Ex-Dawg Matt Stinchcomb on Herschel, Hines, life after football
By Ben Burnett
Published:
Matt Stinchcomb was an All-American offensive lineman at Georgia in the mid-1990s. A first-round pick in 1999, he played seven seasons in the NFL, playing in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders.
Stinchcomb, 38, joined ESPN as a college football analyst in 1999. He’s back in the SEC, serving as a studio analyst for the SEC Network, where he also calls the network’s Game of the Week.
He talked about the transition to the booth while reminiscing about some of his favorite moments as a Bulldog and whether Herschel Walker or Hines Ward is the greatest Dawg of all.
SDS: How did an offensive lineman become a leading voice on the SEC Network?
Stinchcomb: I didn’t decide I wanted to honestly. (My brother) Jon and I started a Not for Profit event supporting children’s charities around Atlanta. We made the rounds on Georgia radio; we did radio interviews and TV hits. The folks at Comcast were kind enough to give us promotional time and it got the wheels turning. …
Typically the media only wants to talk to OL guys when you do something wrong. I did not especially care to do a lot of interviews as a player. When asked initially, there was no master plan to move from trying to plug a charity event we didn’t even know would be a success to becoming a regular personality on the SEC Network. There is more than a little irony here, and I am openly mocked by my brother Jon for being a member of the media.
SDS: How often do you come to a game in Athens as a fan?
Stinchcomb: When I first retired (from the NFL) I had season tickets. I wasn’t prepared for how fun tailgating was, I had never done it until then … and it was amateur hour. Had no idea what I was doing. I have a tremendous appreciation for the atmosphere and resources that it requires. A lot of SEC stadiums are hard to get to … fan’s sacrifice a great deal to make it go. I don’t think I realized how much support we had until I got to see game day from a fan’s perspective.
SDS: In your role as an analyst, is it possible to still be a fan?
Stinchcomb: There is always an element of being a fan. I love run-oriented offenses. I love watching the great players on the line of scrimmage. The line of scrimmage matters in the SEC, probably more than any other conference. I let my inner fan out when I cover anybody who runs the ball with authority.
SDS: You played with Hines Ward and Champ Bailey. Who is better?
Stinchcomb: If Georgia has a Mt. Rushmore, Herschel goes No. 1. From there I think I’m going No. 2 Hines Ward … and honestly I could make a case to take him No. 1. Hines Ward is a really good receiver, tailback and quarterback. I bet money he could play a bunch of positions at any college in America — he certainly did at Georgia. Champ was similar in to Hines in that he could play almost anywhere. I got to share the same field with two guys who are going to be first ballot Hall of Famers. Herschel probably still lands at No. 1 for what he did on the field. But Hines was so versatile a player. He could do anything. I really think he could have been a first-team guy in the SEC at any position off the line except maybe inside linebacker. I think in the pros the Steelers talked about using him in an emergency QB situation at one time. … He was truly special.
SDS: So you’re saying Hines Ward is No. 1 on UGA’s Mt. Rushmore?
Stinchcomb: (Laughs) No.
SDS: What was your favorite win over a specific player?
Stinchcomb: Well I don’t know about that. We never beat (Peyton) Manning, (Danny) Wuerffel, Tee Martin. I don’t lose sleep over it anymore.
But I would have liked to knock one of those guys off.
SDS: What about your favorite win in general?
Stinchcomb: We went into Death Valley and beat LSU at night my senior year — that one stands out in the ol’ gray matter. I’d still have to say beating Georgia Tech was the best. Being from Georgia, it matters here. We won a 4 OT game with Auburn in ’96 that we honestly had no business winning. That was pretty awesome too. My girlfriend and now wife went to school there. Lots of high school buddies were at Auburn as well. I still think about that win with fond memories. Nobody thought we could win. Our quarterback and tailback were benched. (Mike) Bobo came off the bench and rallied us. Great game. Epic game for Georgia fans.
SDS: Everybody knows how competitive the SEC is and has been. As a former Bulldog, do you think Mark Richt can win a national championship there? If so, when? This year?
Stinchcomb: I do. He’s certainly capable. It honestly could be (this year). … You know maybe the pieces are in place … 2002 could have been, 2007 could have been, 2012. Georgia certainly has had opportunities. The SEC is both revered and reviled, but its also respected as a conference and if you win it, you get all the cache that comes with it. Georgia was as good as anybody in 2012. Notre Dame had no business in that title game. Ask any Alabama fan from that SEC championship if they think Georgia could have been the national champs. Regardless, that was the best game I have ever seen in person … at any level.
SDS: You were rumored to be in the Athletic Director discussion in Athens a few years ago. Did you ever have a discussion with anybody in Athens about that role?
Stinchcomb: No.
SDS: Any desire to get into that business?
Stinchcomb: It is certainly an interesting space. I enjoy commentating because you get to peek behind the curtain sometimes to see how these programs are built and function. Athletics plays such a huge role in SEC life. I do think I’d embrace the opportunity to advocate for the student athlete. I love what I do, but if down the road that conversation came up, I’d listen.
SDS: People talk about Nick Saban as THE coaching figure in the league. Who is his heir?
Stinchcomb: I think coach Saban is among the greatest football coaches the game has seen, certainly among the greatest teachers of the game. By the time he’s done he may be the greatest head coach in the modern age of college football. But in the context of the SEC, I think coach Spurrier is only second to Bear Bryant. Florida was built by Spurrier. Alabama is a dynasty and has been a dynasty before, but I think what Spurrier has done at two schools with limited to no tradition until he arrived is remarkable. It’s hard to win 11 games three straight years, and at South Carolina? No one outside of the most diehard in Columbia would have dreamed. Pat Dye is one of the greats. Vince Dooley is an icon. … But for me Spurrier still has the best opinion that matters.
SDS: Closing thoughts … what interests you most about the Georgia-Alabama game this weekend?
Stinchcomb: Alabama never has less to lose. There is the Governor’s office and there is Saban’s office. I don’t think they ever get off the hook. It’s on the line every Saturday. I respect that about how they’ve played the last five years. Football in Athens is a big deal. But Alabama plays 12 games a year, and if they lose there’s a moment of silence in schools and the economy takes a turn for the worse … until they win again.
SDS: Georgia and Alabama rarely play. Why does this game mean so much?
Stinchcomb: It’s a great indicator of the rest of the season. We know a little about Alabama. The West is more competitive top to bottom. The East certainly looks like it’s Georgia’s for the taking. Bama has had to get away from running at times, and it has hurt them. The state’s share a border. There are obviously recruiting ramifications. Alabama has a lot of difference maker players from Georgia like Kenyan Drake. The ripple effect goes well beyond the four quarters of play for this game.
World Traveler, Husband, Father of 2. Gentleman and Scholar @benburnett Owner of the Green Bay Packers
