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Here is a great article about GSU's first "runt" (as in "Runts Have to Try Harder" one of Erk Russell's motivational sayings), first scholarship player, and first team captain, Pat Douglas. There are some great vintage photos on the top left portion of the article (just click next in the photo box) and some great Erk Russell stories.

Douglas, along with Paul Johnson and 1999 SoCon POTY Greg Hill, are being inducted into the GSU Athletics HOF this weekend.

http://savannahnow.com/sports/2010-10-2 ... a-southern

The following was posted by the esteemed Gatadotcom on the GSUFANS site in response to the article and Pat Douglas. I'm sure he won't mind my copying and pasting this:

In 1982, in our first game played in Statesboro, Coach Russell had Pat wear an old WHITE helmet in the contest. After the game people asked what the significance was and Erk told them we didn't have enough money to buy everyone blue helmets. The next week Southern Boosters received a number of checks specifically to buy new helmets.

Erk was the best marketer I have ever come across, and he chose the team's leader to be his guinea pig for the "helmet campaign".