Playing for More: A Story Behind What Drives University of Georgia WR A.J. Green

University of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green is an up-and-coming wide receiver that has the ability to be an All-American. Even the most jaded Georgia Tech or Florida fan has to admit that.

When Green burst onto the scene in 2008 for the Bulldogs, most fans knew he was good, but they didn’t realize just how good he was until the team traveled to Arizona State. In that game, Green had eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.

He went on to have 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns for the season, which ranked him first in the SEC with 74.1 yards receiving per game.

But, who is A.J. Green really? Where did he come from, and mostly, what pushes him to go all out on every play?

Green graduated from Summerville High School in Summerville, S.C., in 2008. Ranked the No. 9 prospect nationally in football, Green was a star athlete at his high school. He also played basketball for Summerville’s varsity team.

Through his junior year, Green and his teammates, in both football and basketball, lived normal lives talking about what the future held for each of them.

But that all changed in the summer of 2007 as we learned in a story ESPN eventually picked up on in late 2008.

An assistant coach in football and basketball, Louis Mulkey, loved his athletes. He believed in them and constantly told them they could be anything they wanted. Mulkey was also a member of the local fire department.

On June 18, 2007, Mulkey responded to a fire at the Charleston Sofa Super Store at 7:13 p.m. At 7:32 p.m., a “Mayday” call came over the radio from inside the store. Soon after, another voice said “Car One, please tell my wife that...'I love you.'” Then, the front of the showroom collapsed.

At 10 p.m., the fire was brought under control and the remains of two firefighters were found. Over the next six hours, the remains of seven others were found. One of those was Louis Mulkey.

Torn by tragedy and the loss of their coach, the football team and basketball team managed to complete their seasons. But for the basketball team, which included Green, the season was about making good on Mulkey’s promise back when the seniors were in eighth grade—that they would win the state basketball title their senior year.

So, the basketball team went on with a burden on its shoulders, and the Green Wave made it all of the way to the state championship game.

With a two-point lead as the clock ran down, one of Spartanburg High School’s players threw up a shot from the other side of the gym and the ball went into the basket to seemingly give Spartanburg the win.

A celebration by the Spartanburg players ensued, while the Summerville faithful were reduced to tears. However, the referees huddled together to determine if the shot got off on time before the clock expired.

In the end, the officials decided it didn’t and Summerville fulfilled its coach’s promise from five years before and brought home a state title to Summerville.

So, what motivates A.J. Green?

Could it be a coach who pushed him throughout his high school career and believed he could be anything he wanted to be?

Next time you see the 6'4" wide receiver catching passes for the Red and Black, remember he’s playing for something more than himself. He’s playing for something more than his family. He’s playing for something more than Summerville High School.

Green is playing in remembrance of a coach that believed in him, maybe when nobody else did.