.[7]

Georgia Southern basketball player Roger Moore was the first African-American athlete to receive a scholarship in the University System of Georgia.[8]

### Football

[edit]

Main article: Georgia Southern Eagles football

See also: 2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

The head coach of the Eagles is Clay Helton. The Eagles have won six NCAA FCS (I-AA) National Championships (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, and 2000). In addition, the Eagles have won ten Southern Conference championships (1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, and 2012) and one Sun Belt Conference championship (2014); with the Eagles' first Sun Belt title, they became only the third team, after Nevada in 1992 and Marshall in 1997, to win their conference championship in their first year at the FBS level.[9] Home football games are played at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, known as "The Prettiest Little Stadium in America." Georgia Southern fielded its first football team in 1910; however, the sport was suspended for World War II and was not restarted until 1982.[10]

#### Erk Russell

[edit]

Main article: Erk Russell

In 1981, former University of Georgia Defensive Coordinator Erk Russell was hired to restart the football program at Georgia Southern College (as the university was called at the time), a program that had not competed in forty years. Erk Russell became America's winningest coach, leading to the Eagles to three national championships. The Eagles extended Division I's longest home win streak from 26 to 37 games, gaining distinction as the only 15–0 college team of the twentieth century. Russell's final record at Georgia Southern, after his retirement in 1989, was 83–22–1 (.788).[11]

Erk Russell addressed the team the night before his shocking and sudden death on September 8, 2006. Georgia Southern University and thousands of friends, family, and fans gathered at Paulson Stadium to mourn the passing of Erk Russell, one of America's most exciting and successful college football coaches.[12]

Since Russell's departure, football has continued to be prominent at Georgia Southern. Head coach Tim Stowers succeeded Russell and won the 1990 national title, while Paul Johnson added two more in 1999 and 2000 with teams led by all-time Division I rushing leader Adrian Peterson.

#### Beautiful Eagle Creek

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Beautiful Eagle Creek

In the early 1980s, a drainage ditch that the team had to cross several times a day during football practice came to be called Beautiful Eagle Creek by popular Head Football Coach Erk Russell. When the Eagles traveled to Northern Iowa during the 1985 playoffs, Coach Russell brought along a jug of Eagle Creek water to sprinkle on the field. The Eagles were victorious and went on to win many national championships with the help of that magical water. Today, the jug is on display at Georgia Southern University and signs have been erected along the creek.

#### The Hugo Bowl

[edit]

In 1989, ESPN was to broadcast a Thursday Night Football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. However, Hugo, a category 4 hurricane, was headed straight towards the coast of Georgia. At the time of landfall, Hugo ranked as the eleventh most intense hurricane to strike U.S. this century, and it delivered the highest ever recorded storm surge on the East Coast. Nevertheless, the decision was made to continue with the game. For safety purposes, an open line was kept between the press box at Paulson Stadium and the National Hurricane Center in Florida. The Eagles went on to defeat MTSU by a score of 26–0 in a game known as the Hugo Bowl.

## Traditions

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### Nickname

[edit]

Eagles is the third nickname of Georgia Southern University. From 1924 to 1941, the nickname was the Blue Tide. After World War II, athletic teams were referred to as the Professors, as the school was a teachers college. However, in 1959, when the school was renamed Georgia Southern College, a student vote was held to determine the new mascot. Eagles was chosen over Colonels by a narrow margin.[13]

### Plain uniforms

[edit]

When the football program was revived in 1982, the school did not have a large budget and coach Erk Russell ordered solid blue helmets and asked the players to put a white strip of tape down the middle. The uniforms consisted of plain white pants and blue jerseys without names.[14] With the subsequent success of the Eagles, the basic simple design of the uniforms has remained the same.

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

NaJee Thompson | 2023  | NFL Cornerback - Minnesota Vikings |
Darrell Baker Jr. | 2022  | NFL Cornerback - Indianapolis Colts |
Tyler Bass | 2020  | NFL Kicker - Buffalo Bills |
Kindle Vildor | 2020  | NFL Cornerback - Detroit Lions |
Matt Breida | 2017  | NFL Running Back - New York Giants |
Younghoe Koo | 2016  | NFL Kicker - Atlanta Falcons |
Jerick McKinnon | 2014  | NFL Running Back - Minnesota Vikings (Third Round Draft Pick in 2014)  |
J.J. Wilcox | 2013  | NFL Safety - Dallas Cowboys (Second Round Draft Pick in 2013)  |
Darius Eubanks | 2013  | NFL Linebacker - Cleveland Browns |
Laron Scott | 2012  | NFL Defensive Back - New York Giants |
Victor Roache | 2012  | MLB Outfielder, NCAA Homerun Derby Participant, Led NCAA Div.I Baseball in HR  |
Adrian N. Peterson | 2002  | Former NFL Running Back - Chicago Bears |
Rob Bironas | 2001  | Former NFL Kicker, set record for most field goals in a game in 2007 (8)  |
Kiwaukee Thomas | 2000  | Former NFL Player  |
Earthwind Moreland | 2000  | Former NFL Player  |
Todd Greene | 1993  | Former MLB Catcher  |
Joey Hamilton | 1991  | Former MLB Pitcher  |
Michael Curry | 1990  | Former NBA player, Former Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons, and president of the NBA Players Association  |
Jeff Sanders | 1989  | Former NBA player, first round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls (20th pick overall)  |
Fred Stokes | 1987  | Former NFL Player, started in Super Bowl XXVI |
Tracy Ham | 1986  | member of the College Football Hall of Fame, 1995 CFL Most Outstanding Player  |
Ken Szotkiewicz | 1968  | Former MLB Shortstop - Detroit Tigers |

