September 2002: Vol. 81, No. 4September 2002: Vol. 81, No. 4UGA football players are No. 1 in ranks of Habitat house builders
A real Dawg house
"Hunker Down" took on a whole new meaning for the Dawgs this summer, when they traded football for philanthropy and became the first college football team to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Working nine Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., crews of about 15 players and coaches started by building a floor on an existing cinder block foundation and, excluding specialized work like electrical wiring and plumbing, provided almost all the labor to finish the 1,100-square-foot house.
The team got involved with Habitat through former player John Brantley, now the Athens branch manager for Homebanc Mortgage Corporation, who was a starting linebacker for UGA in 1986-87 before going on to play for the Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins, and Cincinnati Bengals. After being invited back as an honorary team captain last year, Brantley had lunch with coach Mark Richt and told him about Homebanc's involvement with Habitat. The two agreed that it would be a great opportunity for the team to get involved in the community.
Real estate firm Re/Max joined Homebanc in sponsoring the project, which cost about $46,000. Under the Habitat for Humanity model, the loan for each house is subsidized by donations and corporate sponsorship. The house loan is then paid back by the homeowner to Habitat over 25-30 years in interest-free payments, which help finance new construction. The recipient of the house, who must meet application requirements including income level and a need for housing, also provides 500 hours of labor—known as "sweat equity"—on their house or other Habitat projects. By all accounts, Dixie McCoy, who will live in the house with her youngest son, did her share of the work.
"You could tell she was excited about it because even when we took a break, she was still working," says junior defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan. Like many of the players, Sullivan had little experience in construction prior to the build, but that didn't seem to matter.
"We laughed at each other because a lot of us didn't know what we were doing for the first part," says McCoy, predicted in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article to "become the envy of the Bulldog Nation" by living in the first genuine "Dawg House." Oversight for the construction was provided by qualified Habitat volunteers and by Brantley, who has been volunteering with Habitat for more than a decade. Besides helping to provide them with a character-building experience, Brantley enjoyed working with the team again and getting to know the players.
"I got to talk to them about football, where they grew up, their majors," he says. "You get to see them from a different angle." "These have been the most enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers we've ever had," says Sara Schwartz, community affairs manager for Homebanc who has coordinated this and about a dozen other Homebanc-sponsored Habitat houses in Georgia and Florida—part of the company's commitment to sponsor 100 houses by 2025.
"We were working together for a common goal," says sophomore quarterback David Greene. "It's the same thing as in football where you're working together to win games."—Nathan Long --- Football players and coaches pitched in to build the house: (from right) head coach Mark Richt, former linebacker John Brantley, placekicker Billy Bennett, and lineman Kevin Breedlove.
New East Campus Road entrance will make life easier for football fans
Gate 6 will be open
The Georgia Bulldogs open the season Aug. 31 against Clemson, and athletic officials say the anticipated capacity crowd of 86,520 will not be affected by ongoing construction at Sanford Stadium's Gate 6.
A new, larger entryway and access ramp at Gate 6—located on East Campus Road—will be in use at the first game, making access to the stadium much more fan-friendly. Additional restrooms have been added, along with new concession stands with more points of sale. Also, there is a new and larger first aid response area.
Gate 7, located on Field Street, also has been renovated to better accommodate fans. "The areas that our fans will be using will be complete," says Charles Whittemore, UGA's assistant athletic director for facilities. "It will be bigger and better for our fans. It might look a little like a construction site, but the work will be 95 percent done."
Whittemore notes that some work on the project is ongoing—specifically in the areas for game, stadium and concession operations—"but those areas do not pertain to the fans and will not affect them," he said.
The project, which was delayed for about a month by soil problems adjacent to the stadium, should be finished in time for Georgia's second home game on Sept. 21 against Northwestern State.