Georgia football's Mount Rushmore: Who stands next to Herschel Walker?

The Heisman Trophy-winning running back is a given, of course, but the other three are interesting choices on this mountain

By Ben Kercheval

Jun 26, 2016 at 2:56 pm ET • 3 min read

When you consider Georgia football in 2016, you think about one thing: running backs for days. Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Co. will lead the Bulldogs' offensive attack once again. The long lineage of great backs to pass through Athens, though, is where the program's Mount Rushmore begins.

Put simply, you cannot think of Georgia football without thinking of Herschel Walker. From his first season running over defenders to his Heisman Trophy reception, Walker left a mark on not only Georgia, but the SEC and all of college football.

Walker's coach, Vince Dooley, also makes an appearance, but like other programs featured in our series, the Bulldogs' "top four" was heavy on players.

We end our series with a look at some of the top Bulldogs. CBS Sports Graphic

Herschel Walker, running back, 1980-82: There is no player more synonymous with Georgia football than Walker, nor is there any one more beloved. Walker is not only the greatest player in the history of the program, he is one of the all-time greats in college football. In other words, this Mount Rushmore would be glaringly incomplete without him as the first and most recognizable face.

Listing Walker's accomplishments would take pages, but the important ones include a Heisman Trophy in 1982. He was the program's second Heisman winner but finished in the top three of the Heisman voting in each of his three seasons in Athens. Additionally, he won the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards, and was a three-time consensus All-American.

Walker's post-college life was eclectic, to say the least. In addition to his time in the NFL, Walker was a MMA fighter and a member of the United States Olympic bobsled team in the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Accomplishments: 1982 Heisman Trophy, consensus All-American (three times), Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, SEC Player of the Year (three times)

Frank Sinkwich, quarterback, 1941-42: Walker may be Georgia's most famous player and Heisman winner, but Sinkwich was the first Bulldog to receive college football's most prestigious trophy. In that sense, it's also hard to imagine a Georgia Mount Rushmore without Sinkwich on it. Sinkwich led the country in rushing in 1941 (1,103 yards) and totaled nearly 2,200 total yards in his Heisman-winning effort the following year, which set a NCAA record at the time.

Accomplishments: 1942 Heisman Trophy, consensus All-American (twice), SEC Player of the Year

Vince Dooley, coach, 1964-88: Georgia claims a few great coaches, including Mark Richt and Wallace Butts, but no coach in program history has a longer tenure than Dooley. Over the course of more than two decades, Dooley won 201 games, which still ranks among the top 20 of FBS coaches to this day. In all, Dooley won about 72 percent of his games.

He also coached Georgia to it second claimed national title in 1980 while producing a dozen consensus All-Americans during his time with the program, including Walker. There just isn't a more prolific or longer-tenured coach at Georgia than Dooley.

Accomplishments: 1980 national championship, SEC Coach of the Year (five times), AFCA, NFAA and Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1980)

David Pollack, defensive end, 2002-04: Georgia has had its share of great players over the years, but few are more decorated than Pollack. Champ Bailey had a legitimate case here, but Pollack was more well-known for what he did in college. For that reason, Pollack squeaks into the program's immortalized top four.

From the start, Pollack was a force in the SEC. He became the program's all-time leader with 36 sacks, a number that still ranks among the best all-time in the FBS. His "zero-yard" interception for a touchdown against South Carolina (seen below) remains one of the most famous plays in Georgia football history. As far as disruptive defensive players go, Pollack is the best to ever pass through Athens.

Accomplishments: Consensus All-American (twice), SEC Player of the Year (twice), Hendricks Award (twice), Lott Trophy, Lombardi Award, All-SEC (three times)