WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — There are a lot of dedicated Georgia Bulldogs fans out there, but not many are as passionate as one Walton County man. He hasn’t missed a game in 28 years.
An upstairs bedroom in the Cooksey home is something of a shrine.
"This is all of my husband's collection,” Melanie Cooksey said. Melanie said husband John and the Georgia Bulldogs go way back.
"His blood runs red and black, and I can tell you, he's not a bandwagon fan. He loves every sport, and has loved it since the day he was born,” Cooksey said.
John and his father attended games together for decades. Their very first was in 1971.
"It was Oregon State. We won 56 to 25. I don't know why I remember that. I was 4,” John Cooksey said.
RELATED STORIES:
- Georgia Bulldogs arrive in Atlanta for National Championship
- Chick-fil-a or Dreamland BBQ: The bet is on between TV meteorologists
- Media Day at the National Championship: You never know what will happen!
- Private suites at the National Championship are awesome … but they'll cost you
In the early years, it was all of the home games, but they soon began to follow the Dawgs everywhere they went.
"We started going to every home and away game. It was like, 'Hey, where are they playing this weekend? We're going,'” John Cooksey said.
John graduated from UGA, and has now attended every Bulldogs football game since 1990, including the Rose Bowl. That’s 343 in a row.
Back in that upstairs bedroom, they’ll soon add souvenirs from Monday’s National Championship game. They will be in the stands.
"There's not enough room. No. We need a basement,” Melanie Cooksey said.
John said there will always be a soft spot in his heart for his alma mater.
"Next to the good Lord above and my family and the country we live in, there's nothing I love more than the University of Georgia,” John Cooksey said.
Cox Media Group
