ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia's new starting quarterback was pinned against a wall in the locker room, surrounded by reporters and cameras, when one of his teammates yelled out: "D.J. Shockley for Heisman!"
Yep, the wait was worth it.
After showing remarkable patience the last four years, Shockley finally started his first college game Saturday -- and what a debut it was.
Five touchdown passes. Another touchdown running. And absolutely no questions about whether he was capable of replacing the winningest quarterback in major college history.
"Man, with all the pressure being on D.J., it's amazing how well he dealt with it," receiver Sean Bailey said. "He made big plays with his feet, with his arm and with his head."
When it was done, Shockley had guided 13th-ranked Georgia to a stunningly easy 48-13 rout of Boise State, a team that went 11-1 last season and came in with its first preseason ranking ever at No. 18.
"There's no way I ever could have imagined something like this in my head," Shockley said. "It's too big."
Not that he didn't have plenty of time to ponder how his first start might go.
Shockley came to Georgia in 2001 as one of the nation's top-ranked high school quarterbacks. The Bulldogs already had David Greene, but the left-hander had yet to play a down. Shockley figured he would be the No. 1 QB in no time.
Instead, he went 1,758 days between his last start at North Clayton High School in suburban Atlanta and his first start for the Bulldogs.
"He deserves everything he gets," Bailey said. "He's been really patient. He always worked hard. He never moped. He's a great leader."
Greene won the starting job as a redshirt freshman, relegating Shockley to a redshirt season and, as it turned out, a career spent mostly on the bench. Greene went on to set an NCAA record with 52 straight starts and a Division I-A mark with 42 wins.
Shockley considered transferring after the 2002 season, but he liked the atmosphere at Georgia, enjoyed his teammates and wondered what he would be getting himself into at another school. So, he decided to stay.
Falconidiot 
