Jacksonville, Fla. – Former University of Florida quarterback Doug Johnson and head coach Galen Hall were part of the 12th Anniversary class inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame Friday in Jacksonville. They were honored along with Dan Magill and Tim Worley from the University of Georgia.
The official induction ceremony, sponsored by Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Sports and Entertainment Board, took place earlier today at the Championship Dreams Tent outside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Hall’s first game against Georgia was a gem as the Gators triumphed over the Bulldogs, 27-0, while snapping a UF six-game skid against Georgia.
Hall was the head coach of the Gators from 1984-89, totaling a career record of 43-21-1 while leading Florida to three bowl appearances, including a win in the 1988 All-American Bowl over Illinois, 14-10. He became the first coach in Florida history to lead the Gators to back-to-back first-place finishes in the SEC (1984-85). Hall was named the SEC Coach of the Year by the AP in his first year at the helm, guiding Florida to a 9-1-1 record, the best regular-season mark in school history. He duplicated the feat in 1985, leading the Gators to another 9-1-1 season.
In 1998, Johnson enjoyed his biggest game against Georgia during his junior campaign. In his first start against the Bulldogs, Johnson became the second Gator player in as many years to throw, catch, and rush for a touchdown against Georgia. He was 25-for-34 passing for 292 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, adding a two-yard touchdown run and
10-yard touchdown catch from wide receiver Travis McGriff in the Gators’ 38-7 win. Johnson was 2-0 as a starter against Georgia in his career.
Johnson played in 37 regular season games with 22 starts, going
504-for-907 for 7,114 yards with 62 TDs. He appeared in the 1997 Sugar Bowl and 1998 Citrus Bowl, while starting in both the 1999 Orange Bowl and 2000 Citrus Bowl. He tied Tim Couch and Terry Dean for the SEC record for most touchdown passes in a single game with seven against Central Michigan in 1997. Out of high school, Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and played with that organization during the 1996 and 1997 summers.
In 2000, Johnson signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent and spent four seasons in the organization. Johnson has also made stops with the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Current Hall of Fame Members Florida: Carlos Alvarez, Reidel Anthony, Kerwin Bell, Howell Boney, Joe Brodsky, Norm Carlson, Rick Casares, Wes Chandler, Chris Doering, Jimmy Dunn, Larry Dupree, Jeremy Foley, Don Gaffney, Ray Graves, Galen Hall, Ike Hilliard, Chuck Hunsinger, Doug Johnson, Charlie LaPradd, Buford Long, Shane Matthews, Lee McGriff, Ricky Nattiel, John Reaves, Errict Rhett, Steve Spurrier, Richard Trapp, Danny Wuerffel, Jack Youngblood
Georgia: Richard Appleby, Buck Belue, Charley Britt, Kevin Butler, Wally Butts, Mike Cavan, Vince Dooley, Robert Edwards, Bob Etter, Ray Goff, Cy Grant, Rodney Hampton, Terry Hoage, Dan Magill, Willie McClendon, Kevin McLee, Larry Munson, George Patton, John Rauch, Matt Robinson, Erik Russell, Jake Scott, Lindsay Scott, Frank Sinkwich, Bill Stanfill, Tommy Thurson, Charley Trippi, Herschel Walker, Tim Worley