[su_spacer size=”20″] Theron Coleman Sapp, the Drought Breaker, Thundering Theron, played for the University of Georgia varsity football team from 1956 – 1958. Born in June of 1935, the Peach State native signed with the Bulldawgs in 1954, but he ended up having to postpone his collegiate career for a year while recovering from 3 broken vertebrae in his neck. In fact, doctors warned him against playing football again, but football lay ahead for Georgia legend.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Why is number 40 known as the Drought Breaker?
[su_spacer size=”40″] Take a little trip back to the 1950s, 1957 to be exact, and you will find many a Georgia Bulldawg fan being taunted and teased by the North Avenue Trade schoolmen, better known as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Why? Well, it probably had something to do with the fact that the Bugs had defeated the Dawgs for 8 straight seasons going back to 1949. There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth among Georgia fans as Clean Old Fashioned Hate week came rolling around and November 30th loomed ahead that would pit the 2-7 Bulldawgs against the 4-3-2.
[su_spacer size=”40″] See, the Dawgs had not scored a touchdown on the Yellow Jackets in over 4 years, and they were also in the throes of their 3rd straight losing season. Was there any hope what-so-ever that UGA could get back into the “W” column? There was Thundering Theron. Playing both on offense at FB and on defense at LB, he helped lead the Dawgs to a 7-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets as he scored the lone touchdown of the game on his 7th straight carry. The Drought Breaker became legend.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Sapp’s number 40 would be retired in 1959 just a few short months after the 1958 game against UGA’s in-state rival, and while he is best known for breaking the drought against Tech, he was also a heck of a football player earning All-SEC honors in 1957 and 1958. The late, great Georgia Coach, Walley Butts called him “the best offensive fullback I ever had.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Drought Breaker would go on to play professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles for over 5 seasons and then the Pittsburgh Steelers for 3.