Athletes - D.J. Shockley

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	Athletes - D.J. Shockley

Donald Eugene "D.J." Shockley is a quarterback who played for the University of Georgia football team from 2002-2005. The 2005 season, D.J.'s senior season, was the only season in which he started for the team. He was the 2nd-string quarterback behind David Greene for the previous 3 seasons.

High School and Early College Career

Born (March 23, 1983) and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area, Shockley played high school football at North Clayton High. His father, Don Shockley, was his team's head coach. As a senior, he threw for 1,861 yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 864 yards and eight more TDs. He was a highly recruited QB earning various national acolades: 2000 USA Today All-USA Second Team, 2000 Parade Magazine All-America Team, SUPERPREP Elite 50, All-America, and ranked as the top QB in the country, The AtlantaJournal-Constitution Super Southern 100, Top 50 in Georgia, Marvelous Metro Eleven and Class AAAAA All-State Quarterback, 2000 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAAA All-State Quarterback.

UGA's new incoming coach in 2001, Mark Richt, made Shockley a priority recruit, and he is generally regarded as Richt's first official recruit at Georgia. Richt ultimately chose redshirt freshman David Greene to be the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs in 2001, while Shockley was redshirted. Greene went on to set the NCAA record for wins as a starting quarterback in a career. But over the course of those 4 years, Shockley did see some playing time in a modified dual-quarterback system.

In 2002, playing in parts of 10 games, Shockley completed 32 of 52 passes (61.5%) for 615 yards with 5 TDs and 2 interceptions. He rushed for 111 yards and 2 more TDs. He also threw a 37-yard TD pass in the Nokia Sugar Bowl win over Florida State University as the Bulldogs wrapped up their first SEC Championship season in 20 years. In 2003, Shockley injured his knee midway through the season and finished with 9 completions on 21 passes for 88 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception. He added another 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In 2004, he completed 26-of-57 (45.6%) passes for 464 yards with 4 TDs and 1 interception. He also gained 113 yards rushing.

On the academic side, Shockley earned an SEC Academic Honor Roll award in 2004 as a Speech Communications major.

The 2005 Season

Following the Bulldogs opening win against #18 Boise State, Shockley was named Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week for his 374-yard, 6 touchdown effort (289 yds, 5 TDs passing; 85 yds, 1 td rushing). He was also named Sporting News Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week, and nominated for USATODAY.com Player of the Week after the Boise State game. He was one of 11 Division I-A football players named to AFCA's National Good Works Team, which recognizes "players who have devoted themselves to exemplary community service." He was also chosen as a semi-finalist for the 2005 Draddy Trophy.

In 2005, Shockley played in 12 of Georgia's 13 games, completing 173 of 310 (55.8%) passes for 2,588 yards and 24 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. He also gained 322 yards rushing in 78 attempts with 4 touchdowns.

In Georgia's 7th game of the season, Shockley had to leave early in the 2nd quarter with a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Because of his injury, he had to sit out of Georgia's 8th game of the season against one of the school's most hated rivals, the University of Florida Gators, in the game commonly known as The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. With Shockley out, Georgia's offense struggled, and the team lost the game, 14-10.

Shockley returned for the 10th game of the season against the Auburn University Tigers, but despite playing very well, completing 20 of 36 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, while running 7 times for another 40 yards, his team lost the game on a last-second field goal, 31-30, to fall to 8-2 on the season. After a game with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which Georgia won 14-7, Georgia went on to play the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship game. Shockley threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and Georgia won 34-14 to claim the 2005 SEC Championship title. Shockley was named the MVP of the championship game.

Georgia's football season and Shockley's collegiate career ended with a 38-35 loss to the University of West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sugar Bowl on January 2nd, 2006. Despite the loss, Shockley had an excellent performance throwing for 277 yards (on 20 completions in 33 attempts) and 3 touchdowns while running for 71 yards on 8 carries.

Shockley won the The National Bobby Bowden Award and finished 3rd in the voting for Associated Press Player of the Year, behind Reggie Bush and Vince Young.

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