## References

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1. ^ Georgia Southern Visual Identity Guide (PDF). April 19, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.georgiasoutherneagles.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. ^ Delma Eugene Presley, The Southern Century. Statesboro: Georgia Southern University, 2006. 179.
4. ^ https://gseagles.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/charlie-henry/1324 [bare URL]
5. ^ https://gseagles.com/news/2023/3/29/mens-basketball-charlie-henry-formally-introduced-as-georgia-southern-mens-basketball-coach.aspx [bare URL]
6. ^ "Georgia Southern Eagles Basketball 2005–06 Schedule - Eagles Home and Away - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
7. ^ [1][dead link]
8. ^ Delma Eugene Presley, The Southern Century. Statesboro: Georgia Southern University, 2006. 190.
9. ^ "Georgia Southern Claims Outright Sun Belt Title - Sun Belt Winners Score Big on Saturday" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
10. ^ Delma Eugene Presley, The Southern Century. Statesboro: Georgia Southern University, 2006. 50.
11. ^ "GSUFANS.com". Tscsports.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
12. ^ "Columns | April 27, 2015". Uga.edu. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
13. ^ Georgia Southern Football Media Guide, 2004. 188
14. ^ Delma Eugene Presley, The Southern Century. Statesboro: Georgia Southern University, 2006. 230.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Georgia Southern University

Located in: Statesboro, Savannah, and Hinesville, Georgia

Academics|

* Military Science
* Public Health

Facilities|

* Eagle Field
* Georgia Southern Botanical Garden
* Hanner Fieldhouse
* Herty AMDC
* J. I. Clements Stadium
* Paulson Stadium
* U.S. National Tick Collection

Athletics|

* Baseball‎
* Men's basketball‎
* Women's basketball
* Equestrian Team
* Football
* Men's soccer
* Women's volleyball
* Georgia Southern–Georgia State rivalry

Media|

* The George-Anne
* A Scholar Under Siege

People|

* Alumni

* Founded: 1906
* Students: 27,173
* Endowment: $46.2 million

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Sun Belt Conference

Full members|

* Appalachian State Mountaineers
* Arkansas State Red Wolves
* Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
* Georgia Southern Eagles
* Georgia State Panthers
* James Madison Dukes
* Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
* Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
* Marshall Thundering Herd
* Old Dominion Monarchs
* South Alabama Jaguars
* Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles
* Texas State Bobcats
* Troy Trojans

Beach volleyball-only members|

* Charleston Cougars
* Mercer Bears
* UNCW Seahawks

Men's soccer-only members|

* Kentucky Wildcats
* South Carolina Gamecocks
* UCF Knights
* West Virginia Mountaineers

Championships and awards|

* List of champions
* Baseball
* Football
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball

* v
* t
* e

Coastal Collegiate Sports Association

beach
volleyball|

* Florida State Seminoles
* Grand Canyon Antelopes
* LSU Tigers
* South Carolina Gamecocks

* v
* t
* e

Southern Conference

Current members|

* Chattanooga Mocs
* The Citadel Bulldogs
* East Tennessee State Buccaneers
* Furman Paladins
* Mercer Bears
* Samford Bulldogs
* UNC Greensboro Spartans
* VMI Keydets
* Western Carolina Catamounts
* Wofford Terriers

Men's wrestling associates|

* Appalachian State Mountaineers
* Bellarmine Knights
* Campbell Fighting Camels
* Davidson Wildcats
* Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs
* Presbyterian Blue Hose

Rifle associates|

* Georgia Southern Eagles
* North Georgia Nighthawks
* UAB Blazers

Former members|

* Former Southern Conference members (30+ schools)

Championships & awards|

* Southern Conference Hall of Fame

* v
* t
* e

College sports teams in Georgia

NCAA Division I|

* Georgia
* Georgia Southern
* Georgia State
* Georgia Tech
* Kennesaw State
* Mercer

NCAA Division II|

* Albany State
* Augusta
* Clark Atlanta
* Clayton State
* Columbus State
* Emmanuel
* Fort Valley State
* Georgia College
* Georgia Southwestern
* Morehouse
* North Georgia
* Savannah State
* Shorter
* Valdosta State
* West Georgia (Division I in 2024)
* Young Harris

NCAA Division III|

* Agnes Scott
* Berry
* Covenant
* Emory
* LaGrange
* Oglethorpe
* Piedmont
* Wesleyan

NAIA|

* Brenau
* Brewton–Parker
* Coastal Georgia
* Dalton State
* Georgia Gwinnett
* Life
* Middle Georgia
* Point
* Reinhardt
* Savannah Art and Design
* Savannah Art & Design–Atlanta
* Thomas
* Truett McConnell

NJCAA Division I|

* Abraham Baldwin
* Albany Tech
* East Georgia
* Georgia Highlands
* Georgia Military
* Gordon State
* South Georgia Tech

NCCAA Divisions I and II|

* Paine
* Toccoa Falls

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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