by Matt Cooke
For the second straight year, a returning standout offensive lineman for the University of West Georgia Wolves football team has earned early national recognition. Senior guard Garrison Ushery was recently named a preseason Division II All-American by The Sporting News in the publication’s 2014 College Football Preview edition.
Garrison, a rising senior from Austell, Georgia, and South Cobb High School, has quickly earned the respect of his new head coach, Will Hall. A transfer from Saint Augustine’s University in North Carolina prior to the 2012 season, Garrison is entering his third season in the UWG program. Last year he earned All-Gulf South Conference First Team honors as he helped lead the Wolves’ attack to several new school records.
“Garrison is a tremendous young man, and obviously a really good football player,” says Will. “He’s a team leader who has really embraced our new way of doing things. I’m expecting him to have a really big year for us.”
Beyond his excellence on the field, Garrison has also been a standout in the classroom. He is a two-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and was named to the 2013 GSC All-Academic Team after posting a 3.44 grade point average while majoring in physics and engineering.
Garrison’s classroom excellence was instrumental is his selection to take part this summer in the prestigious C.O.M.T.O. Careers in Transportation for Youth (CITY) Internship Program. He was selected among hundreds of applicants from around the nation for one of 30 positions in the program and is serving his internship with the Federal Transit Administration office in Atlanta. Beyond his internship, Garrison is also busy this summer with the Wolves’ off-season conditioning program.
The recognition makes Garrison the fourth offensive lineman to be in the national spotlight in the past three seasons. In 2012, center Jordan Ritchey was named an All-American at the conclusion of the season. William Wright and Brandon White were each named Preseason All-Americans prior to the 2013 season, with both following through to become postseason All-Americans as well. UWG football has produced 35 All-Americans in the history of the program, with 10 of those coming from the offensive line.
In the first season under Coach Will Hall, the full 2014 UWG football team is set to report to preseason camp on August 13 to begin preparations for the September 6 season opener vs. Mars Hill.
