At Georgia it was G-Day, featuring football and a lot of fun

	The Walk-On Erin Melissa Camp is a senior at Georgia and works as a recruiter in the UGA football office. She will graduate in May with a degree in speech communications.
	Signee Tony Wilson, who will play wide receiver for the Bulldogs next year, poses with Erin. Courtesy of Erin Melissa Camp

By Erin Melissa Camp

On any given weekend at the University of Georgia, there are too many activities to do in one day. For example, last weekend there was the finale of the Spec Towns Team Invitational for the track team, the Gymdogs gymnastics team's NCAA Southeast Regional competition for the chance to go on to the NCAA championship, the equestrian team defending its SEC (Southern Equestrian Championship) title, the International Street Festival in downtown Athens and the H.E.R.O. for Children fund-raiser named "Film on the Fifty." 

But those were all just a prelude to the main event. This year's G-Day gave 18,530 fans a sneak peak at what we'll see between the Hedges this fall. Georgia's quarterback depth chart stands four deep, so this was the beginning of the race to see who will start.

The Red team, which is compiled from the first-team offense and the second-team defense, took on the Black team (second-team offense, first-team defense), not only for bragging rights but also for the right to partake in a feast fit for a king. The winners of the annual G-Day game would be fed steak and lobster, while the loser would get beanie wienies at a dinner to be held next week.

On G-Day, the university's football office hosted recruits for next season as well as the 2006 signees. Storms the night before had brought tornado-like weather to the Roswell and Marietta areas, as well thunderstorms to campus. Instead of hosting at the football office, as we usually do, we had to transfer everything to the Rankin Smith Academic Center, but G-Day would go on as scheduled.

Finally, we got all the signees, recruits and parents loaded onto buses and into the stadium, where hardcore Bulldog fans came out despite the conditions. A new breed of Bulldogs football players took the field.

G-Day might as well have been a regular game between the Hedges: The fans were loud; the Redcoat Marching band, which will be touring China this summer, was playing; and the cheerleaders were on the sidelines. Some of the NFL hopefuls, such as Kedric Golston and Leonard Pope, came back to show their support for the Bulldogs.

When freshman and starting-quarterback hopeful Matthew Stafford completed a 64-yard touchdown pass in his Sanford Stadium debut, a group of student fans in the stands started the "Slow Clap for Stafford," which they said they plan to use when Stafford makes a play in future games. The Red team beat the Black 14-10, and afterward SEC Championship rings were presented to players and coaches in an on-field ceremony.

Later, the players occupied themselves with a midnight basketball competition that ended G-Day. Held at the Ramsey Student Center for Physical Activities, the players battled each other one last time on the court.

While the rest of Bulldog nation partied and met up with old friends and family for the night, the Gymdogs won a spot in the NCAA championship, the Diamond Dogs swept Mississippi State and the equestrian team held onto its SEC title.

It was a great day to be a Georgia Bulldog.