If for some reason you’ve let yourself fantasize that his recent Twitter comments and the earlier statement about owing the fans something after missing the first four games of 2010 meant that A.J. was seriously contemplating returning next season, it’s time to let go.
Judging from this comment, he certainly has:
“Stuff happens in life,” Green said. “It’s made me a better person. I’m not going to sit over and be depressed about it. It happened, it’s done. I had a great season this year. I came back strong. It’s behind me now.”
Get The Picture 
Of course he’s moving on. And it’s the right thing for him to do.
I had this discussion with relatives Christmas Eve. He has to go. Matt Stafford “wanted” to come back, but $40 million + guaranteed is just too much to turn down.
AJ is in quite the similar boat. He’s a top 5 (at worst top ten) pick. As a WR, he can’t improve on that and he can always bank a bit of his guaranteed money for tuition later.
Anyone who criticizes him for deciding to move on is, well, not being completely fair to AJ.
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This. I get tired of fans complaining about these players moving on because “they’re not true Dawgs”. That’s a crock. You go to college to help secure a job. It’s quite obvious he’s secured a job.
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Exactly. If a kid can go in the first round, he is almost obligated to go. If he’s not then there is an actual decision to make. I couldn’t believe it when people criticized Rennie and Reshad last year. Rennie Curran has a daughter and a family to support. You can never fault a man for looking out for his family. Reshad had already earned his degree, and the uncertainty of a new defense made his decision pretty easy. Good luck to all these guys.
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What about his Dawg family? We need to get guys that bleed red and black.
When I majored in Communications at Dekalb I was there to get a degree no matter what. Except for when I quit school for two semesters because Buffalo’s made me assistant Manager, I was there for the duration. You think I’d drop out for a 10 million guaranteed? No way.
This is more proof that CMR needs to go!
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Either 1) you are lying/sarcastic 2) you are lying to yourself or 3) you are an idiot. I want AJ to stay but you are not giving up $10 mil for a degree that you can finish later. I know it probably choice 1 but your comment about Coach is as idiotiotic as the rest of it.
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He was being sarcastic. His handle “Braindead Venter” was my clue.
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“Idiotiotic,” indeed.
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Yep, after watching Stafford AND Moreno go, I’d have to be crazy to allow hope to creep in to my mind for his return. Of course, I keep thinking about where the East now stands, how wide open it should be next year. I can’t help but still wonder if AJ realizes (or cares) that he could be the difference-maker in winning the East for the first time in his career (and maybe the first Heisman-winning receiver since Desmond Howard)?
Heroes and legends are for children’s stories, it’s a business. He’ll be lighting his cigars with $1000 bills on April 22nd.
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I believe you mean, “Legends and Leaders”
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Of course he knows it. He likely does care. But he probably also feels that he doesn’t have much of choice (he really doesn’t).
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If he was a QB or RB, I would agree whole-heartedly that he has to make the jump. But, as a WR, he’s not taking a pounding. He has the rare opportunity to be “THE” player of 2011 in all of college football. That’s a legacy that money can’t buy.
We’ll soon forget where he went in the draft and how much guaranteed salary he secured, he’ll just be another ultra-gifted athlete that made the right business move. It is what it is.
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Come on. There have been how many WRs that have been “THE” player in college football in any given year? And what kind of offense does he play in, again? Let’s see, best NFL WRs over the past 10 years or so: Terrell Owens, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, Steve Smith, Brandon Marshall, Torry Holt…a huge list of Heisman hopefuls/college big-name players, eh?
It’s just not a position that lends itself to that kind of glamor, no matter what the media tell us. In the end WRs do not *obviously enough* affect the outcome of games and are too easy to ignore.
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Not only is it a legacy money can’t buy, it’s a legacy he can’t buy anything with. In other words, he may not be able to buy that legacy in the NFL, but he can’t buy a hatchback in college.
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I thought the same thing last week when AJ was asked about Bennett, “I believe he could have played this year,” Green said. “He’s been killing on the scout team. He’s going to be good.”
I took this as a sort of “the program will be alright w/o me” statement – although I can recall thinking AJ would be gone some time around the first or second game of his freshmen year.
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When his HS retired his number his freshman year at Georgia (during the season?), we all had a clue that the kid was special.
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Of course he is leaving and I wish him nothing but the best. He wanted to be a Dawg and never thought about going anywhere else. That alone proves to me he is a DGD and will be forever.
He gave us his all and that is all we can ask for. Sure things didn’t work out the way we and I am sure he would have liked, but it is what it is. The suspension this year was stupid on both his and the NCAA’s part. It was a bigger injustice to him however that it was as long as it was. I am sure he learned from it and will be a better person because of the experience. He owes us nothing else.
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AJ will always be a DGD to me. It’s too bad it didn’t work out for him in the championship arena, but he still gave great effort and made some spectacular plays. Now it’s time for him to get PAID! I wish him nothing but the best. I’m sure he’ll be a former Dawg that will be on the sidelines when he can, and will represent UGA well. GATA, AJ!
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I’m happy for AJ and wish him the best. He’s a DGD, he’ll get multi-millions, and he won’t have to put up with ncaa bs.
The Dawgs have to re-load. Marlin Brown is/was supposed to be a stud – it’s time to find out. We’ve got Wooten, T. King, Troupe and some newbees coming in. There should be plenty of talent – our WR coach has to do his job and deliver results.
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